People on the move: key North East appointments and promotions

Regional law firm Hay & Kilner has welcome 20 new people to its team. The firm, which has its head office at the Lumen building in Newcastle, has seen new recruits join departments including commercial disputes, rural property, corporate restructuring, criminal defence, family law and private client services, in a range of roles including senior associate solicitor, associate solicitor, assistant solicitor, paralegal and legal secretary.

Managing partner Jonathan Waters said: “Our new hires bring with them a fantastic range of skills and talent and will only serve to strengthen our existing teams further in providing the high-quality legal services we have become renowned for.

“We are particularly passionate about nurturing and developing all our employees and providing opportunities for them to grow as we do. This is reflected in our impressive retention rates, of which we are incredibly proud. It’s an exciting time for the business and I’d like to wish each and every one of our new joiners a warm welcome and the very best of luck in their roles.”

North East law firm Sweeney Miller Law has appointed Claire Fenwick as marketing and digital media director to spearhead its growth in the region and nationally. Ms Fenwick, a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (MCIM), brings a wealth of experience with a legal marketing career spanning over 23 years, having worked as marketing manager at two commercial law firms in Newcastle as well as Northumbria University Law School, where she spent 12 years.

In her new role, she will lead Sweeney Miller Law’s overall marketing strategy and build on the company’s position in the market to drive strategic growth.

She said: “I am looking forward to the challenges my new role will bring and working hard to exceed our goals alongside the fantastically talented team. I was attracted to Sweeney Miller Law due to its rapid growth, clear vision and strong leadership and I am delighted to be based in my home city at our fabulous new Sunderland headquarters at such an exciting time with all of the investment and development plans.”

Newcastle independent software firm CustomerSure has appointed two new team members. Bernardo Delgado and Liam Pearson join the firm from Nutshell Apps. Mr Delgado steps into the role of marketing manager, while Mr Pearson joins as a business development executive.

Guy Letts, founder and CEO of CustomerSure, said: “We are delighted to welcome Bernardo and Liam to the CustomerSure team. Their expertise and passion are exactly what we need as we continue our journey of back-to-back successful growth. Our goal for the end of 2025 is ambitious, and with this enhanced team, we are well-positioned to achieve it.”

Newcastle PR agency The Twist Group Ltd has appointed Newcastle University graduate Lilly Dodds as its new campaigns officer. After achieving a first-class honours degree in marketing and completing a year in industry, Ms Dodd’s role within the agency will focus on PR and influencer relations, a service that has grown significantly for group over the past three years.

Ms Dodd’s arrival comes as the Metrocentre appoints Twist as its retained consumer PR agency, which also works with brands such as Popeyes, Junkyard Golf Club, and Ninja Warrior UK. The firm will spearhead Metrocentre’s ongoing campaigns and PR activities, including events, consumer press office, and influencer collaborations, ensuring a vibrant and engaging presence in the market.

Cramlington construction specialist Merit has made three senior appointments. Ian Matthewson joins as business development director, Simon Knowles as business development manager and Emma Pallister as framework and bid director.

Prior to joining Merit, Mr Matthewson spent seven years at Schneider Electric, working in a global capacity before moving into a sales director role within digital energy for the company’s UK&I region. Mr Knowles Simon was sales director for Sunflower Medical Furniture, a manufacturer of HTM compliant clinical furniture to the NHS and private healthcare providers.

And Ms Pallister was a director at a bid consultancy for six years, and has been involved in the successful award of framework positions for a variety of clients including P23, CCS/CWAS and DfE.

Tony Wells, Merit’s CEO, said: “I am delighted to welcome Ian, Simon and Emma to the team. Here at Merit, we are firmly committed to answering our customer’s ‘job to be done’, which we believe is that they require high-quality facilities delivered fast, at a fixed cost and with sustainability in mind. Our new senior appointments will play a pivotal role in Merit’s growth journey, further strengthening our position as pioneers in what we deliver.”

Digital and media agency Bonded has announced a number of promotions and new appointments. The Newcastle company has promoted Abi Simons to senior SEO executive and Becca Keenan has been promoted to senior media executive. Emma Dunwell has earned a permanent role as social assistant following a successful internship at the firm, while Pippa Gilroy joins as the newest digital marketing executive and Daniel Rodger joins as the new paid social manager. Katie Jago meanwhile joins as the new paid search manager.

Steven Underwood, managing director of Bonded, said: “Abi and Becca have shown tremendous growth and dedication in their roles. Their promotions are well-deserved, and we are excited to see their continued contributions to our team and our clients. Our team’s growth and development are a testament to our ethos of investing in our people. We believe in fostering talent and providing opportunities for our staff to advance in their careers. We are excited about the future and the continued success of Bonded.”