People: Caddick Group; Northern; Eurostar Commodities; and more

Wetherby-headquartered Caddick Group has appointed Simon Coulson as chief information officer.

His position will see him design and oversee information and computing across both Caddick Construction Group and Caddick Developments, ensuring that systems are smooth, operationally effective and future-proofed for growth.

The new role is the latest in a line of senior appointments for Caddick to ensure its sustainable growth is managed in terms of IT systems, sustainability, commercial performance and supply chain management.

Coulson joins after 20 years as an IT consultant working on a number of high profile projects for the construction and financial sectors.

His remit will see him scrutinise IT and CRM systems to ensure they perform in-line with business and client needs.

He said: “As a business grows, it evolves. To make sure this change is smooth, all IT systems need to adapt with expansion.

“At the same time, systems need to be forward-looking and joined up; in the case of Caddick, the group operates across multiple regions with Caddick Construction also delivering some of Caddick Developments’ project pipeline.

“Ensuring teams in different locations and different disciplines have a consistent experience with a highly functional IT system is fundamental to their success.”

Paul Dodsworth, Caddick Construction Group managing director, added: “In our pursuit of sustainable growth, it’s important we attract the best talent to our business.

“Before we grow, we need to ensure all of our business functions are fit for purpose. This means questioning how we do things, and ensuring that we’re giving our people and clients the very best tools to succeed.

“Embracing technology in construction is becoming increasingly important, particularly with the use of AI, and its business critical that we keep pace with this change, for the future success of our business.”

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Northern has appointed Matt Rice as its new chief operating officer.

Rice, who lives in York, is currently a route director at Network Rail and is set to join the train operator later in the spring.

He will succeed Tricia Williams, the outgoing chief operating officer, who was confirmed as Northern’s new managing director in August 2023 and will step into the managing director role when Nick Donovan leaves in the spring.

A graduate of Aberystwyth University, Rice joined Network Rail as a management trainee and has gone on to hold a diverse range of roles spanning the intricacies of the UK railway system.

After a period with railways in the Middle East, he returned to the UK, where in 2019 he was appointed as route director for the north and east route of Network Rail.

Williams, incoming managing director, said: “Matt has extensive knowledge of the UK rail network and a clear understanding of the size and scope of our operation.

“What also became clear during the recruitment process was his steadfast commitment to understanding and enhancing the colleague experience for the teams he has led, recognising its importance and impact on the quality of service delivered.”

Rice will lead all Northern service and engineering functions across the North of England, with the objective of delivering a stable and reliable service for customers.

He said: “I am really looking forward to joining the team at Northern and working with Tricia and colleagues across the region to deliver for our customers.

“I have spent my career focused on making things better and I am committed to fostering a positive workplace culture for all and delivering great rail services for people across the North of England.”

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Brighouse-based based ingredients experts, Eurostar Commodities, has appointed Jason Bull as managing director.

He has worked in the business for over 23 years and has been instrumental in tripling the size of the firm to a £15m turnover business operating across the globe and with the UK’s most well-known food brands.

Founder, and father to Jason, Phillip Bull, who established the company in 1994 will become chairman.

The business has also made senior appointments to international logistics, purchasing, marketing and sales roles, bolstering the team to 23 people in the UK, with a large network of global partners.

Jason Bull has pioneered the company’s technical development making new products, brands and creating a Gluten Free Chapati flour range.

Sales of the range have more than doubled compared to the same period as last year (2022 – 2023).

He has also shaped global infrastructure, enabling Eurostar’s global network of food producers to supply Britain’s leading brands.

He has spearheaded the companies’ role as an Export Trade Champion for the Government’s Department of Business and Trade, and launched the UK’s first Clean Label production facility.

Jason Bull said: “I am excited to be leading the business into this next chapter. We have achieved successful growth, beyond our highest expectations in a challenging global economy and have ambitious plans for continued growth, product development and international supply of high-quality foods.

“I am most proud of our market leading share in the sushi rice category and the development of our high-quality gluten free flours which have revolutionised the market.

“We have a fantastic team who are the best in the business and together we deliver a significant and consistent service to the UK food industry.”

His initial plans for 2024 include expansion into a triple-sized factory facility; increased capacity in purchasing and logistics; several new food brands; increased gluten free product development; and creation of new consumer brands in emerging farming sectors for sustainability.

He is also targeting an increased presence in UK, Northern European and Middle Eastern retail and foodservice as well as physical expansion into Europe.

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AW Hainsworth, a 240-year-old fabric manufacturer and woollen mill in Pudsey, has hired three textile graduates.

Angela Augusto, Rachael Frame, and Polly Armond are the newest additions to the Hainsworth team and part of the company’s future of textile expertise.

Augusto and Frame have joined as technical and innovation managers, responsible for driving innovation, product development and continuous improvement.

They have recently graduated with a Masters in Textile Science from the University of Leeds and are already applying that knowledge at the mill.

Armond is a design and development manager joining the Replin team to create bespoke fabric designs for aviation and rail.

She studied textiles at Manchester Metropolitan University, specialising in weaving, and is already contributing to key projects as part of the design team.

AW Hainsworth is investing significantly in UK textile innovation – ensuring continuous quality, skills and sustainability improvement to secure the firm’s future as an innovator in fabric development.

As part of this, the company completed development of a UKAS-accredited, state-of-the-art laboratory in 2022 which includes a range of advanced instruments and machinery to enhance in-house testing abilities.

Amanda McLaren, managing director, said: “We are so pleased that Angela, Rachael and Polly have chosen to join us and are excited to leverage the knowledge they all bring to their roles.

“All three talented graduates have settled into life at the mill seamlessly, and we are excited to see what their careers at AW Hainsworth will bring.

“It’s no secret that there’s a huge skills gap to fill in the UK textile industry, largely due to a shift away from creative education in schools and lack of new people joining the workforce.

“That’s why it’s essential that we hire and develop apprentices and graduates with a passion for the industry and hunger to learn.”