This week's North East appointments

Luke Busbridge, Muckle LLP

Muckle LLP has appointed Luke Busbridge to its growing agriculture, estates and rural property team.

Luke, a private client lawyer specialising in trusts and succession planning and strategic advice for landed estates and farmers, has joined Muckle as a consultant.

His appointment will see him support the work of the private client and agriculture teams and assist Muckle LLP to enhance its wider private client service offering.

Luke said: “I’m delighted to be joining David and his highly impressive team; and I look forward to working with them to further grow their already sizeable client base.

“The team may have been established fewer than 18 months ago, but I have been struck by the impact they have had on the local legal market and by the interest created by their positive and proactive approach to the delivery of an exceptional client service.

“It is genuinely exciting for me to be able to bring my expertise and experience into the team and to assist in developing what is undoubtedly a significant new sector for Muckle LLP.”

Claudia Thompson, Victoria Borrowdale and Susan Whitley, Horizon Works

B2B marketing agency Horizon Works has strengthened its team with three new appointments.

The company’s client delivery team has appointed Claudia Thompson as digital marketing specialist, and Victoria Borrowdale as creative designer. In addition, Susan Whitley has joined Horizon Works as office manager.

Horizon Works, which offers marketing, strategy, PR, digital and creative services, works across sectors including manufacturing, engineering, healthcare and life sciences, tech, professional services and the public sector.

Claudia, a Google-certified digital marketeer, has previously worked in in-house marketing roles in the tech and fintech sectors, and has managed much marketing activity, including online paid advertising and website optimisation.

Victoria is a specialist in brand development and graphic design and has more than 11 years of creative agency experience in the region.

Susan has worked as operations manager at The Entrepreneurs’ Forum for more than a decade. She has also performed administrative roles for several high-profile regional businesses and charities.

Claudia Thompson said: “Having worked alongside Horizon Works in a previous role, I was really impressed with the company’s ethos and strategic approach to marketing, and witnessed first-hand how the team worked from a client’s perspective.

“I’m therefore thrilled to have been given the opportunity to join Horizon Works and bring my skills to bear for its clients in my new position.”

John McCabe, Gateshead College

John McCabe has taken on the role of chairman at Gateshead College, replacing outgoing chair Robin Mackie who has been in the position since 2008.

A former president of the North East England Chamber of Commerce, John brings to the role more than 30 years of industry experience spanning PR, communications, stakeholder engagement and economic development.

After starting his career as an apprentice at Northumbrian Water, he moved into agency and in-house public relations roles before spending 12 years as corporate affairs director at aluminium mining group Rio Tinto (formerly Alcan).

In 2013, he established a successful PR and creative design agency, Fusion PR, and earlier this year competed in the North of Tyne mayoral elections as an independent candidate.

John said: “It’s a huge privilege to be appointed chair of the top-performing college in the country.

“Robin has chaired the college with great distinction and can be proud of all that has been achieved by students and staff during his tenure, which has seen this organisation firmly established as the outstanding leader in its field.”

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