People: New Property Forum Chairman announced; Senior appointment at mechanical engineering firm; Managers recruited at housing association; and more
The Leeds Chamber Property Forum has welcomed the appointment of Tim Waring, Director at national planning and property consultancy Quod, as its new Chairman.
The forum is a special interest group within the West & North Yorkshire Chamber, bringing together private sector representation with the aim of contributing positively and effectively to the future growth and development of the Leeds Metropolitan District.
Waring takes over the post from Jeff Pearey, Lead Director – Yorkshire & North East at international property company JLL.
The Property Forum has been instrumental in setting out Chamber views on matters such as planning, transport investment, housing, Leeds Waterfront and public realm. It was highly vocal about the need to invest in Leeds Railway Station in order to provide the gateway the UK’s third largest city should be proud of. The forum also made the case for a single station to accommodate HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail into the existing station footprint.
Speaking of his appointment, Waring said: “I have been set a high bar by Jeff, and I am hopeful that I can continue Jeff’s good work. The role of the private sector is essential if we are to collectively deliver the inclusive and sustainable growth to meet the needs of current and future generations in the city.
“It is important, in my opinion, that we have a planning system that is responsive to changing economic trends and delivers the development and infrastructure needs of the city.
“It is key that a wide range of homes, employment space and infrastructure are delivered in the right place, with the best level of connectivity, so business can attract, recruit and retain from the widest available labour market. I am looking forward to working with stakeholders across the city region and beyond to continue driving Leeds forward.”
The appointment announcement was made at the quarterly property forum event, where the audience heard about proposals for the Leeds Innovation District from Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust.
The audience also heard from the Leeds Business Improvement District and its plans for the next five years.
Waring told the gathering that the Leeds Property Forum would set up a working group to put forward the business response to support Leeds City Council’s declaration of Climate Emergency. He encouraged interested property professionals to get involved by contacting the Chamber’s Leeds office.
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Mark Millar has been named as the new Business Development Director at Doncaster-based mechanical engineering firm, MechFS.
Millar, who has been with the company since 2017, has been promoted to the role after almost three years in post as regional director.
The Doncaster-resident’s new appointment sees him leading MechFS’s marketing, pre-construction and estimating, overseeing a team of 12.
He said: “I’m thrilled to have been promoted to Business Development Director. I’ve worked for MechFS for almost three years now and believe passionately in the company’s work and ethos.
“In my new role, I’ll be working closely with my team to identify strategic industry trends and engage with specific market leaders to ensure we’re ahead of our competitors.
“Equally, we’ll be engaging with our current clients and making sure we’re meeting their requirements and providing them with continued support.”
Based in Beckingham, Doncaster, MechFS employs 140 people across offices including locations in Sheffield, Birmingham and Leeds.
The family-run company announced its expansion into Europe this year, too, opening premises in Mannheim, Germany and creating a new firm – Mech FS GMBH.
Paul Sutherland, Chief Executive of MechFS, said: “Mark is a valued member of the team here, so we’re pleased to have appointed him as our business development director.
“As we complete our tenth year in business, I’m proud to say we continue to go from strength to strength. Mark’s promotion will further support this growth.”
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Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has announced the appointment of two senior managers and two apprentices.
After five years at the National Lottery Community Fund and with previous experience in housing and business development, Nas Hussain takes up a post as Community Partnerships and Investment Manager.
He will work with MHA partners and stakeholders to deliver neighbourhood improvements schemes in Bradford and Keighley.
Matthew Hayes joins as IT Manager and is tasked with co-ordinating the association’s revamped digital technology infrastructure. He arrives after almost a decade and a half of at one of the UK’s leading independent IT companies.
MHA has also recruited two new apprentices.
Aanish Rehman will be part of the finance team, working four days per week at the association’s Bradford head office as well as spending a day at college completing an Association of Accounting Technicians professional qualification.
And Avtar Dhesi will work with the MHA health & safety and compliance unit for four days each week, and study for a Business Administration NVQ Level 2 through City Training Services on day five.
MHA Chief Executive Lee Bloomfield explained that both senior recruits had been brought on board to implement newly agreed Board strategies. He said he was equally thrilled to welcome two new apprentices to the association’s ranks.
Bloomfield said: “Nas will help us deliver our new Community Investment Strategy which provides a framework for us to work with stakeholders to help local residents and build more resilient communities. It is designed to make best use of internal resources and attract external funding.
