People: V Formation; Armsons Barlow

Nottingham-based marketing and PR agency V Formation has announced a pair of new appointments.

Andy King and Joanne Clark have joined the company as strategic marketing director and marketing executive.

King, who joins from Cambridge Sleep Sciences and brings over twenty years’ experience to the role, will help drive the next phase of V Formation’s ongoing expansion.

He has worked for big-name brands including Raleigh, Boots and Cow & Gate and spent several years in senior marketing and communications roles at Remploy, a provider of specialist employment and skills support for people with disabilities.

Clark comes on-board from Rock Fall Safety Boots, where she was responsible for content creation. She has held a number of marketing and e-commerce management roles with the likes of True North Sailing, CoMech Metrology and Sewing Online.

King said: “V Formation is not your typical marketing agency that provides off-the-shelf services then leaves clients to it.

“The team is incredibly passionate about the work that V Formation does and brings heavyweight strategic insight and advice that adds real value to clients.

“Being part of a team where everyone can make a real difference and see where they are adding value is something that excites me. I look forward to working with a range of clients on a variety of initiatives and supporting the agency as it begins its next phase of growth.”

V Formation director Sue Carr said: “With values that are completely in alignment with our own, Andy is a perfect fit for V Formation, and I am confident that his unbeatable skills and experience in the sector will bring enormous benefit to the business.

“We’re also really pleased to welcome Joanne to the team. In the short time she has been with us, her creativity and flare for client communications is already shining through, and she has quickly become an integral part of V Formation’s digital team.

“We have made these appointments at a hugely exciting time for V Formation.

“2022 has been a landmark year for us – we celebrated V Formation’s fifteenth anniversary in business, expanded the team, and increased turnover by 27 percent – marking a record year to date. We are looking forward to working with more businesses to provide strategic marketing and PR support as our team continues to grow.”

Armsons Barlow, the Derby-based project management, construction cost consultancy and building surveying business, has bolstered its team with a pair of new hires.

Senior quantity surveyor and project manager Ryan Thompson has joined the firm from Geo Hodges & Son, where he spent ten years delivering a variety of retail, industrial and manufacturing schemes.

Gavin Hirst, who also comes on-board as a quantity surveyor and project manager, joins from Edward Cooper Young Chartered Surveyors in Loughborough.

Thompson said: “It is an exciting time to be joining the business following the merger of Armsons and Barlow Associates. I hope my ten years’ experience working for a main contractor will stand me in good stead as I look to continue my professional development and integrate myself within the team.

Gavin Hirst & Ryan Thompson

“In the short term I aim to achieve RICS membership and develop my portfolio of project deliveries from client side, continue to develop my professional aptitude and knowledge across a broad array of developments.”

Hirst said: “I am thrilled to have joined Armsons Barlow, which has a fantastic reputation in the industry. I look forward to contributing my skills and experience to add value to the firm’s service offering.

“I also have plans to gain my chartership in the near future, which will boost my skill set still further.”

Director Sally Walters added: “We’re delighted to welcome Ryan and Gavin to the team. They have gained a tremendous amount of experience in their previous roles, working on high budget projects across the country.

“In their new roles at Armsons Barlow, Ryan and Gavin will take on additional responsibilities and will work across a diverse portfolio of projects across a variety of sectors.

“Our team all have significant experience in their respective areas, which enables us to provide clients with a consistently first-class service and achieve the most cost-effective delivery of their project objectives.”