People: Anthony Collins; Filtermist; Portmeirion Group

Social purpose law firm, Anthony Collins, welcomes new legal director, Sophie Mcfie-Hyland, to the firm.
Mcfie-Hyland joins the projects team specialising in public sector commercial contracts and procurement.
With over 15 years of experience in local government and private practice, Mcfie-Hyland will play an active role as part of a 15-strong specialist procurement team, helping clients gear up for the implementation of the Procurement Act 2023.
She will be part of the firm’s offer in supporting councils to navigate the complex changing environment that they face, in response to the election of a new Government.
Mcfie-Hyland said: “Having worked with the firm previously, I know many of my new colleagues and the quality of the work that they do. Joining the team at a time of such critical change as the Procurement Act 2023 is ushered in is hugely exciting. With my experience advising councils and other public bodies, I’m looking forward to putting this experience into practice at the firm and within such a strong team.”
Mark Cook, a partner in the projects team at Anthony Collins said: “Next month we will see the Procurement Act 2023 come into effect following its delayed implementation, and Sophie’s addition further strengthens our resource at a key time. Sophie will bring practicality, expertise and energy to the services that we provide.
“The new Act brings fundamental change, adding complexity to some aspects of commissioning and contract management. Our job is to help our clients continue to do what they do as smoothly as possible, enabling better public services that deliver real value for their local communities; and Sophie will be very much part of that offer.”
Filtermist, a UK manufacturer of LEV extraction systems, has appointed René Joppi as its new managing director to expand operations in domestic and international markets.
Joppi brings international management experience, having worked across Europe and the Middle East in various manufacturing roles.
He will be responsible for the completion of a transformation project Filtermist is currently implementing to secure manufacturing efficiencies, as well as developing and growing the local and global footprint of the Telford-based company.
Rene Joppi
Joppi said: “This is an exciting time to be joining Filtermist. The demand for our products is growing rapidly due to customers needing to comply with legislation and, more importantly, wanting to deliver the best possible work environment for their employees.
“We currently deliver our technology in more than 60 countries across the globe, and there is strong potential to increase this number, moving our expertise into potential new territories and new applications.
“I’m looking forward to working with the team at Filtermist to ensure we maintain our commitment to delivering exceptional performance and value to all our customers worldwide. 2025 will be an exciting year for both Filtermist and Absolent Air Care Group, with a strong focus on the launch of several new products and initiatives.”
Portmeirion Group, a global homeware brand owner, designer, manufacturer and omni-channel retailer, has announced the appointment of a new non-executive chairman.
After years of service, Dick Steele has decided to step down from his role as non-executive chairman and will leave the Board on 31 January 2025.
Effective 1 February 2025, Peter Tracey will join the board as non-executive chairman and chair of the Nomination Committee.
Tracey is the managing director of Blackdown Partners, an independent investment bank and serves as a non-executive director at Hurtwood Capital, his private family office and Inspired PLC, a company providing technology-enabled services to help businesses transition to net-zero and address climate change.
Mike Raybould, chief executive said:”I would like to thank Dick, on behalf of the entire Board, for his valuable contribution, leadership and guidance over the years. Dick’s dedication to supporting British manufacturing and homeware brands has never wavered and he will leave the Board with our very best wishes for the future.
“We are pleased to welcome Peter to the Board as Non-Executive Chairman. Peter’s contribution will assist the Group in delivering long-term, sustainable value for all our stakeholders.”