Appointments: UKFast boosts board; Linder Myers & more

IT infrastructure provider UKFast has made another senior hire to its board with the appointment of former Virgin Media executive Lee Hull as commercial director.

Hull has a track record of revenue and profit growth in telecoms and IT sector.  He spent six years with Virgin Media Business and before that was with Telewest for 11 years.

Lawrence Jones, UKFast’s founder and chief executive, said: “This appointment is another important piece of the jigsaw for us to realise our ambitions this year. Lee is exactly what we need right now to take UKFast to the next level.

“It’s important we develop the board as we prepare for the future. I have learned you need great people around you if you want a great result.”

Other recent arrivals include corporate lawyer Nicola Frost,  new FD Michael Hogan and security division head Andy Hague.
 
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LINDER Myers has strengthened its trusts and estates department in Manchester with the appointment of solicitor Charlotte Ashworth.

Ashworth joins from Burnley-based Waddington and Son Solicitors, and becomes the 15th member  of trusts and estates team.

She said: “Linder Myers has one of the largest trusts and estates departments both in Manchester and wider North West region providing individuals with a range of services, including a specialism in Court of Protection matters. I am excited to join such a well-established team of experts and look forward to promoting and supporting our clients’ best interests”.

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INNOVATOR SmartKem, the pioneer of a printable, organic semiconductor ink, has appointed Chris Nice as Asia-based head of engineering.

Steve Kelly, chief executive of the North Wales and Manchester-based company, said: “We are delighted to have Chris on board. This appointment clearly demonstrates the company’s growth over recent months, specifically in the Asian markets, as we push to become the leading international provider of semiconductors for this new exciting era of flexible, foldable and low power displays.

“Chris has shown great enthusiasm in joining the team and we believe his considerable expertise will be invaluable in realising our full potential in this major geography.”

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THE Market Creative, a retail and brand agency based in Manchester, has strengthened its creative, account handling and business development teams with six new appointments following a strong start to the year.

Jeff Dillon has been appointed as senior art director to work alonside creative director and co-owner Dorina D’Ambrosio to help drive the  output of the agency through concept and design.

He is joined by Stuart Keates, who has been appointed as a creative artworker, and was previously a designer with Papyrus Group.

Shaun Watson takes an account manager role with responsibility for Silentnight and Sharps and will boost the agency’s specialist retail proposition having held a retail marketing manager role at Matalan and from also working at Asda and Pets at Home.

Following the announcement earlier in the year that The Market Creative has won new work with Grafton Merchanting GB to lead the merchant’s trade marketing, James Kay has been appointed as an account manager.

Also working on the account is Lauren Thomas, who joins from Space and Time Media as a junior account executive.

Nikita Lewis has recently taken the position of business development manager to grow the agency’s retail and brand portfolio.

Sue Benson, managing director at The Market Creative said: “We’ve had an exceptional start to the year having grown both business with existing clients and won some new briefs. As a result we’ve attracted some fantastic new talent, strengthening the team across all departments. I look forward to what the rest of the year will bring.”

The Market Creative now employs 16 staff at its offices in Trafford Park, Manchester.

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VIRTUAL reality company Virtalis has just hired University of Nottingham mechanical engineering graduate, Tom McDonnell, to join its growing Systems delivery team on Trafford Park, Manchester.

The team he has joined is responsible for installing and maintaining advanced visualisation 3D display systems and software all over the world.

“I like variety and I am certainly getting plenty of that here”, said McDonnell. “I have been working on our Virtual Radiotherapy system upgrades and also ensuring compatibility between laptops and Oculus Rifts. Making disparate bits of hardware work together in an integrated display system is what our team does.”

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LAW firm Hill Dickinson has strengthened its property team with a senior appointment at its Manchester office.
 
Joining as a commercial property partner from Pinsent Masons, Jim Purves has extensive experience in logistics, industrial and retail property.

Purves has advised clients such as John Lewis, Lookers Plc, Balfour Beatty and DHL – the latter of whom he advised in relation to the property aspects of their £1.6bn contract to run the NHS supply chain and also the transfer of properties in the sale of their domestic parcel business to home delivery network.
 
Purves is praised by the Legal 500 as having “great technical knowledge” and for “understanding his clients’ business’.