This week's London appointments

Charlotte Bearn, Tagsmart

Art authentication services provider Tagsmart has appointed a new managing director.

Charlotte Bearn was previously commercial director at BI Ventures, the venture-building arm of social purpose company The Behavioural Insights Team.

In her new role, Charlotte will lead the company’s team for fully verified online art retailing, supporting Tagsmart as it pursues international expansion and additional partnerships with artists and art retailers.

Charlotte’s background includes commercial and product development roles with tech startup Onefinestay, food company Charlie Bighams and multinational Colgate-Palmolive. She is a graduate of the University of Cambridge.

She said: “Today, only 8% of art sales are online, with buyer trust being a key barrier. Tagsmart is the right company to change this for the art community.

“Our cutting-edge tagging technology and our new, verified online marketplace are just our first steps towards creating an art market that enables artists and buyers to trade art online, with trust.”

Charlotte will join the business on November 1.

Tom Toumazis MBE, Tagsmart executive chairman, commented: “Co-founder Steve Cooke and I carried out an extensive search to find someone with the right combination of commercial, entrepreneurial and leadership skills.

“Charlotte ticked all those boxes plus a lot more! Her energy and enthusiasm for our company and our ambition to be a global leader in art authentication and online retailing made her the by far leading candidate. We are so thrilled to have her join us at such an exciting part of our growth.”

Andrew Baker, Cushman & Wakefield

Commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) has appointed a new head of energy, infrastructure and sustainability.

Andrew Baker was previously at rival CBRE for eight years, most recently in the role of head of sustainability consultancy for EMEA.

At C&W, he will lead a national team based across Leeds, Edinburgh and London that advises clients on protecting real estate portfolios from obsolescence due to changing occupier expectations for flexible, sustainable and healthy workplaces.

Andrew said: “I’m joining Cushman & Wakefield at an exciting time for the industry.

“There’s been a huge shift in the level of focus and disclosure around what landlords are doing to improve the environmental, social and governance performance of their assets which is having repercussions across our supply chain.”

C&W’s head of business space regions, Jon Leedham, commented: “Andrew is a standout performer in sustainability consultancy and we are pleased to have him on board.

“He has managed strategies on behalf of sovereign wealth funds, REITs and Investment Managers and his insight will be invaluable in delivering superior performance for our clients.”

Angelie Panteli, LendInvest

Online property finance and investing platform LendInvest has appointed chief financial officer Angelie Panteli to its board.

Angelie, a chartered accountant and tax adviser, has worked with the company since January. She is responsible for all financial aspects of the business, including LendInvest’s financial strategy.

Before joining the firm, Angelie worked at augmented reality tech business Blippar.

LendInvest’s CEO and co-founder, Christian Faes, said: “Angelie has been an impact player since she joined the business, and it will be great to have her voice at the board level.

“She represents our core company values, and has proven herself to be someone that is very capable of getting stuff done.”

Christian continued: “LendInvest is building a new kind of financial services business which is changing the way mortgages are funded and work in the UK. Angelie is playing an integral role in our ambitious plans for the business.”

Ruth Polyblank, Canopy

Rental property app Canopy has appointed a new chief marketing officer.

Ruth Polyblank is the former head of SME and digital at Chubb Insurance. She has 17 years’ experience in insurance and financial services, including time with Equity, Fusion, CLS and EY.

In her new role, Ruth will be responsible for growth, customer innovation and product development, as she uses her expertise to overhaul the rental industry.

Canopy’s CEO and founder, Tahir Farooqui, said: “The property and insurance landscape is ever-changing, and Canopy is determined to improve the entire rental ecosystem, making it efficient for all parties from renters to estate agents and landlords.

“Ruth’s significant experience, entrepreneurship and passion will be key in driving our business and we are thrilled to have her onboard.”

John Abel, Veritas Technologies

Enterprise data protection specialist Veritas Technologies has appointed John Abel as senior vice president and chief information officer.

John has joined the company from software firm Ellie Mae, where held a similar position. Prior to that, he spent years with Hitachi Data Systems as senior vice president of information technology.

John has over 25 years’ experience of enabling growth at global companies.

Greg Hughes, CEO of Veritas, said: “John’s experience in the industry coupled with his strength for business partnership and building high performing teams makes him an ideal choice to drive our information technology strategy.”

John will replace Todd Hauschildt, who is retiring from Veritas.

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