Category Archives: Appointments

Appointments, Coaching, Coaching and Mentoring, News

The OCM appoints Kathryn Kernick as Managing Director of OCM Enable to boost growth

Leading professional coaching and mentoring firm, The OCM, has enhanced its leadership team with the appointment of Kathryn Kernick as Managing Director of OCM Enable to support and grow the business.

Kathryn brings over 25 years of leadership, coaching, and talent development experience, and has worked extensively with both UK and international clients to drive leadership excellence and organisational growth. She joins from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), a top-ranked, global, nonprofit provider of leadership development and a pioneer in global leadership research where she worked for over 10 years, most recently as Director of Coaching for Europe.

Prior to this Kathryn was Director of Client Solutions, at Korn Ferry, a global management consultancy firm, working with Boards, CEOs, Chief Human Resources Officers and Chief Learning Officers to align their talent strategy with their business strategy.

 

Commenting on her new role Kathryn said: “I am delighted to join The OCM, a purpose-driven organisation, with a strong portfolio of UK and international clients in many sectors including FMCG, Manufacturing, Finance, Healthcare and Technology, as well as a rich heritage of pioneering leadership coaching and mentoring. The OCM was founded in Oxford in 1998 when leadership coaching was just emerging as a critical need, it has been at the forefront of leadership coaching and mentoring ever since.

“I’m a passionate believer in the power of diverse perspectives and experiences to drive organisational success, combined with a dedication to excellence, innovation, and meaningful impact. I look forward to building on the company’s legacy and delivering coaching and mentoring programmes that help individuals, teams, and organisations to thrive.”

 

Ed Parsloe, CEO, The OCM, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Kathryn as our new Managing Director of OCM Enable. Kathryn has had an impressive career to date and her rich experience in leadership coaching and business development skills will be a real asset to our business and our clients. We look forward to her helping us expand and strengthen our UK and global presence.”

 

For more information on The OCM visit: www.theocm.co.uk/

Appointments, Cardiff, Marketing & PR, News

Front Door Communications appoints Lisa Blake as Head of PR

Front Door Communications has appointed former national journalist Lisa Blake as its new Head of PR.

Lisa, originally from Aberdare, joins the Cardiff comms agency in Cardiff with a wealth of experience, including more than 15 years’ working for celebrity magazines such as OK! and new and, more recently, as a PR Manager for ITV Daytime.

 

She joins the eight-strong team at Front Door, whose clients include Go.Compare, current Strictly Come Dancing star Wynne Evans, Christmas at Bute Park, Green Man, Cleverchefs Group and Bouygues UK.

Lisa’s journalism background means she’s interviewed hundreds of celebrities, including Kylie Minogue, Tom Jones and Peter Andre and her all-time favourite is Robbie Williams.

She’s also enjoyed freelance stints in her career where she’s placed exclusive news stories in the Sunday Mirror, Sun on Sunday, Mail on Sunday, Daily Star, plus more.

 

In 2020, Lisa moved into TV PR, working on the publicity of ITV Daytime shows including Good Morning Britain, This Morning, Loose Women, Lorraine, The Chase and Tipping Point.

Two years later, she returned to her native Wales, where she focused on building relationships with local press contacts while helping with the PR of TV shows including BBC Wales’ A Special School and S4C’s Cyfrinachau’r Llyfrgell (Best Kept Secrets).

 

She also helped with the red-carpet media management of the Child of Wales Awards 2023 and 2024 and BAFTA Cymru Awards 2022, and worked on the talent booking and PR and marketing of Brecon Jazz Festival 2024.

Front Door Communications was founded in 2017 by former BBC journalist Kath Chadwick and digital marketing expert Lynsey Walden. It provides a range of digital marketing and PR services with the aim to deliver real business benefits for clients through creative, results-driven campaigns.

 

Lynsey said she is delighted to welcome Lisa to the team, where she will head up PR.

She said: “We’re absolutely over the moon to have Lisa on board, her experience is second to none and we’re excited about the new opportunities she will bring for Front Door Comms. She’s already working with a number of clients and getting some great results so we couldn’t be happier. We’ve just launched a new brand, a new website and now a new Head of PR, so it’s a really exciting time for us as an agency.”

