Here we feature the latest appointments in Welsh business.
Shaw Healthcare Group
Shaw Healthcare Group has appointed Simon MacSorley as its new chair with effective from November.
MacSorley succeeds Alun Thomas, who served as chairman of the UK’s largest employee-owned healthcare company in the UK with a turnover of £119m, for 16 years.
Cardiff-based Shaw employs around 3,200 people and manages 2,182 care beds offering a wide range of services from elderly residential, nursing and dementia to complex care specialities, such as mental health, acquired brain injuries and learning difficulties. It also designs, builds, and operates care services for several local authorities and the NHS.
Mr MacSorley joined the Shaw board in 2019 as a non-executive director after a successful executive career in estates management and construction. He is also the chair for CSET multi-Academy Trust and holds non executive roles for Sirona Care & Health (NHS) and Northen Surveying.
Mr MacSorley said: “I feel very privileged to take on this role at such an exciting time for Shaw and I’m looking forward to seeing the company expand and develop even further. The care industry faces many challenges and Shaw is committed to planning a successful future that considers not only the welfare of our residents but of all our employee owners too.”
Mr Thomas joined Shaw in May 1995 and was elected as chairman for Shaw healthcare when it was formed in October 2006. A number of previous appointments included honorary treasurer and vice president at the National Museum of Wales, honorary treasurer and chair of council at the University of Wales, and honorary treasurer at the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust and the Welsh School in London.
Shaw’s chief executive, Russell Brown, said: “Alun has done a fantastic job for us, and I’m delighted that he’s been in a position to witness Shaw becoming the largest employee-owned healthcare company in the UK and to see us achieve Real Living Wage accreditation. On behalf of everyone at Shaw we thank him for his service to the company.
“In Simon, we have a chair who has considerable healthcare experience and who also knows Shaw very well. I look forward to working closely with him in the years to come to ensure we build on our employee ownership model and take the company from strength to strength.”
Rio Architects
Cardiff-based Rio Architects has strengthened its team with two new appointments in Angus Chan and Duygu Dagli.
Rio Architects has recently achieved several milestones with numerous projects progressing to site or under construction, most recently, North Somerset’s Baytree Special Education School and YPP’s Live Oasis student accommodation in Leeds.
Ms Dagli the firm from Turkey following her role as an architect, creating and designing concepts for Buca Municipality’s projects. Over the coming months, she will play a leading role in ensuring the delivery of several projects in Cardiff.
Mr Chan joins Rio Architects following his graduation from Plymouth University. He believes strongly in inclusive and sustainable architectural designs and brings this passion and understanding to the team.
HMT Sancta Maria
HMT Sancta Maria has appointed Tim Atter as its new hospital director to drive growth.
Mr Atter joins the Swansea-based private hospital, with a background in physiotherapy, which has seen him in key roles from head of physiotherapy for the Barbarians, the GB ice hockey team and Cardiff Rugby
In 2008, he was one of the founders of Vale Healthcare with other consultants and was a director as it opened its Cardiff Bay and Vale hospital premises. His role later evolved to become a hospital director at Nuffield Health.
He said: “I’m very much looking forward to driving growth in our offer at HMT Sancta Maria. The setting is incredible and offers a truly unique and impressive environment for patients.
“The hospital’s charitable status also played a big part in me accepting this role. As a not-for-profit, the hospital’s surplus is ploughed into dementia research as well as supporting local causes, which I am hugely passionate about.
“In my role, I want to really develop a clear strategy for the hospital so we can deliver even more procedures from our SA1 location.”
Hollingsworth Group
North Wales civil engineering company is gearing up for a major expansion into construction with four key appointments as it aims to increase turnover to over £20m.
Deeside-based Hollingsworth Group, which numbers some of UK industry’s biggest names among its blue-chip clients, has made a major investment in plant and plans to expand its construction arm, Hollingsworth Ellery.
The Group have ploughed £1 million into new equipment and machinery, including seven new Hitachi Excavators, and have added senior staff to make an increasing splash in the building and civil engineering sectors.
They have taken on an operations manager, Peter Blake, two quantity surveyors in Mike Steen and Chris Wardle and a buyer, Jim Cartridge.
Hollingsworth Ellery director Steve Ellery, from Rossett, said: “The Group have a number of blue-chip clients like Airbus and Muller for whom we are working on dairies from Bellshill in Scotland to Bridgwater in Somerset.