“Our ICT Strategy, which Matthew will oversee, serves as a guide to ensure our use of the best available technology is aligned to our corporate objectives whilst being secure, efficient and cost effective.
“We also wanted to recruit two young apprentices and give them an opportunity to gain experience and knowledge in highly-skilled and technical areas of the organisation.
“Aanish and Avtar have already fitted in extremely well at MHA. I have no doubt that their time with us will open doors to amazing careers.”
Barrington Billings, MHA Chair, said: “My Board colleagues and I are proud of both new strategies and delighted to have Nas and Matthew with us to help deliver them.
“Aanish and Avtar also come highly-recommended and are making positive impressions.
“We have first-rate standards at Manningham Housing Association. I know that our new staff members will enable us to reach even greater heights.”
Hussain, MHA Community Partnerships and Investment Manager, said: “The Community Investment Strategy is an exciting piece of work. I am very much looking forward to working with partners from the public, voluntary and private sectors to improve the lives of Bradford and Keighley residents.”
Hayes, MHA IT Manager, said: “A robust and forward-thinking ICT strategy is vitally important for organisations that wish to be successful in the modern world. Manningham Housing Association is clearly going places and I am excited to be on that journey.”
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Magtec, the Sheffield-based designer and manufacturer of electric vehicle drive systems, has appointed a UK Managing Director as global demand grows for its innovative products.
Andrew Gilligan has joined the company from David Brown Santasalo, an international producer of complex gearing systems for the defence, energy and rail sectors, where he was general manager.
He reports to Magtec founder and owner Marcus Jenkins, who will now focus on product innovation, new business development and the long-term strategic direction of the business.
Gilligan said: “I am delighted to be appointed as managing director of Magtec at a critical and exciting time for our business and the industry.
“Public opinion, business requirements and environmental bodies are driving evolution across all transportation sectors.
“We are witnessing an uncompromising swing from fossil fuel powered drive systems to electric.
“Magtec are perfectly positioned to meet the needs of these markets by rolling out class leading technology developed by the Magtec team over the past 20 years.
“Development of high performance batteries in recent years mean that Magtec can implement drive systems that outperform traditional fossil fuel drives and produce zero harmful emissions.
“This really is an exciting time to grow this Sheffield technology business into a global player.”
Gilligan is an aerospace engineer with a master’s degree in global supply chain management.
He started his career at Rolls-Royce and worked in control systems, transmissions, compressors and commercial areas during a decade at the world-renowned engineering group.
He went on to hold senior roles at David Brown and Schenck Process, a market leader in applied measuring technology, gaining significant international experience in establishing and running production and supply chain operations.
Jenkins said: “We are delighted to welcome Andrew to the Magtec team. Andrew has exceptional experience in delivering innovative, quality products on time to clients and driving growth in revenues, cash and earnings.
“He will play an important leadership role as Magtec moves from small production batches to large production volumes.”
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Holiday home manufacturer Victory Leisure Homes has appointed a new Sales Director as part of its ongoing expansion plans.
John Wigglesworth, who started at the Gilberdyke-based company earlier this month, brings more than 30 years’ experience to his new role.
The move follows a management restructure in April which saw former Managing Director Peter Nevitt become Chief Executive and Gary Corlyon, previously Director of Operations, promoted to Managing Director.
Other appointments have been made in the design and manufacturing teams as the company gears up for growth.
In his new position, Wigglesworth will be responsible for domestic sales of holiday homes and lodges. Nevitt continues in his current role of managing overseas sales.
Wigglesworth said there was a lot of potential for Victory Leisure Homes to gain market share by combining quality with innovation.
He said: “Victory is known for making high-quality holiday homes and lodges. Now, with significant investment being made in the senior management team, and in expanding the design and manufacturing teams, that quality will be combined with innovation in both design and functionality.
“We are looking to bring holiday homes and lodges right up to date with all the advancements that digital technology has to offer, to create the kind of leisure and holiday experience people dream of.”
He added the company’s excellent manufacturing facilities meant scaling up production for growth would not be a problem.
“Victory’s production lines are linear, meaning the whole operation makes for very efficient manufacturing,” he said. “This means the company already has space available to fulfil our growth plans. When you combine that with our vision for our new products, it’s clear Victory is looking forward to a prosperous future.”
Nevitt welcomed him to Victory Leisure Homes. He said: “John has a lot of experience in the caravan industry and I’m sure he’ll be a valuable addition to the team.
“We celebrated our 10th anniversary earlier this year and the new management structure is helping us to prepare for the next decade of successful trading.”