 

Lisa, a self-confessed true crime documentary and Stereophonics fan, said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the hardworking, driven and lovely team at Front Door Comms. They work with fantastic brands and I look forward to playing a part in devising and delivering memorable campaigns and coverage that make a noise. It’s great to be part of a supportive team that continues to learn, strives for better and focuses on producing quality work that matters.”

 

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Pic attached: Lisa Blake, Head of PR at Front Door Communications.

Appointments, News

SFG Appoints New Directors and Celebrates Major Milestone

Now in its sixth year of trading, SFG is primed for expansion across its advisory, asset management and investment specialities

 

23rd September 2024 – SF Group (SFG), a specialist advisor, investor, developer and investment manager in the student accommodation and property sectors has appointed two new directors as it looks to accelerate growth during its next phase of development.

Over the last six years, SFG has cultivated a team of experts with more than 150 years of combined knowledge in the real estate sector with a considerable focus in Higher Education (HE):

 

  • Under the ‘Student First’ brand, SFG specialises in tailored commercial advice to universities, developers and funders with a specialist team unique for their knowledge of Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) having sat on all sides of the table in working with the HE sectors. Since inception, the company has increased its turnover by 50% year on year, developed over 20 new residential strategies for UK universities, led Design, Build, Fund Operate (DBFO) partnership projects at eight universities and advised on nomination agreements for over 8,000 student beds.

 

  • Under the ‘SF Investment Management’ brand, SFG has managed over £500 million of assets, including direct let and on-campus PBSA partnerships, residential, retail and hospitality assets. Within the last year, the team has facilitated the successful turnaround and sale of an 800-bed PBSA portfolio through performance improvement and operational restructuring and completed the three year rehabilitation and lease of a 200 year-old historic building for the Inditex Group’s flagship Zara store in Lisbon. SFG is now targeting capital partners to further its direct investment strategy and grow its asset management platform.

 

Robert Kingham has stepped into the role of Director, Head of Advisory after joining SFG in 2022 as Head of University Advisory. Robert has over 25 years’ experience in the property industry and for the last 18 has specialised in providing strategic estates advice to the HE sector. Robert has led or advised multiple universities on student housing partnership projects that have created or upgraded around 15,000 beds. His previous roles include Director for Higher Education at professional services firm JLL, as well as serving on the Finance and Resources Committee at Cardiff University.

On his appointment, Robert said: “Having spent more than 15 years dedicated to improving student accommodation and university living standards, I am excited to take my place as a Director at SFG. My deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this sector will guide our efforts to enhance the student experience for our clients and across our portfolio. It’s a great privilege to be able to contribute to our mission of providing exceptional housing solutions for students nationally.”

 

Andrew May has been appointed as Director, Head of Development for SFG and will lead the focus on its direct investment strategy. Andrew has over 30-years’ experience of real estate, PFI/PPP and infrastructure projects and has been Involved in PBSA since 2002, including as one of the co-founders of UPP.  A previous Director of Estates at University of Hertfordshire and Development Director of Located (a government owned property company), Andrew has been actively involved in c. 30,000 beds

Andrew commented: “Investment in Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) is increasing rapidly, with the latest figures reaching £2.45 billion in the first half of 2024. I am excited to lead the strategic growth of SFG’s development and investment management activities with a focus on enhancing the value we deliver to students and educational institutions while ensuring sustainable returns.”

 

 

About SFG

We have sat on all sides of the table – university, consultant, and private sector – and we have seen what works and what doesn’t. We are a team of poachers turned gamekeepers, who leverage our diverse experience to deliver exceptional results. We are not just consultants; we are partners who walk in your shoes. Our approach is collaborative, client-focused, and results-driven. We listen to your needs, understand your challenges, and tailor solutions that work for you.

