A green energy specialist who played a key role in growing the USA’s offshore wind industry has returned home to the North East to join an expanding tech firm. Tony Appleton, a former chair of Offshore Wind California and board member of the US offshore wind industry body Oceanic Network, has been named chief commercial officer of Kinewell Energy.
Since graduating from Newcastle University in 1989, Mr Appleton has spent the bulk of his 32-year career helping firms from start-ups to blue-chip FTSE 100 businesses scale in the offshore wind and international interconnector sectors. He has been involved in over 45 offshore wind projects worldwide, working for firms including Balfour Beatty, Burns & McDonnell Consultants and Parsons Brinkerhoff.
He said: “I am delighted to be taking on the role as chief commercial officer at Kinewell. Having worked in the US offshore wind sector for the best part of seven years, I have decided to return to the Ƶ and refocus on the Ƶ, European and global markets rather than just the US, and the opportunity to join Kinewell has enabled me to do this.”
Newcastle-based ethical finance leader Shared Interest Society has appointed Kerrey Baker as its new managing director. The announcement comes as the Society celebrates its 35th anniversary, receives its fourth King’s Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category, and marks the retirement of outgoing managing director, Patricia Alexander.
Ms Baker, who first joined Shared Interest in 2010, has spent the past 14 years leading on member engagement within Shared Interest, which pools more than £50.9m in Ƶ member investments to finance fair trade enterprises across 47 countries. She has also worked extesively at Shared Interest’s charitable subsidiary, the Shared Interest Foundation.
Ms Alexander said: “Kerrey brings deep knowledge of our mission and a strong commitment to the values that define Shared Interest. She has been a driving force behind our close relationship with members and will lead the Society with purpose, insight, and care.”
Ms Baker said: “This is an exciting time to lead Shared Interest. We are listening closely to the people we serve - especially around climate resilience and gender equality - and looking at how we grow our reach while staying true to our values.”
Automotive finance broker CarMoney has appointed Kevin Forster as regional sales manager for the North East. Mr Forster will oversee activities throughout Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Darlington, Middlesbrough, and Northumberland in his new role.
His main focus will be helping dealers by providing flexible finance solutions that enhance customer experiences and improve dealership sales.
He said: “I’m committed to supporting dealers by delivering quick and adaptable finance options. Enhancing the buying experience for customers while supporting dealer sales growth is crucial. CarMoney is expanding rapidly across the Ƶ because it consistently delivers a fast, effective, and compliant service to both dealers and customers.”
Accountancy and business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael has strengthened its presence in the North East with the appointment of Adrienne Paterson as tax director in its Newcastle office.
Ms Paterson began her career at KPMG in the early 1990s, working in corporate tax before moving to EY, before joining a leading regional firm in 2004. Over the last 15 years, she has focused on transaction-based work, advising on business sales, acquisitions, reorganisations, mergers, and demergers.
At Johnston Carmichael she will work closely with the firm’s transaction tax team to expand its profile and presence in the Newcastle market.
She said: “Johnston Carmichael has an excellent reputation, both in terms of its technical capability and its culture. What attracted me was the firm’s collaborative ethos, its investment in people, and the depth of tax expertise already here. My focus will be to strengthen our profile in the North East, particularly around Transaction Tax. If a business is looking to sell, restructure or expand, I want Johnston Carmichael to be the first name they think of when it comes to expert tax advice.”
Stanley-based Hodgson Sayers has appointed Marie Errington (Beckwith) and Peter Condren to its board of directors. Both are long-established members of the senior management team, with Ms Errington moving from office manager to bid and administration director and Mr Condren from operations manager to operations director.
She said: “Throughout my journey at Hodgson Sayers, I have worked in collaboration with some wonderful people who have supported and mentored me, helping me to develop my knowledge and skills and, for that, I am truly grateful.”
Mr Condren joined Hodgson Sayers as an apprentice bricklayer when he was 17, then stepped away from the business to travel the world in 2008, returning to the company a year later. After qualifying as a bricklayer he focussed on site supervision, assisting contract managers with planning, then became a contract manager, operations manager and, now, operations director.
