People: New MD for Hoppecke; Law firm makes partner appointment;and more
Hoppecke Industrial Batteries has appointed Jon Bailey as head of its UK operation with a remit to pursue organic growth across the motive, special and reserve power sectors.
Bailey joins Hoppecke UK, which is headquartered in Newcastle-under-Lyme, from Johnson Controls, where he spent 13 years in senior management in the power solutions division, most recently in country manager and regional director roles in the automotive aftermarket marketplace.
As managing director of Hoppecke UK, he aims to take full advantage of the company’s manufacturing heritage and will maximise efficiencies by capitalising on recent improvements in service levels. He will also work to ensure that Hoppecke exploits the growth potential in energy storage in the UK.
He said: “I’ll be focussing on delivering continued growth across all areas of the Hoppecke UK business through strategic partnerships with market-leaders in brand development and quality.
“Whilst I’ll be assessing the potential to introduce Hoppecke’s portfolio of products and solutions into niche areas, especially the rail industry and the reserve power sector, it will be business as usual in the motive power arena in which Hoppecke is a front runner.”
:::
DWF has appointed Ben McLeod as a partner to its technology, media and telecoms sector team in Birmingham.
McLeod, who joins from Eversheds Sutherland, specialises in the drafting and negotiation of contracts with a focus on technology, including the provision and outsourcing of business critical IT services.
He has a particular expertise in advising both clients and suppliers on complex cloud computer arrangements and enjoys helping clients to realise business outcomes through transformation.
Craig Chaplin, head of commercial and competition at DWF said: “With the rapid development of the global technology, media and telecoms sector, our clients are increasingly looking to us to deliver innovative and commercial solutions to their business challenges. Ben’s expertise and experience will be a real asset to us as we look to further develop our influence in this area, and his approach to client service is very much aligned with our way of working, so we’re very pleased to welcome him into the team.”
McLeod said: “DWF is ahead of the curve regarding its approach to delivering innovative legal services in what is an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing market. The business has a very strong national commercial practice which focuses on working with clients in different ways to deliver value. There is a clear opportunity to build on this excellent existing knowledge base to develop a strong regional presence for this type of work and I’m really excited to showcase what DWF has to offer.”
:::
Barton Willmore’s Midlands office has invested further in its design offer, with the appointment of Luke Hillson as design director to complement the existing planning team in Birmingham.
Hillson, who is a Design Council built environment expert and visiting university lecturer, will oversee Barton Willmore’s design services in the region.
He is a specialist in masterplanning, urban design, place making and wayfinding. He joins Barton Willmore in Birmingham from the IDP Group where he was the head of strategic masterplanning.
Mark Sitch, senior partner at Barton Willmore, said: “Appointing Luke as our new Design Director in Birmingham follows an exciting year of growth for our business in the Midlands having delivered several landmark schemes in the region. This includes provided design and master planning services for the Blythe Valley Park mixed use development in Solihull as well as the redevelopment of the Brandon Stadium in Coventry.”
