People: PJA welcomes new associate director to Birmingham headquarters; Wales rugby legend agrees role with finance firm; and more
PJA, the UK and Australian transport, engineering and placemaking consultancy, has welcomed a new associate director at its Birmingham headquarters.
Catherine Phillips has joined the company’s placemaking team and brings 20 years worth of experience in landscape architecture.
She was previously at consultancy Jacobs where she worked on a range of development projects including highway and flood defence schemes, public realm and infrastructure projects and residential and commercial developments on brownfield and greenfield sites.
In recent years, she acted as lead landscape architect on several projects for the Environment Agency including site-based work, acting as Landscape Clerk of Works. This builds on a wider range of landscape experience including green and blue infrastructure, infrastructure landscaping and town centre public realm.
Her appointment forms part of planned growth at PJA in a range of placemaking specialisms which collectively enhance the firm’s integrated transport, engineering and placemaking offer and supports its recent appointment as a Registered Landscape Practice with the Landscape Institute.
Jonathan Tricker, PJA placemaking director, said: “We increasingly recognise the diverse nature of skills required to deliver development and infrastructure projects and we welcome Catherine to our growing team of place makers offering integrated services in movement, streets, urban design, landscape, sustainability and design guidance.”
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Tony Gilbertson
Signature Property Finance has signed Wales rugby legend Scott Quinnell as the firm’s first brand ambassador, following a strong performance in 2021 delivering over £44m in loans to property developers.
After a 15-year career in rugby that included 52 caps for Wales and two British & Irish Lions tours, Quinnell has become a regular on TV, starring in the memorable Sky Sports series ‘School of Hard Knocks’, and co-authoring a book in 2017 on business leadership.
Signature CEO Tony Gilbertson said: “We have a lot of activities planned for the year, to really push home to finance brokers and property developers, why dealing with Signature is a rewarding experience that delivers a lot of unique advantages.
“Scott shares our approach to life and business; do what you say you’re going do, follow through on your promises and always act with integrity. His commitment to everything he does was evident in his rugby and he has transferred his leadership and motivational skills to the commercial world.
“We believe Scott is the perfect brand ambassador for Signature and will be a major draw when we finalise our programme of business lunches. Throughout the year we expect to get closer to our brokers and understand what they need from us, to ensure we deliver another record-breaking year.”
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The Centre for the New Midlands has appointed a number of the region’s leading professionals to its newly formed strategic advisory board, to help shape its vision and oversee its governance.
Formed shortly before the March 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, the West Midlands-based think tank has developed its work across its two initial workstreams (‘Housing and Communities’ and the ‘Digital environment’) and has now announced the team who will support the next phase of the organisation’s development, with a particular focus on raising profile and links across the West Midlands region.
Appointments to the Advisory Board, which will be led by Professor Majid AlSadi (the think tank’s President and Chairman of Eastern Holding) include Sarah Perry (former managing partner of a large regional law firm and Deputy Under Sheriff of the West Midlands), Dan Barlow (CEO of Kagool) and Amardeep Gill (Partner, Trowers & Hamlins) who will provide regulatory and industry experience.
The Board also welcomes Allan Andrews (Senior Advisor to the Mayor of the West Midlands), Cllr Beverley Nielsen (councillor, business leader and Associate Professor, Birmingham City University), Katie McPhilimey (Founding Director, Pure Marketing Consultancy), Leon Emirali (Political consultant and former Ministerial aide) and Joe Elliott MBE (Director, Culture Coventry and Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust) to its ranks.
Chairs of the think tank’s Leadership Boards complete the board’s membership, with Professor Ardavan Amini (Chair of Digital’), Dr Halima Sacranie (Chair, ‘Housing and Communities’) and Darren Jones (Chair, ‘Environment, Transport and Infrastructure’) joining the team.
Chris Smith, founder and managing director of the think tank, said: “I am delighted to be welcoming such an exceptional group of individuals to help develop our work and deliver on our aspiration to be one of the most influential policy organisations in the United Kingdom. It is a pleasure to be working alongside a team of such fantastic individuals as we look to help shape a ‘better’ West Midlands region for all.”
