People: Birmingham Newman University; Burley Browne; MCS Group

Birmingham Newman University has announced Yvonne Salter Wright as the University secretary and clerk to Council.

With over 25 years of experience in education, she will bring her expertise in policy development, governance, and leadership to the executive and leadership teams.

Committed to diversity and inclusion, she values stakeholder input, promotes community engagement, and supports the well-being of staff and students.

In her new role, she will lead strategic planning and oversee corporate governance, compliance, risk, and assurance at the University.

She said: “I am delighted to be joining Birmingham Newman University at this exciting phase of growth and development… I am looking forward to enriching the already successful partnership between the University’s executive team and members of the Council and contributing to the development and realisation of the University’s future strategic vision.”

West Midlands property consultancy Burley Browne has promoted Katie Mills to senior property manager.

Burley Browne managing director James Merrick said: “Katie has worked extremely hard since joining the business and she fully deserves her promotion to senior property manager. This reflects the growth of this important area of the business, particularly since her arrival, and is a reward for her performance, commitment and development this year.

Katie Mills

“Over the last three years, and since its inception, our dedicated property management department has grown to managing more than 120 properties totaling over 700,000 sq ft with an annual rent role of approximately £5m and annual service charge collection close to £500,000. Katie and the team have demonstrated hard work and dedication with exceptional service provided to our management clients.”

Mills joined Burley Browne 16 months ago as property manager. She previously worked for Bond Wolfe, in Birmingham, in its property management department.

She said: “I joined Burley Browne in 2022 keen to advance professionally and was given the opportunity to do just that. As a company they invest in and encourage their staff to achieve their aspirations and I am grateful for this progression in my career to continue that development. Providing excellent service is the backbone of the business in all areas and, moving into 2024, I have no doubt we will build on the success of this year.”

Contractor MCS Group strengthens its management team with the addition of Kevin Pickton as operations director and Adrian Baron as operations manager in the West Midlands.

Adrian Baron

James Currie, group construction director at MCS Group, said: “Kevin and Adrian have gained a wealth of experience in the sector and are both excellent additions to the MCS team. They will help us to drive the company forward in 2024 and into the future.”

Pickton brings over 15 years of construction industry experience, with a decade-long tenure at VolkerFitzpatrick.

Starting as a trainee building services manager, he progressed to a senior project manager handling projects up to £20m. His recent role at Readie Construction involved overseeing contracts and delivering prestigious projects.

Baron, an operations manager with 40+ years in construction, began as an apprentice carpenter, advancing to contracts manager for major projects.

At MCS Group, he is responsible for overseeing projects from pre-construction to the end of the defect liability period, ensuring successful delivery of the Warwick-based company’s projects.