People on the move: North East appointments and promotions of the week

Northern law firm Ward Hadaway has announced eight promotions within its Newcastle office.

Alongside a partner and director level promotion, four were made at associate level with two becoming managing associates. Newly promoted partner Rob Eldon works in the commercial litigation team and joined the firm over a decade ago.

Katy Milner, a member of Ward Hadaway’s public sector real estate team specialising in the property aspects of public sector projects and education, has been promoted to director. Carolyn Akerman and Liam Stubbs are now managing associates within the real estate and corporate teams. Jamie Guy, Vikki Alexander, Louise Spedding and Daniyal Malik have been promoted to associates within their respective fields of corporate, plot sales, real estate and commercial litigation.

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Steven Petrie, managing partner at Ward Hadaway, said: “These promotions are a testament to our strategic growth and investment in our people. Each of our offices - Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle - have consistently demonstrated excellence and a commitment to our clients that is truly commendable. Promotions are not just about recognising individual achievements but also about reinforcing our collective strength as a firm.”

Turntide Technologies has appointed Steve Hornyak as president and chief executive officer.

He takes over the role from former CEO and Turntide Technologies founder Ryan Morris who remains with the company in an advisory role.

Mr Hornyak is an experienced executive who has a strong track record in delivering business growth in the technology and software industries. Most recently he was chief commercial officer and acting CEO at electric commercial vehicle producer Brightdrop, which is part of General Motors (GM).

He said:“As an innovator and pioneer in electric platforms for the transportation markets, Turntide has the unique opportunity to provide breakthrough solutions that are beneficial to the environment as well as our customers’ bottom line. I am thrilled to join the team and look forward to building on the strong foundation of products and customers to accelerate Turntide’s business.”

Prestwick Care has recruited Scott Beat as director of care to oversee the firm’s 16 homes.

Mr Beat has held a number of senior positions in both regional and national care companies, along with providing legal advice to organisations in the care sector.

He takes over from Eve Tierney has held the position for the past decade and now joins the board in a newly created non-executive director position.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining the Malhotra Group as director of care for the Prestwick Care portfolio. The philosophy of care at Prestwick mirrors my own values – residents come first. Care at Prestwick is provided in a holistic, inclusive and compassionate manner by respecting and enabling each individual to partner in achieving their health and care objectives.”

Music development agency Generator has announced significant team expansion and as part of a new business plan.

The organisation has welcomed Thea Van der Velde as the new head of brand and marketing, Camilla Whitfield as marketing coordinator and Chyaro Hylton and Emily Bowdon as programme coordinators. Earlier this year, Generator also welcomed Lucy Bridge as its first music industry Intern, in a partnership with Warner Music UK.

This month, three new board members have joined including Beth Hazon, Jennifer Geddes and Kenny Toal.

Mick Ross, CEO of Generator said: “Our expanded team, board, and the launch of Interval Records are emblematic of the new era at Generator. With these strategic developments, along with the groundbreaking work of our friends at North East Screen at the Crown Works Studios in Sunderland, this is a pivotal time for the region’s creative and cultural industries. With devolution and the recent mayoral election, all eyes are on the North East. We have huge ambitions to cement ourselves as global leaders within the creative and cultural sectors.”

A newly qualified solicitor with a passion for development and construction law has qualified into Muckle LLP’s construction and engineering team.

Kieran Woonton, who is originally from Brighton area and graduated from Northumbria University with an M Law degree in 2021, will be working with clients in the public and private sectors, including public authorities, developers and construction firms. Before joining Muckle in January 2022, he worked as a legal assistant at an energy consultancy in Washington. He initially joined Muckle as a paralegal before sitting and passing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination.

He said: “I couldn’t be more pleased to be qualifying into the Muckle construction and engineering team. It’s a fascinating area of law to get stuck into and I love being a part of some of the truly breathtaking construction projects going on in the North East and in Cumbria. I have found my feet really quickly and instantly been given a good level of responsibility. It’s nice to come into a bigger team working alongside specialist lawyers like Adam Aston, Ross Galbraith and Lucilla Waugh, and I am grateful for the training and support I’ve received during my exams.”

Adam Aston, partner and head of construction and engineering, said: “Kieran has been such an integral part of our team as a paralegal over the last two years, and I’m delighted that we’ve retained him as a solicitor. He has a genuine interest in the sector and it is clear that he thoroughly enjoys learning amongst the rest of the team.”