Atom Bank has announced several key appointments in its technology senior leadership team, with a series of strategic changes and promotions designed to accelerate product launches and enhance delivery capabilities.
Ges Richmond has been appointed head of lending delivery, having been at Atom for five years, while Orla Codyre has been appointed as head of savings delivery after being with Atom for two years.
A new head of platform and enterprise delivery role has been filled by Kath Langlands, Rob Smith has been appointed head of engineering, Rob Butcher has been appointed head of architecture and Faizah Rafique has been appointed head of business analysis. Meanwhile, James Kerruish has been appointed CISO and head of service, and Leanne Judge has been named chief of staff. Finally, Dr Russell Collingham becomes head of AI and data science.
Andy Sturrock, chief technology officer at Atom, said: “I’m delighted to have such a strong and capable leadership team in place. Their collective expertise will be vital as we continue to increase our velocity and invest in our technology stack to better support the business. I’m confident that with this new structure, we are in a fantastic position to achieve our ambitious goals.â€
Listed residential landlord Grainger Plc has appointed Simon Fraser to the board as non-executive director and chair designate.
He will succeed Mark Clare, whose nine year tenure as chair concludes in February 2026, at the company’s next annual general meeting. Mr Fraser is being appointed as an independent NED with effect from October 1 and will also join the board’s committees, enabling an orderly handover prior to Mark’s departure. He will stand for election at the 2026 AGM and, if elected, will move into the role of chair of the board and nominations committee.
He brings substantial real estate and investment experience and more than 13 years of FTSE board experience with two prominent Real Estate Investment Trusts, SEGRO plc and Derwent London plc. Mr Fraser also brings a wealth of experience in the global capital markets from a long, successful career in investment banking and corporate broking, advising a wide range of clients across numerous sectors, including many consumer facing businesses.
Prior to his retirement from executive roles in 2011, he worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he was managing director and co-head of corporate broking. He said: “I am very excited to be joining Grainger which is a great business with some even greater prospects.â€
Specialist life sciences marketing agency ramarketing has appointed four senior leaders.
Trevor Pill joins as client services director alongside Ben Quigley and Marjory Chiyesu, who step in as senior commercial managers. Earlier this year, Dolan Desai also joined the agency as chief operating officer.
Trevor Pill brings over 15 years of experience in agency leadership and life sciences marketing, while Ben Quigley and Marjory Chiyesu add commercial insight, having worked with a range of pharma firms to accelerate business growth.
Emma Banks, CEO, said: “These appointments signal the next stage of our journey, as we continue to scale and evolve in step with our clients’ ambitions. All four bring depth of experience, both industry and commercial, which we as a business and our clients will benefit from; it’s always a pleasure to welcome new people as they bring fresh perspectives which challenge our thinking and that of our clients.â€
Property firm Bradley Hall has appointed Anthony Cape as principal asset manager, to support commercial clients and occupiers across the North.
The firm, which recently moved to a new office on Grey Street, has created the role to provide holistic advice for commercial property landlords and tenants. Mr Cape previously spent 15 years at Northumberland Estates, managing the assets of the Duke of Northumberland and the Percy Family across the North of England.
He said: “I am very pleased to be joining Bradley Hall at a pivotal time which will see exponential growth in the business. It has been a fantastic start at Bradley Hall, with a very warm reception from the whole team, and I look forward to developing our offering in due course.â€
Hay & Kilner has strengthened its private client team with the appointment of Claire French as partner.
Ms French brings extensive experience in wills, lasting powers of attorney, trusts, probate and estate planning, alongside her expertise in assisting in Court of Protection and deputyship matters. She began her career as a Chartered Accountant in London before retraining as a solicitor. She has specialised in private client law since qualifying and has been based in the North East for over a decade.
Hay & Kilner has recently welcomed several new employees, including Emma Pringle as senior associate, Felicity Nelson as an associate, Lewis Tromans as a paralegal and Eva Deveci as a paralegal.
She said: “I’m delighted to be joining Hay & Kilner at such an exciting time in its growth. The firm’s strong culture and client-focused approach are a perfect fit, and I look forward to supporting the team in delivering tailored, forward-thinking advice.â€
