People: ITG; Savills; Lanyon Bowdler

Birmingham marketing agency Inspired Thinking Group (ITG) has appointed Joanna Wilby as chief creative officer.

Wilby, previously executive creative director, will lead ITG’s creative direction and oversee the output of high-impact, halo content creation for a wide-reaching roster of clients.

Wilby will report to Sue Mountford, ITG UK CEO, and work closely with client teams to deliver across verticals including in-store, social, CRM and digital.

Under her leadership, ITG aims to push the boundaries of creativity and quality, continuing to set new standards in the output of quality halo content.

Sue Mountford, ITG’s UK CEO, said: “I’ve had the privilege of working with Jo for over 5 years now and have watched her develop into an inspiring leader. Jo is the perfect fit to lead our creative teams to deliver impactful, multichannel campaigns for our clients, transforming the way brands do marketing. Her unwavering focus on delivering high-quality, highly engaging creative work that exceeds expectations makes her an ideal leader for this next chapter.”

ITG CEO, Andrew Swinand, said: “Jo is someone who lives at the intersection of creative and strategy. At ITG, part of our mantra is to ‘simplify the complicated and create the beautiful’ – and her ability to take complex brand ideas and convey them creatively in a way that delivers genuine impact for customers sets her apart. Her dedication to quality and ability to understand the executional nuances of each channel will ensure that ITG’s halo content creation continues to exceed our client’s goals.”

International real estate advisor Savills has hired David Tew and Chris Hobday from Avison Young.

They will join the national industrial & logistics team as director and associate director respectively, based at the firm’s Birmingham office.

As part of his previous role, Tew advised on large-scale and mid-box schemes for both developers and funds, in addition to acting for occupiers and landowners.

Working on projects primarily in the Midlands and South East, he has also had a national focus acting for clients including Prologis, CCLA, Logicor, Aviva and M&G.

He started his career as a graduate surveyor at a Canadian commercial real estate firm.

Hobday has over eight years of experience working in the industrial & logistics sector focusing on the Midlands.

Working with clients across industrial, distribution, logistics and open storage assets, this includes corporate occupiers, landowners, developers, investors and the public sector.

Existing clients includeChancerygate, IM Properties, Goodman, abrdn and Mileway.

Before his role at Avison Young, Chris worked at Holt Commercial, having initially started his career in Yorkshire with both Eddisons and Tapp Chartered Surveyors.

Tew and Hobday will join the firm’s existing market-leading team to help further grow Savills industrial & logistics offer in the Midlands, alongside Ranjit Gill, Christian Smith and Katie Monks.

Ranjit Gill, head of the Birmingham industrial & logistics team at Savills, said: “We are excited to have both David and Chris join our best-in-class team. Their extensive knowledge of the Midlands industrial & logistics market will bolster our existing proposition and ensure we remain the go-to for investors, developers and occupiers across the region.”

Victoria Burgin, Savills Birmingham head of office, said: “I am delighted to have David and Chris join the Birmingham Office; they will not only strengthen our long-established industrial and logistics team but be valuable contributors to our cross-divisional growth strategy.”

Sonali Obhrai, Sue Hodgson and Prianka Muruhathas

Shropshire law firm Lanyon Bowdler has expanded its family law team in Telford with the appointment of two lawyers.

Solicitor Prianka Muruhathas and senior associate solicitor Sonali Obhrai have joined Lanyon Bowdler, making the firm’s family law team one of the largest in the area.

Sue Hodgson, head of Lanyon Bowdler’s family law team said: “We have seen a steady growth in clients across the firm, but particularly in Telford, so we were keen to add to our team for us to meet this demand.

“Handling family cases requires understanding, sensitivity and support at each stage of the legal process and I am sure that Prianka and Sonali will be extremely valuable additions to the firm.”

Muruhathas deals with a broad range of family matters arising from the breakdown of relationships and has an understanding of how to deal sensitively with cases involving cultural or religious aspects.

She said: “I am delighted to be joining Lanyon Bowdler – a high-profile legal firm with a great reputation. When people come to us for assistance with a family matter they are often in a difficult situation in their life, so we must act with dignity and respect.

“I always work hard to achieve the best solution for my clients while being focused on realistic outcomes to ensure the process is dealt with as efficiently as possible.”

Obhrai, who is also a Resolution-accredited specialist, deals with all aspects of family law including divorce and associated financial matters, separation, pre and post-nuptial agreements and arrangements concerning children.

She is also experienced in complex matters involving children, such as fact-finding hearings, the requirement of psychological expert assistance and the appointment of guardians.

Obhrai said: “Working at Lanyon Bowdler is a great opportunity – a firm with a longstanding record of excellence – and I am really looking forward to helping and supporting clients. One of the highest priorities for me is to assist every client with a sympathetic and pragmatic approach to tackling the many issues involved with a family breakdown.”