Appointments: Andrew Jackson; Orchid Medicare; Calbee UK; Xeros

LAW firm Andrew Jackson has promoted Charlotte O’Connor, Rachel Joyce, Grace Howell and Harry Mills to trainee solicitors.

The former paralegals will start their training contracts with their current departments: Ms O’Connor remains with employment, Ms Joyce will continue to assist litigation and dispute resolution while Ms Howell resumes her corporate law experience.

Mr Mills will remain in the property team.

Mark Pearson-Kendall, managing partner at Andrew Jackson, said: “I am delighted to see the Andrew Jackson team grow, allowing us to build on our range of services and to ensure that we continue to offer our clients legal solutions that offer real support and value.”

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HULL-based Orchid Medicare, which manufactures healthcare products for care homes, nursing homes, community stores and hospitals, has appointed Steve Whitehall to head up the business as it embarks on a major programme of expansion.

He has joined Orchid as clinical business development Manager, after being moving and handling co-ordinator for three years with the 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust in the North West. A qualified physiotherapist, he has spent 15 years working in the moving and handling sector, in community care and mental healthcare.

He said: “I’m very excited about heading up Orchid Medicare’s operations because of the plans for expansion and because I know that the design of Orchid’s products, the materials used and the way the products are manufactured is very good.

“Following a substantial investment by the parent company, Kintech, Orchid Medicare will be launching new products, further developing existing ranges and also establishing a network of distributors throughout Britain, so we would be pleased to hear from any distributors who would like to become involved.”

Mr Whitehall is a former professional footballer – he was Rochdale’s leading goal scorer for five seasons in a row from 1991 and also played for Mansfield Town, Oldham Athletic and Chester City before hanging up his boots in 2001.

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CALBEE UK has added to its leadership team with the appointment of Michael Brown as technical controller, who will use his skills and experience to further develop the company’s market leading manufacturing strategy and facilities. 

With more than 20 years’ experience in the FMCG industry, ten of which were spent working for one of the largest British snack producers, he has joined the Calbee UK team with knowledge in relation to food standards, safety and quality.

He said: “I am excited about being a part of a company which not only has plans to develop a portfolio of innovative snacks, but that has an ambitious team who are focused on using this to become a leading player within the market.”

Calbee UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Calbee Inc, Japan’s largest manufacturer of savoury snacks. The launch of the UK business has been supported by a £10m investment with a seven figure contribution from the Welsh Government.

Headquartered in Leeds, with a production facility in Deeside, Wales, Calbee UK has ambitious targets to achieve sales of £65m within the next five years.

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XEROS, the group which uses polymer bead technology to dramatically cut water and energy use in commercial laundry, has appointed Vikrant Pratap as global director of leather technologies.

Following a successful early career with Lehman Brothers and McKinsey in New York and London, Mr Pratap worked with Coller Capital, a global investor in and acquirer of private equity portfolios. Most recently he has been advising start-up and global scale companies on business development and growth.

He will lead the implementation of the group’s strategy in leather processing, a global industry seeking solutions to the challenges of high water consumption and effluent management. 

Mark Nichols, chief executive of Xeros, said: “I am delighted that Vik is joining Xeros as the leader of our leather team, and look forward to working with him.

“With his significant expertise in developing both start-ups and global businesses, Vik will drive forward our strategy of progressing quickly from field trials to commercialisation in this hugely exciting industry.”