Weightmans – Louise Miller, partner
National law firm Weightmans has appointed Louise Miller as one of four new partners across its UK offices.
Ms Miller joins the Newcastle office, heading up its wills, trusts and estates team. She joins Weightmans from Mincoffs Solicitors and is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
Avant Homes – Don Anderson, managing director (North East)
Housebuilder Avant Homes has appointed Don Anderson as managing director of its North East region.
Mr Anderson has more than 44 years’ experience in the housebuilding industry and previously held the position of construction director at Bellway and Persimmon Homes.
His new role sees him make a return to Avant Homes where he was also construction director for the North East operation between 2003 and 2005.
He said: “Avant Homes is an exceptional business with a great product and ambitious growth plan. I am looking forward to bringing further success to the North East business through the delivery of high-quality homes and excellent customer care.”
Smart Works Newcastle – Lisa Eaton, deputy chair
Smart Works Newcastle, a charity that gives women the confidence they need to secure employment, has appointed North East marketing professional and creative agency owner, Lisa Eaton, as Deputy Chair.
Lisa has been a member of the charity’s board of trustees since 2021 and is now stepping up to provide more strategic support to the organisation as it aims to double the number of women it helps back into employment. With over 20 years’ industry experience, Lisa is a leading figure in the North East marketing sector, having founded the award-winning creative agency, Unwritten, and, most recently, launching a dynamic marketing academy, Fabric, that has attracted learners from all over the world.
Working closely with Smart Works Newcastle’s Chair, Sophie Milliken, Managing Director of Moja, and its ambassador, Sara Davies MBE of Dragon’s Den fame, Lisa is looking forward to the next phase of her association with the charity. She said: “Over the last six months I’ve seen first hand just what an incredible job Smart Works does for women in this region. Supporting women into work and helping them to build confidence and reach their full potential is something I am hugely passionate about.
“Confidence is one of the biggest barriers for women wanting to get into, or back into work, so seeing how Smart Works empowers women in this way and plays a role in their future success is incredibly rewarding.
“I’m taking on this new role at a time when we plan to double the number of women we support to over 720, which will involve dedicated stakeholder and referrer engagement to ensure that North East women are aware of the service we offer. Supporting brands and causes I believe in sits at the heart of what we do at Unwritten, so I’m keen to ensure we reach our ambitious plans and I can’t wait to watch how the charity grows over the coming years.”
Sophie Milliken, Chair of the Board, said: “The announcement of Lisa as deputy is a key appointment within the Board. We have hugely ambitious plans for this year and beyond and Lisa, along with our trustee colleagues, staff and volunteers, will play an essential role in delivering on our aims.”
Office for National Statistics figures show that since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in January 2020, there has been a 3% decrease in the number of women who are employed aged 16-64 in the North East of England, highlighting the essential need of the Smart Works Newcastle team and reinforcing their ambitious growth plans.
Alongside the core staff team of four, the Smart Works service is delivered by volunteers, in the roles of highly skilled, fully trained coaches, as well as stylists to provide women with advice and access to professional workwear. Clothes and accessories are all donated through retail partners including Hobbs, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis, as well as through donations from the general public.
Encora Energy – Mark Palmer, project engineer
A fast-expanding Teesside engineering consultancy is honing the next generation of local talent with the appointment of a mechanical engineering graduate from Teesside University.
Mark Palmer joins Stockon-on-Tees-based Encora Energy as a project engineer after graduating with a first-class honour’s degree.
Mark has also gained valuable industry experience, working as a computer aided design engineer at Lionweld Kennedy Group, a global supplier of gratings, handrail systems, platforms, stair treads and ladders. He has also taken on part-time roles at Middlesbrough Football Club and The Food Warehouse.
His recent appointment strengthens Encora Energy’s expertise as the company expands its presence in regional and national markets. It was created in 2015 by energy professionals looking to help clients exploit opportunities related to the changing needs of the energy market.
Encora Energy provides project development, engineering, consultancy and operations management services to customers, helping them deal with the practicalities of developing, installing, operating and maintaining new energy systems such as renewable and battery storage systems, combined heat and power (CHP) plants, fuel cells, gas engines and gas turbines. The company also acts as UK and European agents for UptimeAI, providing cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for the process industries.
Mark says: “As a local lad, I’m delighted to be joining a company that’s at the cutting edge of the energy revolution. The UK electricity market is changing to a more decentralised model driven by deregulation and increased renewable generation. We can offer our expertise to customers so they can manage this change and take advantage of trading opportunities in this new world.”
Andrew Normand, new business manager and UptimeAI partnership lead at Encora Energy, said: “We welcome Mark to our growing team. We were really impressed with his structured problem-solving mentality and dedication to engineering. Mark will be an asset to us as we grow the Encora Energy brand in the North East and in other UK regions.”
