Welsh businesses have announced a string of high-level appointments and promotions in the last month. In our latest jobs round-up, we take a look at some of those who have taken on new roles.
If you have a new or recent appointment or promotion that you would like featured in our next round up, please e-mail lauren.phillips@reachplc.com.
Paramount
Office fitout and design firm Paramount has promoted Hayley Ivin to marketing director as it looks on track to achieve a turnover of £60m. After joining the Cardiff firm in 2020, Ms Ivin has led the company through a rebrand in 2021 and delivered marketing-entry campaigns in the south west and expansion of its core offering into the construction sector.
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Ms Ivin said: “I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time with Paramount and I’m relishing the opportunity to work with the management team and senior leadership to ensure our dynamic company keeps moving in a positive direction.
“These are really exciting times for Paramount as we expand our geographical reach across England and Wales and embrace opportunities across new sectors. Paramount is a company where creativity and curiosity thrive, and I’m committed to developing a strategy that not only promotes our difference but shines a light on our in-house talent and culture.”
Richard Jones, Paramount’s chief executive said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Hayley has accepted my invitation to join our management team. She’s an outstanding marketing professional and the qualities she has displayed since joining Paramount epitomise everything that is good about the company and her promotion underlines our commitment to developing talent and promoting from within. Hayley is a brilliant addition to our management team and I am confident her blend of experience and expertise as well as her tremendous work ethic and people skills will ensure she plays a key role in our ambitious growth strategy.”
Savills
Savills has expanded its economics team in Wales with the appointment of economist Ieuan Best.
Mr Best brings experience working in local economic development, including at Owen Davies Consulting where he worked in the production of placemaking plans, town investment plans, and growth plans across Mid and South Wales. This included planning for market and primary towns in Carmarthenshire and Powys, as well as a placemaking plan for Wrexham city centre.
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He joins senior economist Daniel Vargas and directors Ryan McKenzie and Nick Benett. Mr Bennett said: “We are delighted to welcome Ieuan to our fast-growing economics business. Since first establishing the team in Cardiff in April last year, we have been privileged to support local and regional Government and private clients, across a variety of sectors, including renewable energy and higher education. Ieuan comes equipped to further strengthen our capacity to support the economic, social and environmental improvement of Wales.”
Effective Communication
PR agency Effective Communication has made three new promotions and a new appointment as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. The company has promoted Ffion Pocock to account director and Catherine Felton and Catrin Powney to account manager. It has also appointed graduate Savannah Perry to the team as an account executive following a successful summer internship.
Alastair Milburn, managing director of Effective Communication said: “Congratulations to Ffion, Catherine and Cat. These promotions are in recognition not just of their hard work but also the consistently high calibre of the work that they produce for the business and our clients.
“The last few years have seen a lot of changes for Effective but the three of them have consistently gone above and beyond to ensure that our reputation for quality doesn’t waver. I look forward to seeing how each of them progresses in their new role, but I am certain that they will all flourish and continue to be an asset to the company.
“We are also delighted to welcome Savannah to Effective, who has already proven herself to be a great support to the team and our clients. It’s exciting to see the company develop and grow as we enter our 20th year.”
Facilities by ADF
Facilities by ADF, the Bridgend-based provider of production facilities to the 海角视频 film and high-end television industry (HETV), has appointed technology entrepreneur Jo Goodson as non-executive director.
Ms Goodson has held several senior executive roles across the entertainment and technology sectors and co-founded MediaGold 海角视频 before it was sold to Avenquest in 2003 where she then became a managing director. She has also invested in a range of technology companies including Tonic Games Group, a subsidiary of Epic Games since 2021, where she was an early-stage investor and is currently on the board of AIM-listed Devolver Digital, a video game publisher.
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She will replace the Group’s chairman, John Richards, as Chair of the Remuneration Committee with immediate effect.
John Richards, chairman of Facilities by ADF, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jo to the Board of ADF and look forward to benefitting from her expertise in advising both high growth listed and private companies. I am confident Jo will be a valuable additional voice and guide on the Board, as we work together to deliver on our growth ambitions and capitalise on our strong market position.”
Blend Telecom
Cardiff-based telecommunications firm Blend Telecom has appointed John Cutter as sales account manager to help prepare businesses for the switch off in 2025 which will see telephone systems cease to work unless they move to a newer, digital system.
Blend Telecom said it has been preparing by future-proofing their customers and educating them on what the switch-off will mean for their business’ communication and connectivity needs.
