People: Lichfields; Present Works; Wilbest Precision Engineering; and more

Leeds planning and development consultancy, Lichfields, has appointed Emma Gomersal as associate director, marking a strategic move to bolster its operations and elevate client services.

She is based at the company’s St Paul’s Street office, leaving her previous role as assistant director at Deloitte Real Estate.

She will be working alongside a 15-strong team of planning and development specialists.

Gomersal brings 15 years’ experience to the role with expertise advising on residential planning working for a mix of developers and major landowners across Yorkshire.

At Leeds, she will focus on strategic planning, housing and commercial development alongside progressing business development initiatives.

Chris Darley, senior director and head of the Leeds office, said: “Emma will be a major asset to the Leeds office, which saw a strong performance across all areas of operation last year.

“With the opportunities presented by the Government’s new planning reforms, we are committed to assisting our clients in realising their growth ambitions.

“Emma’s addition will strengthen our team, extend our client reach, and enhance our ability to service a pipeline of existing and upcoming projects.”

Gomersal added: “I’m really looking forward to taking my career to another level and working with the team on new opportunities.

“We are involved in some fantastic high-profile projects and exciting schemes, which show the added value, insight and experience we bring to client services.”

:::

Leeds-based marketing agency, Present Works, has expanded its team with three key hires.

It coincides with founders, Brett Jacob and Peter Lowes, moving into chairman and MD roles respectively, forming part of the firm’s strategy to strengthen the team as its client base expands.

New performance director, Carlo Ruggiero, formerly of Whisky Partners, ClicksPay and Jet2, has extensive analytical experience across agency and in-house, and will oversee the development of the company’s performance marketing proposition.

Laura Greenhalgh, copywriter, who has joined from Brawl Agency, will tap into her background in creating strong, multi-format content for B2B and B2C clients to produce high-quality copy across the agency’s client base.

And new account executive, Steffi Luker Edwards, who has worked for Eversheds Sutherland, Anthropologie and Sweaty Betty, will form a key point of liaison between clients and internal teams.

Lowes said: “Our new clients are all underpinned by ambition and ready to enter an exciting period of growth, which are the perfect fit for our approach.

“Our ethos is ‘B2B marketing done properly’, which sees us challenge the mediocre and mundane with content that’s new, exciting and tasteful.

“By linking audience-facing messaging and branding with a robust performance proposition, we give all of our clients, whatever their industry, the means to evolve and thrive.”

Managing director, Lowes will oversee the day-to-day running of the business and its growth plans, using his writing background to ensure a content-led approach remains at the core of the business.

In his new role as chairman, having steered the business through its first five years of growth, Jacob will continue to oversee new business activity, take the lead on business initiatives, and support Lowes and the wider team in the continued growth of the company.

Jacob added: “With Present Works, we have built what we set out to achieve in 2018 by focusing on creative and content-led marketing, and creating a culture centered on trust and mutual respect.

“We wanted to make a difference for B2B businesses of all sizes, redefining the way they look, feel, and communicate with their audiences – delivering results, but also creating a sense of pride for our clients.

“The strong and trusting relationships we’ve built with our partners over the years are testament to this.”

:::

Wilbest Precision Engineering, a CNC engineering company based in Huddersfield, has unveiled a leadership transition and a strategic rebranding initiative.

James Davies, an experienced professional with over seven years of service at the business, has been appointed as new general manager.

Davies,  who initially joined as a quality manager, has showcased a keen understanding  of the company’s operations and an unwavering commitment to maintaining high quality standards.

He said: “I am honoured to take on the role of general manager at Wilbest Precision Engineering. 

“Having been a part of this incredible team for over seven years, I am excited about the  opportunities that lie ahead as we continue to deliver top-notch precision engineering  services to our clients.”

In conjunction with this change in leadership, the company has revealed a refreshed corporate identity.

The updated branding, featuring a redesigned  logo, symbolises the company’s evolution and dedication to remaining at the forefront of the industry and is complemented by the launch of a new website.

Sophia Davies, commercial manager, said: “We are thrilled to unveil Wilbest’s renewed branding and website, the first steps in our strategic plan to propel the  company forward.

“Our new brand and website will provide our customers with a more seamless and engaging experience, and we look forward to continuing to serve them with the same dedication and excellence they have come to expect from us.”

:::

Wetherby-based life sciences business, Avacta Group, has confirmed that Christina Coughlin will take on the role of head of research and development.

She will oversee all clinical development and pre-clinical research activities of the company’s Therapeutics Division.

Coughlin has served as a non-executive director of Avacta Group plc since March 2022 and has recently acted as consultant medical adviser to the Therapeutics Division.

She trained as an oncologist and immunologist and has been pivotal in driving the clinical development strategy for AVA6000, Avacta’s lead pre|CISION™ tumour targeted therapy, and the broader drug pipeline strategy at the company.

She will take up the permanent post of head of research and development on 1 February, responsible for all pre-clinical research and clinical development activities and pipeline strategy.

Coughlin will remain on the Avacta Board as an executive director.

Her early career began in large pharmaceutical companies including Wyeth, Pfizer and Novartis.

Since then she has held several senior leadership roles in biotech companies including Immunocore, Tmunity and Rubius where she was chief medical officer, leading clinical development, translational medicine and regulatory efforts across the pipelines of those companies.

Most recently she served as the chief executive officer of Cytolmmune Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel cancer immunotherapy products.

Avacta also says that Dr Fiona McLaughlin will step down as chief scientific officer of the Therapeutics Division after three years in the role. She will continue to work with the company through a transitionary period.

Dr Alastair Smith, chief executive of the group, said: “I’m pleased that Chris will assume the full-time role of head of research and development.

“She brings deep oncology research and development expertise combined with trans-Atlantic C-level experience from which the entire business will benefit as we evolve from a research organisation to one led by a strong clinical focus.

“The Board and I would like to thank Fiona for her outstanding contribution over the past few years.

“She has added significant value to the therapeutic programmes and played a key role in building the Therapeutic Division’s operations. We all wish her the very best in her future endeavours.”

Coughlin added: “I have dedicated my career to leading the development of transformative and novel therapies for the treatment of patients with cancer.

“The pipeline of cancer therapies at Avacta represents the next frontier in oncology innovation and includes the potential to help patients across multiple diseases, leveraging the tumour microenvironment as a target.

“I am thrilled to join the team during such a pivotal time for the company as we move our game-changing pipeline forward for the benefit of patients.”