People: Select Property Group; Medicines Discovery Catapult; Cast UK & more

MICHELE Steel has moved to from her role as head of Deloitte Real Estate in the North West to Cheshire-based Select Property Group as director of strategic planning.

With 16 years of real estate experience, Steel will oversee the planning stages of the entire Select portfolio, which includes the Vita Student, CitySuites and Affinity Living brands in the UK and overseas.
 
In her previous role leading Deloitte’s specialist real estate team, she guided clients through the planning process for some of the North West’s most significant regeneration projects including planning for over 4,000 Vita Student, CitySuites and Affinity Living units.
 
Select chief executive Mark Stott said: “Michele’s unparalleled knowledge and expertise of the planning landscape will be a huge asset to the business.

“She will be intrinsic to the future of Select’s development and it’s great to have her on board.”

Steel added: “I’m very proud to have worked with Select since 2012 on undoubtedly their most significant development projects to date.

“Witnessing the growth of the business over the last four years, it was clear that there was a major opportunity for me to be part of a hugely successful and fiercely ambitious organisation.
 
“Select’s plans for future growth make this an extremely exciting time to join the business and I’m looking forward to helping to deliver the next stage in their success.”

Headquartered in Alderley Edge, Select Property Group is a global developer, retailer and operator of market-leading property investment brands. It was recently named top North West Company and Top Property Company to Work For in the Sunday Times Best Small Companies List 2016.
 
Select is currently in planning stages for all of its Manchester Affinity Living schemes. This includes 677 apartments on former BBC site, Circle Square, 506 apartments at Riverside and Riverview next to the Lowry Hotel and 694 apartments at Embankment West. This forms part of Salford Council’s Greengate Regeneration scheme and also features Select’s 280 unit CitySuites development.

After receiving planning permission in January of this year, Select is now on site and constructing 604 Vita Student units at Circle Square. iT is its second Vita Student Manchester site, with its award winning 279 unit building at First Street operational since September 2014.
 
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A GROUP of seven internationally renowned experts have been appointed to oversee the work of a new organisation aimed at supporting industry in making the UK the world leader in developing and launching new medicines.

The Medicines Discovery Catapult is based at Alderley Park in Cheshire, chosen as a location in recognition of the strong reputation for science, medicine and innovation in medicines discovery and based in the Northern Powerhouse.

The first of its kind, the Catapult is chaired by life sciences expert and businessman, Prof Graham Boulnois.

Set to be a world-leading hub, the MDC will work alongside academics, industry and regulators from across the country to find and verify new ways to discover medicines of the future.

By improving success rates and efficiency in drug development, the Catapult will ultimately enable the life-science industry to deliver better medicines to patients in a more cost effective way.
 
The seven appointees will join the MDC’s Board as Non-Executive Directors. They are: Dr Clive Dix, an entrepreneur and pharmacologist, with more than 30 years in research and commercial role; Peter Kellner, a former YouGov President and Chair, a journalist, political analyst and public health activist; Prof Sir Alex Markham, Professor of Medicine and Director of the MRC Medical Bioinformatics Centre at the University of Leeds; Chris Reilly, an expert in the discovery and early clinical development of new medicines; Professor Clive Morris, an internationally recognised pharmaceutical medicines specialist; Kate Bellingham, a engineer and a fellow of the Women’s Engineering Society, a Patron of WISE and an active volunteer STEM Ambassador and Carole Longson, an internationally recognised expert in the identification and assessment of innovative medicines.

MDC chairman, Professor Boulnois said: “A huge opportunity lies ahead for the Catapult to pioneer new and better approaches for the discovery of breakthrough medicines.

“I’m delighted that these seven outstanding colleagues have chosen to join us on the journey towards making the UK a world-leader in this work.

“Their combined skills give us unrivalled expertise across a portfolio which includes small molecules, biologicals, cell and gene therapy, and platform technologies. I am looking forward to working with our new Non-executive Directors and to making the Catapult a hub for transformational approaches to drug discovery”.

The six appointees will join Professor Boulnois and Company Secretary, Robert Bryan on the MDC Board from 01 May 2016.

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SPECIALIST recruitment company Cast UK has appointed three new consultants to its head office in Manchester.

Adena Romana. Kirk Evans and Roxy Khokhar have joined the growing team at Cast, which sources experienced talent in procurement, buying, logistics and supply chain, for FTSE 500 companies.

Romana will focus on recruiting logistics, warehousing and transport roles across Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

She joins Cast UK from B&Q PLC where she was a showroom manager, overseeing an extensive sales and design consultancy team.

Evans has made the transition to recruitment from a sales management role at Powerleague, the UK’s largest five-aside company. In his new position at Cast UK he will be working in the logistics and operations team, operating in the South East.

The third addition to the logistics and operations team is Khokhar, who will work alongside Evans in the South East. Roxy joins the company from a management trainee position at Enterprise Rent-a-Car, having completed a degree in Business Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University.
 
The three new recruits will bolster the team and help to drive the company’s continued growth strategy.

Commenting on the appointments, Wayne Brophy, founder and managing director of Cast UK, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Adena, Kirk and Roxy to the team. The appointments are testament to our business expansion, ensuring our consultants bring a solid combination of industry expertise and commercial acumen, as well as excellent interpersonal skills in line with our commitment to building rewarding relationships.”

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MANCHESTER-based app development company Mapway has announced the appointment of Michael Atkins-Spelling as Senior iOS Developer.

Atkins-Spelling joins after five years as a mobile applications developer working at the BBC on the iPlayer Radio app and will focus on enhancing Mapway’s global base of public transport apps for Apple devices.

Mapway chief executive David James said: “As a growing business Michael’s appointment is crucial in driving forward and enhancing the iOS apps we develop.

“His experience and achievements will be vital in ensuring Mapway apps offer the best user experience and support to those travelling on public transport around the world and we’re delighted to have him on board.”

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ROB Haslam has joined Savills Manchester as a director in the planning team.
His appointment bolsters the already 14-strong department at the international real estate adviser.
 
With 17 years’ experience in the planning industry, Haslam joins Savills from Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council where he headed up a team of 65 people in his role as head of planning services.

The role covered all aspects of the council’s planning function with a particular focus on the regeneration and development sector, specialising in influencing strategy at local and sub-regional level.

Haslam is experienced in all aspects of planning work including planning inquiry and examinations, master planning, policy formulation and project development.

Jeremy Hinds, director and head of the Savills planning team in the North said: “Rob is a real asset to the team and we are delighted to have him on board. His proven track record and experience not only complements the broad knowledge base of our existing team, but it also makes him incredibly well placed to deal with public sector orientated issues.”