Today we publish our regular round-up of movers and shakers from across the East Midlands region:
Finch Consulting
Leicestershire-based health and safety engineering risk management experts Finch Consulting has brought in occupational hygienist Morag McWilliam (pictured above).
Morag has more than 30 years’ experience in occupational hygiene health and safety and joins Ashby-based Finch as a senior consultant from her most recent role as a HM Specialist Inspector for the Health and Safety Executive.
In her new role, Morag will help Finch’s clients with occupational hygiene support in both a consultancy and expert witness capacity.
Morag said “I chose to join Finch because of their work ethic and positive employee culture which encourages consultants to take an adaptable and pragmatic approach to problem solving for clients in a wide range of industries.
“This in turn will allow me to apply practically my industrial and regulatory experience as an occupational hygienist to help guide clients in the long term protection of their workers’ health and well-being.”
Nielsen McAllister
Derby PR & communications agency Nielsen McAllister has appointed Alona Vvedenska, who arrived in the UK after fleeing her home in war-torn Ukraine.
Alona joins the agency as account and content support executive following a traumatic start to the year. With her 13-year-old son, she fled Kyiv on an evacuation train in March, arriving in the UK as part of the Homes for Ukrainians scheme.
As a journalist, author of articles, and editor of national Ukrainian periodicals, Alona wanted to get back to work and use her expertise.
Alona’s sponsor, Derby businessman Nino Simone, contacted Nielsen McAllister, which was looking for a content specialist to support its rapid growth.
She said: “The experience of war is something that is incredibly difficult to put into words.
“Everything that seems impossible or unbearable to us in peacetime becomes part of everyday life. It’s a state where you can’t feel normal, but the pain is just hellish.
“I am therefore heartily grateful to the UK and my new colleagues for the opportunity to live and work here. I am very happy to be a part of the Nielsen McAllister team and it’s helping me to achieve a degree of stability during such turbulent times.”
Gateley Legal
Gateley Legal has expanded its Nottingham residential development team to a total of seven to meet client demand in areas such as regeneration projects and land acquisitions and disposals.
The Nottingham residential development team began with partner Steven Plummer in 2018. Since then, it has grown with several appointments and now also includes senior associates Alexandra Smith and Lauren Jeffery, solicitors Anna Thomas and Jade Sansoye, trainee solicitor George Rickman and legal secretary Lisa Parr.
Gateley Nottingham partner Steven Plummer said: “The team was fortunate to remain very busy during lockdown, and activity is continuing to increase since we’ve returned to a form of normality again.
“To manage this rise in work, and maintain the service levels we pride ourselves on, we’ve bolstered the Nottingham team with some fantastic new talent.
“I have no doubt that we will be looking to expand the team again soon as we continue to work on some great development projects across the country."
Gateley Legal acts for 18 of the top 20 housebuilders in the UK, at regional or national levels, and handles around 15,000 plot sales a year. It also has a separate housebuilder team specialising in services for residential developers.
200 Degrees
200 Degrees Coffee has welcomed Charlotte Coore as head of people as it continues its expansion plans.
Nottingham-based 200 Degrees now has 17 coffee shops across England and Wales, and reached its 200the team member during its 10th anniversary.
It has a strategy to open five new coffee shops each year and Charlotte will be lead the HR department.
Charlotte said: “200 Degrees is a team-centred business which has an ambitious growth and innovation strategy - so it’s a really exciting time to be joining.
“With growth comes much opportunity and given the current job market, it is important to continue to champion 200 Degrees’ culture and values, as well as continuing our investment into our skilled team.
“In my new role, I will be leading the people agenda by implementing practical initiatives and transformation projects and helping the wider team get more involved in the business, its decisions and direction.
“As the saying goes, ‘people are a company’s greatest asset’, and I very much look forward to working with everyone at 200 Degrees – plus I am a huge foodie and coffee drinker too, so that is a bonus.”
Chord Consult
Nottingham-based mechanical and engineering consultancy firm Chord Consult has added four new engineers to its ranks, thanks to business from new and long-standing clients.
Harry Stannard and Ryan Gibson join as senior mechanical engineers, Fred Stannard joins as a mechanical associate and Alex Skidmore comes in as electrical director. They will support the four founding company directors and the seven members of staff who have joined since Chord launched on June 1.
Harry Stannard said: “It’s always an adjustment starting a new job and saying goodbye to your teammates but working with old friends at Chord made the transition really smooth - it felt like coming home.”
Fellow engineer Ryan Gibson said: “It’s been really exciting to get involved at the early stages of the company’s evolution.
“I’ve worked with Chord’s founders since 2011, so coming to work for the company felt like a reunion of sorts and I can’t wait to get started working with our new clients.”
Chord is based in Canal Street, Nottingham.
Link ICT
Customer growth and demand from schools for new IT installations and Clevertouch screens has led to Derby-based Link ICT appointing Nigel Sharpin as a senior IT technician.
Link ICT specialises in on-site IT support and in his new role Nigel, who is from Tamworth, will provide remote support to customers who encounter issues when their dedicated technician is not on site. Clients include schools and businesses across the East Midlands.
The majority of Nigel’s career has been spent in IT and he previously worked for Norfolk Education Services, supporting schools and colleges across East Anglia. He joins Link ICT from Derby-based aerospace manufacturing specialists Bromford Industries where he supported four sites across the East and West Midlands area as the Group IT specialist.
Nigel said, “I am really looking forward to returning to a senior IT technician role that can be tailored according to each client. My past experience means I can bring a wealth of knowledge to the table and cannot wait to get started on this huge and exciting opportunity.”
