This week's National appointments: Featuring SIS Ventures, Avant Homes & Simpson Millar

This week’s round up of national appointments includes SIS Ventures, Avant Homes & Simpson Millar. Read on to find out more.

Arran Dewar, SIS Ventures

Scotland’s leading responsible finance provider, Social Investment Scotland (SIS), has appointed one of Scotland’s top experts on community finance as Executive Director of SIS Ventures, the wholly owned impact investor.

Arran Dewar joins SIS Ventures as Executive Director from Inspiring Scotland, a venture philanthropy organisation which aims to improve the lives people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In his previous role at Inspiring Scotland, Arran led the CashBack for Communities fund (on behalf of Scottish Government), focussed on improving the quality of life of disadvantaged young people in Scotland.

Speaking of the appointment chief executive of SIS, Alastair Davis, said: “Arran’s expertise and experience in managing an impact-focused fund will be invaluable to SIS Ventures, as we look to scale up our activities over the coming year. Having launched our Impact First fund nearly five years ago, we are beginning to see the significant difference our investment is making to the innovative businesses within our portfolio.”

Commenting on the new role, Arran Dewar, executive director of SIS Ventures, said: “Taking a leading role at Scotland’s most experienced impact investor was too good an opportunity to turn down combining a passion for mission-aligned investment with my professional experience as a corporate financier and chartered accountant.”

Mark Bray, Avant Homes

Chesterfield-based Avant Homes Central has strengthened its senior team with the appointment of a technical director to further enable the housebuilder’s regional expansion. Mark Bray, who joins from residential developer Countryside Partnerships, has more than 40 years’ experience in local government and the construction and housebuilding sectors.

In his new role, he is responsible for Avant Homes Central’s technical delivery. This includes housetype and development design and supporting the region’s land, commercial, construction and site management teams during various stages of construction.

Commenting on his appointment, Mark said: “Avant Homes has a clear national and regional expansion strategy. I’m excited to become part of it and to join a team dedicated to delivering high quality new homes in great locations.

Welcoming Mark to the business, Avant Homes Central managing director, Chris Coley, said: “With our expansion plans well underway it’s a great time for us welcome Mark to the technical team to further enable our growth. He is an excellent addition to our senior management team and will play a pivotal role in Avant Homes Central’s continued evolution.”

Alex Hockett, Simpson Millar

National consumer law firm Simpson Millar has appointed Alex Hockett as its new Head of Learning and Development (L&D). Bringing more than 10 years’ experience in the professional development industry to the role having previously worked as the Strategic People Lead at the Housing Association, Accent Group, and as a Regional Training Partner at insurance company, LV=.

Based out of Leeds, Alex will spearhead the firm’s comprehensive learning and development initiatives for both solicitors and support staff located across the country, operating within its three core legal practice areas of Family, Public and Injury.

Alex is also joined by two additional new starters within the Learning and Development team -experienced Experienced training and development advisor Alison Holding-Jones, who joins as Learning and Development Business Partner, and Stephanie Thorp who has been appointed as a Learning and Development Coordinator.

Commenting on the appointments, and the expansion of the firm’s L&D team, Simpson Millar’s director of people, Helen Sutton, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Alexandra, Alison and Stephanie to our L&D team.

“As a business we place a huge amount of emphasis on training, learning and development. We are heavily invested in enabling our colleagues to progress their careers at a pace that is right for them, and to have the necessary skills in place to best meet the needs of our clients.”

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