People: Ecology Building Society; Harrison Bathrooms; Sheffield Hallam; and more

Paul Ellis is planning to step down after 40 years of involvement at pioneering ethical mutual, Ecology Building Society, 26 of which as chief executive officer making him the longest serving CEO in the sector.

Over that time, he has overseen an increase in assets from £18m to £226m at the end of 2020.

With its strongest pipeline of lending ever, the Society is experiencing a strong interest in its sustainable lending solutions and is well-placed to support efforts to deliver a green recovery as the Government prioritises efforts to tackle the climate and ecological emergency in the run-up to COP26.

The Society has begun the recruitment process for a new chief executive and Ellis is expected to remain in post until 2022 to support the handover process.

Ellis said: “I have had the great good fortune to work for an organisation whose principles and reason for being I passionately support.

“Indeed, with Ecology I have had the opportunity to demonstrate how balance sheet dynamics can be constructed in order to pursue the provision of sustainable finance.

“Nothing would have been possible without our members and wider stakeholders in the green building community, and I am proud to have met so many passionate people and experienced so many exciting projects.

“I will be leaving Ecology with fantastic memories to continue the fight for a sustainable future through other means.”

Steve Round, chairman of Ecology’s Board said: “I would like to thank Paul for his extraordinary contributions to both the development of the Society, as a member, then director and latterly CEO as well as the wider values-based banking, social and environmental finance, and green building community.

“Throughout that time his unwavering commitment to our founding members’ vision of applying ecological principles to finance to deliver a sustainable future has guided the Society from its early pioneering activity to our current position as a leading exponent of green finance.

“I am delighted Paul will be remaining with the Society to support the handover process with his successor.”

:::

Retailer and distributor, Harrison Bathrooms, has appointed a new retail sales director to help drive awareness of its Scudo brand nationwide, along with assisting with the company’s ambitious growth plans.

Martin Voisey joins with 28 years’ experience in the bathroom industry, having previously worked for some of the biggest companies in the marketplace, including Triton Showers, Heritage Bathrooms, Jaquar and Vado.

His most recent role at Vado saw him help to position the business as one of the leading brassware brands by driving business through an independent retailer network, as well as establishing Vado within all the merchant buying groups.

As part of his new role, his main objective is to use his specialist knowledge and industry expertise to take Harrison Bathrooms’ Scudo range to the next level, with the help of the existing sales team.

This will involve growing current contracts, as well as identifying and securing new dealers, in order to build on the awareness of the Scudo brand nationwide.

Voisey said: “Having the opportunity to help drive forward the Scudo brand in the UK, as well as playing a part in the overall growth of Harrison Bathrooms, is a really exciting prospect.

“With more than two decades of experience working in the bathroom sector, I’m dedicated to not only making the most of existing client relationships, but also identifying opportunities to bring some of the biggest, best bathroom ranges to new customers across the UK.

Shaun Corcoran, commercial director, said: “We’re really pleased to have Martin join the Harrison Bathrooms team.

“His expertise is undeniable, and we feel he’s a perfect fit for the business, in terms of helping to drive it forward and position Scudo as a go-to brand nationally.

“I look forward to working with him to capitalise on existing client relationships, as well as forming valuable affiliations with new customers.”

:::

A former senior civil servant and the founder of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre are among seven new members appointed to Sheffield Hallam University’s Board of Governors.

Gabrielle Berring is a former director of Real Estate at Metro Bank PLC and former head of function at Lloyds Banking Group.

Her most recent role was the director of loans at Homes England where she led a team of 65 in the Investment Directorate.

Ian Hall has been head of membership at Advance HE since April 2016. As part of this role, he acts as relationship manager with 60 higher education institutions in 20 different countries, working with senior stakeholders and managing strategic partnerships.

Sameer Kothari has been the CEO of Zilico Limited, a medical device technology company developing cancer diagnostics, since 2007.

Kothari is a founding council member of the Bessemer Society which is a forum of business leaders who are committed to creating new companies based on technological innovation in the fields of science and technology.

Dr Matt Lilley is currently CEO Africa at Prudential PLC, a role he has held since 2014.

He was responsible for building and managing Prudential’s insurance operations across eight countries. Prior to this he worked as an investment analyst at Sanford Bernstein & Lehman Brothers.

Professor Keith Ridgway is the founder of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield and was its executive dean from 2000-2019.

He also established the AMRC Training Centre and led the expansion of the AMRC establishing new centres in North Wales and Preston.

Giles Searby has 27 years’ experience as a solicitor working in London and Sheffield.

His current role is commercial litigation director at BRM Solicitors. He held a number of roles with the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and has held the role of board trustee at Sheffield Theatres for the last seven years.

Jonathan Slater is a former permanent secretary in the Department of Education. He has advised ministers of all three of England’s major political parties, in No 10, the Cabinet Office, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence.

University secretary, Michaela Boryslawskyj, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the new members to our Board of Governors who will bring a wealth of experience to the university.

“We are looking forward to working closely with them and utilising their invaluable knowledge and insight to help shape the future of our university and continue to transform our students’ lives.”

:::

Nick Emmerson has won the Law Society of England and Wales 2021 election for deputy vice president.

He takes office on 14 October 2021 – becoming vice president in 2022 and president in 2023.

Emmerson has been a Law Society council member since 2015 as the constituency member for Leeds. He also sits on the Law Society’s board and audit committee.

He is a partner and head of capital markets at Lewis Mathys Emmerson LLP specialising in cross-border mergers and acquisitions as well as international capital markets transactions.

“I want to support our members to meet those challenges, whilst also ensuring the profession maintains its prominence regionally, nationally and internationally.

“As the Law Society approaches its bicentennial, I want solicitors to know what their Law Society does for them.”