On the move: the latest East Midlands hires

Pall-Ex has appointed Glen Strangeway as its head of international, a newly created role aimed at supporting the company’s European expansion.
Strangeway, who has worked within Pall-Ex’s UK commercial team, will now focus on strengthening relationships with European partners and increasing cross-border freight volumes.
He said: “Having already worked across sales and corporate roles for Pall-Ex, I am looking forward to embracing a new challenge by stepping into the Head of International role. The growth of our international networks is a key business objective for Pall-Ex, and we have had some fantastic success stories over the last 12 months, including Pall-Ex Italia’s 15th anniversary and the opening of a state-of-the-art hub in Romania. 2025 looks just as exciting, with several new company partners in the pipeline.”
He will work alongside Pall-Ex’s international director, Sue Buchanan, and Giovanni Pallastrelli, managing director of Pall-Ex Europe, to drive international growth.
Pallastrelli said: “Glen was the natural choice for this position. Successful within our UK commercial department, he has the skill set to support the team in accomplishing our European growth targets and growing our cross-border services. I look forward to working with Glen, increasing our European volumes, and seeing our network develop into new countries.”
Leicester-based building manufacturer Ibstock has announced the appointment of Richard Akers as a non-executive director and chair designate.
Following the company’s corporate governance code rules regarding independence, Jonathan Nicholls will step down as chair after the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 15th May 2025.
Nicholls, who joined Ibstock’s Board in September 2015 and became chair in May 2018, will retire from the board after the AGM.
Nicholls said: “It has been a pleasure to be part of Ibstock’s board since its IPO in October 2015 and a privilege to have been chair since 2018. I would like to thank my non-executive colleagues on the board for their support, commitment, and enthusiasm during my tenure. I look forward to working with Richard to ensure a smooth transition when he joins us in May. Finally, the success that Ibstock has achieved over the last few years is down to the excellent leadership of Joe Hudson, our chief executive officer, ably supported by Chris McLeish, our chief financial officer, and I wish the business well for the future.”
Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, has expanded its social value team with the addition of Shelley Williamson as social value manager and Emma Morley as performance framework controller.
Adrian Grocock, group managing director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are delighted to welcome Emma and Shelley to the team. Their expertise, passion, and dedication to social value will be instrumental in driving our initiatives forward. At G F Tomlinson, we are committed to creating positive, lasting change in the communities we serve, and strengthening our Social Value team is a significant step in cementing that commitment.”