Here is the latest round-up of appointments, promotions and other jobs news from across the wider East Midlands:
Barratt Homes
A 24-year-old construction professional from Leicestershire has made the leap from graduate to assistant site manager in quick succession after demonstrating exceptional skills in the housebuilding industry. Jess Fletcher (pictured above), who started as a candidate on Barratt Homes’ two-year ASPIRE Graduate Programme in August 2020, is encouraging other young women to enrol on the scheme and consider a career in construction.
Jess is one of the youngest site managers to be employed by Barratt Homes, and is responsible for helping to manage its King’s Meadow development in Melton Mowbray.
She originally undertook a degree in architecture at Leeds Beckett University, as well as working as an architectural assistant for a Leeds based Royal Institute of British Architects practice prior to seeking employment by the leading housebuilder.
BDO
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has announced a new for its Nottingham office.
Laurie Hannant has taken on the role leading the 80-strong East Midlands practice, as Andrew Mair steps down.
Laurie joined BDO in 2019 as an audit partner and leads the firm’s consumer markets sector in the Midlands. She has worked across the region for more than 20 years.
Her appointment follows BDO’s recent move to a prominent office building in the centre of Nottingham, cementing its commitment to the East Midlands market.
Amazon
An Amazon employee from Leicester has become the 100,000th global participant in the online retailer’s Career Choice training programme. Sohil Ambelal Patel, who works in the shipping department at the company’s Hinckley fulfilment centre, enrolled on the programme to pursue his ambition to be an HGV driver.
Career Choice, which is also celebrating its 10th anniversary, is designed to empower eligible Amazon employees to learn new skills and follow their passion for career success, either at Amazon or elsewhere. It pre-pays 95 per cent of tuition for courses in high-demand occupations, up to £8,000 over four years.
He started work at the Hinckley fulfilment centre in 2021, following in the footsteps of his wife, sister, and brother-in-law, who have also worked at the same Amazon site.
Shakespeare Martineau
Shakespeare Martineau has expanded its presence in Lincoln with a duo of hires, including heavyweight residential conveyancing partner Ed Atkin.
With more than 18 years’ experience, Ed joins the firm from Wilkin Chapman in Grimsby. He will be responsible for growing Shakespeare Martineau’s Lincoln offering and building its residential conveyancing team in the city.
After starting his career as a commercial property solicitor, Ed moved to the residential conveyancing team in 2014. During this time, a large proportion of his work has been at the top-end of the housing market, dealing with multi-million-pound transactions.
Agricultural associate Alex Wensor also joins the firm in Lincoln following almost four years at HCR Hewitsons and three years at Roythornes Solicitors. He will advise rural businesses on property transactions, including sales, purchases, lettings, commercial leases and easements.
Trentbarton and Kinchbus
Trentbarton and Kinchbus managing director Jeff Counsell has retired after 24 years with the company and almost half a century in the bus industry.
Jeff, who started out in buses as a 15-year-old apprentice, said: “Retirement is a strange feeling but it’s starting to sink in. I will miss the people terribly. I will miss interacting with our people and with our customers.”
Jeff started as a 15-year-old engineering apprentice at Lancashire United Transport in the 1970s. He joined trentbarton in 1999 as engineering director and progressed to director of service delivery before becoming managing director in 2009.
EMEC
Nottinghamshire based East Midlands Environmental Consultants (EMEC) has taken on Lee Holland as a new project manager in response to a number of significant new contracts won.
Prior to joining EMEC, Mr Holland was a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Upon leaving the armed forces he obtained an APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ). He also holds a BSc Economics (Hons) degree.
Established in 1991, EMEC offers ecology, biodiversity, land management and arboriculture services. Notable clients include Severn Trent Water, Nottingham City Council and Centre Parcs.
It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and all its profits are gift aided to the trust to support nature conservation. In 30 years that amount has passed £1 million.
MTMS
A health and safety manager who previously worked on oil rigs and in car and construction equipment assembly lines has taken on his first role in the rail industry by joining depot maintenance company MTMS.
Steven Ostle has been appointed as the company’s new health, safety and environmental manager, with responsibility for ensuring its engineers and sub-contractors continue to work safely at rail depots all over the country.
MTMS, based in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, services and maintains rolling stock and specialist depot equipment at over half of the UK’s rail depots, serving such familiar names in mainline rail as First MTR South-Western Railway, Hitachi, Arriva and Siemens, and is the proud owner of an excellent safety record.
