April 2021 has been a month of flux, with SoGlos focusing on some of the most interesting business appointments in Gloucestershire, in its monthly Business series.
From changes at the top of Superdry to three news faces at Evans Jones…
Peter Sjölander – Superdry
It is a sign of just how significant Superdry now is as an international fashion brand, that its new chairman Peter Sjölander was top man at global brand Helly Hansen and held senior positions at Nike.
From 2007 to 2015, Peter Sjölander was chief executive officer of Helly Hansen, leading the transition from a business focused on Scandinavian markets to a globally recognised brand.
Superdry founder, Julian Dunkerton, describes the new Superdry chairman as a ‘true digitally-focused brand leader’. He is also the man to replace Peter Williams, who is stepping down from his role at the Cheltenham headquartered fashion label.
Of the outgoing Mr Williams, Mr Dunkerton said: ‘I’m extremely grateful to him for all he’s done for the business.’
Mr Sjölander sees his role as restoring Superdry ‘to its rightful position as a leading global brand’.
Paul Lanigan, Chris Whittingham and Paul Rose – Blackfinch
At Gloucester-headquartered wealth management firm Blackfinch there has been a trio of appointments.
Paul Lanigan has been named as the new distribution strategy director at the business, which can now claim to have more than £500 million in assets under management and administration.
Mr Lanigan’s role will be developing the firm’s presence in the capital markets, which includes pension funds, family offices, banks and institutional investment.
Blackfinch’s team has also gained two business development managers, Chris Whittingham and Paul Rose. Both join the Brockworth business from Heartwood Investment Management, and will work to promote both Blackfinch Investment and Blackfinch Asset Management products and services.
With more than 40 years of experience working in the intermediary sector, including more than 30 years with the Zurich Intermediary Group, Chris will operate predominantly in the south east, helping local advisers to bring ‘new and different solutions’ to their clients.
Katie Moylan – BPE
At BPE Solicitors Katie Moylan has become a senior associate at the Cheltenham practice.
With the Gloucestershire legal firm since 2019, Moylan’s ‘technical knowledge across both residential conveyancing and commercial property transactions has proved invaluable to her clients throughout the coronavirus pandemic’, according to the firm.
BPE’s property team now boasts six senior associates. With Jo Bewley, BPE’s head of property services, calling her appointment ‘extremely well deserved’.
Emily Pugh, Adam White, Mark Campbell and Mike Dodge – Evans Jones
Evans Jones said it has made one key promotion and three new appointments in line with future plans as the UK-wide firm of property and planning consultants looks to grow.
David Jones, managing director, said: ‘We have ambitious plans for the next five years – we plan to build and strengthen our team and have made some key appointments and promotions in line with this strategy.’
‘As managing director, I will be leading the business through our growth and expansion plans, whilst Mark Campbell (pictured centre right) will step up to the role of head of planning.
‘We also welcome to the team new appointments – Adam White (pictured top right) as principal planner, Emily Pugh (pictured) as planner and Mike Dodge (pictured bottom right) as senior quantity surveyor.’
Mr White and Ms Pugh bring ‘a wealth of planning experience from both local authority and private practice’ and Mr Dodge eight years’ experience of quantity surveying and working on large construction projects.
A key part of our strategy is to increase the firm’s presence in its geographic areas of the south west, London and Thames Valley.
Matt Bell – Hartpury University
Agri-tech expert Matt Bell has been appointed the first-ever professor and director of agriculture at Hartpury University to help drive impactful research and innovation, connecting commercial farming activities with student experience.
Professor Bell will help integrate Hartpury’s farming initiatives with research and teaching – including Hartpury’s commercial farm, Agri-Tech Centre and planned Digital Innovation Farm.
The university’s award-winning farm already supplies produce to M&S, Muller, Glencore and Frontier, and Agri-Tech Centre.
Its aim is to connects local farmers with digital technologies and data, play a central role in connecting students with innovative real-world practice.
By 2030, the Government-supported Digital Innovation Farm will make Hartpury home to the National Centre for Agricultural Data Management and Interpretation.
Luis Carlos Dias Rodrigues – Avon Metals
At Queen’s Award-winning Avon Metals in Gloucester boss Steve Munnoch said he was ‘delighted’ to announce that Luis Carlos Dias Rodrigues had joined the firm as its new laboratory manager.
Mr Rodrigues joins the Bristol Road operation after a successful 14 year period at Special Metals Wiggin and as Avon Metals enters ‘an exciting period of growth’.
Nathan Scott – SmartSurvey
Tewkesbury based tech firm, SmartSurvey, has further expanded and strengthened its operations with the appointment of Nathan Scott.
Mr Scott is its new customer support team leader, a brand-new role which will see him aim to grow and lead the firm’s customer and technical support teams.
This latest development follows a strong end to the financial year for the company, which saw it achieve its best revenue month ever, along with its highest number of registrations and sales.
Mo Naser, SmartSurvey’s chief executive officer said the appointment fitted with an overall strategy of ‘a more customer centric business’.
Other appointments in Gloucestershire
Adrian Bratt has become the CBI’s South West Regional Council. Mr Bratt, of Plymouth-based Princess Yachts, will be chairman of the powerful business voice for the next two years. The former Royal Navy officer takes over from Pennon chief executive Susan Davy, who held the role since 2018.
And at the Royal Agricultural University there have been a number of independent governor appointments, with Neil Scott joining as chair of finance and estates committee.
Mr Scott has held senior positions at the University of Hull, Wyevale Garden Centres, Marstons and Ford Motor Company.
Susan Steer, also one of the first three ladies to be admitted to The Royal Agricultural College (now University) to read Rural Estate Management in 1979, returns as another independent Governor.
Dame Fiona Claire Merrill also joins as the Cirencester university as an independent governor.
Do you have an appointment you want featured? Email: Andrew Merrell
