Daniel Evans has been appointed head of operations at Ad Gefrin, the new heritage museum and whisky distillery in Wooler.
Mr Evans has 20 years’ experience in operations management and six of those in hospitality. The centre’s founders, the Ferguson family, said his genuine passion for Northumberland and the history behind the project led to his appointment. He said: “I grew up in Blyth very close to the Fergusons’ original base so I have always been aware of this family business with deep roots in Northumberland. When I heard about their vision for Ad Gefrin I just knew I had to be involved in some capacity, and I am absolutely delighted that my career and my passion for all things Northumbrian have given me this opportunity to lead the team. To begin with, I’m looking forward tremendously to helping build a team of local people, and I can’t wait for us to be ready to welcome the first visitors to a truly historic experience in the coming Spring.”
SaaS company Salesfire has appointed David Pinches as non executive chairman, to provide strategic guidance.
Following a successful career as a senior executive at technology companies such as Sage, IRIS Software, FinancialForce and Causeway Technologies, Mr Pinches brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in business strategy, marketing and business development. His apppointment comes after Salesfire secured a £3.05m investment last October. He was introduced to the business by Mercia following a £2m investment from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), as part of an overall £3.05m funding round.
He said: “I plan both to operate at board level and with the operational team to guide Salesfire’s go to market strategy. I’m looking forward to actively participating in the next chapter of our growth and seeing just how far we can scale.”
GMI Construction Group has announced that Gary Oates has been appointed as divisional managing director North East in recognition of the region’s growing importance to the business. He has already spent 14 months as operations director North East, during which he established an office on Teesside and is in the process of moving to larger premises in Stockton with the 25-strong construction management team.
He said: “I’m excited to be given the opportunity to continue delivering major projects in the North East and ensuring that GMI is the go-to construction partner for clients. This company is also dedicated to working with the local supply chain whenever possible and I look forward to strengthening our relationships with suppliers and contractors across the region.”
Gateshead based network and connectivity company Advantex has announced four senior appointments. The firm has appointed Steve Dobby as account manager and Tony Patterson as business development manager. Also joining is Raphael Akinkummi as senior project engineer, and Amanda Baxter as marketing manager.
The appointments come on the back of growth following the investment in its skilled workforce, new products and services, and a strong pipeline of forward orders. Steve O’Connell, sales and marketing director, said: “Our strategic investment in high calibre people continues to support our ambitious growth plans and will see us well placed to provide the long-term skills and services clients expect. The expertise these new appointments bring enables us to better serve our customers evolving needs while providing exceptional ongoing support.”
Wealth manager Tier One Capital has bolstered its support team with its latest appointment, Eva Butler. Ms Butler will work closely with the team of financial advisers, who deliver financial advice to the firm’s clients.
Her appointment follows the recruitment of Bianca Chibanda, also to the position of wealth management support, to enable Tier One Capital to serve a growing client base Paul Blight, head of wealth management at Tier One Capital, said: “As we continue to grow as a business it is essential that we have sufficient resource to ensure our client services continue to develop. Eva has a huge amount of experience in the financial advice sector, so we’re confident she’ll hit the ground running, and help us deliver the excellent service we pride ourselves on, to all our clients.”
Ms Butler said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to be part of Tier One Capital’s team expansion. The firm has an excellent reputation for its client focused approach and encouragement for personal development, and I’m keen to develop my knowledge and experience and work alongside highly respected specialists on behalf of a growing client base.”
Tell Us North has appointed Yvonne Probert as its new chief executive officer to steer the organisation forward. She now leads the organisation tasked with delivering the Healthwatch Gateshead and Healthwatch Newcastle services, which provides community engagement, research, evaluation and assessment services within the fields of health, wellbeing and social care.
Ms Probert has worked with a wide range of communities across the North East in her health and social care career and most recently worked with older people as head of charity services for Age UK North Tyneside. She said: “Everyone’s voice and opinion is important to us and service providers and commissioners need to hear what is happening with health and social care in Gateshead and Newcastle. By hearing from those who are underserved, we can act as an advocate to ensure services continually improve and health inequalities are addressed.”
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