A round-up of new appointments from around the Wear business scene …
Send us your new appointments to info @ wear . business develop sustainable sector and business strategies , was appointed following a rigorous recruitment process to replace outgoing chair Rob Lawson OBE .
Having began his career in the military , he has since enjoyed a varied career spanning sport , tourism , science and enterprise , and has a keen focus on sustainability both in his current executive role and in his capacity as non-executive chair of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority and nonexecutive advisor to Scottish Forestry .
James is also a member of the audit and governance committee of the Tees Valley Combined Authority .
JEMMA EBDON , BHP LAW One of the North-East ’ s longest-established law firms has strengthened its team by appointing a new partner from within its ranks .
Jemma Ebdon becomes the 11th partner at BHP Law , which has offices in Durham , Newcastle , Darlington , Teesside and Tynemouth .
Jemma , who grew up in Newton Aycliffe , started her career in the legal sector when she took a Saturday job with another law firm when she was 16 . She progressed to become office junior before moving to another company as a secretary .
She joined BHP Law in 2010 as personal assistant to senior partner Peter Blackett , and took an opportunity to join the conveyancing team as a secretary two years later .
Jemma then committed to a five-year training programme to become a licensed conveyancer , studying in her own time , while BHP Law funded the course .
That led to her becoming licensed under the Council of Licensed Conveyancers , making her a fully-fledged property lawyer , and rising to become team leader of the 18-strong conveyancing department .
Jemma has also had to juggle her impressive professional development with being a mum to Odin , three , and one-yearold Molly .
FAROOQ HAKIM , UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND A former student and successful businessman is set to take up a new role as chair of the board of governors at the University of Sunderland .
Farooq Hakim will start his new role on August 1 this year following the retirement of current chair , John Mowbray .
Farooq ’ s connections with the university date back four decades and today he told how he was “ passionately ” looking forward to taking up the position .
The incoming chair graduated as a student in 1990 with a degree in Business Computing .
He would later go on to become a visiting lecturer for more than 10 years , teaching on a wide range of programmes .
Farooq has been a member of the university ’ s governing board for the past seven years .
He also supported local business through his non-executive roles at the North East Chamber of Commerce ( NECC ) and North East Local Economic Partnership ( NELEP ), as well as being a director at Altruism , a SAFC Foundation company .
In 2018 , Farooq was named the North East Non-Exec of the Year and in 2021 / 22 he was made the High Sheriff of Tyne & Wear , and he was recently appointed as deputy lieutenant .
He has an Innovation Diploma from Imperial College London and graduated from Oxford University ( Pembroke College ) in 2014 with an MSc in Major Programme Management .
LEWIS ABBOTT AND ANGUS KIRKBRIDE , NOF NOF , the UK business development specialist for the energy sector , has expanded its team to support its growing membership and increased activity in energy transition by investing in future talent .
The Durham City-based national organisation has recruited two new team members - Lewis Abbott , who joins on an events administrator apprenticeship , and Angus Kirkbride who has been appointed Energi Coast marketing and events executive .
Working closely with events and project manager Kristie Leng , Lewis will help deliver NOF ’ s extensive calendar of inperson and virtual events and conferences , which encourage engagement between members , partners and key players from across the energy industry to form valuable connections and generate new business . Lewis , who is from Crook , County Durham , embarks on his apprenticeship after completing a BTEC in Business Studies at Bishop College .
JULIAN CARTER , SMART MEDIA GROUP A fast-growing outdoor business has made a senior hire as it continues its rapid expansion across the UK from its Wear base .
Smart Media Group , which includes Smart Outdoor – an out of home ( OOH ) digital media provider that has a sales network of 300 screens across the UK – has appointed Julian Carter as commercial director , responsible for its Smart Digital Network ( SDN ), as the group looks to build on the success of 2021 .
The Smart Digital Network comprises 50 large format digital assets in the north , as well as 250 digital screens across the UK , that are owned by a tri-partnership JV between Smart Outdoor , Inkspot Wi-Fi in Edinburgh and Hill House Investment Group .
Sunderland-based Smart Media Group , which reaches more than 5m consumers a week with its high-impact large-format smart screens across Scotland and the north of England , has created the new role to drive the growth of the digital network .
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