People on the Move: new jobs and appointments in the North East

Micromanufacturing company Microbitt has appointed Lorena Pantelie as sales manager.

Ms Pantelie’s appointment comes after Microbritt raised £400,000 in investment, allowing it to develop the sales team to drive sales to a worldwide audience. She specialises in solution-based client development and support, and will help the company to streamline operations, cultivate closer client relationships, and drive tailored growth opportunities.

She said: “I am looking forward to bringing my expertise and client management skills to Microbritt to elevate our presence worldwide.”

Carl Dale, CEO at Microbritt, said: “This is a very exciting time for the company, and we are thrilled to welcome Lorena to her new role within Microbritt.”

Northumberland-based developer Ascent Homes has announced four new appointments within its sales team.

Ascent Homes has appointed Siobhan Hope as head of sales and marketing, Peter Dawson and Karen McArthur as sales managers, and Lauren Sykes as a sales executive. The new appointments take the sales team’s headcount to seven and come as the housing developer sees an increasing demand for its Northumberland property portfolio.

With 16 years of experience, Ms Hope has worked for established housing developers, including Barratt Homes, Persona Homes, and Gentoo Homes. She initially joined the team as a sales manager and was promoted to head of sales and marketing earlier this year.

Sales managers Peter Dawson and Karen McArthur bring 24 years of experience to their new positions. They will support the development of the team’s sales executives, including new hire, Ms Sykes.

Everflow has appointed Lucy Armstrong as its new chairperson to guide and support the business as it grows.

Ms Armstrong also serves as a non-executive director and chair for businesses such as Port of Tyne, Holker Estate, and Cyberhawk. She is also the chief executive of The Alchemists, a boutique consultancy focused on supporting fast-growing entrepreneurial businesses.

Initially positioned in the water industry, Everflow is looking to expand into multi-utility provision, and has already branched out into the waste market and telecoms market.

Ms Armstrong said: “Everflow is a credible, capable operator that is succeeding in new marketplaces. With its fundamentals in place and established values and behaviours, Everflow is poised for a successful growth journey. There are over 5.8m SMEs in the UK for Everflow to serve. This represents a fantastic opportunity for the business.”

Muckle LLP has announced five promotions, including one partner.

Stephanie Brown has been promoted to partner, Carolyn McKay and Claire Naughten have become senior associates and associate positions have been announced to Gillian Scribbins and Sarah Farish.

Corporate lawyer Ms Brown is tipped as a ‘Rising Star’ by Legal 500 UK and was named Young Lawyer of the Year at the Insider North East Young Professionals Awards 2022. She specialises in advising businesses on sales and acquisitions, private equity transactions, investments, corporate reorganisations, demergers, and general company law matters.

Jason Wainwright, managing partner at Muckle LLP, said: “As a firm, we have a strong commitment to investing in our people, and it’s a pleasure to once again be announcing such a significant list of promotions. The promotions reflect the hard work, expertise and enthusiasm these lawyers have shown. Many of them have been with the firm for a number of years, and it’s a privilege to watch them craft their careers with Muckle.”

Jacksons Law, which has offices in Teesside and Newcastle and a presence in Sunderland, has promoted four solicitors, as well as two members of staff in HR and finance .

John Bewick, Karl Medd, Beckie Talbot, Emily Skillcorn, Isabelle Waddell and Caroline Harrison now have new roles at the company.

Mr Bewick has been promoted from associate solicitor to senior associate solicitor, Mr Medd has risen from the role of legal executive to associate legal executive in the litigation team, Ms Talbot has progressed from assistant management accountant to finance manager, and Ms Skillcorn has been promoted from solicitor to associate solicitor. Ms Waddell, head of residential conveyancing in Newcastle, has also been promoted from solicitor to associate solicitor, and Ms Harrison, who joined Jacksons 18 months ago as HR assistant, has been promoted to HR Advisor.

Tony Wentworth, managing partner at Jacksons, said: “As we continue to grow our presence across the North East, we are incredibly fortunate to have such a wide pool of talented staff, from senior lawyers through to secretaries and administrative assistants.”

North East industrial property firm HTA Real Estate has appointed leading property investment specialist Douglas Cranston as investment director .

Mr Cranston joins the Newcastle-based property consultancy with over 20 years of industry experience following senior roles with firms including MCM Group, Knight Frank and JLL. He will lead the firm’s investment department, handling acquisitions and disposals on behalf of pension funds, property companies and private Individuals. He will also provide strategic asset management advice to property investors to help them enhance portfolio performance.

HTA was launched in 2013 by directors Nick Atkinson, Simon Hill and Russell Taylor and over the past decade has had a key role in the success of some of the region’s most significant industrial development schemes.

Mr Cranston, who will concentrate primarily on the North East region, said: “HTA Real Estate is a market leading commercial property consultancy and I am delighted to be coming on board and building on the firm’s many successes over the past 10 years.”