People: Lovell Partnerships; Sigma Connected; Ellisons

Lovell Partnerships has announced the appointment of a partnerships director, helping to progress social housing and retrofit projects across the West Midlands.

With more than 20 years of experience in the housing and construction industry, Matt Hickman has worked in a number of senior management roles.

Hickman is keen to not only help provide safe, warm and energy-efficienct homes, but to also offer training, development and job opportunities for young people or those in long-term unemployment.

He said: “Joining Lovell is a very exciting career move for me, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into building relationships with key housing providers and delivering retrofit projects at scale, as well as helping to raise the profile of the fantastic refurbishment side of the business. With more funding coming through from the government this is an opportune time to deliver social housing decarbonisation fund (SHDF) projects throughout the region.

“The company culture at Lovell is strong and is something that stood out to me. Inclusion, respect and treating people well are just as important as doing a good job, and providing a positive environment for the team to work in is essential. If our people feel supported then they will deliver the very best for our partners and clients, and that is something Lovell does very well so it’s a pleasure to be part of the team.”

Carl Yale, regional refurbishment director at Lovell, said: “Matt is a fantastic addition to our team and has a thorough understanding of and excellent experience in the industry. Continuing to push forward with our refurbishment and retrofit goals in order to meet the government’s net zero target is extremely important, and we know Matt’s expertise will be invaluable in helping us do this.”

Jamie O’Brien

Birmingham-based business outsourcing provider Sigma Connected has announced the appointment of Jamie O’Brien into the newly-created position of director of telecoms.

In his new sector specialist role, the operational telecoms expert will lead the development of the firm’s new and existing telecoms client portfolio as part of its core growth strategy.

O’Brien joins Sigma Connected from Shell Energy where he was head of telecoms customer service and customer experience, supporting the improvement of their operational, financial and commercial performance.

Prior to joining Shell Energy, he held leadership roles at both BT and SSE.

Ben Jones, chief commercial officer at Sigma Connected Group said: “As a sector-based specialist, Jamie has the exact expertise and track record we’re looking for as we take steps to bolster and develop our telecoms offering. With over 20 years’ experience in the outsourcing and offshoring sectors, Jamie also has first-class credentials within the telecoms industry. He understands the unique regulatory and compliance challenges our clients are facing, and vitally, the solutions and steps businesses need to take.

“The telecoms industry is unique and we feel we can add extensive value. With Jamie in this new strategic role, it’s the perfect time to move to the next level to support our existing clients, but also gain a stronger foothold in what is a rapidly growing and evolving market.”

Ellisons, a hair and beauty wholesaler, has confirmed a change of ownership.

Founded in Birmingham in 1930 and now based in Coventry, Ellisons supports hair and beauty professionals in every aspect of their business life, shipping over 2.5m items annually to more than 50,000 salons, spas and other customers across the UK and internationally.

The transaction sees managing director, Geoff Morris, transitioning ownership to a new generation of leadership with the existing management team of Matthew Champney, Lee Farmer and Nadine Meakins having acquired a significant equity stake in the business.

Regional business figure, Paul Faulkner, the former CEO of Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, joins the business as Chairperson, while Geoff Morris will remain as a shareholder and advisor to the business.

David Tucker from Jasper Equity who originated and led the transaction, will also join the Ellisons Board.

Morris said: “It gives me pleasure to see a new generation demonstrate their entrepreneurial flair and lead Ellisons into its next 100 years’ of business. Across the business, colleagues show an unrivalled passion and understanding of professional hair and beauty. It gives me great confidence that the experience Paul brings to the existing management team will lead Ellisons towards an exciting new chapter in its long and cherished history.”

Champney said: “The changes ensure that the culture of independence and entrepreneurship, which has always been a hallmark of Ellisons, remains in place. Considerable industry knowledge is also retained
in the business alongside the addition of further experience in growing and developing businesses, which will help to set Ellisons up for an exciting future.”