Law firm Hay & Kilner has appointed Parit Shah as head of IT and cyber security and Stephen Armstrong as finance director.
The senior appointments to the Newcastle firm are intended to boost its central services team which is said to play a key role in the business. Mr Shah is an accomplished IT and cyber security professional with experience in a range of sectors including medical devices, agriculture, manufacturing and distribution, and fashion.
Meanwhile, Stephen Armstrong is an experienced finance director with previous law firm experience at a global maritime law firm. Prior to this, he worked in private practice, working with a variety of different clients, mostly in the North East but some further afield.
Jonathan Waters, managing partner at Hay & Kilner said: "I’m delighted to welcome both Parit and Stephen to Hay & Kilner. Their skills, expertise, and networks will be a great asset as we strengthen our central services team. These senior appointments are a clear sign of our growth ambitions."
North East housebuilder Homes by Carlton has made two senior appointments.
Leigh Walton has returned to the firm after more than 20 years, this time as senior site manager, to oversee the company's £13m Saxon Vale development in County Durham. And Dan Holyoak has been appointed as head of construction.
Both new hires had previously worked with Homes by Carlton’s co-founder and vice chairman, Craig Peterson, for a different housebuilder in the late 1990s.
Mr Holyoak said: "These next few years are going to be incredibly exciting and it feels so good to be part of the team.”
Constructing Excellence North East (CENE) has appointed Rebecca Storey as chair of its People Group.
Ms Storey, who is sector skills facilitator at the North East Combined Authority, takes over from Darush Dodds, director of corporate affairs and social value at Esh Group. She has been involved with CENE for about five years and has served as a member of the People Group for the past year.
She said: "The People Group is already making a big difference across the region and one of my key aims, as chair, is to ensure we remain responsive to the needs of the sector. The Skills England: Sector Skills Needs Assessment showed that more than 52% of construction vacancies are hard to fill due to a lack of skills, qualifications and experience.
"Yet our region’s colleges, universities and training providers are training a huge number of young people each year who want to join the sector. The group can play a vital role in connecting these learners with the opportunities that exist, including work in areas of sustainable industry, which we champion at the North East Combined Authority."
Housebuilder Bellway has appointed a new company secretary and a non-executive director.
Phil Hope is replacing Simon Scougall, who was appointed chief commercial officer in August last year, as company secretary. Mr Hope joined Bellway 15 years ago and has held senior positions within the group and is now finance director. Phil has significant corporate governance and listed company experience.
Gill Barr has been appointed independent non-executive director of the company with effect from September 15. She will also become a member of the Audit, Nomination, and Remuneration Committees.
John Tutte, chair of Bellway, said: "On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Gill Barr to the company. We believe that Gill's wide experience and expertise as an executive combined with over twenty years in non-executive roles, including in the construction sector, will be invaluable to the Board and we look forward to working with her."
Subsea specialist Tekmar Group has announced the appointment of Phil Lanigan as chief financial officer and executive director.
Mr Lanigan is said to have considerable CFO experience with public market and private equity backed businesses and was most recently group CFO for CRC Evans, an energy services business, where he was involved in the acquisition and subsequent integration of Stanley Black & Decker Inc's Oil & Gas interests to create CRC Evans. Leanne Wilkinson, Tekmar's current CFO, will handover to Mr Lanigan and leave the group on August 31.
Richard Turner, CEO of Tekmar, said: "I would like to thank Leanne for the hard work and commitment she has given to Tekmar and we wish her every success as she progresses her career outside of Tekmar. Phil's track record of delivering results in transitioning and growing businesses as well as his extensive experience in corporate finance make him a valuable addition to our leadership team. Phil will get working straight away on our three-five year plan - Project Aurora, in addition to managing a structured handover with Leanne."