 

For more information, visit sfg.ltd

Appointments, News, Sustainability

ZEROMISSION APPOINTS CTO TO DRIVE INNOVATION IN EV FLEET MANAGEMENT PLATFORM

EV commercial fleet software specialist ZeroMission has strengthened its senior executive team with the appointment of Alan Crowley as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). He will be responsible for leading technology innovation within the business, using the latest advances in AI, machine learning and data analytics to help shape the future of electric mobility and zero emission vehicle (ZEV) fleet management.

 

“Commercial fleets are under huge pressure to decarbonise their operations, but this can only be truly achieved through the efficient deployment and ongoing management of electric vehicles,” explains Alan Crowley. “ZeroMission is at the forefront of fleet electrification through development of its fully integrated software platform, and I am excited about the contribution I can make to helping businesses successfully transition.”

 

Crowley is an experienced technology leader with a strong academic background and over 25 years of experience in software development and IT consultancy. He has worked across a variety of industry sectors – including e-mobility, utilities, global supply chain and manufacturing – devising innovative solutions and implementing cutting edge technologies to optimise processes, enhance efficiency, and maximise the benefits of automation.

Previously, Crowley was Head of Delivery at Version 1, a digital transformation specialist, and prior to this, Technical Lead at enterprise software development company DeCare Systems Ireland (DSI). He has also held senior positions at SS&C Technologies, Irish Community Rapid Response and Real World Solutions, which has enabled him to develop a detailed understanding of edge computing, data analytics and IoT.

 

Leah O’Dwyer, CEO of ZeroMission commented: “We are delighted that Alan has chosen to join us on our journey and support our mission to accelerate zero emission vehicle adoption through smart and practical software solutions. Throughout his career, Alan has been instrumental in transforming traditional operations into smart, data-driven ecosystems, so we believe he has a big part to play in bringing data integration, AI decision-making and predictive analysis to our commercial fleet customers.”

Appointments, Business, Business News

New appointment to support Welsh businesses’ trade ambitions

Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid has appointed David Peña as its new International Trade Manager.

David, who is originally from Barcelona and speaks English, Catalan, French and Spanish, joins the Chamber from International Trade Matters.

With his professional career spanning the retail sector, licensing industry, business development and trade support, David brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with him to the Chamber.

In his varied career he has worked in culturally different companies, opened access to new markets for companies in all continents and liaised with businesses, organisations and brands such as Asmodee, Ministry of Defence (UK), Royal British Legion and The Smurfs.

Additionally, David holds a Level 5 Diploma in International Trade from the Institute of Export where he is a full member and was awarded twice in his graduation ceremony including the Prize for Academic Excellence from the Worshipful Company of World Traders.

In his new role, David will lead the trade team at the Chamber and assist members, partners and businesses in Wales with their exporting and importing needs including compliance, training, access to new markets and supply chain connectivity. David will share his invaluable knowledge and experience, becoming an asset to the team.

David said: “I am looking forward to supporting all our members in their international trade journey. I know from experience how challenging it can be, but I trust that Chambers Wales will be the right partner to be alongside our members at every step of the journey.

“As a native Catalonian and a Catalan speaker, I fully understand the particularities of being a nation within a nation, and the challenges but also the opportunities that this uniqueness can bring to the table.”

In his spare time, David trains with his local rugby club and plays the occasional veterans game as a scrum half.

Commenting on David’s appointment, Penny Lock, Director of Partnerships at Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming David as a core member of our team who will be instrumental in supporting our members in their international trade journeys.

“This appointment represents another step in our mission of taking Welsh businesses to the world across our global network. David will be a tremendous asset to the Chamber, and we are very excited to work with him and to learn from his invaluable knowledge.”

Appointments, Education, Education News, News

New Managing Director appointed by École Ducasse

École Ducasse, a network of schools founded by multi-starred chef Alain Ducasse dedicated to the transmission of outstanding French expertise and excellence in culinary and pastry arts, has announced the appointment of Karine Hyon-Vintrou as its new Managing Director.

Karine succeeds Elise Masurel, who spent five years at the helm of École Ducasse, during which time she significantly accelerated the institution’s growth.

