Several prominent North East companies have strengthened their teams this week with a wave of new appointments, from fresh graduate intakes to senior leadership roles.
Banks Group Welcomes New Graduate Cohort
Durham-headquartered firm the Banks Group has kicked off the new year by welcoming six new recruits onto its two-year graduate training programme. The initiative, designed to build vocational, technical, and professional skills, offers hands-on experience across live projects.
The latest intake follows the success of previous trainees, with Matt Bishop, Ollie Pocock, and Matthew Noble all securing permanent positions with the family-owned property, housebuilding, and mining business after completing their training.
Five of the six new graduates are working within the firm's property development and housebuilding divisions, Banks Property and Banks Homes. The sixth has taken a role on site with Banks Mining.
The new trainees are: Jaja Inskeep (graduate development surveyor) and Muhammed Kasuji (graduate project manager), both Leeds Beckett University alumni; Matthew Newton (graduate development engineer), a Teesside University graduate; Shabbir Boksh (graduate development engineer for housebuilding), who holds a master's from Newcastle University; Liam Young (graduate development planner), a University of Glasgow master's graduate; and Macauley Duke (graduate site engineer with Banks Mining), who is completing a degree at The University of the Built Environment.
Russ Hall, managing director at Banks Property and Banks Homes, commented on the scheme's importance: "Finding, training and bringing through skilled young people is crucial to the long-term, sustainable success of any business... It gives ambitious young people the chance to get real responsibility at an early stage."
Leadership Updates Across the Region
In other appointments, the B Local North East group, which promotes using business as a force for good, has appointed a new co-chair. Jon Dudgeon, co-founder and CEO of Blu Sky Chartered Accountants, joins the board. His firm achieved B Corp certification in 2024.
Mr Dudgeon replaces former co-chair Mandy Barker of Sail Creative and will work alongside fellow co-chairs Gemma Brannen, Jessica Williams, and Suzi McCreedy. He stated his aim is to shape "a B Local that feels inclusive, diverse, and useful" to create a stronger purpose-led business community across the North East.
Expansion in Forestry and Sustainable Fuels
True North Real Asset Partners, a climate action-focused fund manager, has expanded its forestry investment team with two key hires. Chris Hamill and Samuel Roberts have joined as main board directors, bringing extensive experience in woodland creation and sustainable land use from leading roles in the UK forestry sector.
James Jackson, CIO at True North, said creating an in-house team provides "unrivalled expertise" for their afforestation projects, including new planting schemes in Scotland and England this season.
In a major move for the green energy sector, Redcar-based Nova Pangaea Technologies, a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) innovator, has appointed cleantech veteran Stewart Stewart as its new CEO. The Texan executive brings 30 years of experience in commercialising low-carbon technologies.
He will lead the growth of the company, which is backed by International Airlines Group and is collaborating with British Airways and LanzaJet on the government-supported Project Speedbird to produce SAF in the UK.
Promotion at Gateshead Office Complex
Finally, Gateshead's Metropolitan House office building has promoted Ellie Taylor to centre manager. Ms Taylor started at the building as a trainee apprentice six years ago and will now oversee all business operations, customer service, and day-to-day management.
Building owner Peter Conroy said the appointment underscored their commitment to investing in "homegrown talent" as they build a reputation as one of the best flexible office space operators in the North East.
