People on the move: Well; Cheshire & Warrington LEP; Aaron & Partners; One
People on the move is sponsored by family law firm Hall Brown
Well, the UK’s largest independent pharmacy chain, has announced Chris Ellett as its new transformation director.
Ellett joins the company recently, bringing 13 years of experience in business transformation and excellence, with over a decade in senior leadership roles.
Prior to Well, he worked as group head of transformation at the Co-op, and had previously worked as engagement director for Boxwood, designing and implementing transformation programmes.
Based at Well’s head office in Manchester city centre, Ellett will now be charged with leading the IT, programme management office, and innovation functions, reporting directly into CEO, John Nuttall.
The overall focus of this brand-new role will be shaping and defining the future strategy for the Well Group, which incorporates Well, Well Careplus and Bestway Medhub.
Ellett said: “I’m excited to be joining Well at such an important time. As consumer behaviours, expectations and needs change, and the market landscape continues to evolve, we have a unique opportunity to deliver true convenience, clinical effectiveness, and make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of our customers.”
Well chief executive John Nuttall said: “We are delighted to have someone of Chris’ calibre on-board for what will be a pivotal role within our organisation. It is the right time to introduce this function into the Well Executive Team, as we shape and define the long-term future of the Well Group of businesses.”
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After six highly successful years, Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has announced the reappointment of Christine Gaskell as chair for a further three years.
Gaskell has guided the LEP from its inception to an organisation which is now responsible for a £200m capital budget supporting projects as diverse as Chester Bus Station, the Cheshire Life Sciences Fund, and key transport improvements at Birchwood and at J8 of the M62.
She said: “I am delighted to be leading this partnership between the local authorities and private sector business for another three years and to be working closely with colleagues in neighbouring areas including Stoke and Staffordshire, North Wales, and Liverpool and Manchester to realise the LEP’s ambition to more than double the size of the Cheshire and Warrington economy by 2040.
“The Government’s recently published Industrial Strategy and its continuing commitment to devolution strengthens the role that local people can play in the success of their own areas.
“I am very much looking forward to working with colleagues in the public and private sectors to build on Cheshire and Warrington’s reputation as a fantastic place to live, work and invest, exploiting the huge opportunities offered by the arrival of HS2 and the wealth of science assets in the Cheshire Science Corridor.”
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Chester legal practice Aaron & Partners has bolstered its strategic planning team with the appointment of industry heavyweight Tony Bochenski as a consultant to the board.
Bochenski brings more than 35 years of in-house and private practice legal experience to the new position, having held senior roles at the Royal Bank of Scotland and Capital Bank. His most recent position was at law firm DWF where he was head of banking and an equity partner.
The new role at Aaron & Partners will see Bochenski advising the board on a range of topics, including the firm’s future strategic direction.
“We are delighted to welcome Tony to Aaron & Partners,” said Simon Edwards, senior partner at Aaron & Partners. “He’s been at the cutting edge of business, finance and legal practice with several high profile UK companies and he is someone that we have known and admired for many years.
“His considerable experience and knowledge as both a client and a provider of legal services, will provide us with valuable perspectives from both sides as well as helping us deliver on our strategic aims and objectives.”
Bochenski said: “I am incredibly excited to have the chance to work with Aaron & Partners.”
“The firm’s reputation in the locations and sectors in which they specialise is second to none and I want to help them build on that by offering my experience, suggesting new ideas and keeping the team focused on delivering a clear and concise strategic plan.
“I’m really looking forward to playing my part and helping the business grow and thrive in the months and years ahead.”
Aaron & Partners LLP employs more than 100 staff across its three offices, in Chester, Shrewsbury and Manchester.
The firm specialises in company and commercial law, commercial property law, dispute resolution and employment law, as well as matrimonial and wills, trusts and tax work.
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Integrated communications agency One has bolstered its PR team with the appointment of Katie Beckham as account director.
Beckham joins from a Lancashire agency, where she spent seven years representing a range of B2B and B2C clients.
She will work alongside the head of PR and social Alex Hamilton to support the 10-strong team.
Beckham said: “I’ve worked in marketing for more than ten years and as the lines between PR, content and social continue to blur, the opportunity to work for an integrated agency really appealed to me.
“One has an impressive client roster and has delivered some extremely creative and impactful campaigns, so I’m really looking forward to complementing the existing team with the experience gained during my career to date.”
Wayne Silver, managing director at One, added: “Katie is a consummate PR professional and her background and experience are exactly what we were looking for both in length and variety.
“There’s been a stark increase in demand for our PR services, something we are aiming to further capitalise over the coming months and we’re all looking forward to seeing what 2017 has in store for our growing team.”