Having begun her career in the luxury hotel industry, Karine joined Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts in the USA, then in France. These experiences enabled her to build up solid expertise in this sector before joining the global headquarters of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) in the UK. It was here that she discovered her passion for branding, a field that would soon become the core of her career. Karine continued her career in Bangkok to manage the Onyx Hospitality Group’s brand platform, before returning to IHG to join the global resorts strategy team. This international experience reinforced her strategic vision and ability to manage large-scale projects in a multicultural context. On her return to the UK, she was appointed Global Brand Director for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.

 

In 2018, Karine joined Sommet Education to reposition the Glion and Les Roches hospitality management school brands, strengthening their reputation in hotel management education. She implemented innovative strategies and led a high-performance team. In 2023, she was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer of the Sommet group, overseeing all marketing activities and contributing to its international expansion.

 

Today, Karine is taking over the management of École Ducasse at a time of rapid international growth. Particularly motivated by the institution’s potential for global deployment, she aims to consolidate École Ducasse’s position as a world leader in gastronomy and culinary education. “École Ducasse is an iconic brand recognised for the excellence of its training and the influence of its graduates on the global culinary scene. I look forward to accompanying this institution in its international expansion, and to drawing daily inspiration from passionate teams, talented students and renowned experts,” she said.

 

Under the leadership of Elise Masurel, École Ducasse has undergone major development, marked in particular by the launch of its new Meudon campus, the expansion of the École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie (ENSP), the largest pastry campus in the world, and international expansion with the opening of three new schools in India, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. These achievements testify to the leadership and strategic vision that have enabled École Ducasse to strengthen its global position.

 

On this occasion, Alain Ducasse commented: “I commend the tremendous commitment of Elise Masurel, who has given Ecole Ducasse a remarkable dynamism both in France and worldwide. I welcome Karine Hyon-Vintrou. Her extensive experience of the hospitality sector on an international scale is a major asset in strengthening Ecole Ducasse’s strategic position.”

 

Benoît-Etienne Domenget, CEO of Sommet Education, added: “I sincerely thank Elise for her contribution, particularly with the opening of Paris Campus, and I am delighted with Karine’s appointment, who will be able to put her extensive experience of education, marketing and luxury at the service of École Ducasse.”

Appointments, News

Calabrio Appoints Dave Rhodes as new CEO

Calabrio, the workforce performance company, today announced the appointment of Dave Rhodes as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. Rhodes succeeds Interim CEO Joel Martins who will continue in his role as Calabrio’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

With decades of leadership experience along with extensive subject matter expertise in growing and scaling software businesses, Dave joins a dynamic executive leadership team dedicated to redefining the future of contact centres globally through its commitment to continuous innovation and strategic partnerships.

“Calabrio stands at the forefront of revolutionising contact centres worldwide by leveraging its unparalleled Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) solution integrated with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered analytics and advanced business intelligence (BI) built into its core,” said Rhodes. “The company continuously strives to redefine service excellence with technology advances and a unique focus on operational efficiency that drives transformative customer experiences. I am excited to lead the Calabrio team as we seize the immense growth opportunities ahead.”

Rhodes joins Calabrio from Sauce Labs, the leading provider of continuous test and error reporting solutions that give companies the confidence to develop, deliver and update high quality software at speed, where he was CEO.

Prior to Sauce Labs, Rhodes served as the SVP/GM of Unity Software’s Digital Twins Business as well as the company’s Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), where he grew revenue from $130M to $600M. Before  Unity, he was EVP Sales, Services and Marketing at Paradigm/Emerson, where he oversaw the development, implementation and execution of worldwide growth strategies. Rhodes also spent 11 years at Autodesk where he last served as VP of the Americas.

Kris Weston, Thoma Bravo Chair of the Board and Operating Partner stated, “We are thrilled to welcome Dave Rhodes as Calabrio’s new CEO. His experience in transforming software companies into market leaders, combined with his go-to-market expertise and passion for software-driven innovation, uniquely positions him to lead Calabrio’s next growth phase. His visionary leadership and strategic acumen will accelerate our innovation efforts crucial for the future of contact centres. We are confident that under Dave’s guidance, Calabrio will continue to set new industry standards and capitalise on the many promising prospects.”