Hallam
Nottngham digital agency Hallam has promoted Molly Watters and Alex Jackson to paid media team leads.
Jack Brown, Head of Paid Media, said: "These promotions will see Molly and Alex moving into managerial roles, where they’ll join me on the paid media leadership team.
"It's a big step for our team that sets us up to deliver even better work for our clients by creating two teams of specialists, constantly progressing, planning and exploring how to grow their clients’ businesses.
"Molly and Alex are both experienced and capable leaders; after seeing them successfully lead their specialisms through tough economic conditions, this promotion is thoroughly well deserved.”
ValiRx PLC
ValiRx PLC, a life science company focused on early-stage cancer therapeutics and women's health, has announced three senior appointments to its newly incorporated subsidiary Inaphaea BioLabs.
Headquartered in MediCity Nottingham, Inaphaea will offer a wide range of pre-clinical and drug discovery testing services to academic, biotech and pharmaceutical researchers, forming the foundation of ValiRx’s tCRO (translational Contract Research Organisation) strategy.
It has appointed Dr Andrew Carnegie as head of strategic commercial development, Melissa Barr as lead scientist, and Dr Dominic Lowen as senior scientist.
OTB Legal
Nottingham-based UK Immigration Law specialist OTB Legal has announced a major appointment, with Emma Cohen joining from top-tier ranked Bindmans LLP (London).
Recognised within independent legal directories Chambers and Partners and Legal 500, Emma joins the growing team as an associate and will bring her expertise within both personal and business immigration matters to the 14-strong team of immigration law specialists.
Based at the Daleside Road offices, Emma will also embrace the hybrid working model that OTB Legal has adopted.
Emma has taught on the Legal Practice course at Anglia Ruskin University, worked in the voluntary sector at a legal advice centre, trains for the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA) and is a volunteer adviser for Rainbow Migration (previously the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG).
Wilkin Chapman
Wilkin Chapman solicitors has appointed Helen Barton as a partner at its Lincoln office.
With more than 15 years of experience, Helen will focus on all aspects of commercial property work, with a particular emphasis on development work and the energy and renewable sector, and will provide services to landowners and commercial clients.
Having begun her career in Lincoln, Helen spent six years at a company in Scunthorpe before joining Wilkin Chapman in January 2023.
She said: “I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to come back to Lincoln someday. I hit a bit of a crossroads in my career. The opportunity came up to come back and reconnect with people in Lincoln so I grasped it.”
Her work will focus on helping landowners and businesses with a range of commercial property matters, with a particular focus on renewable energy projects.
Showcase Cinemas UK
Cinema industry veteran Crispin Lilly has been appointed as new managing director of Nottingham-based Showcase Cinemas UK.
Crispin will join Showcase at the end of April with a pledge to build on the in-cinema experience and help the business drive admissions into its screens post-pandemic.
Crispin, who started his film career as a cashier at his local cinema in Southampton, joins Showcase following three decades working for some of the biggest names in the industry.
His new role at Showcase follows stints at Cineworld, Everyman and, more recently working on a consultancy basis with The Really Local Group, bringing accessible cinema to smaller catchment areas, alongside his charitable work as Trustee of MediCinema.
Ibstock
Leicestershire brick maker Ibstock has announced the appointment of Louis Eperjesi as senior independent director with effect from the April 27 AGM.
It comes after senior independent director and chair of the remuneration committee Tracey Graham informed the board of her intention to step down as a non-executive director on the same date.
Mr Eperjesi has been a non-executive director since June 2018 and is also a member the audit, nomination, remuneration and ESG committees.
A new chair of the remuneration committee will be appointed in due course.
Forterra
Northants-based brick maker Forterra has announced that Gina Jardine will join the board as an independent non-executive director on April 3.
Gina is an experienced HR professional with a career within global building materials and mining companies. Most recently she held the position of chief human resources officer at FTSE 100 building materials business CRH plc. Prior to that she was chief human resources officer at Canadian listed Kinross Gold Corporation. She also held senior HR roles at FTSE 100 listed mining group Rio Tinto Plc.
Forterra chairman Justin Atkinson said: “Gina brings considerable experience and significant knowledge obtained in some of the largest global corporates and she will be a valuable addition to Forterra's board.”
