This week’s North East appointments

This week’s round up of North East appointments includes O.agency, Burnetts Solicitors and Castle Building Services. Read on to find out more.

(L - R): Lauren Regan, Kirsty Ramsey and Fran Ratliff, O.agency

Newcastle-based O.agency has expanded its senior management team, with the appointment of a new managing director and two associate directors.

Kirsty Ramsey has been appointed as managing director, with founder Kari Owers moving to the role of CEO and co-owner Robin Owers as director of finance and operations.

Fran Ratliff moves from her head of client services role to associate director of the corporate client team and is joined by former creative director Lauren Regan as associate director of the consumer team.

Founder Kari Owers said: “Our management team was very newly formed just before the pandemic and have been instrumental in supporting us as we navigated through 2020 to go on to achieve growth again in 2021, hiring ten new people in recent months.

“Their management experience has been supercharged in the last couple of years, so we are very excited to now see them oversee delivery across our client portfolio and develop our talented and growing team.

“Collectively they bring a wealth of strategy experience to our client portfolio and as they have all worked with us for many years, they will ensure our award-winning culture remains at the heart of our agency as I focus on our continued future growth.”

Spencer Knaggs, Burnetts Solicitors LLP

Spencer Knaggs, head of the medical negligence and serious injury department at Newcastle-based Burnetts Solicitors LLP, has become an equity partner of the firm.

Spencer, a specialist in serious injury cases with over 25 years of experience, joined Burnetts in 2017 and over the course of the last five years has led his team to establish the law firm as the preeminent provider of legal advice in medical negligence and serious injury cases across Cumbria and the North East, as well as further afield.

He will now join the eight existing equity partners to become a part owner in the business, which is one of the largest law firms in the North, employing over 140 people at three sites in Carlisle, Cockermouth and Newcastle.

Spencer works alongside brain injury specialist Paul Brown and former midwife and birth injury specialist Michelle Armstrong, making Burnetts one of the few law firms in the UK to offer a team of highly experienced solicitors genuinely specialising in cases of serious injury.

Spencer said: “Ever since I joined Burnetts I’ve been impressed by the talent, strength in depth and quality of legal services provided. What really stood out for me was the forward-thinking, dynamic nature of the partnership and the desire to drive the business forward by investing in both people and infrastructure.”

Nick Gutteridge, managing partner, added: “Since joining the practice, Spencer has demonstrated qualities which align perfectly with the culture of the business and I am extremely pleased that he has decided to take this step. Along with a wealth of expertise and experience in his chosen field, Spencer’s personal qualities and approach are invaluable to the business and will undoubtedly help us towards achieving our objectives.”

Andrew Dawson, Castle Building Services

Hebburn-based Castle Building Services has announced the promotion of Andrew Dawson (pictured right) to managing director.

With the firm for 12 years, Andrew steps up to the new role after seven years as the company’s commercial and financial director. He takes over from David Harland, who becomes executive director.

Andrew said: “I want to build upon the solid foundations already established over the years, which includes completing our projects on programme, within budget and to an exceptional standard. The last two years has seen many businesses, including ourselves, in unchartered territories due to the pandemic and the focus now is very much on stability and sustained growth.

“Continual improvement across the business is something that I am passionate about. Indeed, I am an example of this, in that I joined as a mechanical estimator, became commercial and financial director and I am now managing director.

“I look forward to developing and retaining our exceptional team from apprentices through to senior management and to building on the very strong relationships we have with our clients.”

Tony Lister, CEO and executive director (pictured right), added: “On behalf of the board at Castle Building Services I would like to congratulate Andrew on his appointment as managing director. He has played an instrumental role in directing the business over the past two years and achieving stability during difficult trading conditions.”

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