Appointments, News

Aqilla Appoints Charis Thomas as Chief Product Officer

Aqilla, the intelligent cloud-based accounting and reporting application company, announces the appointment of Charis Thomas as Chief Product Officer. Charis will be responsible for developing Aqilla’s product roadmap strategy and overseeing its implementation—translating the company’s vision for zero-touch accounting into a practical reality.

“I was attracted to Aqilla because of the company’s culture and the potential for innovation—especially the intelligent and considered use of AI and machine learning to automate key tasks and processes. Hugh, our CEO, is a true visionary. His thoughts and plans for Aqilla immediately drew me in, and, straight away, I wanted to be on that journey with him,” comments Charis.

The next stage of Aqilla’s evolution will use AI and machine learning to automate the purchase invoicing process, including automated invoice capture and supplier allocation. It will also automatically forward invoices to the person responsible for settlement. The idea is to deliver zero-touch invoice management by default but give customers who are cautious about AI and automation the opportunity for manual, human involvement at each stage—and at a level that suits them and their business. This approach will also allow the solution to ‘learn’ the company’s processes and, over time, gain further user confidence.

Charis’ previous experience makes her well-equipped for the challenge, having worked on product development for over a decade. Before joining Aqilla, she was Payments Product Manager for Domestic Payments at Lloyds Bank, overseeing the development of digital onboarding processes for Lloyds Bank, Bank of Scotland and Halifax business debit card customers.

Charis was also a Product Manager at Zoopla, where she played a crucial role in transforming the solution into one of the UK’s leading cloud-based financial CRM offerings. In addition, Charis has over ten years of experience in accounting and six years as a business analyst, with roles at PayPoint and within the charity sector.

“It’s an exciting time for us,” explains Hugh Scantlebury, Aqilla’s CEO. “The technology to take this next step in our product’s evolution exists. It’s just a matter of planning our strategy and ensuring it’s configured and implemented in the most user-friendly way. That’s where Charis’ invaluable experience and knowledge come into play.”

He concludes: “It’s true that many accounting solutions providers are trying to achieve this level of automation with third-party plug-ins. By contrast, we want to keep AI and automation—alongside business intelligence and analytics—within the main product. This will be our key differentiator as we continue to develop. Taking a plug-in approach can quickly become expensive for end-users, so keeping AI, business intelligence, and analytics within the core product will ensure we continue to deliver high-value services and value for money for our customers.”

Appointments

VertiGIS Welcomes Jonathan Daniel as VP of Sales for Northern Europe and UK Managing Director

Jonathan will drive sales and build a closer partnership with Esri UK to deliver increasingly sophisticated GIS solutions to customers 

London, UK – 17th September 2024 – VertiGIS, the leader in spatial asset management solutions, today announced that Jonathan Daniel has joined the company as the new Vice President of Sales for Northern Europe and UK Managing Director. Jonathan will focus on executing VertiGIS’ UK and Nordic plans to accelerate growth in the region. Jonathan will also build a closer working relationship with Esri UK, the global leader in location intelligence.

VertiGIS recently announced a new multinational partnership agreement with Esri which provides a framework for joint business efforts, ultimately enabling both companies to best serve their global customers. Jonathan will be responsible for driving business efforts with Esri, reselling, co-selling and co-marketing as well as aligning business and technical strategies in the UK and Nordics. 

Jonathan has over three decades of sales leadership and strategic expertise and is an accomplished front-line sales and business leader with extensive experience in international software leadership. He has led multi-million-dollar enterprise software companies and has been responsible for full P&L and commercial goals.  

Before joining VertiGIS, Jonathan was VP of Sales EMEA and APAC for Infor, a global leader in business cloud software, with over 17,000 employees and 67,000 customers worldwide. Prior to Infor, Jonathan served as VP of International Sales and Channels for Crawford Technologies, a global leader in high-value solutions for high-value documents. The company has helped over 1,800 customers around the world reduce costs and streamline mission-critical transactions.  