Octavian Security UK
Nottinghamshire-based Octavian Security UK has welcomed Ronnie Knowles as its new business advisor and senior director.
Ronnie has more than 15 years' experience of directing, managing, operating, and controlling complex global supply chain, transport and logistics operations in the UK, Middle East, Asia and the Indian Subcontinent.
Reshma Sheikh, chairperson of the Bingham-based company, said: "As business advisor and senior director, Ronnie will be key in the strategic development and implementation of the company’s business development to achieve further significant growth.
“This will align with a root and branch review of the company's processes to upscale our procedures to ensure Octavian Security UK remains agile to embrace fresh strategies."
Fluid Ideas
Four new starters have strengthened the ranks of creative agency Fluid Ideas as its expansion continues.
Fluid, which is based at Darley Abbey Mills, near Derby, has recruited Nicole Davies, Tom King, Will Davis and Matt Thompson to four of its six teams.
Nicole, who has a master’s degree in marketing management, has joined Fluid’s websites and systems team as a project manager.
Tom has joined the brand and creative team as a multi-disciplinary designer, working on client campaigns and pitches.
Will, a digital marketing graduate from the University of Derby, has gained experience in the sport and leisure sector and has joined Fluid’s search and social team. His main focus will be search engine optimisation, content writing and social media management.
Matt has joined the design and artwork team and brings with him more than 20 years’ experience of working in local agencies.
Persimmon Midlands
Zac Hurst has been appointed as the new managing director at Persimmon Homes Midlands.
Zac has taken over the reins at the Northampton office, where he will be responsible for the 125 strong team and will oversee all of the company’s regional operations throughout Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, South Leicestershire and Bedfordshire.
He joined the company in 2016 as a quantity surveyor before moving through the ranks to become operations director in 2022.
He said: “I am joining a great team and I look forward to meeting with our local suppliers and contractors who support us in delivering quality homes.
“Our recent 5 star quality rating is testament to the hard work of our teams and I aim to grow the business in an area of great opportunity.
“My focus for the business is firmly on ensuring a positive experience for all customers, delivering beautifully designed and well-constructed homes they can enjoy living in for many years to come.
“Persimmon is known for creating vibrant and sustainable communities across the region, providing much-needed new homes and infrastructure to ensure the long-term viability of our towns and villages.”
LDC
Mid-market private equity firm LDC has grown its team in the East Midlands and East of England with the appointment of Simon Peacock as investment director and Mikayil Salahov as investment manager.
Simon joins LDC following more than 15 years at Alantra, an investment banking and asset management firm focusing on the mid-market. As a partner there, he advised companies on both a regional and sector basis, including consumer, industrials and business services, to help ensure the smooth completion of M&A transactions.
He has extensive experience within the food industry, as director of food and drink at Catalyst, prior to its acquisition by Alantra, following eight years as a finance manager at United Biscuits.
Simon will be responsible for identifying potential investment opportunities, leading transactions and supporting the management teams of LDC’s portfolio businesses as they pursue their growth ambitions.
Mikayil joins from PwC’s transaction services practice in Reading, where he focused on large cap and mid-market transactions. His experience spans several sectors, including technology media and telecoms, business services and retail.
Simon and Mikayil are the second and third additions to LDC’s East Midlands and East of England team – led by Partner David Bains – during the last six months, following the appointment of investment manager Nicole Wong in April. All three are supporting LDC’s commitment to increase its activity and support of mid-market businesses across the region.
Rotheras
Nottingham law firm Rotheras has recruited a specialist solicitor to act for clients in Court of Protection matters.
Senior associate Ruth Tarr joins the firm’s wills, probate and trusts team where she will specialise in acting for vulnerable individuals and their families.
Ruth will represent adults and children with acquired brain injuries who lack mental capacity following personal injury or medical negligence. She will also be acting for elderly clients and individuals with learning difficulties and mental health issues, as well as providing litigation support to the firm’s Personal Injury and Medical Negligence lawyers.
Ruth previously worked within a specialist Court of Protection department at Freeths for 10 years, and is an associate member of Solicitors for the Elderly and a technician member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.
North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College
North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College has appointed Paul Lawrence as executive director of business development and employer engagement with a brief to build on the organisation’s strong record of industry and education partnerships.
Paul, moves from his post as director of strategic partnerships and external relations at York College, and is due to take up his post in November.
He said: “I am delighted to be joining the team at NWSLC and very much look forward to working at the heart of the college’s continuing drive to support the business community in the context of challenging economic circumstances."
M-EC
Leicestershire-based technical development consultancy M-EC has welcomed this year’s intake of apprentices following the successful re-launch of the apprenticeship scheme earlier this year, post-pandemic.
This is the 10 th year that M-EC has offered its apprenticeship scheme to A-Level and college graduates within the civil engineering and geotechnical departments.
Michael Webb and Jack Wills have been inducted as civil engineering degree apprentices through Coventry University, enabling them to gain a higher qualification than a standard apprenticeship.
Tom Bradshaw joins us with A-Levels and with a passion for site work. He has been enrolled on a remote learning vocational course to develop his knowledge within construction, design and the built environment.
Michael Webb said: “Since finishing my A-Levels, I knew I wanted to start an apprenticeship to gain work experience while also gaining a qualification. I first found out about M-EC’s opportunities through a careers event at my sixth form, it caught my eye because of how interesting it seemed, and it offered an excellent graduate qualification.
“I have joined the civil engineering team, and since my first interview, everyone has been very welcoming and helpful; I am now looking forward to growing my skills and knowledge with M-EC.”
M-EC has offices in Hugglescote, in north west Leicestershire, and in Brighton.
