This week's North East appointments

Nicola Short, Redu

Marketing company Redu has appointed Nicola Short as its new managing director.

Nicola brings over 26 years of experience to her new role, having worked with brands including Sage Plc and Newcastle Building Society.

In addition, Nicola is known in the region for her work with the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, as well as her time as chief executive of The Entrepreneurs’ Forum. She is also a non-executive director of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums.

Commenting on the appointment, Redu co-founder and CEO Gary Hunter said: “We are delighted to welcome Nicola to the team.

“She is focused, highly skilled and has excellent experience of managing growing teams. The most important thing is she also really gets what we do.”

Nicola, who received her MBA from Durham University Business School earlier this year, added: “I’m overjoyed to be a part of such a fast-paced digital company here in the North East. The culture is infectious and one of energy - this is a business with a real can-do attitude.

“Having worked with Redu previously whilst studying for an MBA from Durham University Business School, I recognised immediately the potential for even greater successes here.

“Gary and Sam [Morton, Redu co-founder CCO] have built the foundations for growth and I am very much looking forward to being part of the next chapter.”

Rachel Roberts, Ron Wilcox, Michael Hutchinson, Amy Czuba, Bethany Hickford, Danny Harris and Greg Hunter, Shout Digital

Digital design firm Shout Digital has welcomed seven new hires to its team in Newcastle.

Rachel Roberts has joined the team as its new marketing manager, and will be responsible for the marketing strategy and overall brand development in both the UK and US marketplace.

Rachel commented: “Before joining Shout I spent the last 15 years’ marketing prestige brands in the automotive industry including BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

“Shout has an amazing team and I look forward to working closely on its brand and strategy.”

Ron Wilcox has joined the team as account director, and brings with him a decade of experience working with tech giant Apple.

Ron said: “I will be leading the commercial relationships with several clients and working to bring new digital projects into the Shout office.”

“I have 10 years’ experience working at Apple where I operated on projects across the globe, before moving into software innovation development.”

Michael Hutchinson has been appointed as creative designer, focusing on all aspects of digital product design for clients including UX design, interaction design and branding

Prior to joining Shout, Michael specialised in web and mobile app design for the last six years, working for a range of clients and startups.

The Shout team has also welcomed Amy Czuba as account manager, Bethany Hickford as client relationship executive, project manager Danny Harris and DevOps engineer Greg Hunter.

Gary Boon, chief executive at Shout Digital, said: “The Shout team are passionate about what we do and we are pleased to say that we have some of the most experienced and talented people in the industry.

“The seven new members of the team fit the Shout business and culture well and we’re excited to get them on board with some fantastic projects.”

Kenny Johnsone, Amanda Whitworth and Rachel Johnsone, Ryecroft Glenton

Accountancy and business advisory firm Ryecroft Glenton (RG) has promoted three of its employees.

Kenny Johnsone, Amanda Whitworth and Rachel Johnsone have all been promoted from senior to manager at the Newcastle-based firm.

Kenny has completed his Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualifications since joining RG, and was promoted to training supervisor in 2018.

Amanda Whitworth and Rachel Johnsone both began their careers at RG as placement students, both obtaining First Class Honours degrees from Northumbria University in Mathematics. They subsequently qualified as Chartered Accountants (ACA) in 2017.

RG partner Peter Glenton commented: “I am very pleased to see three of our young professionals progress to the next stage of their careers. Their promotions are due recognition for their excellent performance.

“Amanda, Kenny and Rachel have all worked extremely hard and we are delighted to reward them.”

Joe Slavin, Shine Interview

Video interview software specialist Shine Interview has appointed Joe Slavin as non-executive director and chairman.

Joe joins the firm with experience in a range of senior roles in the recruitment industry, including CEO of Fish4Jobs, managing director of Monster.co.uk and managing director of recruitment advertising at Johnston Press.

David Copple, CEO of Shine Interview, commented: “I’m delighted to welcome Joe to our board, and looking forward to working with him at both a strategic level and alongside our management team.

“We are fortunate to be able to call on someone of Joe’s calibre and experience, and we’re all really excited as we embark on our next phase of growth.

“More than that, we hold shared values and a common vision to make the most of Shine’s position as a leading provider of pre-hire assessments and video interviewing technology.”

Joe added: “I’m so thrilled to join David and the team at Shine Interview. I have had the privilege of working through three significant phases of growth in our industry and am very excited about this next wave of growth whereby products and services like Shine will become an essential part of the hiring process.

“Assessment tools like Shine Interview make recruiting easier and more effective which naturally leads to making Shine’s customers better businesses. I really look forward to being a part of that win/win environment.”

Joanna Grievson, Mitchells Grievson Chartered Accountants

Mitchells Grievson Chartered Accountants has promoted Joanna Grievson to manager.

Jo joined the Bishop Auckland-based firm 10 years ago and has since progressed within the company, achieving her ICAEW Chartered Qualification in 2014.

Most recently holding the position of accounts senior where she has been working with clients in the healthcare industry, Jo’s new role will enable her to continue this.

Jo said: “I’m really pleased to have been promoted to manager and I’m looking forward to continue to work directly with our clients, managing all of their accounts and taxation needs.

“As a manager I will oversee and co-ordinate the smooth running of work within our team. I get great pleasure out of working with and helping colleagues develop within their roles.”

Company director, Phil Harnby, added: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Jo as manager.

“Her promotion is the culmination of her hard work and professionalism over the years, as well as her commitment to providing an outstanding service to our clients.

“Jo is always keen to take on new challenges, is extremely adaptable and we are sure she will continue to play a key role in the success of our business.”

Isabel Mellefont and Daley Gore, Just Travel Cover

Travel insurance broker Just Travel Cover has appointed two members of staff to its board of directors.

Isabel Mellefont, current head of internal controls and compliance and Daley Gore, head of broker development have both been appointed to the board, joining existing members Andrew Jackson, Chris Newton, Ken Lee and Robert Newton.

With more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, Isabel has spent thirteen years at Just Travel Cover, rising from training and compliance manager to head of internal controls and compliance and becoming an FCA approved person.

Daley, also an FCA approved person, joined Just Travel Cover as head of broker development and has a more than 11 years of experience following roles with Marsh and McLennan, HSBC and Blink Intermediary Solutions.

Andrew Jackson, managing director of Just Travel Cover commented: “I’m delighted to welcome Isabel and Daley to our board; they will both add strength and value to our business.

“We have every confidence in our combined ability to achieve our long-term goals and drive the company forward, developing travel insurance solutions via our call centre, digital platforms and our network of insurance brokers.”

Tina Pringle, NBS

Construction technology platform NBS has appointed Tina Pringle as its director of technical content.

After qualifying in international business and information technology, Tina started her career in project management, before moving focus on the design and development aspects of construction.

Since then she has gained over 25 years’ experience in construction, built environment consultancy and master planning, through to major capital project development and asset management.

In her new role, Tina will continue to play a key part in the global strategy of the business.

Regarding the appointment, chief operating officer (COO) of NBS Helen Whitfield said: “I am delighted with Tina’s promotion, her experience and deep understanding of the global construction market will support the next stage of NBS’s ambitious growth plans.

“Combine this with Tina’s relentless focus on customer advocacy and her passion for leading with purpose, NBS is proud to have Tina promoted to their senior team.”

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