The British Business Bank has appointed Vicky Mears as its new Director of UK Network for the Midlands and North of England.
Vicky brings more than two decades of banking experience in various roles including trade finance, relationship management within business banking, senior branch management in retail banking, and project management. Her experience also includes five years working with smaller businesses to support their expansion into international markets, understanding the issues they face when scaling up, and accessing finance.
In her new role, Vicky will work closely with Senior Network Managers across the Midlands and the North to gain a deeper understanding of the small business landscape. She will also provide support to entrepreneurs looking to access the finance required to scale up and thrive.
Vicky said: “Smaller businesses are critical to the UK economy, and I’ve seen first hand the impact access to finance can have not just for each business, but also the wider economy. That’s what attracted me to the British Business Bank. It’s a purpose-led organisation that genuinely works to make a difference and support ambitious UK entrepreneurs.
“It’s no secret that market conditions for smaller businesses have been challenging over the last few years, but entrepreneurs should feel confident knowing that there are plenty of finance options and support out there to help them on their growth journey. It’s an exciting time to be joining the Bank, and I can’t wait to work with the UK Network team across the North and Midlands.”
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Kate Prince
Essity, a global hygiene and health company which supplies products from brands including TENA, Tork, Cushelle and Bodyform, has appointed a new senior public affairs manager for the UK and Republic of Ireland (ROI).
Kate Prince will be responsible for establishing Essity as a credible contributor in matters of public policy and societal interest as well as enhancing the business’s relationships with key decision-makers and opinion leaders.
Prince brings 25 years of experience spanning PR, public affairs and sustainability to her new role, along with a contact book of key industry stakeholders.
She joins Essity following a 16-year stint at Kellogg’s, where she was responsible for driving social impact and sustainability programmes in the UK and Europe with stakeholders including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and policymakers.
Lee Doherty, VP Consumer Goods UKI & MEA at Essity, said: “Recent years have seen the healthcare policy and regulatory environments across the UK and ROI shift at scale and pace, impacting our industry from manufacturing operations to end consumers in turn.
“Now, with a new government in place and a series of healthcare challenges – and opportunities – ahead of us, we need to ensure that future decisions are informed by industry insight.
“Kate brings a wealth of experience and we’re looking forward to drawing on her expertise to help Essity continue making a meaningful difference for those that our operations and products impact.”
Prince will be based in Essity’s Consumer Goods office in Didsbury, Greater Manchester. The North West office is in close proximity to the business’s Trafford Park paper mill, which is responsible for creating Plenty kitchen roll, Cushelle toilet roll, and own-brand labels for major UK customers including Tesco and Asda.
Kate Prince said: “In the years to come, the challenges facing our environment will become increasingly pressing and the healthcare landscape will continue to evolve. With this in mind, it’s great to join a company that is leading the way when it comes to cultivating sustainability and embedding innovation into the heart of its operations.”
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Philip Cruickshank
Coalition, which says it is the world’s first Active Insurance provider designed to prevent digital risk before it strikes, has appointed Philip Cruickshank as Regional Development Underwriter based in Manchester.
Stephen Wares, Coalition’s international head of underwriting, said: “Philip is a major hire for our team in the North and a well known industry figure in the region.
“At Aon, where he was cyber client director for the North, he helped Aon’s teams and clients to better understand their exposures and the role of cyber insurance in a digital risk management strategy. Many brokers will have worked with him in his previous cyber underwriting role with Chubb Manchester.”
Cruickshank said: “Joining Coalition has given me the opportunity to build on my experience and to bring Active Cyber Insurance to our broker partners in the North.
“I’ve worked closely with IT directors and CISOs here to help them understand their cyber exposures and find solutions. I’m looking forward to working with brokers who want to bring a superior insurance product to their clients combined with expertise in identifying threats before they occur and managing incidents to mitigate the impacts of cyber events.”
Cruickshank has worked in the insurance market since 2013, starting with Manchester broker Lucas Fettes & Partners. He joined Chubb in 2014, spending eight years as a regional cyber and professional indemnity underwriter before joining Aon in 2022 as cyber client director.
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Barry Leahey
Barry Leahey, President of Playdale Playgrounds, and a vocal advocate for SMEs and manufacturer’s, has been appointed to the Cumbrian Economic Growth Board, a significant step towards shaping the economic future of Cumbria.
The board will succeed the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) and will be made up of local business leaders selected to actively participate in regional decision making, playing a pivotal role in shaping Cumbria’s future.
David Beeby, the new chairman of the board said: “It is an exciting time ahead as we help to develop and deliver an economic strategy for the area whilst continuing to deliver a wide range of programmes that assist businesses with skills development, business improvement and productivity issues.”
This role will provide a voice for a diverse array of businesses and organisations across Cumbria in supporting inclusive economic growth, investing in skills, and promoting Cumbria as a great place to live, work, and do business.
Mr Leahey has a history of promoting the wellbeing of Cumbria, its residents, the
environment, and its economy.
He said: “I am truly honoured and excited to contribute to the Cumbrian Economic Growth Board, playing a part in shaping the future of Cumbria’s economic landscape as part of this newly-formed organisation.”
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Jacqueline Baxter and Lindsey Cooke
Recruitment firm, Acorn by Synergie, has strengthened its division in the North with two new appointments.
Jacqueline Baxter and Lindsey Cooke are re-joining the firm at its Crewe branch in response to increasing demand for its services across the region’s commercial sector, having both worked for Acorn before.
Lindsey will be driving further expansion in the North West and Staffordshire areas in her capacity as a Resourcer, alongside Jacqueline who, as a Principle Recruiter, will support candidates and businesses in Cheshire, Staffordshire, Preston, Widnes, and Wrexham, too.
Jacqueline, from Nantwich, started her career in sales before moving into the recruitment industry in 2012, later becoming a Commercial Recruitment Manager with Acorn and going on to run her own recruitment business.
She said: “The company’s reputation for professionalism and excellence aligns perfectly with my own values and career aspirations.”
Lindsey, who lives in Crewe, began her career in 2001 with Advance Personnel and spent 15 years with Acorn by Synergie specialising in temporary industrial recruitment. She then went on to support Jacqueline in establishing her business, transitioning into permanent commercial recruitment in the process, and is now returning to Acorn by Synergie, too.
Lindsey said: “I’m really excited to be bringing my own blend of expertise and dedication to this role, and to be enhancing the recruitment efforts of Acorn by Synergie in the North by building further on the strong, personalised relationships I take pride in maintaining with all of my clients.”
Jacqueline and Lindsey will both be working alongside Operations Manager, Olwen Kilgannon, at the company’s Crewe office, as one of more than 30 branches operating nationwide.
Bernard Ward, Managing Director, said: “The depth of knowledge and the relationships that both Lindsey and Jacqueline have built up working with firms of all sizes, as well as candidates, across the region over a number of years, means we’re really excited to be welcoming them back into the fold here at Acorn by Synergie.”
