Member Article

This week’s North East appointments

Neil Warwick, Square One Law

North East commercial law firm, Square One Law has welcomed leading EU and competition lawyer, Neil Warwick as an equity partner.

Neil will be part of Square One Law’s strategic management team and take on the role of business development partner.

Neil specialises in all aspects of competition law, in particular, State aid and EU structural funding and, prior to joining Square One Law, enjoyed a successful 25-year career in the legal profession with Bond Dickinson.

Neil said: “It has been a big decision to leave Bond Dickinson, as I have genuinely enjoyed my years there and will look back with great satisfaction at the growth and development of my career, especially during the Dickinson Dees era.

“I now feel it is the right stage in my life to take on a new challenge. What impresses me about Square One Law is their totally different way of doing things. I was attracted to the firm because it has like-minded people who are ambitious and committed to the North East.

“I am flattered to have been offered the business development partner role and look forward to working with the other partners and helping influence the growth of this new entrepreneurial legal business.”

Senior partner, Ian Gilthorpe said, “I am really looking forward to working with Neil. He is massively committed to the North East and has great energy and drive. We are delighted that he has chosen to join us and help us develop Square One Law.

“His knowledge and understanding of the region, along with his legal skill set and management experience will undoubtedly help us continue the rapid growth that the firm has seen in the last year.”

Andy Kane, Darlington Building Society

Darlington Building Society has appointed Andy Kane as learning & development manager.

Andy joins the Society from national energy company RWE npower and brings to the new position more than ten years experience in operational and organisational learning and development.

Working within the Organisation and People Development Centre of Excellence his roles have included people development specialist and dearning and development operations manager.

Andy will work with Darlington Building Society’s employees to further enhance their skills and knowledge as the organisation embraces the changing market and strengthens its position in the mutual sector.

Andy Kane said: “This is extremely exciting time to join Darlington Building Society as it builds for the future. Developing a culture where learning and developing knowledge and skills are part of everyday life in the Society will enable our people to best serve the interests of our members and our local communities.

“Any organisation is only as good as its people and I am looking forward to working with colleagues at the Society to help them progress their careers.”

Chief executive Colin Fyfe said: “Andy brings considerable experience and expertise to Darlington Building Society.

“The Learning and Development role is key to our people strategy of ‘growing our own’ and ‘creating capability’, which offers employees the opportunity to flourish at the Society and, with the right support and training, challenge themselves to grow both professionally and personally.”

Ben Lambotte, Wynyard Hall Hotel

Wynyard Hall Hotel and Spa, Tees Valley, has appointed social and digital media expert Ben Lambotte, from Billingham, to the role of marketing coordinator.

Along with promoting all aspects of the hotel’s operation to the corporate, wedding and leisure sectors, Ben will be a key member of the team overseeing the launch of the second phase of The Gardens at Wynyard Hall.

The Gardens is a £4m project within the 25-bedroom hotel’s grounds, which began with the installation of a Grand Marquee, able to host up to 700 guests for weddings and corporate functions.

Ben joins Wynyard Hall from clothing retail company Urban Surfer where he was marketing and operations manager.

Wynyard Hall managing director Allison Antonopoulos said: “The Walled Garden is going to be breathtakingly beautiful and will attract visitors from far and wide so we are delighted to have him on board.”

“Wynyard Hall is one of the most spectacular venues in the region,” said Ben, “and I’m thoroughly looking forward to making sure as many people as possible discover that for themselves.”

Jeni Banks, The Mussel Club

North East business networking platform has appointed Jeni Banks as managing director.

The Mussel Club, which is the North East’s leading networking platform, holds a number of motivating and social networking events to help companies in the region build lasting relationships, promote their brand and ensure their business thrives.

Jeni said: “I’m excited to be part of such a great platform. Networking is my passion and I love nothing more than ‘match-making’ businesses that I know will do great things together,”

Jeni, 29, has almost ten years of experience in business networking including launching her own networking company in Carlisle, May Fifteen and already has huge plans for The Mussel Club.

