People: Whyy? Change Limited; NIC Services Group; Lithos Consulting; and more

Ray Byrne, CEO of Whyy? Change Limited, a training and apprenticeship provider in South Yorkshire, has confirmed the promotion of Emma Harrison to the role of managing director.

Harrison, who is currently governance director, will be responsible for all things training, including operational performance, customer and learner experience, delivery planning for commercial and apprenticeship training.

Since joining as a governance officer in 2019, she has played an integral role in the growth of Whyy? Change over the past few years, while keeping a close eye on the governance of the business.

Byrne said: “Systems matter, and it was always my intention to build the business with strong governance in mind.

“Emma was my first recruit to the cause and was tasked with protecting the business from me. Emma leads from the front by being a role model in her practice.”

With the introduction of the provider’s sister brand, “Whyy? Unboxd”, the business will restructure under the umbrella of Whyy?, with “Change” and “Unboxd” being two separate divisions of the business.

Whyy? Change will focus on all things training and apprenticeships, Whyy? Unboxd will provide an alternative solution to traditional agencies, consultants and business coaches, by giving people access to a pool of industry experts.

Harrison becomes managing director of Whyy? Change who will be responsible for strengthening its aim of providing business knowledge & services to transform people and industry.

She said: “I am excited to be appointed to the role of managing director where my focus will be on continuing to ensure all learners who come to Whyy? Change are developed, supported and challenged while having an engaging experience along the way.

“Through working with the employers who trust us with developing their people and taking the time to understand what makes them tick, we will continue to support them with their transformation journeys.”

Byrne will assume overall leadership of both Whyy? divisions as the chief executive officer.

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Tony Walsh has been appointed a non-executive director at Leeds-headquartered NIC Services Group.

John Spencer, group chairman, said: “We are thrilled to announce that we have further strengthened the NIC Board by appointing Tony Walsh as a non-executive director.

“Tony has held a number of very senior positions in both Barclays Bank and The Infrastructure Bank. His experience will be extremely valuable as we continue to grow our business both organically and through acquisitions.”

Walsh said: “I am pleased to be joining the dynamic Board of NIC Services Group as a non-executive director.

“NIC provide facilities management services throughout the UK and Europe into a wide variety of customer sectors.

“Growth has been excellent over recent years and the market before us gives scope to accelerate this even further through a mixture of organic and acquisition opportunities. Advocacy is first class. It is so refreshing to join a company with so much strength and vision.”

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Yorkshire geoenvironmental firm, Lithos Consulting, has appointed a new director to the board as the business continues to strengthen its presence in the region.

Adam Gombocz arrived 18 months ago and has been the technical lead on challenging geotechnical sites during his time at the firm. He joins the board as technical director.

He has 17 years’ geotechnical experience dealing with a wide range of projects associated with residential and commercial developments, rail, road, and quarries.

His previous roles include design consultancies large and small, as a regulator at Leeds City Council, and with the warranty provider, the National House Building Council (NHBC).

Gombocz said: “Lithos has just had its best year yet, having experienced a surge in demand following the pandemic.

“Our reputation for a quality service, plus robust and pragmatic advice means we are still very busy, and I’m looking forward to helping drive the business forward into its next phase of growth.

“A shortage of engineers in our sector means recruitment is challenging. However, our focus on training, development and looking after employees during this period of high inflation and energy prices, means our staff turnover remains very low.”

Reg Perrin, Lithos Consulting MD, added: “Adam is a huge asset to the business and to our clients. He is well respected and an acknowledged specialist in his field.

“While we continue to be the consultant of choice for most UK plc residential developers in the North, Adam has been instrumental in our expansion into new markets – including the new Next warehouse near Wakefield, which has created more than 400 jobs in the region.”

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The Institute of Directors has boosted its South Yorkshire team with the appointments of Rich Davies and Hilary Claire Frazer.

As ambassadors, the pair will support branch members to become better directors by providing connections, professional development and an influential lobbying voice.

Davies is business development manager at Highlander Computing Solutions. He previously worked for Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and became an elected member of the Chamber Council in 2018. He is passionate about supporting and contributing to the city.

Frazer is an organisation development director with extensive experience of transformation programmes and major change projects. She has worked for global companies in life sciences, financial and professional services, as well as  international non-profit organisations.

IoD branch chair, Victoria Clarke Brown, said: “We are an active and collaborative branch with plenty of events in the pipeline, from exclusive behind-the-scenes tours to our ever-popular annual IoD South Yorkshire dinner.

“We are on the lookout for more branch ambassadors who can help us build an even better community of directors in the county.”