Keep reading for the latest round-up of appointments, promotions and other jobs news from across the Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire region:
Paragon Law
Niche Nottingham immigration law firm Paragon Law has promoted two senior colleagues to directors (pictured above).
James Firman has been promoted to operations director 15 years after joining the firm. He started as a general administration apprentice and has worked in finance, general operations, IT and HR. In 2021, he was named as Nottinghamshire Law Society’s practice manager of the year.
Senior solicitor Emma Okenyi has been promoted to a legal director after celebrating her tenth year with Paragon Law and becoming head of the firm’s personal and family immigration team.
Emma, who came to the UK as an international student from Kenya to study law, said: “I have enjoyed the opportunities that have been presented to me and now particularly enjoy training and developing new lawyers that join my team.”
Founder and Director Thal Vasishta said: “Paragon Law continues to demonstrate our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“Emma is an example to all international graduates in the UK that you can reach the top of your field of work - 67 per cent of our senior leadership are women and 67 per cent are from a BAME background.
Avant Homes
Chesterfield-based Avant Homes has strengthened the team in its central region with the appointment of Katy Falls as regional planning manager.
Katy has more than 12 years’ experience in the planning industry and began her career in local authority planning before moving into housebuilding in 2015.
She will be responsible for moving potential sites through the planning process while building relationships with councils.
She said: “As a planner, my favourite part of the job is successfully obtaining planning permission and seeing developments come to life.
“It is exciting to play a role in delivering new homes for our customers, and to contribute towards creating communities where people want to live.
“I have always favoured the residential side of planning, so I am looking forward to taking the next step in my career with a company which has such impressive and ambitious growth plans.”
Avant Homes Central has nine live developments ranging from Chesterfield to Mansfield with many more due to start as the business continues to implement its growth plans.
Cambridge & Counties Bank
Specialist lender Cambridge & Counties Bank has appointed Patrick Newberry as its new chairman, replacing Simon Moore who has retired after serving 10 years on the board.
Patrick’s executive career spans over 30 years with PwC, where his primary focus was on strategy, performance improvement as well as all things regulatory within the financial services and insurance sectors.
During this time, he was the lead in major transformational programmes and worked with large financial institutions to set strategy and transform performance.
Over the last nine years, Patrick has spent his time as non-executive director and freelance consultant for a number of financial and non-financial services organisations including Brunel Pensions Partnership, Historic England and the Cornwall College Group.
Leicester-based Cambridge & Counties Bank announced in June this year that total lending had topped £1 billion for the first time, having seen staff numbers increase to more than 200 over the past decade, with major offices now in Sheffield, Bristol, London, and Glasgow.
Gowercroft Joinery
Alfreton-based timber window and door manufacturer Gowercroft Joinery has appointed Harry Dixon, from Mickleover, as its finance director to help spearhead the next stage of expansion.
He brings almost a decade of commercial accountancy and building industry experience, having started as a credit control apprentice at one of the country's major chains of builders' merchants and then progressed his career with IT and construction companies.
Harry said: "I am thrilled to be joining such a dynamic and rapidly expanding business. Gowercroft has had such an amazing track record so far, and I am very much looking forward to being part of its future successes."
Managing director Andrew Madge said: “Gowercroft has expanded turnover by 110 per cent over the past two years by delivering highly innovative windows and doors to a string of new customers and prestigious projects nationwide."
Bristol Street Motors Derby Nissan
Vikki Brooks, who started as an apprentice at the age of 18, has been appointed as branch manager at Bristol Street Motors Derby Nissan.
The former sales executive progressed her career, from new and used business car manager, to new car sales manager, to her current position. Over that time, she has undertaken many of the group’s training courses, including the company’s leadership development programme.
She recently got engaged and is excited to take the next step in her career and her personal life.
She said: “I am pleased and proud to be leading the team at Bristol Street Motors Derby Nissan.
“The support I have received from management and colleagues during my seven years has been fantastic. I am very grateful to work for a forward-thinking company that values its workforce.
“Although still male dominated, the industry is changing rapidly; to any woman who is interested in starting a career in the automotive industry, just go for it!”
Precision People
Recruitment business Precision People has promoted Anand Kakkad to head of technical.
Anand joined the Meridian Business Park, Leicester, four years ago as team leader of the maintenance division.
Over 14 months he built the team from two to six consultants, and was promoted to divisional manager of the technical perm team.
Director Phil Walker said: “Anand manages the team how most managers don't - which is by empowering, leading, and coaching, whilst working the hard yards himself.
“He also takes the time to have an interest in his people's success and well-being. This makes him the most successful manager Precision has seen.
“This year, under his leadership, the technical team of permanent and contract recruitment has created six promotions, progressing two senior recruiters into managing consultants and building a team with them.“
He said Precision is on course to double the size of its team within the next three years to 40 people.
Heavenly Desserts
Derbyshire luxury dessert franchise Heavenly Desserts has made three key appointments to its team to secure the brand’s impeccable standards as it expands into international markets.
Currently made up of 42 stores across the UK, the company has confirmed it will be launching the brand in Canada next month.
Following her outstanding performance as restaurant manager in Southampton, Martha Prudence joins the Heavenly Desserts head office as the new store openings trainer.
New brand excellence auditor Louise Wilkinson has more than 20 years’ experience in the casual dining sector, including work for Hickory’s Smoke BBQ and Marston’s.
She is responsible for supporting franchisees and restaurants in all aspects of store operations, to ensure the Heavenly Desserts brand measures up to the company’s values of ‘perfection every time’ and ‘operational excellence’.
Warren Smith is the new area manager for the North and Scotland. He has experience as a cluster manager for Farmhouse Inns - a Greene King offshoot where Warren managed 72 members of staff.
He will oversee the series of new store openings in Glasgow taking place over the next few months.
Armsons Barlow
Derby-based project managers, construction cost consultants and building surveyors Armsons Barlow have appointed Paul Hanson as associate director.
Paul joined Barlow & Associates in 1991 as a trainee quantity surveyor and went on to gain a degree in quantity surveying from Nottingham Trent University.
During his time with the firm, Paul has delivered a variety of schemes for clients and worked in different roles including quantity surveyor, employer’s agent, bank monitoring surveyor, project manager and party wall surveyor.
He has also broadened his skills and experience with secondments to contractors in both retail and civil engineering.
In his new role as associate director, Paul will assume several new responsibilities, including managing a small team of surveyors and leading the companies’ services on a portfolio of schemes for one of their key clients.
Paul said: “The merger of Armsons and Barlow & Associates is proving to be an exciting time, and I am enjoying being part of a larger team and sharing experiences.”