She continued: “After selling my business I was looking for a new challenge and The Mussel Club was the perfect fit.

“We already have plans to work with some of the region’s biggest businesses along with engaging with start-ups and smaller businesses who are looking to grow and expand.

“The Mussel Club will also be re-launching its website and introducing a new app to help businesses get connected. I can’t wait to get things going.”

In her early career Jeni was named in Livewire’s Future 100 Young Entrepreneurs in the UK in 2010 and was a finalist in the CN Awards 2011 in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year category.

She won the Growth Accelerator Programme in 2012 and has also judged on a number of awards’ panels herself.

David Cook, founder of The Mussel Club, said: “The Mussel club has come a long way since the initial concept was dreamt up over a bowl of mussels in a restaurant,”

“It’s brought a lot of businesses together over the years and has been incredibly successful, so it’s great to see someone as experienced as Jeni take the reins. I’m sure it will continue to grow under her management.”

Gary Lumby MBE & Samantha Wanless, Jalna Construction

Jalna Construction, a Middlesbrough based fabrication firm, has appointed two new members to its growing team to facilitate future growth.

The family-run business, which specialises in fabrication, marine and offshore engineering services, has taken on Gary Lumby MBE (right) and local graduate Samantha Wanless, to help secure the company’s long-term growth and success.

With a wealth of experience in consulting, finance, marketing and business strategy, Gary has been hired as Jalna’s first non-executive director. He said: “I know that if we can implement the correct strategy, backed up with great customer service and the appropriate accreditations, we can grow the business significantly.

“I hope to help make Jalna the leading provider of fabrication and light engineering services in the North of England”.

Speaking of Gary’s appointment, commercial director Richard Horner (left) said: “Gary’s expertise in larger organisations will help us massively. It’s really exciting watching our vision become a reality and success.”

Recent business and management graduate, Samantha is relishing the opportunity of working for the local firm as business administrator after studying at Durham University’s Stockton campus. She said: “It’s a great time to be a part of the company.

“Being given the opportunity to assist in its planned expansion and being a part of Jalna’s success makes me very proud of the team I have joined”.

Dr Yvonne Gale, NEL Fund Managers

North East fund management firm NEL Fund Managers has refreshed its senior management team with the appointment of Dr Yvonne Gale as its new chief executive.

Yvonne, who has been with NEL for 13 years, has been promoted from her previous position as the firm’s operations director, with long-serving chief executive Barrie Hensby moving to become its chairman.

Holder of both a Masters and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Northumbria University, Yvonne is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) and also holds the Institute of Directors’ Certificate and Diploma in Company Direction, for which she studied at Durham University.

Prior to joining NEL in 2003, she worked in financial management roles for a range of well-known businesses, including Newcastle Arena, Scotts Hotels, The Officers Club and Unitech Open Systems Ltd.

Yvonne Gale said: “NEL has been at the heart of the North East business community for more than a quarter of a century, and our investments have helped to create and sustain many thousands of regional jobs across hundreds of companies.

“Taking on the mantel of leading the NEL team into a new era is an exciting challenge for me, and the expertise that they make available locally is invaluable in helping companies achieve their commercial objectives.

“The flow of enquiries from North East businesses looking to implement development plans with our investment support remains strong, and we’re actively looking to invest around £3m during 2015 in these sorts of ambitious firms.

“Barrie will be a hard act to follow, but he’ll continue to be closely involved with the business and his unrivalled knowledge of the North East’s investment culture will still be readily at hand.”

Barrie Hensby added: “The North East economy has changed out of all recognition in the 25 years that I’ve been at the NEL helm, and there’s still a huge amount of potential to be realised.

“It’s pleasing to look back at the successes we’ve enjoyed over the years, both from our own point of view and that of the many investees that have achieved great things, and to now be part of a confident, outward-looking region that can look to compete with rivals anywhere in the world.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .