People on the Move: Ombudsman Services; Cumbria LEP; GJD; Workspace Design & Build; Clearwater International
Matthew Vickers has been confirmed as chief executive and chief ombudsman at Ombudsman Services, succeeding Lewis Shand-Smith who is standing down after 10 years.
Based in Daresbury, near Warrington, Ombudsman Services resolved more than 90,000 consumer complaints last year and has handled more than 1.3 million cases in total.
Founded in 2002, it is the single ombudsman for the energy sector and is one of two Ofcom-approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) providers in the communications sector.
Since 2015 it has administered the Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) scheme for the British Parking Association.
Vickers, a former Foreign Office diplomat and retail industry executive, joined the not-for-profit outfit in 2015 as deputy chief executive and deputy chief ombudsman.
The transition plan under which he has succeeded Shand-Smith was announced earlier this year.
Vickers said: “In a digital world where consumers can get problems fixed instantly by complaining to a business on social media, we must embrace change.
“We’re doing exactly that, for example by making it quicker and easier for consumers to bring their complaint to us on our newly-relaunched and more accessible website.
“As well as streamlining the process of making a complaint, we’ve created a digital, efficient and transparent way of resolving complaints in a new case management system.”
He added: “We’re engaging with businesses in new and exciting ways, for example by launching new products and delivering actionable data insights.
“Our aim is to help businesses improve their complaints-handling process and customer service more generally, so they can retain more customers and ultimately become more successful.”
::
Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has appointed principal and chief executive of Furness College, Andrew Wren, to join its board.
The LEP, which is responsible for working with businesses and the public and voluntary and community sectors to take forward economic growth in the county, has appointed Mr Wren to further strengthen representation on its board.
Mr Wren joined Furness College as principal and chief executive in September 2015. During his first year he led the successful merger of Furness College and Barrow Sixth Form College, securing the breadth of post-16 education in Furness.
Andrew Wren
His early career was focused on working in hospitality and retail management, before he moved into further education as a lecturer at Hull College in 2002. He then took up a senior post at East Riding College where he subsequently became vice principal.
“I’m delighted to join the board of Cumbria LEP at this time,” said Andrew. “I’m particularly pleased to be able to contribute to the continued success of my home county, having returned here three years ago.
“Skills development is my real passion and I look forward to playing my part in supporting the future needs of the county.”
Lord Inglewood, chair of Cumbria LEP, said: “We welcome Andrew to the board and very much look forward to his strong contribution to the team, especially in our ongoing work on the skills development agenda, on which he is ideally placed to lend his expertise. He has also previously been involved in the Humber LEP, so brings very helpful experience of LEP board operations from elsewhere.”
The LEP is also currently seeking to recruit more female business leaders from Cumbria’s business community to strengthen representation on its board.
::
GJD, the Heywood-based manufacturer and designer of smart electronic perimeter detection and high performance LED illumination equipment, has appointed Gary Williams as its new technical support adviser.
Gary is responsible for offering support of a technical nature to installers with queries regarding products.
Other tasks include creating and updating manuals, as well as other useful installation documents, responding to call-outs and configuring new firmware.
Gary has worked in the security industry for more than 22 years and has extensive experience in the design, installation and maintenance of GJD security equipment.
He brings with him a wealth of knowledge as he has worked in a variety of technical leadership roles for NSI, Bafe and SSAIB-accredited security installation companies.
Gary Williams
Before starting at GJD, Gary carried out an internal technical sales role at ADI Global. This role included training ADI internal sales teams across Europe and South Africa.
Ana Maria Sagra-Smith, GJD’s sales and marketing director, said: “The addition of Gary to the technical department will enhance GJD’s ability to provide high quality customer service and has already had a significant impact on service levels.”
Gary said: “I am excited to join such an innovative company. I am looking forward to contributing to the company’s success, communicating with customers and working with the team.”
GJD has more than 35 years’ experience in protecting and securing people, properties and assets.
In 2017 it was awarded with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.
::
Fit-out contractors Workspace Design & Build has added 11 employees to its rapidly-expanding and talented team, bringing its head count to 27.
Following a record year the award-winning Manchester-based contractor also moved into larger premises at York House to facilitate its strategic growth plans.
Key appointments across the team include Laura Falkner who joins as contracts manager. Laura has previously worked for OPUS4 and has a wealth of expertise in ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget.
Alice Murphy, formerly of Claremont, and Kris Caine have been appointed to the team as quantity surveyors.
After serving in the British Army for six years, Kris Caine has since been involved with retail, commercial, office fit-out and urban redevelopment projects, working for Armitage and Beech Construction.
Grant Horsley also joins the team as site manager. He has worked in the construction industry for more than 10 years and brings a wealth of experience to the team.
Workspace Design & Build new recruits
Tom Roach joins as an assistant project manager and is joined by senior estimator Waheed Hussain.
To support the growth, Workspace has also strengthened its internal operations team, employing Rebecca Whalley in accounts, Hannah Kempton as PA to the directors, and Lauren O’Neil to the administration team.
Laura Falkner said: “Workspace provided me with a fresh challenge in terms of clients and types of projects, but also an opportunity to get involved with iconic buildings and developments predominantly in the heart of the Manchester.”
Managing director, Russell Davis, said: “We are thrilled to sustain our continued growth, following a record year for Workspace. We have made some valuable additions to the team which will have significant impact on our workforce.
“We are working on some extremely exciting projects and 2019 is set to be our biggest year to date. Our team is absolute testament to the continued success of the company and we look forward to adding to this further soon.
“I look forward to watching the new recruits and the company flourish as we continue to expand to meet the demands of a record order book.”
Workspace is currently working with clients such as, Schroders Real Estate, LJ Real Estate, Bruntwood, Investream and etc. urban. Their projects span both the residential and commercial sector in the North West and Yorkshire.
::
Experienced corporate banker Glenn Clarke has joined corporate finance firm, Clearwater International’s growing team as a debt advisory director within its Manchester office.
Glenn joins Clearwater from Barclays where he was a director in the debt finance team and headed up the team within the North West.
His appointment comes as Clearwater’s debt advisory team sees increased levels of activity and demand for its services, having completed more than 30 deals so far in 2018 working with more than 20 different funders.
Notable recent completions include advising Livingbridge on its investment in online travel agent loveholidays, and securing a debt package of around €85m for Wavenet, a provider of unified communications solutions.
Mark Taylor, head of debt advisory at Clearwater International, said: “Glenn is a highly-respected and experienced individual within the debt community, with experience of dealing with both corporate entities and private equity-backed businesses, and I am delighted that he has joined the team.
Glenn Clarke
“We are building a strong and talented team across both the UK and the rest of Europe and Glenn will further strengthen our capabilities as we seek to meet the demand within the market.”
Glenn Clarke said: “I’m delighted to join Clearwater International. The debt advisory side of the business has seen continued growth and has a market-leading reputation.
“I am looking forward to contributing to further success together and on providing the most valuable and innovative solutions to our clients.”
The latest appointment follows on from the recent promotion of Michael Loudon to partner within the Manchester office of Clearwater International.
