Issue 26 | Page 112

APPOINTMENTS

TEES Business appointments

New recruits - Active ' s Louise Woods , Matt Grounds and Joanne Fisher .
Professor Steve Cummings , Teesside University Teesside University has appointed a new member to help shape its ambitious research agenda .
Professor Steve Cummings is to become the university ’ s pro vice-chancellor for research and innovation .
He will take over from Professor Simon Hodgson who has been in the position since 2015 and been instrumental in growing the university ’ s research activity and setting a clear strategic vision .
Professor Cummings is taking over at an exciting time as the university prepares to launch its new corporate strategy , Teesside 2025 , which provides a focus on delivering excellent research that enhances wellbeing , productivity and prosperity and shapes the research challenges of tomorrow .
The university ’ s research grand challenge themes have recently been redefined to focus on three core areas – forging a smarter , greener industrial economy , shaping the future of health , care , and wellbeing and creating vibrant , cohesive and resilient societies .
These themes are underpinned by eight bespoke , specialist research centres and Teesside is committed to utilising the impact of research to embed its position as a civic university and anchor institution , as well as contributing to national and global economic and societal recovery resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic .
Professor Cummings joined Teesside University in 2016 and has held several senior academic positions , most recently dean of the School of Health & Life Sciences , where he has led the development of a more innovative curriculum offer and nurtured the growth of research across multi-disciplinary base areas .
Louise Woods , Matt Grounds and Joanne Fisher , Active Chartered Financial Planners Active Chartered Financial Planners has expanded its growing team after a successful start to the year despite the economic restrictions caused by the pandemic .
The Stockton-based firm , which holds the highly coveted chartered status only held by a small proportion of financial planning firms , has grown in the wake of the pandemic and has added three key members of staff to its growing team .
The recruits are not just due to the business ’ s growth , but also to ensure that exceptional levels of customer service are maintained .
Joanne Fisher joins the team as its eighth chartered financial planner . She has 25 years ’ experience in the industry , beginning her career at Yorkshire Bank before moving to various other banks and IFA firms around the UK . Joanne is a highly skilled financial planner with particular specialisms in pensions , investments and estate planning .
Louise Woods and Matt Grounds strengthen the firm ’ s client support team , ensuring that clients continue to receive excellent service . Louise brings a wealth of customer service experience and Matt joins from another local financial planning firm . Louise Gilbey , razorblue North-East-headquartered managed IT service provider razorblue has appointed a well-known business development specialist to support its continued growth , meaning that the company has doubled its sales and marketing team in the last year alone .
Having seen 363 per cent growth over the last five years , and more than 25 per cent growth in headcount during the pandemic , razorblue has welcomed Louise Gilbey to the team as business development manager .
Louise is tasked with growing the
company ’ s impressive client base , which is currently made up of around 500 businesses across the UK .
She has built a strong reputation over the last few years , working for well-known companies and curating an impressive network .
Her role is focused on raising razorblue ’ s profile even further and building relationships with prospective clients . razorblue specialises in managed IT , security services , super-fast connectivity , cloud and hosting and business software solutions across a broad range of industries .
The firm continues to grow and has several live vacancies open . See more at razorblue . com / careers .
112 | Tees Business