Member Article

This week’s North East appointments

A roundup of appointments from across the North East this week.

Jonathan Porter, Owen Pugh Contracts

Jonathan Porter has been promoted to the position of general manager of Owen Pugh Contracts, an arm of the Owen Pugh Group which delivers earthmoving, demolition, reclamation, remediation, recycling, civil engineering and landfill works to local authorities and other firms in the construction supply chain across the region.

In his new role Jonathan will have overall responsibility for the contracts business which has an average monthly turnover of £1.2million and is playing a key role in major regional schemes including the Morpeth Northern Bypass, the extension of Dalton Park in County Durham and a new development at Silverlink in North Tyneside.

Jonathan, who hails from Cambridge, settled in Tyneside after completing a degree course at Newcastle University before joining Owen Pugh in 2008 and progressing through the business. He started out as a junior engineer before being promoted to engineer, more recently taking on the role of contracts manager, supporting the former general manager.

Commenting on the appointment, Jonathan said: “I’m delighted to be appointed to the position of General Manager of the contracts division; it’s a role I’ve aspired to since starting out at Owen Pugh in 2008.

“It’s a big responsibility guiding the business through what remains to be tough economic conditions. Ensuring the company turnover remains on an even keel while planning for a pipeline of potential work continues to be the biggest challenge, but it’s one that I’m relishing.

“Having worked my way up through the ranks, gaining experience across the board, I’m well placed to build on the success of my predecessor, making further improvements and driving forward growth plans which include gaining a stronger foothold in the wider region.”

Tait Walker

Fourteen new recruits have joined the ranks at Tait Walker this autumn, adding to its 150-strong team which operates across Newcastle, Northumberland, Teesside and Cumbria.

The chartered accountancy’s new recruits include Tom Puckrin and Sam Wilson, both 18 years old, who will work out of the Teesside office as trainees in the Business Services and tax teams.

The Business Services Department has eight new members in total. Three new business services executives, Emma Baird, Rebecca Scott and Sai-Seema Rehan, who will take up post alongside apprentice Ben Cassidy and graduate trainees, Emily Leng, Alexander Bruce and Jamie Hogg – all supporting the existing team of 45.

Joining the tax team are Adam Hard and Mario Minchella, both graduate trainees.

Rebecca, who is 26-years-old and from Sunderland, said: “The region has a really exciting SME community at the moment and a key part of my role will be working on a range of audits and accounts for these businesses around the North East, which I’m looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into.”

Meanwhile, Sai-Seema, business service executive and Chairman of the Northern Chartered Accountants Students’ Society, who trained with PwC commented: “Tait Walker has a great reputation and with over 75 years’ experience in the team I am thrilled to be able to tap into this knowledge and be a part of the firm’s ongoing expansion.”

Rounding off the firm’s most recent recruitment drive are new Wealth Management Executive Omar Din, Corporate Recovery assistant manager Tonya Allison and payroll administrator Marie Morell.

Tait Walker’s managing partner, Andrew Moorby, said: “We are pleased to welcome all fourteen new recruits who each bring unique experience and skills with them. At Tait Walker we place huge emphasis on bringing the right people into our business and keeping our future talent pipeline full.”

Danielle Hay, Doxford Hall Hotel and Spa

Newly appointed Danielle Hay joins the Doxford Hall Hotel and Spa, as Spa Manager to lead a team of 6 therapists.

Danielle said: “Having been in the beauty industry all of my working life, I am really looking forward to working with the team at Doxford Hall. It is a great opportunity to grow the business and we will be working together to develop the staff techniques. I have just introduced the therapists to 4 person massage and it is my aim to have two therapists to one guest in order to deliver the ultimate relaxation experience.

“My main aim is for our guests to totally immerse themselves in the tranquil atmosphere of the spa and enjoy sublime relaxation in a calm and soothing environment.”

Mark Booth, General Manager said: “We are delighted to have Danielle join the team here at Doxford Hall. Danielle is bringing with her a great background in the spa industry, and has demonstrated drive and enthusiasm to both develop and grow the business to make it the most prominent spa experience in Northumberland.

Robert Phillips, Bond Dickinson

National law firm Bond Dickinson LLP has appointed Robert Phillips, Head of Corporate at Muckle LLP to join its corporate team.

Phillips, who spent 21 years at Muckle LLP and was Head of Corporate for 10 years, was named Dealmakers Corporate Lawyer of the Year 3 times, while leading the Muckle team to North East Corporate Law Firm of the Year on 6 occasions. His track record includes leading on deals such as Quantum Pharma’s £106m AIM IPO and its acquisitions of Lamda Pharma and NuPharm Group, the sale of CAV Aerospace and the sale of Seaward Electronics.

Commenting on his appointment, Robert Phillips said: “I’m delighted to be joining Bond Dickinson’s corporate team and look forward to working with them on the many exciting projects in the pipeline. Bond Dickinson has a clear and exciting growth strategy and an impressive list of clients. It is a firm that is well positioned in the ever changing legal marketplace for success in the future.”

Rachel Thompson, Monpellier Ltd

Monpellier Ltd, one of the largest providers of enterprise level financial accounting and CRM software, EPOS systems and IT Support in the North of the UK, has strengthened its team by appointing Rachel Thompson as Digital Marketing Executive.

Rachel, who joined the Houghton-le-Spring HQ this week, brings with her extensive marketing and PR experience, having previously worked at business growth consultancy, where she was responsible for raising the profile of the firm, identifying business opportunities and growing the customer base.

Tom Cram, Sales Director, commented on the appointment and said: “Rachel brings a wealth of experience to the team having worked previously in the B2B marketing field. We hired her as part of our 2016 business strategy and to ensure continued growth and longevity of the business.”