Jay Birch, founder and managing director at Blend Telecom, said: “Over the past five years we have been successfully switching our customers phone systems to fibre, as copper lines are phased out. The switch is going to affect businesses in unprecedented ways, with vital communication networks at risk if they are not updated in time. With hybrid and fully remote working now more common than ever, businesses have a real opportunity to invest in a system that will allow them to stay connected and available to customers regardless of where staff are working from.
“We are excited to welcome John to the team, as an experienced sales manager he will be playing a key role in facilitating our ongoing growth by using his connections to identify new business across Wales and beyond. The opening of an office in Denbigh gives us a base closer to our customers in North Wales and the North West of England.”
Darwin Gray
Commercial law firm Darwin Gray has expanded its workforce by 30% as it welcomes new members to its team amid a period of growth for the company.
The company said it has doubled its corporate and commercial team, appointing solicitor Rich Craven and senior associate Rhodri Evans. It has also appointed Nicole Brendel and Bríd Price, who have joined the employment and HR team along with HR consultant, Seren Trigg.
The commercial property team has also welcomed associate Elin Davies, who is based in the firm’s north Wales office. Its trainee intake is also at an all-time high, with five new trainees recently joining the firm.
Managing Partner Fflur Jones, said: “We are proud of the talent we retain and attract to Darwin Gray. The success of the firm is down to the hard work and dedication of our team and we are delighted to invest in so many new hires, and continue to nurture the incredible emerging legal talent that we have here in Wales. Our new recruitment has also seen our Welsh language capabilities increase across the firm, as we continue to deliver for our clients bilingually.”
She added: “We are experiencing one of the most exciting periods of growth at Darwin Gray at the moment and it is a privilege to see the firm continue to thrive. With further significant expansion plans in the pipeline, we are looking forward to what 2024 will bring.”
Lexington Corporate Finance
Cardiff-based Lexington Corporate Finance has appointed HSBC’s former head of corporate banking as a senior advisor to its team.
Warren Lewis, 54, retired from HSBC in September, after a 35-year career where he gained experience in credit and risk management, retail, commercial and global banking.
He spent the last eight years as head of corporate banking for Wales, where he supported clients with major restructures, international mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments and MBOs.
Mr Lewis joins Lexington in a move that further boosts the firm’s corporate advisory credentials and supports its ambitious growth plans. Over the last 12 months, Lexington’s team has advised on more than £200m worth of deals.
Gary Partridge, managing director of Lexington Corporate Finance, said: “Warren brings a huge amount of corporate finance know-how to the table, as well as significant experience in international deals, green technology and sustainable investment, which provides an additional dimension to the services we are able to offer our clients.
“It is an exciting time for Lexington and we are pleased to have someone with Warren’s experience on board, as we look at different ways to add value to our clients and help them realise their ambitions.”
Mr Lewis said: “Over my time at HSBC, I worked with many amazing businesses here in Wales. The opportunity to join forces with Lexington to develop its ESG Advisory services and augment its traditional offering is incredibly exciting. The firm is dynamic and ambitious, and puts a real value on developing long-term relationships with clients, investors and intermediaries. The opportunity to add value, support their growth and in turn the growth and success of their clients, is what really attracted me to this opportunity, and I can’t wait to get started.”
EffectiveHRM
HR consultancy EffectiveHRM has made two promotions as it looks to further expand in 2024.
Lauren Young and Amelia Kirk have been promoted from HR administrators to HR advisors following more than two years with the Treforest-based business.
Founded by Emma del Torto in 2011, EffectiveHRM supports a range of clients from start-ups to established businesses
Ms Kirk began working with the company as a part-time undergraduate, before joined the team full-time in 2022 after graduating with a first class degree in human resource management from the University of South Wales and achieving her level 5 diploma from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Ms Young joined EffectiveHRM in 2021 with extensive HR and management experience from the hospitality sector. She recently achieved her CIPD level 5 diploma in people management.
Gemma Davis, HR director at EffectiveHRM, said: “Both Amelia and Lauren have proved how strongly they deserve these positions. Over the past two years they have excelled and pushed themselves to continuously improve in their business. These promotions highlight the high standard of work that we uphold at EffectiveHRM, and I have no doubt that Amelia and Lauren will continue on this upwards trajectory.
“In 2021 we decided that we would focus on developing and promoting from within our team. We are delighted at how Lauren and Amelia have embraced the opportunity and to see our training and experience paying off. Making in-house promotions opens an exciting recruitment opportunity in our HR administration team, and strategically positions us for business growth and expansion, new clients and further acquisitions in 2024.”