Business Durham – Sarah Slaven, managing director
Sarah Slaven has been appointed as the permanent managing director of Business Durham, Durham County Council’s business support service.
Ms Slaven previously held the post of operations director at Business Durham before taking on the position of interim managing director in early 2020.
She has supported the council’s response to Covid and the unprecedented impact it has had on businesses across the county. She has also played a key role in the continued support to business provided by the council through engaging with businesses and facilitating programmes such as the Durham Business Opportunities Programme, Digital Drive County Durham, the County Durham Growth Fund, Finance Durham and Durham City Incubator.
She said: “I am delighted to be appointed to the role and extremely proud of the work Business Durham has done to help businesses navigate these unprecedented times and to support business growth, create jobs and attract inward investment to County Durham.
“I’m thrilled to have been given the opportunity to continue leading this fantastic work in a permanent role. As well as our great range of existing business support programmes, I look forward to introducing new initiatives to help businesses meet the changing demands they face and take advantage of new opportunities.”
Tolent – Mark Overton, chief financial officer
Gateshead construction firm Tolent has appointed Mark Overton as chief financial officer.
Mr Overton will work with the newly-appointed CEO Paul Webster in a new look executive board. He has more than a decade’s worth of experience as CFO at Colas, a £300m UK-based business in the transport infrastructure market.
He said: “I feel very privileged to be taking on the role of CFO for Tolent. My personal goals align with Tolent’s vision perfectly, and it feels like a great fit on many levels.
“Being a part of the construction industry for as long as I can remember, I have been impressed with Tolent and its mighty portfolio of works it has delivered in the past. I am really looking forward to this new adventure and very keen to know more about Tolent, its team, and its projects.”
Mr Webster added: “We are thrilled to have someone of Mark’s calibre join our organisation and I look forward to working closely with him over the coming months as he familiarises himself with our business.”
EQUANS – Will Kay, regional managing director
EQUANS, the new name for ENGIE’s regeneration and services-led activities, has welcomed Will Kay as new regional managing director to its North East & Cumbria business, strengthening the company’s existing expertise in delivering high-quality construction projects and zero carbon solutions.
With vast experience across the construction industry, having previously worked at Kier, Morgan Sindall and Willmott Dixon, Will has been a successful company director for more than 20 years, with a proven track record of delivering business growth and improvement.
He comes into the leadership role at an exciting time for EQUANS. The company’s work in response to the sustainability agenda has expanded significantly over the last year with projects now underway across the North East with clients including Your Homes Newcastle, Northumbria University, Gentoo and Believe Housing.
Will said: “I’m delighted to have joined EQUANS, a leader in providing innovative solutions for local authorities, housing associations and further education providers in particular, as well as other Public and Private Sector organisations.
“The business in the North East & Cumbria is in a strong position. We have a talented and dedicated workforce, which are crucial to continuing the growth the business has enjoyed. We plan to continue to build on our achievements and use our range of in-house expertise to help customers and partners tackle the challenges facing them right now.”
