Appointments: Johnson to go non-exec at Park; Simon Bate & more

PETER Johnson, who built up AIM listed Christmas hampers and pre-paid gift card business Park Group from a family butchers business, is to move to a non-executive role at the Birkenhead-based group.

A brief statement from Park said Mr Johnson, who is 72 this year, would move from executive chairman to non-executive chairman at the end of this month.

As well as Park Group, he is a former chairman of Tranmere Rovers Football Club and also Everton – where he was on the board until 1999, when he sold his controlling share in the club to a consortium fronted by Bill Kenwright.

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PROPERTY professional Simon Bate has become chairman of the One Central Park facility in east Manchester.

Mr Bate, a director and founder shareholder of ASK Property Developments, takes over from previous chairman, David Greensmith.  The former management committee of One Central Park, including ex-chief executive Marj Boyers, have also left the company.

Mr Bate’s business ASK is part of the ASK:Goodman joint venture which is developing the Central Park area on behalf of the Manchester council-funded New East Manchester regeneration body.

He said: “Our retiring chief executive Marj Boyer had done a fabulous job in getting OCP to where it is today and creating the foundation for the future.

“We are entering a new and dynamic phase in the life of OCP.  Building on the success of Central Park, the arrival of Metrolink and the huge potential of the SHARP Project we see OCP as pivotal to establishing the most exciting business campus in the region.”

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MANCHESTER-based digital marketing agency, Code Computerlove has appointed seven new staff, including account director Sally Anderson.

Over the past few months Code has increased its team from 50 to 60 and is currently recruiting for seven further vacancies. 

The growth comes on the back of a number of large projects for the agency, including a completely new site for Oxfam GB – the biggest design and build in Code’s 13 year history.

Sally Anderson joins Code as an account director heading up Oxfam, NUS and recent new business win ILFORD. 
 
Helen Homes also arrives at Code as a project manager working on Oxfam.  Lucy Anderson, a producer, will also be working on Oxfam in addition to the NUS.

Producer Mike Cunsolo is another new recruit along with Dom Barnfather, an interactive designer, Kier Gibson who has joined from I-COM as an SEO manager and producer Lucy Maddocks.