People: The latest West Midlands hires
Birmingham-based change consultancy Entec Si has bounced back from the pandemic with a strategic appointment and ambitious growth plans.
Business and management graduate Jack Sixsmith has been appointed as an assistant consultant, with a particular focus on the healthcare and not-for-profit sectors.
He will work with Entec Si’s consulting director Sue Johnson Gregory, and principal consultant Tim Powlson on the delivery of a number of projects.
Since graduating from Oxford Brookes University, Sixsmith has gained consulting experience by completing a year-long placement at IBM, where he worked as a development planner.
Eman Al-Hillawi, co-founder and director of Entec Si, said: “Jack’s appointment marks an important milestone for the business – our first new hire since the start of the pandemic. After a challenging year, we’re back on track to step up our commercial and team growth. Jack is a perfect fit for the Entec Si family and I look forward to seeing his career go from strength to strength over the coming years.”
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Shaun Gray, European managing director of manufacturer Ginho, has been appointed as president of Burton and District Chamber of Commerce.
Gray took over from Nik Hardy, founder and managing director of Hardy Signs.
Gray said: “I feel extremely proud to take up such a role within my local town. Burton is a town that I have gown up in and seen it change over a number of years.
“We should be very proud of the past and history of our town but we must also look to the future and engage with local, regional and international business to bring sustainable growth at all levels and sectors within our town and region.
“With the continued unlocking of the economy from Covid restrictions it will be great to local business and the town centre gradually and safely coming back life.”
Gray began his career as an apprentice engineer with the William Cook Group and has worked for a number of businesses in metal industries throughout the world.
He is now European head of Chinese-owned Ginho, which is a specialist manufacturer of precision castings, components and assemblies.
Chris Plant, director of Burton and District Chamber, said: “Shaun is vastly experienced in international trade and I am looking forward to working with him and focusing on helping our members become aware of the international trade opportunities that are on the horizon.
“Shaun’s business is also one of the largest in Burton and I am looking forward to working with this true Burtonian.”
Hardy will remain on the Chamber’s council as vice-president, alongside Chris Else, managing partner of Else Solicitors, and Stacy Brown, commercial services manager at Dains, who will also serve as vice-presidents.
Simon McAlpine, chief commercial officer at Infinity IT, and Karen McElroy, managing director of FCM PR and Communications, were also appointed during the meeting as Chamber council members.
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One of the UK’s fastest-growing and largest independent software testing companies, Edge Testing part of Eurofins Digital Testing, has appointed Ian Bryson as digital test hub manager to spearhead growth plans for digital test hubs across the UK.
Edge Testing opened its regional technology centre in Birmingham in 2018, located on Great Charles Street from where it offers clients in the Midlands an easily accessed remote testing service for their in-house applications and back office systems.
Bryson’s new role will see him working alongside head of technical services Neil Cameron to drive and oversee service expansion across Eurofins Digital Testing’s regional technology centres in Birmingham, Manchester and Belshill near Glasgow.
He will also work closely with testing teams in Bangalore, India, for larger projects.
Bryson has managed teams internationally, so brings a wealth of blue-chip project consultancy and team management expertise to the position. He was also head-hunted as programme test director for Scotland’s implementation of the electronic transfer of medical prescriptions (ETP), via ATOS, which was so successful that he managed a similar ETP roll out across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Neil Cameron, head of technical services at Eurofins Digital Testing, said: “We are expanding our offering to meet the increasing and changing demands from clients. The regional technology centres are in a prime position to provide a fully outsourced testing service with the capability to take all testing off clients’ hands. Ian’s appointment will see him focus teams efforts on giving clients the peace of mind, and time to concentrate on other parts of their businesses, leaving testing to us.”
