People: Associated British Ports; Pure Energy Music; Avison Young UK; and more

Associated British Ports (ABP) has welcomed Tim Hathaway as head of continuous improvement, initially for the Humber region.

He has a background in port operations, logistics, and continuous improvement nationally and internationally.

He has worked at the Southampton Container Terminal (now DP World) and has since progressed his career with senior roles in several countries, resulting in multiple improvement initiatives across the port sector.

Andrew Dawes, director of the Humber ports, said: “Tim is the ideal person to help us achieve our goals and to deliver the next five-year business strategy.

“Initially Tim will join the Humber Leadership Team reporting to me and focus his time initially on the Humber before taking on a wider role to help all ABP regions with their Continuous Improvement journey.”

Hathaway said: “For me I am keen to meet those who do their daily jobs as they know their job the best.

“Organisations have lots of ways of working and lots of ways of frustrating people, so it is about unstitching everything and looking at the way we work, which is often about innovative ideas for solving problems, which increases productivity and give our customers a better service.

“There are some exciting opportunities coming up in green energy, and I think we have learning to do as we transition from fossil fuel to the new fuels.

“It will create unfamiliar problems and challenges, and some may take months or years to fix. We will be looking at what needs to be done and how it delivers our company strategy.”

Hathaway, who is based in the Humber region, was part of ABP’s extended family for five years at the Southampton Container Terminal before working for APM Terminals in Africa and the Middle East.

He then went to Hong Kong, before working in Oman for several years at the Port of Salalah, leading its transformation to becoming recognised as the best port in the Middle East.

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Pure Energy Music, a music service for the fitness industry, has appointed Ivan Stevenson as non-executive chairman.

With a wealth of experience in scaling technology-driven businesses, Stevenson brings unparalleled expertise in growth strategy, sales expansion, and digital transformation.

Having previously played a key role at Xplor, he has extensive knowledge of the fitness and technology landscape, including scaling and successfully selling businesses in the space.

Stevenson said: “I’m incredibly excited to join Pure Energy Music at such a dynamic stage in its journey.

“The team’s passion for innovation, their deep understanding of the fitness industry, and their ambitious growth plans make this a truly exciting opportunity.

“Having spent years working at the intersection of fitness and technology, I see huge potential for Pure Energy Music to further disrupt the space and drive real value for fitness professionals.

“I look forward to working with the team to scale the business, expand our reach, and continue delivering cutting-edge music solutions that empower the fitness industry.”

Andy Pickles, CEO, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Ivan Stevenson as non-executive chairman.

“His deep understanding of technology, sales growth, and the fitness industry, combined with his experience at a billion-dollar company, make him the perfect leader to guide our next phase of expansion.

“Ivan’s strategic mindset, industry expertise, and ability to scale businesses will be invaluable as we continue to grow.

“From the moment we met, it was clear that he shared our passion and vision for the future of Pure Energy Music, and we’re excited to have him on board.”

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Paul Herrington

Global real estate firm, Avison Young UK, has made 43 senior promotions across the business to associate director and director levels.

In Leeds, two of the team have been promoted to director. These include: Paul Herrington as director – Building and Project Consultancy and James Millson as director – REFIM.

Nick Walkley, principal and UK president at Avison Young UK, said: “I look forward to working closely with this highly skilled cohort of new senior leaders, who exemplify our values and will continue driving forward our vision.

“Highlighting professional excellence and dedication to our collaborative company culture, these accomplishments showcase our belief in creating positive impact.

James Millson

“Underlining the wealth of internal talent at Avison Young, these promotions display the diverse expertise and experience our teams offer.

“We continue to invest in our people, supporting current and future leaders within the business.”

Stephen Cowperthwaite, principal and managing director, regions and Liverpool at Avison Young UK, added: “Regional investment is key to Avison Young’s growth strategy for 2025 and beyond, our local market experts are vital in achieving this goal.

“These promotions will help deliver real growth and net benefit to our towns, cities and communities across the UK.”

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Bradford-headquartered Advanced Supply Chain (ASC), part of Reconomy, has expanded its strategic customer account team with the senior appointment of Karen Gibson, as it continues to invest in supporting retailers to optimise supply chains.

With over 30 years’ logistics experience, Gibson joins ASC as key account director and will be responsible for managing customer relationships with large volume retailers and consumer brands.

This will involve the development of pan-European supply chain solutions that enable UK-based businesses to grow sales across the continent through ASC’s European operating facility in Germany.

Gibson joins from Asda ToYou, where she led the Client and Commercial team for 1o years.

She helped develop the company’s Pick Up and Drop Off (PUDO) parcel service as the fastest-growing service of its kind in the UK, establishing a client base of more than 150 brands and introducing many PUDO industry-firsts.

She also played a key role in the creation of Asda’s “George Take Back” scheme, which allows consumers to trade old clothes and textiles for discounts on new purchases, while promoting recycling and circularity.

Prior to Asda ToYou, she worked in senior roles with UPS Supply Chain and Yodel.

Andrew Hill, commercial director at ASC, said: “Karen has an impressive track record of scoping and developing innovative supply chain services that anticipate market trends and create new commercial opportunities.

“Her experience of establishing partnerships with leading brands and ability to balance the need for supply chain speed and security of delivery, with cost-effective, flexible operations, will prove extremely valuable to our customers.

“The large retailers and consumer brands we partner with are prioritising supply chain operations as part of core strategies for strengthening shopper satisfaction and brand loyalty, protecting margins and transitioning to a circular economy.

“Highly experienced professionals like Karen can work closely with customers to properly understand these opportunities and challenges, and can draw on insights and group-wide resources to deliver value-adding solutions.”

Gibson’s appointment follows the recent hire of key account manager Jacqui Reed, who joined ASC from DHL Supply Chain in New Zealand.

Gibson said: “ASC is well-known for its dynamic, agile and creative services, and these are crucial to helping retailers navigate a fast-changing landscape.

“Being part of this as companies increasingly look for innovative solutions to be more efficient, sustainable and circular, was too good an opportunity to turn down.

“The key account director role allows plenty of scope for me to utilise my outbound and reverse logistics experience, and to connect with specialisms throughout Reconomy, which will enable ASC’s customers to maximise the value of their supply chains.”