People on the move: Gusto; Bluefin; Cheshire East Council; AMT Group; R3 & more
RESTAURANT group Gusto has appointed Maddy Fullalove as business development manager for its new Lytham restaurant.
Fullalove, 28, joins Gusto from Revolution where she was sales and marketing manager at its sites in Blackpool and Manchester.
She said: “I am delighted to join such a prestigious company as Gusto. I am relishing the opportunity and I’m looking forward to the challenge.
“The restaurant in Lytham is stunning and the feedback we have received from customers since opening has been wonderful. Fantastic customer service is absolutely at the heart of everything we do and that is central to my role here.
“I love getting out there and engaging with the community and other local businesses to talk about how we can work together.”
Sue Crimes, Gusto’s managing director, said: “We really have been wowed by the welcome Gusto has received since we opened the doors of our new Lytham restaurant.
“It is absolutely vital we work with the local community and other local businesses to build relationships. Bringing in someone of Maddy’s calibre, and someone who has such a real passion for the local area, was vital.
“We have a number of great events coming up in the next few months which we feel sure will really show off the wonderful restaurant we have created and our gold standard customer service.”
Gusto – which has 14 restaurants across the UK – invested more than £1m in the 4,000sq ft restaurant and bar in Lytham, the company’s first outlet in Lancashire.
The company created 60 new jobs when the restaurant, situated on Dicconson Terrace, opened in April.
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INSURANCE company Bluefin has promoted Liz Coulthard to branch director at its office in Penrith, Cumbria.
Coulthard, formally an account executive from the Kendal branch, has been appointed in place of the outgoing Karen Maund.
She will report in to the regional managing director for North, Mark Daley and brings more than 25 years of experience in a variety of underwriting roles for Provincial, Aviva and Bluefin.
Coulthard said: “I’m really proud to head such an excellent branch for Bluefin insurance. Our employees have shown what an unbelievable job they do on a day to day, even being recognised through industry wide awards, and I am committed to continuing this high level of service for our clients going forward.”
Daley sad: “I am delighted to appoint Liz to her new role. She is symbolic of the dedicated and knowledgeable staff we have at Bluefin and I am convinced she will do an excellent job.”
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FRANK Jordan has been appointed as executive director of place at Cheshire East Council.
This newly-created post will include responsibility for a range of issues, including planning, regeneration, highways and countryside. He joins from Leicester City Council, where he is strategic director for city development and neighbourhoods.
Jordan, who will take up his new post in September, has had a long career in local government, holding senior posts at Newcastle City Council and at Northumberland County Council before moving to Leicester in 2012.
During his career he has held director level posts for more than 10 years, developing and delivering strategies for economic development, inward investment and large-scale regeneration projects, such as the redevelopment of Leicester city centre.
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MARK Bennett has been appointed by AMT Group, the vehicle solutions group, as business development manager across its vehicle rental, contract hire and specialist car sales divisions in the North.
Bennett has 18 years’ B2B sales experience building relationships with a comprehensive range of commercial customers from SMEs to large international blue chip organisations.
He has held a variety of sales roles including working for Vision Support Services Group, Keramikos, Northgate Vehicle Rental PLC and SPS EU.
Based at AMT’s Manchester Stockport rental facility, Bennett will focus on developing sales and building the customer base in both the corporate and leisure markets in the North West for AMT’s full suite of vehicle options including rental, contract hire and specialist car sales.
Neil McGawley, managing director of AMT Group, said: “With his strong track record in business development and his in depth knowledge of the motor industry, Mark will be a real boost to the team.
“Building on our strong presence in Manchester and Birmingham, he will help us to engage with businesses and personal clients, whether renting, leasing or buying, as we continue to establish ourselves as the leading name in the prestige and specialist vehicles sector.”
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THE R3 North West New Professionals Group, which organises networking events aimed particularly at younger professionals in the insolvency industry, has two new faces at the helm.
Laura Lucas has taken over as chair while Abigail Hickman becomes vice-chair. Lucas, an associate with Turner Parkinson in Manchester, has nine years’ experience as an insolvency lawyer and is also a qualified insolvency practitioner. She was previously vice-chair of the group.
Hickman is a valuer specialising in machinery and business assets with Lambert Smith Hampton in Manchester. Both were founding members of the New Professionals Group in 2013.
Richard Wolff, who is North West chair of R3 and also Head of Corporate Recovery and Insolvency at JMW Solicitors, says: “Hundreds of people in the region work in the insolvency sector.
“The New Professionals Group enables those coming into the industry to make new contacts and build their network and its events are frequently a sell-out. Laura and Abigail have played a key role in its success and we wish them well in their new roles.”
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THE Institute of Directors has appointed Emma Sheldon, group marketing director at Bolton based Vernacare, to its Council.
Following the economic ramifications of BREXIT, the IoD has made the changes to its Council to bring in new expertise. Just seven new directors from around the country were appointed, with Manchester-based Emma the sole appointee from the North West region.
Speaking of her achievement, Emma said: “I am delighted to be appointed to the IoD Council and look forward to being involved in high level decisions which will benefit those in business – especially those in the North West who I will represent.”
The Council is the guardian of the IoD’s constitution, ensuring that the objectives of the Royal Charter to “promote for the public benefit high levels of skill, knowledge, professional competence and integrity on the part of directors,” and “foster a climate favourable to entrepreneurial activity” are delivered.
Emma’s appointment comes after an exceptional year; in January she won the International Director of the Year accolade, while in late 2015, she joined the Prime Minister on a Northern Powerhouse visit to South East Asia and China.
She leads Vernacare’s marketing across 48 countries, including recent successful new market entry into southern Asia, India, Japan and France. Emma is also a UKTI trade ambassador and board member of the UK India Business Council.
Echoing her sentiment, IoD Chairman Lady Barbara Judge CBE said: “I am very pleased to be able to welcome such a broad range of talented individuals like Emma to the IoD’s Council. These are challenging times for the business community and it is the IoD’s duty to support its members to provide the steady business leadership that will get us through the uncertain months and years ahead.
“There is a great wealth of talent in UK companies, and we need to harness it to make sure the economy can adapt to the new reality and make the most of opportunities where they arise. Our new council members represent different sectors and parts of their country, and with their guidance, the IoD will continue to be a force for enterprise and integrity in business everywhere.”
Council members were appointed through an open recruitment process, which took place following a review of the IoD’s constitution in 2015. The review focused on making the governance of the institute as transparent and accountable as possible.
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THE Institute of Directors has appointed Emma Sheldon, group marketing director at Bolton- based Vernacare, to its Council.
Following the economic ramifications of BREXIT, the IoD has made the changes to its Council to bring in new expertise. Just seven new directors from around the country were appointed, with Manchester-based Sheldon the sole appointee from the North West region.
The Council is the guardian of the IoD’s constitution, ensuring that the objectives of the Royal Charter to “promote for the public benefit high levels of skill, knowledge, professional competence and integrity on the part of directors,” and “foster a climate favourable to entrepreneurial activity” are delivered.
Sheldon’s appointment comes after an exceptional year; in January she won the International Director of the Year accolade, while in late 2015, she joined the Prime Minister on a Northern Powerhouse visit to South East Asia and China.
