New faces at the top at the top
Oct 29 2010 The Journal
It has been a time of change at some of the region's top companies - and that means a lot of new faces for this year's Most Influential 500.
A QUIET revolution has been taking place in boardrooms across the North East over the past few years and it is a trend that has gathered pace since the publication of the Most Influential 500 for 2009.
There has been an influx of new blood into the most senior positions in some of the North East’s highest-profile companies, with a number of long- serving chief executives making way.
A glance at the top of the North East’s largest listed companies demonstrates the point. This year has witnessed the arrival of former Northern Rail managing director Heidi Mottram to Northumbrian Water as replacement for John Cuthbert.
And only this month Paul Walker brought down the curtain on a remarkable career with software giant Sage, to be replaced by the Frenchman Guy Berruyer.
Messrs Cuthbert and Walker remain in our 2010 listing, both as recognition of the profound influence they had on their respective businesses, as well as their continued contribution to life in the region through organisations such as the Northern Business Forum and Business in the Community.
It remains to be seen what impact the two new chief executives will have on their businesses, with both coming from very different backgrounds. However, we need only look at the impact of another relatively new chief executive in the region – Ken McMeikan at Greggs – to see what a positive influence can be achieved.
McMeikan, who arrived from outside the region when he was appointed in 2008, has wasted little time in making his mark both within the business itself, where he has ramped up its expansion plans, or by getting deeply involved in the wider business community.
Another “outsider” who moved to the region in 2008 was Gary Hoffman, who assumed the challenge of getting Northern Rock back on its feet, and the bank has continued its rehabilitation over the past 12 months under his leadership, moving back into profit once again.
For the record, other leading plcs in the region which have new faces at the top since the first edition of the Most Influential 500 back in 2008, include Drew Johnson at Eaga and Andrew Cunningham at property group Grainger.
There have been plenty of changes during that time too at Northgate, the Darlington-based van hire company. It has endured a turbulent time recently, leading to the departure of long-serving chief executive Steve Smith earlier this year and the eventual appointment of Bob Contreras as his replacement.
This new edition of the Most Influential 500 includes two other new faces worthy of note who have recently taken up positions at the top of important regional businesses.
Jim Willens became chief executive of Newcastle Building Society, succeeding the long-serving Colin Seccombe in March, and only a few weeks ago Rio Tinto Alcan announced that Canadian Mario Foucault would be taking over from Wyn Jones at its Lynemouth facility in Northumberland.
In the North East professional services sector it has been a period of “consolidation”, but there have been one or two changes of note.
Robin Bloom stepped down from his role as senior partner at Dickinson Dees to team up with Steve Gibson on Teesside and was replaced by John Marshall, whilst the high-profile cross-city transfer of Watson Burton’s senior partner Rob Langley to Muckle was followed by Gillian Hall’s promotion. She became the first female senior partner at one of the region’s top law firms.
Bloom, meanwhile, stepped down as regional chairman of the CBI ahead of schedule over the thorny issue of Local Enterprise Partnerships. He has been succeeded by McMeikan.
