People - Chief plans to be tough

Dec 11 2006 By Helen Logan, The Journal

A new leader taking the helm of an initiative aimed at making sure young people can achieve their career ambitions in the region is among the appointments of recent months. Rebekah Ashby and Helen Logan report.

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Careers campaign Aspire has named its new chief executive. The new boss is Mary Coyle, 57, who has been chief of leadership development organisation Common Purpose for 10 years.

She appears to signal a change in approach, saying her role would not be about "glitzy marketing campaigns or talking a good game", but all about hard work.

She says: "My new role will see a lot of worn-out shoe leather, grit and hard work in pulling this region together. It is about making a difference to the lives of all our young people in a direct and practical way.

"It's about persuading employers that this is in their best interests. We have a skills shortage and just talking about it is not going to cure it."

Aspire was launched in 2004 with the personal backing of Prime Minister Tony Blair, in the light of statistics showing 60% of young people in the North-East believed their future lay outside the region. Ms Coyle's appointment is announced as Rod Taylor, chairman of Aspire board of directors, hands over the campaign to Jamie Martin, regional chairman of the Confederation of British Industry.

This role will now rotate between the president of the North-East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) and the regional chairperson of the CBI, to reinforce the two organisations' commitment to Aspire.

Ms Coyle will not join Aspire full time until the new year.

Originally from Northern Ireland, she has lived in the North-East since 1974 and is a member of a number of voluntary sector boards and is a recently commissioned deputy lieutenant for Tyne and Wear and a lay member of court at Newcastle University.

She has also been a teacher and spent 16 years working with Nacro, the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders.

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Businessman Chris Thompson has been appointed deputy chairman of regional development agency One NorthEast.

Chris, chief executive of Team Valley company Express Group, which provides engineering, design, product development and manufacturing services to a range of industries internationally, has been a board member of One NorthEast for nearly two years.

His appointment as deputy follows the death of Christine Smith after a short illness. Christine had been deputy chairman at the agency for more than three years.

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As Dunelm Castle Homes, part of Bowburn firm Esh Group, moves to expand its range of home building activities, the appointment of two new directors has been announced. 

George Brooks becomes commercial director and Malcolm Stewart joins as construction director.

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Newcastle Building Society has appointed Colin Greaves to its board as operations director.

In his new role Colin will continue to oversee the IT operation and the provision of services to third parties and will also take on responsibility for key operational service areas across the society, including processing.

Colin will also build on his role as managing director of the society's outsourcing operation, Newcastle Strategic Solutions.

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Hadrian's Wall Heritage, the organisation responsible for managing one of Europe's most famous Roman monuments, has a new chief executive with the arrival of Linda Tuttiett.

Linda joins from Arts Council England, North-East where she was director of external relations.

Her appointment completes a new management structure for the organisation, which was set up last May and is responsible for marketing, preserving and conserving the World Heritage Site. She takes over in January from acting chief executive Iain Herbert, who will stay as operations director.

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A community group dedicated to improving the lives of people in the Tees Valley has welcomed a new chief executive.

Hugh McGouran, ex-national business development director of Pertemps People Development Group, has joined Tees Valley Community Foundation - the area's largest grant-making organisation.

In the past year, it has aided more voluntary groups than ever, distributing £1.4m to 340 projects.The grants were part-financed by the foundation's endowment funds, held on behalf of companies, individuals and trusts. It also distributes funds for government agencies.

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A job ad on a fish-and-chips wrapper opened a door to work in housing for Ian Prescott.

And 23 years later, he has been appointed to one of the top housing jobs in the region - land director with builder Haslam Homes.

The advert led to Ian, now 48 and from Northumberland, becoming development assistant at Nomad Housing Group, where he worked 23 years, becoming develop-ment director and acting chief executive.

Working in partnership with Haslam on five mixed-tenure housing schemes, Ian was impressed by its commitment to neighbourhood regeneration and welcomed the chance to join the company.