People: Leadership team expansion at Wates; Learning provider appoints chairman; and more

Wates Residential North has expanded its leadership team as part of a strategic restructuring.

Following the appointment of Richard Shroll as Managing Director and the business’ integration within the Wates Construction Group, personnel changes have included the promotion of Dan Poole and Martin Thomas to Project Directors and Ian Barnes to Bid Centre Director.

Leeds-headquartered Wates Residential North said it has made the changes to develop its pipeline of new build housing projects for both sale and rent. This will see a particular focus on opportunities emerging from its presence on a number of influential procurement frameworks, led by Business Development and Investment Director Martyn Hopkins with support from  Barnes and  Shroll.

Shroll, Managing Director, Wates Residential North, said: “This is a hugely exciting time for the business with a vast range of opportunities across the North that would benefit from our expertise and experience in creating residential properties, from homes to hospital units.

“Our business development team is looking closely at projects emerging through frameworks, which are an increasingly efficient and valuable way of securing value for money for public sector organisations. Wates’ growing framework presence forms a significant part of our regional growth strategy as we look to build our expert teams and use our expanding project portfolio to invest in and train emerging industry talent.” 

Current live projects include Butler’s Crescent in Dudley, the building of 217 new homes for Rotherham Council, working with Doncaster Council to build over 100 new homes in Edlington, Flintshire Council’s strategic housing and regeneration programme and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust’s New Lodge in York.

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Peter McCann, former Principal and Chief Executive of Kirklees College and Interim Principal at North Shropshire College, has been appointed as chairman of Selby-based distance learning provider The Skills Network (TSN).

In his new appointment, McCann will use his wealth of Further Education experience and leadership skills to further strengthen TSN’s partnerships with colleges and further education partners, as the company continues to deliver qualifications and accredited educational resources to over 300 education partners.

McCann said: “I am honoured to be associated with The Skills Network. The company has been a supportive partner of colleges and employers across the UK, and is at the leading edge of technology-based learning. I look forward to continuing our partnership, working and delivering high levels of student, employer and partner satisfaction and outcomes.”

Peter holds a depth of knowledge in the Further Education sector, with a long-standing career that includes former positions as Deputy Principal at Leeds City College and Chair of West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges. He is also a founding member of The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) and holds other former positions that include Outreach Careers Officer, Hotel Manager and British Aid Worker.

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Newby, a developer based in North Yorkshire, has welcomed 10 new staff following a period of accelerated growth throughout all departments.

In under a year, the developer has expanded its team from 16 to 26 to support progress across its development portfolio.

Newby has strengthened its sales and marketing team with two key appointments as several residential developments launch across North Yorkshire.  Francesca Wright joins the company as Marketing Manager alongside new Sales Manager, Ben Roberts.

Newby’s Construction division has also been strengthened with the appointment of four new team members, including two experienced Development Managers, a Senior Quantity Surveyor and a Junior Quantity Surveyor.  The office support staff at the company’s Newby Hall headquarters has also grown to support the management teams.

Simon Hepden, Director at Newby, said: “We are enjoying an unprecedented period of growth at Newby at a time when the residential market is seeing an increasing demand for high quality, high specification homes.  We have a strong and dynamic team in place with a wealth of expertise and experience to support the progress of our expanding development portfolio and to help us deliver first class homes in the Yorkshire region and beyond.”

Nick Moody, Director at Newby, added: “With such a diverse and active portfolio we have invested in forward-thinking individuals to ensure we continue to deliver the quality of product and service our buyers have come to expect. The North Yorkshire market is extremely buoyant at the moment and this is reflected in our commitment to our development pipeline. We are delighted to welcome the new staff to the Newby team and look forward to a busy second half of the year.”