Tyne Tunnels operator TT2 has appointed Adrian Wallace as CEO.

Mr Wallace takes up the role having worked in various senior positions within the health, education, infrastructure and property sectors in the UK and internationally. His most recent job was asset CEO at Fulcrum Infrastructure Management and CEO of ULiving@Hertfordshire Plc.

From 2016 until June 2021, Mr Wallace was the CEO of Tramlink Nottingham Ltd, helping to build, maintain and operate this vital piece of Nottingham’s infrastructure. He steered the organisation through the pandemic ensuring key workers were able to get to work during the difficult period.

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Mr Wallace said: “Now that Tyne Tunnels has successfully transitioned from toll booths to a more modern, free-flow system, I intend to build on these changes, improving methods of payment and cementing our position in the North East infrastructure. My approach is customer driven. I will ensure the absolute focus of the organisation is the customer. It is the 1.6m customers driving though the tunnels each month that we need to be conscious of, creating a service that evolves with their needs. A one-size fits all approach may not be suitable for everyone, so we will be reviewing our products.”



Karbon Homes has appointed Jo Hamilton as its Director of ICT and digital transformation.
Karbon Homes has appointed Jo Hamilton as its Director of ICT and digital transformation.

Karbon Homes has appointed Jo Hamilton as director of ICT and digital transformation, a new role within the group.

Having been head of digital at Home Group, Ms Hamilton will now focus on management of Karbon’s information and communications technology activities and shaping and delivering the organisation’s digital transformation strategy. Scott Martin, executive director of resources at Karbon Homes said: “We’re very pleased to welcome Jo to Karbon Homes as our director of ICT and digital transformation, to lead on the strategic development of our digital journey.

“We’ve always had bold ambitions for digital transformation within our business and are delighted we’ve been able to attract an experienced digital leader. Jo’s wealth of knowledge of both the sector and the digital landscape makes her ideally placed for this appointment. There are some exciting challenges ahead and I look forward to working with Jo as we go forward.”

Ms Hamilton said: “Karbon Homes has a fantastic reputation within the housing sector as an ambitious and bold organisation. I was inspired by Karbon’s focus on digital transformation to improve both customer and colleague experience and to provide greater digital choice. I’m looking forward to driving this work forward with every area of the business to truly transform our organisation and how we deliver our services to customers.”



Clair Sanders of JDDK.
Clair Sanders, who has become a director at JDDK.

North East-based architecture practice JDDK has appointed Clair Sanders as a director.

She joins fellow directors Nicky Watson, Mura Mullan and Adam Vaughan. Ms Sanders joined the practice in 2006 having started her career at JDDK and has since worked as associate director.

In her new role, Ms Sanders will guide the practice’s team to navigate industry challenges. She brings cross-sector experience to the management team having worked on projects in healthcare, leisure, education and commercial industries, including as a project architect for new commercial premises at the Milkhope Centre for Blagdon Estates, as well as multiple refurbishment projects on leisure centres across Northumberland.

The appointment comes as director Kevin Turnbull announces his retirement, following a 31-year career at JDDK. Mr Turnbull joined the practice five years after it was founded, and is said to have been a key part of JDDK’s evolution and success ever since.

Ms Sanders said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed as a director and having been with the business for such a long time, it means a lot to now have the chance to influence our future. I joined the practice as a graduate and the team has played an instrumental role in shaping my career. I’m looking forward to doing the same for the young talent we have coming into the business, and ultimately giving something back to the industry.”



Tori Carney, who has joined Carney Consultancy as administrative assistant.
Tori Carney, who has joined Carney Consultancy as administrative assistant.

North Tyneside-based Carney Consultancy has appointed Tori Carney as administrative assistant.

Ms Carney follows in the footsteps of her mother, Angela Carney who is managing director at Carney Consultancy. And her appointment follows recent hires Erin Rochford, as a trainee health and safety advisor, and Lucy Dean as business administrator.

Mrs Carney said: “Tori is now a fourth-generation member of the family who has entered the trades. Dave Carney, my husband started as an engineer in construction, our son, Harry, is an apprentice electrician at T-Clarke and my dad and great uncle were chartered civil engineers. My great uncle was also a Fellow of the ICE and of the IStructE, so construction definitely is rooted in our family.

“We are also an example of how working in the trades offers longevity when it comes to career progression. You don’t have to go to university to climb the career ladder. Under the guidance of Louise and myself, Tori is very much settling into life at Carney Consultancy and is enjoying understanding all aspects of the business, from here we can determine where her skill sets lie as she progresses her career journey.”

Esh Group, has welcomed its largest apprenticeship cohort since 2018 in a move that takes its current number of apprentices to 29 – 8% of the group’s workforce.

Esh Group’s HR director Chris Watson said: “The latest cohort represents our profound commitment to developing talent and driving progress within the industry, and we will continue to invest in opportunities that offer clear paths into construction for everyone. At Esh, we’ve always had a ‘grow your own culture’ – we have a number of success stories of long-serving colleagues across the business who have progressed with us.

“For example, our own deputy chief executive, Stephen Wilkie, started with the business in 1989 and was employed straight from school as a trainee engineer. We want our apprentices to build their career with us and continue to develop, with long-term aspirations of progressing into more senior roles in the future.”

Apprentice Lucy Youlton is the first social value apprentice recruited at Esh Group to support the delivery of the firm’s award-winning social value initiatives, including the re-launch of its Building My Skills programme in 2024. She said: “I had never considered construction as a career route, and I didn’t know what social value was until I came across the apprenticeship opportunity with Esh. There wasn’t a particular subject area that I wanted to pursue at university, so I spent the summer applying for several apprentice vacancies. Esh was the only company to respond to my application, and I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity. I’ve really enjoyed my time since I joined, everyone is welcoming and friendly and keen to help me progress.”

As part of Esh Group’s partnership with the North East Institute of Technology, a number of the apprentices will study courses at New College Durham and Middlesbrough College. Ten have been recruited to work within Esh’s civil engineering division, specifically on water and wastewater network frameworks which sees Esh deliver reactive and planned repairs and maintenance up to large-scale capital investment projects in partnership with Northumbrian Water Group.