Tees Business Tees Business Issue 20 | Page 110

110 | Tees Business TEES Business appointments All the successful apprentices have secured full-time employment as a result of their apprenticeship. Julie Danks, Stockton Council Stockton Council has formally appointed Julie Danks as its new managing director. Ms Danks, who has been interim MD since May, was appointed to the role at a meeting of the full council. She has served the council for more than 30 years, rising through the ranks since starting as an accounting technician in 1988. She became assistant director of finance in 1999, corporate director of resources in 2003 and deputy chief executive in 2016. Apprentices, Middlesbrough Council Career-minded young people in Middlesbrough have praised an apprenticeship scheme which has allowed them to progress on their chosen path. Middlesbrough Council’s Community Learning Service has seen its first cohort achieve the new Apprenticeship Standards designed to meet the needs of employers, providing the skills, knowledge and behaviours an apprentice will need to carry out all aspects of their job role. The group have been praised by Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston who offered “massive congratulations”. The occupations the apprentices have been successful in so far are customer service practitioner, business administrator and public service operational delivery officer. Steve Carpenter, Animmersion Animmersion has strengthened its management team with the appointment of Virtual Reality (VR) commercialisation specialist Steve Carpenter as business development director. Relocating to the North-East from Oxfordshire, Steve joins the immersive technology company to support its continued growth in UK and international markets. He brings a strong technology background to the role, complementing his extensive sales and marketing experience. His industry expertise will support the development of Animmersion’s market presence in sectors including offshore renewables, manufacturing, chemical process and utilities. Jessica Armstrong and Andrew Haley, Active Chartered Financial Planners Active Chartered Financial Planners is encouraging successful students to stay in the region by welcoming a new member to its client support team. Middlesbrough-based Jessica Armstrong has previously worked at EE as a customer service advisor, where she helped clients with a wide variety of complex issues, before making the switch to studying for a degree in Business Management at Teesside University Business School. Active has also expanded its team with the appointment of financial planner Andrew Haley. Andrew, whose family is originally from Teesside, has worked in financial services since 2011, as both a paraplanner and financial adviser. Solicitors and apprentices, Tilly Bailey and Irvine Solicitors The Tees Valley’s largest law firm has boosted its commercial property and residential conveyancing teams with a number of appointments. Tilly Bailey and Irvine Solicitors (TBI), which has offices in Hartlepool, Wynyard, Stockton and Barnard Castle, has employed a specialist commercial property solicitor and a paralegal alongside three business administration apprentices to meet the demands of a growing client base. Joining TBI’s commercial team based at its Wynyard Park office are solicitor Nicole Tanfield, who has gained considerable commercial property experience at two other leading North-East firms, and Bethany Atkinson, who has recently graduated from Northumbria University with a master’s degree in Law. Engineering | Manufacturing Finance | Commercial part of the Talent84 family 01642 772161 | www.solutionsrecruitment.co.uk