On the Move: Design West appoints COO; Metro Bank adds to commercial lending team; and more
Design West, the centre for design and placemaking in the South West, has welcomed Alexandra Allen as its first chief operating officer.
Allen brings extensive experience in placemaking and growth, having previously held leadership positions at Sustrans and tech scale-up Sennen.
“Welcoming Alex to Design West is an exciting step forward for us,” said Dr Anna Rutherford, chief executive at Design West. “As we continue to grow, this role will ensure we have the operational excellence and strategic leadership needed to scale our programmes, deepen our partnerships, and extend our influence in shaping better places for people and planet.”
Allen said: “I am thrilled to be joining Design West as the organisation sets its sights on expansion across the region and a bigger presence in the Bristol landscape. The commitment to design excellence and social impact aligns with my passion for amazing places that deliver for people and planet. I look forward to working with the team to build on their successes and expand our reach.”
Nick Fairham, chair of trustees, said: “Design West is a unique and special organisation, enabling the city and region to put the needs of people, planet and prosperity at the heart of development. Public benefit is driven by talented, purposeful leaders and we’ve found that in Alexandra, as she joins our leadership team.”
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Metro Bank has appointed Richard Jenkins as commercial lending director for Wales and the South West.
Jenkins has 18 years banking experience across Wales and the South West, most recently at the Development Bank of Wales. He also held a number of roles at Barclays Bank where he worked with some of Wales’ largest companies. His new role will be supporting SME clients across Wales and the South- West, with a lending requirement between £500k – £5m, and turnover up to £25m.
Mark Davies, regional commercial director at Metro Bank, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Richard to Metro Bank. This is a really exciting time in the bank’s journey as we look to grow further and lend to more businesses in Wales and the South-West.”
Jenkins added: “Metro Bank is truly committed to supporting SMEs across the country and I’m excited to start meeting some of the excellent examples we have across Wales and the South-West of England.”
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Credit: Lisa Whiting
Bristol educational charity and science centre We The Curious has appointed Tom Betts as the new chair of trustees.
Betts takes over from Nick Jones.
Betts brings with him a wealth of experience in the digital technology, data and AI fields having worked across a range of sectors. He is a non-executive director at the UK Hydrographic Office and advisor in the field of AI and application of cutting-edge technologies. He has previously held executive appointments at European retail conglomerate Kingfisher Plc, and prior to that, he was a key architect of the digital transformation of the Financial Times where he held the role of chief data officer and board member. He has also worked in education as VP Analytics for Pearson where he demonstrated the use of AI to improve learning outcomes.
He is a specialist in machine learning and AI – holding a master’s degree in informatics from the University of Edinburgh and a bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence and computer science from the University of Sussex.
He has served as a board member for We The Curious since 2019.
Donna Speed, CEO for We The Curious, said: “I’d like to extend my thanks to Nick for everything that he’s done for us here at We The Curious as a trustee, and as Chair. He’s guided and supported us during some truly challenging times – I’m grateful to have worked with him and wish him well for the future. I’m really excited that Tom is our new Chair and feel very lucky that he’s moving into this role, his experience in the fields of data technology and AI will be vital for positioning us as the science centre that we want to be for future generations.”
Betts added: “It’s a great honour and I am thrilled to take over as Chair at We The Curious. Our successful reopening has given the organisation strong momentum to build on as we celebrate the charity’s 25th anniversary. This anniversary provides a moment to reflect on everything we have achieved over a quarter of a century, while also looking forward as we consider what a science centre should be in today’s rapidly changing technological world. We want to show that science is for everyone; it’s our mission to connect and empower people, to celebrate science and to encourage curiosity – that matters more than ever right now, and I am excited to help guide We The Curious into its next chapter.”
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Swindon and Wiltshire’s Evil Empire has expanded its team as demand for its multi-discipline marketing services increases.
Now entering its seventh year in business, the agency has taken on Jess Edwards as its new account marketing manager.
She said: “Before I joined Evil Empire I was already aware of the agency’s reputation and stand-out brand, and I am excited to have joined the team at a time of growth across all areas of the business.
“Today’s marketing landscape has shifted from where it was two years ago. We have seen more clients looking for a full-service agency – somewhere they can turn to for support with social media, design, copywriting, PR, strategy, video and photography. We’re proud of our in-house skillset that allows us to provide a one-stop service to these clients.”
Evil Empire was established by Sara Witham.
She said: “We’re over the moon to have another ‘henchperson’ join the Evil Empire – and Jess is the perfect fit for our team. Her eye for design and level-headed approach to marketing has already added real value to our clients as we continue to grow the empire.
“2025 has started at a fast pace for us, bringing new clients and fresh opportunities, so we’re delighted Jess has joined us at this exciting time.”
