People on the move: key North East appointments and promotions

Renewable energy developer OnPath Energy has appointed Ashley Wright to its senior team.

Mr Wright has joined OnPath as its general counsel and brings more than three decades’ experience of project finance, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law to his new role. He has worked in senior and partner positions at law firms including Norton Rose Fulbright, Ashurst, Linklaters and Pinsent Masons in a career that has taken him on projects right around the world, including working in Singapore and Indonesia.

He said: “OnPath is building its future plans on very firm foundations, and has a very clear vision of both where it now wants to go and how it will get there. With the resources now available through Brookfield, there’s every opportunity for us to make a huge leap forward and it’s very exciting to be joining the firm at this stage of its development. My role allows me to get involved with all aspects of OnPath’s business and to use my experience to help shape the high standards to which we work and how we live up to the promises we make to our customers.”

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Newcastle boutique corporate finance advisory firm WilliamsAli has promoted two team members.

Corporate finance executives Tristan Woolcock and Niall Choat have each been promoted to corporate finance managers, after contributing to the growth of the firm and their role in a number of successful deals.

Mr Woolcock said: “I’m extremely grateful to the WilliamsAli team for all their support from day one, the opportunities they have given me and for recognising my contribution. I am also privileged to be working with such a range of fantastic clients. I’ve come a long way since joining and that is down to the training and development I have received from Abu and Phil as well as our associate directors Mo and Lucy. I’m excited to take the next step and develop in this new manager position.”

Mr Choat added: “The promotion is a real milestone in my career and is at a level I’ve been working towards for a long time. I’ve been lucky to learn a great deal from the team around me, and especially the directors, which has helped me to hone my technical expertise and, in turn, provide a great service to our clients. I’m delighted to have had my commitment and skill set recognised by the team here and look forward to continuing to build on WilliamsAli’s rapid success even further – exciting times.”

North Tyneside-based Carney Consultancy has appointed Zach Marshal as administrative assistant.

He said: “I have five years’ experience working in a customer service background and I wanted a new challenge. Carney Consultancy really appealed to me because of its career progression routes. I was impressed by the videos on its website highlighting the team and it seemed to be a friendly environment to work in – all of which I have found to be true.

"As well as the administrative side of the role, where I shadow customer liaison coordinator, Louise Dack, I am also beginning to learn SHEQ management systems, SSIPS and Constructionline applications."

Managing director Angela Carney said: “Zach is proving to be a great addition to our team. He joins with enthusiasm and a hunger to learn more. Our consultants have all been trained from scratch and that’s always been our approach. We develop people to reach their potential, often they can’t see how good they are, but we can. It is crucial, from the outset, to have a detailed training programme for trainees and apprentices, so they understand what needs to be achieved to continually move their careers forward.”

The Northern Housing Consortium (NHC), the not-for profit membership organisation which represents social housing providers across the North of England, has appointed Andrea Downey as its new executive director for operations and finance.

Ms Downey brings more than 25 years’ experience of working in both the public and private sector, with previous roles in Network Rail and the NHS, as well as in the publishing and media sectors.

She said: “I was attracted to Northern Housing Consortium because of its very clear ethos of making a positive impact. The organisation’s focus on levelling up in the north through social housing improvements is close to my heart; I grew up in a council house and it was a positive experience, and I would like that for others too.

Experienced solicitor Sarah Tweedie has joined Northumberland-based Nicholson Portnell Solicitors’ family law team.

Ms Tweedie, who has worked at law practices across the North of England for the past 17 years, has become the firm’s first recruit since it was acquired by Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors earlier this year. She works across all aspects of family law and has been a resolution-accredited solicitor since 2013.

She said: “The company’s focus on staff wellbeing and career development really appealed to me. Everyone has been really welcoming, with an open door policy which encourages people to work closely together as a team. It’s an exciting time to be joining the company following the amalgamation with Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors which has enhanced the services Nicholson Portnell can offer.

“It’s important to the people of the Tyne Valley that Nicholson Portnell maintains its local presence and delivers its expert services from the Hexham office, while also having a much bigger team across multiple offices who can bring specialist legal knowledge and expertise.”