Member Article

This week’s Yorkshire appointments

J H Shouksmith and Sons Ltd. David and Edward Shouksmith

York family-run building services engineers, J H Shouksmith and Sons Ltd., have appointed brothers David and Edward Shouksmith as managing director and commercial manager respectively.

Both David and Edward are the sons of company chairman Richard Shouksmith and are the seventh generation of the family to work for the company.

David will replace John Miller, who has been managing director since 2002 and is soon to retire following 49 years’ service. John will continue as a director of J H Shouksmiths and Sons Ltd. until the end of 2014 and will then act as a consultant to them until the end of 2016.

Richard Shouksmith, chairman, J H Shouksmith and Sons Ltd. said: “These are very exciting times for Shouksmiths and I am delighted that David and Edward have been appointed to these roles and will be the seventh generation of my family to be involved in running the company.

“They have already gathered a substantial amount of experience in the construction industry and are fully aware of both the opportunities and the challenges it brings. I wish them both great success and look forward to working with them in the future.”

David Shouksmith, managing director, J H Shouksmith and Sons Ltd. commented: “As the next generation, I am thrilled to be appointed managing director and to be leading a team of very talented and committed people.

“We have had a difficult few years in the construction industry but we have reshaped our business to adapt to the sectors’ changing needs and we are now in a very strong position to move forward.”

Knight Frank (Leeds) Richard Hunter

The Leeds office of global property consultancy Knight Frank has strengthened its valuation team with the appointment of Richard Hunter.

Richard, aged 29, joins from DTZ in Leeds, where he spent two years in their Valuation Services division. He has also worked for Yorkshire chartered surveyors Grice and Hunter.

Richard commented: “I moved to Knight Frank because they are such a well-regarded firm both locally and nationally. This was an excellent chance to join their strong Yorkshire valuation team and I look forward to contributing to the team’s success.”

York’s CHOCOLATE Story, Nikola Jacobs

Visitor attraction York’s CHOCOLATE Story has announced the appointment of newgeneral manager Nikola Jacobs. Nikola, 28, joins the team with a wealth of experience from national family entertainment chain Gambado Ltd.

Kevin Smith, group director of Attractions at Continuum Leading Attractions, commented: “Nikola is already proving to be a great asset to York’s CHOCOLATE Story. With experience across events, team management and operations, we’re sure Nikola will drive York’s CHOCOLATE Story to become one of the North’s most popular visitor attractions.”

Nikola Jacobs, general manager of York’s CHOCOLATE Story said: “It’s a pleasure to be on board with such a great attraction in the tourist hub of York. We’ve already hit the ground running and are ready for a busy summer holiday period - I look forward to welcoming you to the attraction.”

Irwin Mitchell (Sheffield), Julianne Moore

The Sheffield office of national law firm Irwin Mitchell has recruited a new medical negligence partner as it seeks to further grow its market leading practice.

Julianne Moore, who has been a qualified solicitor for 12 years, and is a leader in the field of medical negligence, joined the firm from Pannone’s London office.

Lisa Jordan, national head of the Medical Negligence team at Irwin Mitchell, said: “We are delighted to have a lawyer of Julianne’s calibre and experience join the team in Sheffield.

“The majority of the NHS carries out fantastic work and saves lives on a daily basis, but mistakes do sometimes happen and they can have a massive impact on the victims’ lives. The work we do provides the appropriate treatment, support, rehabilitation and care those victims of injury need to help get their lives back on track.”

Julianne said: “I’m pleased to have joined Irwin Mitchell in Sheffield as the firm is the market leader in this area. I am looking forward to being able to work alongside some of the best clinical negligence lawyers in the country with all of the resources available to them that enables them to provide a holistic service to clients whose lives are affected by medical negligence.”

HCS Mechanical Services, Barry Taylor and Vicky Wilson

North Yorkshire independent heating and plumbing company, HCS Mechanical Services, has strengthened its board with the appointment of two new directors.

Barry Taylor is the new operations director with Vicky Wilson becoming finance director.

Their appointments are the latest development for the 52-strong team at the Northallerton-based, third generation family business, and integral to its ambitious growth plans.

The pair have a strong history with the company and a wealth of expertise. With more than 15 years’ experience of working in finance, Vicky was the company’s group finance controller for the last three years. Barry, who was previously operations manager, joined as an apprentice in 1998.

Vicky said: “We have a strong reputation within the region as a leading specialist firm and I am looking forward to being able to significantly contribute to its ongoing growth.”

Barry commented: “Our appointments have come at a formative time for the business, as we continue with our planned growth strategy. The responsibility for helping to secure the next chapter in the firm’s illustrious history is slightly daunting, but also hugely exciting.”

Richard Clarke, managing director of HCS Mechanical said, “This is great news for the company. Both Vicky and Barry have contributed immensely over the years, and their challenge now is to help steer the business forward in line with our ambitious growth plans, whilst still retaining the strong family ethos that has been at the core of the firm for more than 90 years.”

WYG, Clive Anderson

Project management and technical consultancy, WYG, has appointed Clive Anderson as head of its new Major Projects Unit, which has been set up to maximise revenue channels, increase the company’s agility and add momentum to its recent growth. The unit will be led by Clive and a team of senior global directors, focussing on three strategic areas; fragile states and stabilisation, climate change, and urban development. It will oversee all major new WYG contracts in these channels, both domestically and internationally. Clive Anderson said: “The Major Projects Unit will allow us to mobilise major new business teams more quickly and efficiently, combining local technical expertise and global management experience. “The strategic vision behind the unit is that it will dispense with any silos within the business, either geographic or sector. This means we’ll call upon the best talents in our company to work together to win and deliver contracts that others can’t.” The new unit will also oversee other elements of the growth strategy such as acquisitions, skills training for employees, and ventures into new operational territories. Clive added: “It’s an exciting challenge for me but with recent major contracts like the MoD framework already on board, I’m confident it will prove a successful strategy for the continued success of our business.”

EY (Yorkshire and Humberside), Natasha Tomlinson, Steve Robb and Robert Peers

Robert Peers has become an equity partner and Natasha Tomlinson has been promoted to executive director as EY continues to expand in Yorkshire and Humberside.

The professional services firm has also added a partner from its London office, Steve Robb, who will lead its growing Financial Services Assurance business in the region.

Stuart Watson, Yorkshire and Humberside Senior Partner at EY, said: “Just as we did during the downturn, we’re continuing to invest across all of our service lines as economic conditions improve. These promotions encompass a range of technical expertise and reflect the opportunities we’re seeing in the regional marketplace.

“Robert, Steve and Natasha’s professionalism and commitment will be vital in ensuring our practice continues to grow over the coming years.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .