People: Prohire; Caddick; Heligan Group

Stoke-on-Trent-based Prohire, a provider of commercial vehicle hire and fleet management solutions, has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of Dean Bailey as operations director.

A trained technician with almost 40 years of fleet industry experience, Bailey brings a wealth of knowledge to the business having held senior operational leadership roles at Ryder and more recently, Hexagon Leasing.

He will have overall board responsibility for the maintenance of Prohire’s fleet, which includes vehicles from its alternative fuels division Progreen.

Tasked with the ongoing development of Prohire’s service, maintenance and repair (SMR) network, Bailey’s management remit encompasses the company’s Vehicle Maintenance Units (VMUs) in Stoke-on-Trent and Tunbridge Wells, as well as its fleet of mobile technicians which services customers nationwide.

He will also be responsible for fleet engineering and all aspects of fleet compliance.

He said: “I’m genuinely excited about joining Prohire, a company with a wide-ranging fleet, touching every part of the industry and serving a diverse range of customers. I’ve been in this industry for almost 40 years and it’s great to come to a company that’s thinking outside the box, proactively pushing the boundaries of service delivery and going the extra mile to support customers.

“I’m looking forward to what the future brings, especially in the area of alternative fuels, which Prohire has embraced through Progreen.”

Jay Edwards, managing director of Prohire, said: “Dean is a commercial vehicle contract hire industry veteran with a vast amount of experience. His knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to Prohire as we move forward and continue to optimise our service delivery, and I’m delighted to welcome him to the team.”

Caddick has appointed John Currie and Ian Calder to head up its operations team for its construction division in the Midlands.

Currie and Calder have joined Caddick just over 12 months after it launched its presence in the Midlands construction market.

Fulfilling a remit to oversee the operations of Caddick’s construction division in the Midlands, both will be involved in all aspects of pre-construction and project delivery for the business’ growing pipeline.

Currie’s remit will include the operational delivery of the business’ high-rise residential development projects and Calder’s remit will include the region’s broader project base, including commercial, low-rise residential and industrial.

John Currie & Ian Calder

Previously operations director for Wates in the North West, Currie brings 30 years of experience to his new role having started his career as a Site Engineer in Yorkshire, later joining Carillion as a Project Manager in 2005.

Calder started his career as a Site Engineer at Bullock Construction after obtaining a degree in Construction Management at Sheffield Hallam University.

Throughout his career, he has held several senior operational roles for Midlands-based contractors, including Wates and Seddon Construction.

More recently, he has spent seven years at Speller Metcalfe where he was based in Wolverhampton, holding the position of operations manager and overseeing the business’ project delivery across the Midlands.

Currie said: “I’ve had a varied career delivering and overseeing projects in a number of different sectors from residential to commercial, industrial and public sector development across the Midlands, and I enjoy nothing more than getting out on site and being hands-on in achieving high standards. For me, my work environment is very important, and there is a really positive culture at Caddick.

“The business has a very strong reputation, and it has seamlessly introduced itself as a very strong player in the Midlands. I’m very excited to become part of the team as Operations Manager for the Midlands, and look forward to working alongside John.”

Calder added: “I am excited to join Caddick, and particularly to be bringing my experience to help grow the business’ capability in high-rise development. Caddick is a family business with strong capabilities and an excellent health and safety culture, and the business is full of operationally focused people who know how to build and know how to do it to a high standard.

“The market is changing, and there is a real need for a strong and financially stable contractor that can meet the needs of the pipeline. I’m energised by the opportunity to lead the operations of our Midlands business, and to be working with colleagues in our other regions to build our high-rise capabilities.”

Heligan Group has appointed five graduates to its Corporate Finance Division, providing the new hires with training, support, and the ability to attain the ACA (Associate Chartered Accountant) qualification over the next three years.

Simon Heath, managing partner of Heligan Corporate Finance, said: “Bringing five analysts into the Corporate Finance team has been a significant milestone and demonstrates our commitment to the region. While it is unusual for a Corporate Finance practice our size to take on so many graduates at one time, we have a clear strategy for future growth and the new additions are a critical part of supporting that plan.”

The announcement follows an impressive 12 months for Heligan Group, which has seen a sharp increase in deal volumes. The improving economic outlook has enabled us to invest for growth across each of our divisions and importantly, in our sector coverage, including National Security, Financial Services, and most recently Healthcare, which saw the exciting appointment of Ramesh Jassal, Lead Strategic Partner in Healthcare at Heligan Group.

Simon continued: “I received postgraduate training and was inspired by some amazing people at the beginning of my career. So, I really wanted to give back and inspire the next generation of deal-makers, especially in a city that has been at the heart of our journey.

“We are a fast-growing firm, with a highly experienced team. What better way to nurture future talent and benefit from new ways of thinking. This is what helps Heligan Group see things differently for our clients”, concluded Simon.