Three members of RMT Accountants & Business Advisors’ team have earned promotions into new senior roles. Laura Weir, Chris Brown and Jon Archer have become associate directors at the Gosforth-based firm and have taken on additional responsibilities for the management of the independent business alongside their everyday roles.
Ms Weir, who joined RMT in 2008, is a senior member of RMT’s commercial services team; Mr Brown has been with RMT for almost ten years and works within its specialist medical team, RMT Healthcare; and Mr Archer is a member of RMT’s audit department and joined the firm nine years ago, as an audit senior before making his way up the ranks.
Stephen Slater, director at RMT Accountants, said: “Providing a clear pathway for our talented team members to develop their careers is a key part of the culture we’ve created here. Laura, Chris and Jon all thoroughly deserve their promotions, and we look forward to seeing them further develop their contributions to the practice’s success in their new roles.”
Peter Akers has been appointed as director of asset and sustainability at Gentoo. Mr Akers, formerly the associate director of asset, joined the company in March 2023 having worked in the housing sector for over 15 years, previously working at North Star Housing where he was head of asset and property.
In his new role, he will lead on the group’s approach to strategic asset management, asset sustainability, investment plan delivery and ensuring all the group’s stock has an EPC rating of C by 2030.
He said: “I am delighted to have been appointed in my role as director of asset and sustainability, leading the group’s investment plan and continuing to develop our work surrounding energy efficiency and sustainability. I’m happy to be continuing to work alongside a brilliant asset and sustainability team and am committed to developing and improving our service to customers and the city of Sunderland through making the right investment decisions.”
Evolved Group has welcomed four new team members. The Newcastle company has expanded its digital PR team with the appointment of Maddie Crossling as senior consultant and two new digital PR executives, Andrew White and Rory Morris. Hester Gebbles has joined as senior account manager, focusing on client relations and strategic account management.
The new hires come as Evolved invests in the development of its sister brand, UpShift.
“We are thrilled to welcome our four new starters,” said Ian McIntosh, CEO of Evolved. “Each has already demonstrated immense potential and seamlessly integrated into the team. The energy and attitude they bring have been warmly received’’.
Northumbria University graduate Amy Carlton has returned to the North East to join the growing debt recovery team at Muckle LLP. Ms Carlton joins as a debt recovery solicitor from a large legal company in Manchester. She completed her MLaw at Northumbria University in 2015 and previously worked as an education paralegal and took a training contract with another North East regional law firm. After working in the North West she was keen to return to Newcastle.
She has been reunited at Muckle LLP with Colin Churchward, partner in the dispute resolution team, having previously worked together in the North East.
She said: “I really wanted to come back to the North East, and I’ve definitely made the right decision to join Muckle. I’m delighted to work with Colin once again. Newcastle is such a great city and Muckle is a lovely place to work – everyone has been so welcoming. I’m looking forward to getting involved in the defended debt recovery litigation and insolvency work.”
Northumberland based hygiene and health company Essity has appointed a new commercial director for the Ƶ and Republic of Ireland. Nicola Conway will head up the commercial sales team across the region, helping to boost the success of Essity’s portfolio, which includes brands TENA, Tork, Cushelle, and Bodyform. Ms Conway brings over two decades of commercial experience working for major food retailers including Iceland Foods, convenience food producer Greencore, and Uniq Prepared Foods.
She joins Essity from Nomad Foods, a frozen food company which supplies popular brands including Birdseye and Goodfellas, where she acted as grocery director with responsibility for northern customers.
She said: “I’m looking forward to applying what I’ve learned in the world of FMCG to my new role, leading some of Essity’s major household hygiene and health brands. I am excited about having the opportunity to apply my experience across manufacturing and retail, brand and retailer brand to leading some of Essity’s major household hygiene and healthcare brands.”
