This week's North East appointments

Helena Kalandra, Newcastle Building Society

Newcastle Building Society has appointed rising star Helena Kalandra as manager of its branch in Darlington.

Helena first joined the building society in 2015 and in that time has worked across the branch network in a range of locations.

She has managed the Society’s library partnership branch in Yarm and most recently the launch and first 18 months of its new Barnard Castle branch.

Helena will lead a team of six customer advisors based at the branch in the town on Horsemarket, focused on providing financial service and advice, as well as supporting the community recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Helena said: “I’m thrilled to be taking on a new role in my home town and I can’t wait to welcome more people into the branch.

“It feels like an exciting time for Darlington with lots of positive news and investment for the area.

“As well as the day-to-day financial services we provide through the branch, I’m keen to lead the team in our commitment to the town and its high street, developing relationships with the community, and helping to direct our community grants to some of the amazing local causes in our area.”

Tevin Kairo, B&W

An MEP engineering firm has made its first appointment from the region’s PlanBEE programme in a drive to help young talent get into the industry.

Tevin Kairo completed the PlanBEE programme and has now been appointed as a full-time junior engineer at B&W Engineering.

He commented: “Joining PlanBEE was the best thing I did because it has led me to the career I’m progressing with now.

“My advice to anyone leaving school and looking to get into the construction sector is to enrol onto PlanBEE which teaches you everything you need to know about the industry both in terms of knowledge and practical learning.

“During the two-year course I learnt so much and I was astounded at the wide range of varied roles within construction.

“It’s not just about bricklaying or working on a building site - you can be involved in the engineering side, the design of construction, quantity surveying or even the legal and accounting aspect of construction.

“The B&W team are super supportive and I’m learning every day and developing new skills that are needed to progress and succeed in my role.

“Initiatives such as PlanBEE are like a breath of fresh air - and young people really need to grab the opportunity it provides with both hands.”

Steven Horn, director at B&W Engineering, said: “Our industry is facing a huge skills shortage so it’s vital that we act now to help develop the future workforce.

“By being actively involved in programmes like PlanBEE and other vocational focused initiatives like the new government Kickstart scheme, employers can make a big difference to future proofing the industry and ensuring innovation and progress continues.”

Richard Taylor, Barry Jackson and Andy Gregory, BGF

BGF has announced a shake-up of roles within its Yorkshire and North East team.

Richard Taylor, who is the head of BGF’s office in the region will move into a new national-facing role as head of growth.

Richard joined BGF in 2012 and is a member of the Investment Committee. He has 21 years’ experience investing in owner managed businesses through previous roles at YFM, Octopus Private Equity and Sovereign Capital.

As head of growth, Richard will be responsible for overseeing BGF’s portfolio of growth-stage investments across its network of 16 offices in the UK & Ireland.

Meanwhile, Barry Jackson, investor at BGF, who has been with the business since 2013, will take on the role of head of Yorkshire & North East. Prior to joining BGF, Barry spent eleven years at Deloitte in Leeds including eight years in the Corporate Finance Advisory team.

His new role will oversee the delivery of new investment opportunities across the two regions.

Andy Gregory, current head of investments, UK & Ireland, has taken on a new role as chief investment officer within the business. Andy has been with BGF since 2011, joining as regional director for the North of England.

In his new role, he will oversee investment activity and portfolio management across all business areas including growth, earlier-stage and quoted. He sits on the board of BGF and will report into Stephen Welton, executive chairman at BGF.

Richard Taylor said: “I’m really looking forward to this next challenge which will allow me to focus on the growth businesses that are the lifeblood of BGF’s offering.

“The team is in good hands with Barry who has led on some of the biggest deals completed in Yorkshire and North East, and is an integral part of the region’s growth economy.”

Barry commented: “It’s a huge accolade to lead the office in the Yorkshire and the North East.

“There is a wealth of ambitious businesses across the north of England that are looking for a supportive equity partner to help them realise their growth potential.

“I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to the fore, to build on the successful track record of investments that the team has delivered to date.”

Sam Hook, Smart Works Newcastle

A charity which helps unemployed women get back to work in the North East has hired an experienced PR consultant and coach onto its board of trustees.

Smart Works Newcastle has appointed Sam Hook - who has run her own PR company, Uniquethinkin, for two decades - as a new member of its board.

Sam will be bringing her PR and coaching experience to Smart Works as it continues to build on its success in helping women to gain employment.

She commented: “Smart Works is a fantastic charity which supports local women back into work, helping them to gain confidence and transform their lives.

“It is such an effective and practical solution to women helping women and I am delighted to join the board of trustees.

“I look forward to helping the charity through my PR know-how, contacts and coaching experience so that we can expand the service throughout the North East.”

Sophie Milliken, chair of Smart Works Newcastle, added: “Sam is a great fit for Smart Works Newcastle and this is a super exciting time to have joined the charity.

“She will be instrumental in sharing our ambitious plans as we expand across the region.”

Christina Mackay and Clare Murray, Lindsey & Lang

A people and culture consultancy has bolstered its team with two strategic appointments.

Lindsey & Lang has named Christina Mackay and Clare Murray as associate directors – with the newly-created roles expected to allow Lindsay & Lang to provide additional services to its growing client base.

Christina’s appointment will enhance sustainable corporate wellbeing activities by uniting distinct workforces – whether local, national or global – through corporate social responsibility (CSR), charity partnerships and stakeholder relationships.

With expertise in fundraising for some of the UK’s largest charities, she brings a decade’s worth of experience across the third sector.

Clare will extend Lindsay & Lang’s current leadership development offering by providing high-impact leadership development and facilitation to enhance corporate wellbeing.

She is a regular keynote speaker at corporate and leadership conferences and has more than 25 years’ experience in designing and delivering transformational development programmes for blue-chip organisations and global brands.

Fiona Lindsay, director at Lindsay & Lang, said: “I look forward to seeing what the future holds for our expanded team and the increased impact we will make, collectively, on our clients’ organisations and teams.”

Louise Jenkins-Lang, also a director at Lindsay & Lang, commented: “In some ways, the pandemic has made co-operation and communication easier as global teams are faced with the same challenges to overcome.

“Equally, this has created opportunities for firms, like ours, that are taking an innovative approach to long-standing problems.

“Whereas global teams would sometimes work in silos prior to Covid, the upheaval to all our daily lives experienced in the past year has underlined the need for greater collaboration and helped to break down some of these cultural and communication barriers.

“As our services continue to evolve here at Lindsay & Lang, we see the cultural element as the area where we can have the greatest impact on our clients’ operations.”

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