People: Wates Construction makes senior hire; KPMG strengthens Birmingham team with raft of promotions; TV gardener announced as patron of Birmingham Botanical Gardens; and more

Wates Construction, the contractor set to build the Axis Square scheme in Birmingham, has announced the appointment of Lisa Cunningham to pre-construction manager for the Midlands.

Cunningham, who has been with Wates for ten years, previously held the position of key account manager and will now be responsible for driving ambitious growth plans for the region.

Key to these plans will be a focus on Birmingham, where Wates has recently been appointed to build Buildings One and Four of the £135m Axis Square development. A mixed-use scheme, it will include office, retail and public space and is set to transform the area overlooking Arena Central in Birmingham city centre.

In addition to this, Wates recently handed over the 22-storey building at The Bank, which has been developed by Regal Property Group. Wates is also currently on site at The Bank’s neighbouring 33-storey building, which will become one of only two residential skyscrapers in the city, overtaking the first building in height. In her new role Lisa will utilise her experience in securing these projects to further drive development in Birmingham.

Cunningham’s role will also include further bolstering the region’s framework capability, having been pivotal in Wates’ role as a contracting partner on the East Midlands Property Alliance (empa) framework. Notable empa projects include the design and build of Worksop Bus Station, and the recently completed work at Poplar Farm School in Grantham.

She said: “This is a really exciting time for our region, with our appointment to Axis Square just announced and the first spade in the ground at Nottingham City Hub. I am determined that we don’t lose this momentum, and in my new role I look forward to working with our incredible Midlands team to ensure our footprint across the breadth of region continues to increase.”

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KPMG has announced it has made 38 promotions in its Birmingham office, which includes one new partner and three directors.

James Tracey is the new partner, and he was previously an experienced audit director at the firm, with a focus on infrastructure.

Angela Sanghera, Bradley Quin and Jonathan Cole are the three new directors in transaction services, legal services and consulting, respectively. Included in the total are nine senior managers, 13 managers and 12 assistant managers.

Karl Edge, Birmingham office senior partner and Midlands regional chairman at KPMG, said: “I’m proud to see so many talented colleagues embracing the progression opportunities we have in Birmingham and I’m delighted that we are able to recognise and reward our people for their hard work.

“These promotions reflect our investment in our people and our commitment to our clients and the region. Businesses are currently operating in a period of significant change, with geopolitics, evolving regulation and disruptive technology fundamentally reshaping their markets. This makes it a challenging, but exciting time for us to grow and support our clients.”
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David Domoney, a chartered horticulturist and gardening personality on ITV1’s Love Your Garden and This Morning, has been announced as the new patron of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Welcoming more than 110,000 visitors yearly, a six-strong gardening team maintains 15 acres of Grade II listed gardens, while simultaneously conserving the 7,000 plants grown across the 15-acre site, attracting national recognition.

As an independent educational charity, the Gardens rely on its 5,000 members, friends, visitors and events to generate the funds required for the upkeep.

James Wheeler, CEO at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, said: “We are delighted to announce that David Domoney is the brand new patron of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.  His passion for community gardening and helping schools engage with the environment around them matches our own and we are very excited about the potential opportunities and projects we can work on in the future together with this in mind.’’

He continued: “We look forward to sharing our plans for the future with David, drawing on his expertise and advice as a prominent and renowned figure within the gardening community.  With his huge following online, we know David will be an influential ally for the Gardens in helping to raise the profile of our valuable work.’’

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