“Work did fall away in lockdown but it has rebounded hugely and we have to be ready for that which is why we have been recruiting, especially in senior roles, and with people who we know can help take us forward.
“We are also picking up new clients like chemical and materials manufacturer Ingevity in Warrington and getting enquiries from several more major clients so it is vital that we have the right people in place to take advantage of these opportunities.
“We are looking to do more in the residential construction sector on contracts up to £2 million where people like Peter and Chris have specialist experience.
“This diversification helps Hollingsworth expand their business and we’re already on target to turnover £15 million this year and looking to build past £20 million in the next 18 months.
“We have also taken on three more on-site staff with two project managers and a site supervisor appointed and with Mike Steen returning to us and Jim Cartridge with whom we have worked before we have a team in place to help us expand.”
Part of that expansion involves more turnkey construction work on small residential sites including building specialist accommodation for the care and health sectors which will be undertaken by the Hollingsworth Ellery sector.
The Hollingsworth Group was founded in 1988 by brothers Paul and Shaun Hollingsworth.
Brickability Group
Brigend-based Brickability Group, a leading construction materials distributor, has appointed Sharon Collins as an independent non-executive director.
Ms Collins, who will take up her role next month at the Alternative Investment Market listed firm, has more than 20 year’s experience predominantly in marketing, international sales and business development roles within the healthcare sector. Having previously worked for a leading dental manufacturer for seven years, she also spent five years within the international business development field with Sinclair Pharmaceuticals
In 2010, she co-founded Venture Life Group, which was subsequently floated on AIM, and is currently chief Commercial officer and board director of the Venture Life Group.
John Richards, chairman of Brickability, said: “I am delighted to welcome Sharon to the Brickability board as an independent non-executive director. Her depth of relevant experience will no doubt add significant value to the board and we very much look forward to working with Sharon as Brickability continues to execute its stated strategy.”
Savills
Property advisory team has boosted its economics team in Wales with the appointment of two economists in Daniel Vargas and Ryan McKenzie.
Mr Vargas, originally from Peru, holds an master’s degree in economics from the University of Bristol. A former economic analyst with the Ministry of Production of Peru, his recent experience includes economic impact analysis of science investments for UK Research and Innovation.
Prior to this he was an economist for Wavehill, an economics consulting agency based in England and Wales. His expertise includes SME policy, financial inclusion, policy evaluation and innovation topics and he joins Savills as a Senior Economist.
Also joining the Cardiff based team is associate Director, Ryan McKenzie. Currently based at Savills head office in London, Ryan has 11 years’ experience of property economics, regeneration and urban policy. Before joining Savills he was associate director of Urbis in Sydney.
Nick Bennett, director of economics for Savills in Cardiff said: “I am delighted to welcome these two accomplished and experienced economists to the Wales economics team. In the short time we have been established in Cardiff we have already supported clients with projects that will improve the economy, society and environment of Wales. I have no doubt that the strategic international insight and intellectual rigour that Ryan and Daniel bring to the table will support our growing client base very well.”
Intelligent Ultrasound
Classroom to clinic ultrasound company Intelligent Ultrasound, that specialises in artificial intelligence (AI) software and simulation, has appointed Christian Guttmann as a non-executive director.
The Cardiff-based and Alternative Investment Market firm has also confirmed that Andrew Barker, who has been a non-executive director since 2017, will stand down from the board at the end of the year.
Dr Guttmann is a recognised leader in shaping the global agenda on AI regulation and standards, as well as having AI research, development and AI commercialisation experience. He has edited and authored seven books, over 50 publications and has three patents in the field of AI.
He is currently an executive director of the Nordic Artificial Intelligence Institute (NAII) and vice president and global head of AI and data at TietoEVRY in Sweden. He has built over 100 novel AI systems and products and has been an organiser / steering committee member at major AI conferences. As a founder of the Nordic AI Institute, he advises governments, thinktanks and businesses around the world.
Riccardo Pigliucci, chairman of Intelligent Ultrasound said: “I am delighted that Christian has agreed to join our board. He was an outstanding candidate for the position and his expertise and passion for shaping the future of AI will be a major benefit to the company as we continue to expand our classroom to the clinic ultrasound business. Christian’s vast experience and knowledge of the industry is second to none, and his credentials speak for themselves. He will be an invaluable asset to our board and we look forward to capitalising on his skillset.
“Separately, I also would like to thank Andrew for his invaluable contribution for the past five years and wish him continued success in his personal and business endeavours.”
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