Sunderland agency Land Digital has appointed former Orange Bus co-founder Mike Parker to the board to support its growth goals.
Mr Parker joins as a non-executive director to support the digital transformation consultancy as it aims to reach £3m in revenue by 2026 and create 30 new jobs. Mr Parker helped to grow Orange Bus from a team of two to over 140 before its acquisition in 2016 by Capita Plc.
He said: “Having spent time with Jon and the team at Land Digital, I can see a huge opportunity to build on the solid base of blue-chip clients and develop this into a real North East success story. Land Digital is primed for growth, and I’m excited to be a part of that journey.”
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Muckle LLP has welcomed associate solicitor David Wozniak to its commercial team.
With experience as both a solicitor and an Isle of Man advocate, dual-qualified Mr Wozniak joins Muckle as part of the nine-strong commercial team led by partner Alex Craig.
His previous positions include advocacy at a leading offshore commercial firm and the Isle of Man Attorney General’s Chambers. As part of the commercial team, he will give contract advice in various areas including due diligence in company transactions for clients in the public and private sectors.
He said: “I’m excited to join Muckle, an established firm with a fantastic reputation not only for its legal expertise but also as a great place to work. Muckle deals with such a wide variety of matters; every day is different and the range of expertise across the team is impressive.”
Alex Craig added: “We’re always looking to welcome talented new members to the team, and we’re delighted to have David join us. His diverse experience makes him a great asset to the firm and our clients. His specialist knowledge further strengthens our team and the firm as a whole.”
North East Screen has appointed Oscar and BAFTA winning film producer David Parfitt as its new chair.
Mr Parfitt grew up in Sunderland and his connection to the region brings with it a passion and desire to support the organisation to benefit the people of the North East. He has spent over 35 years working as an independent film, TV and theatre producer with his many films including Shakespeare in Love, My Week with Marilyn and The Father.
He said: “Our generation had to leave Sunderland to pursue careers in the creative industries. I want to be part of an organization who can do something to change that. The media landscape is changing and I feel this is the first time there’s been an opportunity to have sustainable careers in film and TV in this region – which is fantastic.
“The media industries are huge engines of our national economy and our region wants to be a bigger part of that. Training is at the heart of it all and the support of our local colleges and universities is key. We’re here to provide the next step, attracting people early as they choose their careers and letting them know that this a really viable industry. The North East already has amazing talent, brilliant locations for filming and a sector that is growing rapidly and the announcement of new studios for Sunderland will further increase capacity, providing work for our newly trained crews and helping encourage North East talent currently based elsewhere to come home.”
Tech consultancy Opencast has appointed Ciara Conway as head of architecture.
The Byker based business joins from Aviva, where she was group chief architect, and she has also held senior IT roles at major banks and financial services companies such as Natwest, Lloyds, Sainsburys and CYBG.
She said: “Our culture is warm, welcoming, open, genuine and honest. It’s also an ambitious company and working at a pace I enjoy.
“I’ve also been really impressed with Opencast’s commitment to diversity and its promotion of women in tech. Its something I’m passionate about – I remember interviewing 87 people for a role at one of the banks I was working at and only three were women. This has to change.
“I’ll be working hard to make our architectural team as diverse as possible, including in management positions. Getting women into architecture teams has traditionally been a particular challenge, but I know Opencast shares my ambition to change that here, as well as encouraging and promoting women in the tech sector more widely.”
Leanne Littlewood has been appointed as Culture House director and will lead plans for the £27m new visitor attraction overlooking Keel Square.
Ms Littlewood has worked in the public sector for more than a decade and in her new role she will work with colleagues both in the cultural and city development sphere to shape Culture House,
Though detailed plans for Culture House are yet to be drawn up, the ambition is that the new venue will be a space for the whole community to enjoy.
She said: “Culture is front and centre of Sunderland’s ambitious plans for the regeneration of the city centre, and the development of this magnificent building – which will be an asset to communities across the city – presents a once in a generation opportunity to create a space that will inspire residents and visitors.
“As someone from the region, I have watched the transformation of Sunderland from the outside over the last few years, and there’s a sense that this is a place that is on a huge journey of change and that’s so exciting to now be part of. I am thrilled to be able to take the vision forward and create a space that all of our communities and visitors alike will enjoy for years to come.”
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