Appointments: West Yorkshire Combined Authority elects newest chairperson; Chief executive appointed at Stroma; First ever SpaceInvader employee becomes associate director

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe

The leader of Bradford Council has become the new chairperson of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Elected today, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe replaces Peter Box at the helm of the key cities group.

Hinchcliffe is the second chairperson of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. She has been leader of Bradford Council and chairperson of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Investment Committee, as well as its lead for employment and skills, since May 2016.

Cllr Hinchcliffe said: “West Yorkshire Combined Authority has achieved a huge amount to benefit West Yorkshire and Leeds City Region in its first three years under Peter Box’s leadership. I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead the organisation through this important next phase of its development.

“The Combined Authority is still relatively young with a big ambition to transform our economy for the benefit of everyone who lives and works here. We have already shown, with Cllr Box as Chair, that we can make devolution work in our area through the programmes we have delivered locally, which have consistently outperformed their national equivalents.

“My aim as the incoming Chair is to build on this partnership progress and to realise the full extent of our shared vision for a strong, successful and socially inclusive economy.

“This will require a meaningful devolution deal with Government that would see our region treated the same as the rest of the country.

“We will continue to be pragmatic and flexible with Government, and prepared to work with colleagues across Yorkshire to advance a deal that will bring more investment into our region and ensure decisions are taken in the best interests of the people and communities we serve. We aim for a resolution with Government before the end of 2017.

Building sustainability and compliance business Stroma has seen Martin Holt join as chief executive.

Holt has more than 25 years’ experience working at executive level in businesses serving the built environment. He has held senior positions with Mitie, Dalkia PLC, Trend and most recently served as chief executive of Bellrock Property & Facilities Management.

The senior management team has seen executive appointments this year of Chris Whitehead as MD of Stroma Tech/HRS Services, Steve Horrocks as MD of Stroma Certification, Dave Allen as MD of Building Control and Jo Dobson as group finance director.

Stroma founders, Matthew Ferguson and Robert Coxon, announced the appointment of Martin Holt. They said: “We are delighted that Martin has agreed to accept this position as Group CEO and would like to warmly welcome him to Stroma. His track record is extremely impressive and he will undoubtedly deliver on the huge future potential of our Group, create more opportunities for our staff and further improve the service quality we deliver to our clients and customers.”

Martin Holt said: “Stroma is at an exciting time in its development; Rob, Matt and the Stroma Group board have built a business with excellent prospects for growth, both organically and through further acquisitions. I’m looking forward to working with the board, clients and colleagues to lead the business through the next chapter in its growth story.”

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Sarah Dodsworth has been promoted at interior design company SpaceInvader to associate director.

Dodsworth, a Leeds Beckett graduate, became the company’s first employee in 2010, and will head up the company’s new Leeds studio.

John Williams, director of SpaceInvader, said: “This is a very satisfying moment for the whole team at SpaceInvader and we’re delighted for Sarah. The fact that our very first employee is now going to be heading up the new studio in Leeds is a great success story for her and also a real endorsement of our company culture and the progress that we have made over the past seven years.

“As we continue to grow, Sarah’s expertise in delivering creative and research driven responses for our clients, combined with her deep knowledge of the company, will be an incredibly valuable asset to the whole team.”

Dodsworth said: “I have always lived in Yorkshire and have wanted to work in Leeds but for various reasons my career has always been in the North West.

“To be moving to our new Leeds studio as a director gives me a great sense of ownership and achievement. I’m excited to build on the fantastic work that we are already doing in Leeds and offer new opportunities to young, talented graduates in the city, one of which starts with us from Leeds Beckett University in August.”

SpaceInvader is part of the Southerns Group, a £45m group made up of five businesses, employing 250 staff in Leeds, Bolton, Macclesfield, Manchester and London.

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