This week’s North East appointments: Featuring durhamlane, Ward Hadaway and Barratt Developments

This week’s round-up of North East appointments includes durhamlane, Ward Hadaway and Barratt Developments North East. Read on to find out more…

Sinead Hall, durhamlane

Newcastle sales and marketing specialist durhamlane, has appointed Sinead Hall as its first chief people officer. With over 15 years’ experience in HR, Sinead brings a wealth of talent management knowledge and experience to durhamlane.

She joins from digital marketing agency Evolved Search where she was head of people for over three years, helping to secure the prestigious ‘GPTW Best Workplace for Women UK’ award for the firm in 2022. Prior to this she was senior people advisor at clothing brand END for a number of years.

Sinead’s appointment reinforces durhamlane’s focus on its people-centric approach and continued investment in its 100+-strong team. Her remit will focus on developing and shaping the company’s culture to position itself as a top employer, pushing the firm to offer the highest quality services to its clients by recruiting the best sales and marketing talent.

Sinead, who is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) commented: “Joining durhamlane as chief people officer is an incredible opportunity to make a significant impact on the company’s growth and its most valuable asset - its people.

“I am thrilled to be part of a team that recognises the importance of a thriving work culture and is committed to empowering employees. Together, we will continue to foster an inclusive environment that drives excellence and delivers exceptional results for our clients.”

Alistair McDonald, Ward Hadaway

Ward Hadaway has made a key strategic appointment with the creation of a new role to help drive further growth. Alistair McDonald has been promoted to the position of business development director at Newcastle headquartered Ward Hadaway following a competitive recruitment process.

The appointment marks a key milestone for business development across the firm. One of Alistair’s first priorities is to support everyone at the firm, from trainee to partner, to develop the necessary skills and knowledge that help them to more effectively grow their client base.

Alistair’s extensive experience and proven track record in business development will enable him to work closely with the firm’s legal teams to identify new business opportunities, build strategic partnerships, and enhance client engagement initiatives. He will also establish a specific business development team that will help support growth across the firm.

Martin Hulls, managing partner at Ward Hadaway (pictured left), commented: “We have ambitious growth plans, and Alistair’s expertise will enable us all to better identify and seize new opportunities, allowing us to grow our client base and further strengthen our existing relationships.

Alistair (pictured right) added: “I’m delighted to become Business Development Director at Ward Hadaway. The firm is well respected, forward thinking and filled with talent, and is already seeing solid growth across all its offices. Its ambitious plans for the future are what makes this role so exciting.

“An effective business development strategy plays a vital role in all successful organisations. By embedding business development into the fabric of the firm, Ward Hadaway aims to remain at the forefront of legal services in the region and beyond, driving innovation and providing exceptional service to its clients.”

Alex Lawson, Barratt Developments North East

Barratt Developments North East is welcoming a new head to its commercial team. Alex Lawson joined the North East division as commercial manager in November 2022 before being made head of commercial. Alex brings with him extensive industry experience and a strong track record of success.

Alex first embarked on his career in housebuilding in 2016, serving three years at Story Homes as an assistant quantity surveyor, and then quantity surveyor. He then moved to Keepmoat Homes as a senior quantity surveyor, where he progressed to land and partnerships manager before joining Barratt Developments.

As head of commercial, Alex will oversee many factors attributed to cost-effective building, including quantity surveying, procurement and material buying, amongst others. His new role will see him lead the team to achieve targets relating to accurate build cost assessments for land acquisition, budget control through the lifecycle of developments.

Alex (pictured right) commented: “I’m thrilled to be taking on the role as head of commercial at Barratt Developments North East. The teams within the business are absolutely fantastic, and I’m looking forward to being part of and leading a team where personal development is encouraged alongside exceptional team support.”

Carl Sobolewski, managing director at Barratt Developments North East (pictured left), added: “We’re so pleased to welcome Alex as Head of Commercial here at Barratt Developments North East.

“Given his track record for success, we’re confident that he is going to contribute greatly to the company’s continued success and growth, and we look forward to watching him develop as a professional within the business.”

Would you like to see your businesses new hires or promotions featured in the Bdaily appointments news?

Send your submissions to: editor@bdaily.co.uk with ‘APPOINTMENT:’ In the subject.

Submissions should:

  • include the name and job title of the appointee and the business name
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Appointments are published entirely at the discretion of the Bdaily team. Submission does not guarantee publication.


By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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