People: New MD for tech company; Four trainees join law firm; and more

Solihull-based Biosite Systems has announced the appointment of Mike Rimmington as managing director.

He previously held the title of CFO after joining the company in 2019.

Prior to his tenure at Biosite, Rimmington held senior positions in finance across the IT and engineering sectors, with a track record of delivering transformation programmes for businesses.

He said: “My time at Biosite has been the most rewarding of my career so far and I’ve been inspired by the ingenuity and adaptability of the team and our ability to provide effective solutions for construction, which improve efficiency, safety and compliance on site. As well as performing consistently financially, we have also adapted to changing conditions and responded to the needs of the market – introducing facial recognition technology as a contactless method of access control, for example.

“We are proudly a leader in the UK but now is the time to take Biosite to the next level and I’m excited to bring our innovative proposition for technology-enabled solutions for construction to a much wider audience.”

The announcement follows the appointment of former managing director and co-founder Li Wang to vice president of hospitality at ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, part of the ASSA ABLOY Group.

Biosite was acquired by the global leader in access solutions in February 2020.

Wang added: “Since starting Biosite more than a decade ago, I have been passionate about our unique offering in biometric access control and as a solutions provider for construction. Our success to-date has been a result of our innovative approach, commitment and capabilities as a team.

“Mike has been instrumental in the progress the business has made in recent years and his financial acumen and tenacity – plus crucially his shared passion for the business and the team – make him ideally placed to champion Biosite on the next stage of the growth journey.”

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Four new trainee solicitors have been taken on by Midlands law firm Wright Hassall, including the first through the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) scheme.

Wright Hassall signed a partnership with The College of Legal Practice last year to deliver the SQE scheme, which allows employees from all parts of the firm to train and qualify as solicitors.

Shannon Leering will be the first to join through the SQE as she works on a two-year programme to become a solicitor within the debt recovery unit, where she currently operates.

Gaitri Majitha, who works within contentious probate, Masuma Ahmed, who works with the corporate team, and Grace Beesley, who works in planning and development, have also been offered traditional training contracts.

All four are due to start their training contracts to become solicitors in April, increasing the number of trainees at Wright Hassall to 12.

Lindsay Barnett, HR director at Leamington-based Wright Hassall, said: “We have always believed in developing our own talent and giving more opportunities to our staff.

“I am therefore delighted we have been able to offer these four talented individuals the opportunity to train as solicitors, and look forward to supporting them with their endeavours.

“It is particularly pleasing to see Shannon begin her journey on the new SQE scheme as it is something we have keen to get started since we signed the partnership with The College of Legal Practice last year.”

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Office agent Steve Hannaford has been promoted by property consultancy Burley Browne as the demand for office accommodation rebounds following the challenging lockdown.

Hannaford, who becomes a senior surveyor, joined Burley Browne as a graduate in 2015 having completed his degree in geography and urban and regional planning.

He was supported by the business to complete a masters degree in real estate at the University College of Estate Management before qualifying as a chartered surveyor in May 2018.

David Hemming, joint managing director of Sutton Coldfield-based Burley Browne, said: “Steve’s promotion is richly deserved. Against the backdrop of a challenging and, in some areas, declining office market over the last two years, our office agency team has certainly bucked the trend with not only the size and quality of instructions but also the number of office transactions undertaken.

“This is in no small part down to Steve’s hard work, commitment and determination to provide an exceptional service at all times. We are therefore delighted to reward Steve for all of his hard work and look forward to continuing to guide him to further successes within the business.”

He added: “As with all of our team, we are also very grateful for Steve’s support, commitment and contribution in implementing our new business strategy after James Merrick and myself took over the reins at Burley Browne just under two year ago.”