Jonathan also served as SVP of Global Enterprise Sales for world-class telecommunications company ZephyrTel, an ESW Capital Software company. In this role, he was responsible for multi-million-dollar sales and renewals revenue globally, managing a team of new business and account management functions across nine separate products in the telco industry.  

“Jonathan has deep experience in growing and scaling enterprise software and telco companies,” said Andy Berry, CEO of VertiGIS. “We are excited to welcome him to the VertiGIS team to maximise sales opportunities and lead our business development strategy in the region. We have exciting plans for our next phase of growth in partnership with Esri and I look forward to having Jonathan’s knowledge and expertise guide us.”

VertiGIS and Esri have been partners for many years, with VertiGIS currently holding certifications of Esri partner specialities in State and Local Government, Network Management, Cloud Services, and nine listings on ArcGIS Marketplace, supporting customers with ArcGIS-based solutions in over 50 countries.

Jonathan’s appointment follows the launch of VertiGIS’ new cloud infrastructure, uniting all VertiGIS solutions into global cloud platforms, using Microsoft Azure’s public cloud. This enables VertiGIS customers to reduce their hosting costs while optimising their technology in a more secure, scalable, and modern environment.

“I’m looking forward to building VertiGIS’ presence in the UK and Nordics. Our technology helps utilities, telcos and infrastructure/facilities management organisations better leverage and have visibility of their assets quickly and seamlessly. Many of these organisations have decades-old ageing infrastructure and are looking to modernise and migrate to the cloud and with our new cloud infrastructure we can help them achieve this,” said Jonathan Daniel, VP of Sales for Northern Europe and UK Managing Director at VertiGIS. 

About VertiGIS  

VertiGIS is a leading asset management and geographic information systems (GIS) solution provider and software developer. Their focus is on the development of software solutions and services that enable professionals in the utilities, government, telecommunications, and infrastructure market segments to connect their business processes with spatial management technology. Used by more than 5,000 customers and millions of end users around the world, VertiGIS’ product portfolio is designed to enhance the capabilities of leading GIS software, especially Esri’s ArcGIS®. For more information visit www.vertigis.com.

Appointments, Marketing & PR, News, PR and SEO

Essex digital marketing agency bolsters team with two new hires

Essex-based digital marketing agency, Ink Digital, has announced the appointment of Tony Morgan as senior SEO account manager and Isabella Howells as junior content writer, following a period of significant growth.

An experienced SEO specialist, Tony boasts an impressive career of more than 20 years. With a wealth of knowledge in creating Search Engine Optimised websites, he held multiple management positions before making the switch to full time SEO several years ago. In joining Ink Digital as senior SEO account manager, Tony will play a fundamental role in implementing new processes to further refine the agency’s approach to SEO.

Skilled junior content writer, Isabella Howells, specialises in crafting SEO-optimised content to drive engagement and boost Google search rankings. With a natural ability to turn ideas into compelling narratives, Isabella’s appointment will allow Ink Digital to bring all its content writing in-house, offering clients an even more seamless and efficient experience.

 

Headquartered in Brentwood, Ink Digital was established in 2019 and has since developed a proven track record for delivering real and impactful results for its growing client base across Essex and the wider UK, including Ocean Holidays, IMO Car Wash and Arctic Direct.

These latest hires follow the agency’s recent success in scaling growth by an impressive 58 percent over the last 12 months, having strategically expanded its service offering from pure SEO delivery to a more holistic approach to digital marketing.

 

Michael Ryan, founder and CEO of Ink Digital confirmed: “I’m really pleased to welcome Tony and Isabella to the team. Their experience and skills will be valuable as we move into the next stage of our growth.”

“I’m looking forward to working closely with them both in the coming months and years, and I’m confident they’ll play a key role in helping us execute our ambitious strategy effectively. Their addition strengthens our team and positions us well for what lies ahead.”

 

Dedicated to helping clients maximise their online presence and achieve measurable business outcomes, Ink Digital’s innovative approach and commitment to staying ahead of industry trends has earned it numerous awards and a reputation for excellence in the digital marketing sphere.

 

For more information, please visit: https://ink-digital.co.uk