This week's North East appointments

Nick Wilson, Robson Laidler Accountants

Robson Laidler Accountants has announced that it has appointed Nick Wilson as its new director.

Nick currently holds the title of North East Accountant of the Year, and has been promoted to the role of director after 11 years at the firm.

He plays a main role in the advisory arm of the firm, providing business and personal development advice to clients. He will also continue to lead the Business Innovation department at Robson Laidler, which focuses on assisting businesses with cutting edge technology and forecasting tools to save time, mind and money.

Nick joined the firm in 2009 where he trained throughout and passed his ACA chartered exams in 2017.

He has experience within a range of services from accounts preparation and audit to business coaching, which gives him the unique advance of understanding accounts and how to apply them to business performance.

Nick commented: “I’m honoured to be joining the board of directors at such a critical time.

“Our focus over these past months has been around an interim strategy to be the biggest positive impact on clients and our team during the coronavirus crisis so that we together we not only survive but succeed and emerge stronger.

“I look forward to helping the board to keep Robson Laidler moving forward delivering great service and offering more than people expect from a stereotypical accountant.

“I am a real people person and focused on bringing new offerings to help our clients with much more than compliance, such as sound business advice, coaching and technology.

“It feels very rewarding to have been selected to join the directors in securing the longevity of the business at such a unique time. This is just the start of the next chapter and I am excited to see what the future holds.”

Robson Laidler managing director Graham Purvis said: “With an eye firmly on the future success of Robson Laidler, we are delighted to have appointed Nick as director.

“It is always our policy to look internally to nurture and appoint new directors. Nick has always made clear his passion, drive and ambition to become a director; he has achieved all goals and objectives set and he led his department to a very successful financial performance in the year to March 2020.

“The directors unanimously believe that he is a real asset and an integral piece in the future growth and development of our firm.”

Oliver Deacon, Piero Alberici, and Philip Crocker, AuxinOKR

A North East business coaching consultancy has announced the appointment of three experienced business coaches as associate consultants.

The new associates - Oliver Deacon, a former finance director at Microsoft; Piero Alberici, a former export director at premium soft drinks company Fentimans; and Philip Crocker, a former banker and an internationally recognised coach – join AuxinOKR at a time the consultancy is developing a strong UK network while also soon launching an international arm of associates.

Peter Kerr, MD of AuxinOKR, said: “We’re really delighted to have secured such experienced coaches with such a broad spread of talent and expertise.

“They are a brilliant way to launch our associate network, bringing such knowledge to the consultancy.

“Their combined strengths allow AuxinOKR to offer a richer set of skills to corporate clients around the UK and overseas.”

Oliver has coaching experience with big tech companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Stripe as well as tech start-ups. His coaching programmes are tailored towards those looking to become a business leader, a finance director or a high performing strategy and analytics specialist.

Piero has a strong track record in international sales and marketing in both products and services. Having managed teams of up to 250 people, he will become AuxinOKR’s people management expert, offering senior management coaching to enable OKR processes to be embedded effectively within an organisation.

Philip started his career in HSBC in London and then Paris before moving into commercial property services, integrating technology and people to enhance performance. He uses his wide business experience and coaching skills to provide an all-round supportive relationship and service to clients.

Alex Worth, 360 OM

Performance marketing agency, 360 OM, has appointed Alex Worth as its new client services director.

Alex, who has joined 360 OM to strengthen its client services team, brings 15 years experience in servicing clients such as TUI, Virgin and Cruisedeals.

In her new role, Alex will be responsible for leading client relationships across 360 OM’s key client portfolio of global accounts which includes tombola, ENGIE and Europcar Mobility Group.

Alex said: “I couldn’t be more excited to join the team at 360 OM as client services director. I hope to be able to add further value still by using the wealth of experience that I have gained during my career, both agency and client side.

“I have absolute confidence that I am making the right move to join the agency and am honoured to now be counted as one of the team. “

Tariq Mohammed, director at 360 OM, added: “Alex joins us at a time of significant growth for the agency and we have further ambitious plans to maintain our growth over the next 12 months.

“Alex shares our passion of fostering great client relationships and delivering success and we are confident that she will help us achieve our goals. We’re all really excited to welcome her to the team.”

Katie Protheroe, James Brewis, Graham Sullivan and Phil Waters, Osbit

North East offshore technology supplier Osbit has welcomed two graduates and two further permanent staff members to its Northumberland-based team.

Osbit’s two new graduates, Katie Protheroe and James Brewis, both recently completed Mechanical Engineering degrees at Newcastle University, and join the business with Graham Sullivan and Phil Waters, who take on the roles of HSEQ coordinator and Osbit engineer, respectively.

Osbit’s managing director Brendon Hayward said: “We’re delighted to welcome these bright and ambitious individuals to the Osbit team.

“Although it may seem counterintuitive to be hiring in such uncertain times, Osbit’s success is built on our staff. Therefore, we must always be looking to strengthen our team if we are to continue leading technological innovation in the rapidly changing energy market.

“We work hard to ensure that our people have a fantastic place to work and we provide extensive opportunities for learning and early progression.

“As a team, we are doing our utmost to ensure a smooth transition into work for our new starters during this challenging period, and I hope that they will enjoy many happy and successful years here, as they develop their careers to the highest level.”

Osbit engineer Katie added: “I haven’t been able to meet most of my colleagues in the flesh yet, but I already feel like part of the team.

“Osbit has a really collaborative way of working, it’s easy to ask questions and everyone is really supportive.

“I became interested in Osbit when I watched a presentation by the company in my first year of university and, as I learned more, I really started to like the company setup, with the high levels of responsibility and broad range of work undertaken.

“Osbit was my first choice when applying for a graduate role, and I’m really enjoying getting stuck in, working on my first project.

“I’m also proud to join as Osbit’s second female mechanical engineer and encourage other young women who are thinking about a career in engineering to go for it, as there is a lot of help and encouragement available.”

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