North East property and building firm Adderstone Group has expanded its workforce with a fresh intake of university placement students, as it highlights an internal progression model that has seen former trainees rise to board-level leadership.

Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, the commercial developer and contractor has appointed Harry Gee as a trainee quantity surveyor on a year-out industrial placement from Northumbria University. He joins alongside Millie Tindall, who starts as a marketing assistant with Adderstone Management, and Will Goadsby, appointed as a trainee surveyor.

The appointments mean Adderstone Construction’s commercial division now features staff at every stage of the student pipeline. Jonathan Kershaw, who originally joined the firm as a Northumbria undergraduate, now heads the division as Director of Construction. He oversees full-time quantity surveyor Louis Fawcett and undergraduate surveyor Dom Cunningham, both of whom entered the business through identical university placement routes.

Across its wider operations—which span civil engineering, commercial development, and social housing across the North of England—the group has taken on more than 150 student placements. This internal career progression is mirrored in its living sector division, Adderstone Nova, which is directed by former student recruit Philippa Schumann-Nixon.

Michael Shipley, Group CEO of Adderstone Group, said: "Some of our most senior people started exactly where Millie, Harry and Will are now, and that’s no coincidence. Backing placement students is one of the ways we build this business for the long term and how we invest in the North East. Giving these students real responsibility on real projects shows us, very quickly, who’s got what it takes.”



E-commerce consultancy Venture Forge has appointed Joel Turner as commercial director, bolstering its senior leadership team amid sustained growth on Amazon’s global marketplace. Turner brings more than 20 years of commercial and agency experience, having previously held senior roles at 26 and 75Media.

Based in the North of England, the 21-strong firm works with enterprise consumer brands generating between £2m and £10m on Amazon, including Thermos, VAX, and Glen Dimplex. The hire coincides with the agency securing a new mandate from sports nutrition brand Ultimate Sports Nutrition (USN) to oversee its UK operations and European expansion.

Turner said: “Venture Forge is at a really exciting stage of its growth, and that was a big part of what attracted me to the business. It has a strong team, deep Amazon expertise and a clear opportunity to help more ambitious brands unlock the potential of the marketplace.”

Managing director Andrew Banks added: “We have grown consistently by earning the trust of enterprise brands and household names on Amazon, and this appointment is about doing more of that, faster.”



South Yorkshire legal practice Sills & Betteridge Incorporating Bell & Buxton has expanded its Sheffield office with two senior appointments. Natalie Sheldon rejoins the firm as a partner specialising in private wealth, including succession planning, trust administration, and high-value estate management. A full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), she also serves as a trustee of Rotherham Hospice. She is joined by associate solicitor Natalie Howard, who joins the commercial property practice. Howard brings extensive experience representing real estate investors, developers, and national broadcasters on portfolio management, alongside specialised expertise in telecommunications and the UK Electronic Communications Code. The appointments follow the formal merger of Sills & Betteridge and Bell & Buxton Solicitors.

Sheffield branch manager Josh Fenton-Hawkes said: “Appointments of this calibre are key to our team as we build on the significant opportunities created by the merger of Sills & Betteridge and Bell & Buxton Solicitors in September 2025. I am delighted to welcome my new colleagues and know they will make important contributions to our future growth.”



Financial technology provider Intuit has appointed Glen Foster as director of mid-market and channel sales for the UK, accelerating its commercial strategy across the British accounting sector.

Foster joins with two decades of industry experience, having previously spent over 12 years at cloud competitor Xero, where he was its sixth UK employee before heading EMEA go-to-market operations, alongside subsequent leadership positions at Dext and Sleek. His arrival coincides with Intuit rolling out artificial intelligence platforms across its QuickBooks ecosystem to automate enterprise workflows.

Foster said: “I’ve spent more than 20 years working closely with accounting firms and businesses, and it’s a community I feel incredibly passionate about. Having spent the last two years building an accounting firm myself, I’ve also experienced first-hand what firms need from their technology.”

Ciarán Quilty, senior vice-president international at Intuit, said: “We are building product for accountants and their practice, doing everything we can to ensure accounting professionals continue to thrive, using AI to run and grow their practice.”



Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) North East has appointed Jarrow-born Kate Barclay as business support manager, tasked with addressing regional workforce shortages in the sector. Barclay, a University of Sunderland business graduate, joins the trade body from a background in commercial property and finance management.

In her new role, she will coordinate delivery of the organisation's regional programme alongside director and secretary Stuart Miller. Her remit includes running the CECA College Bursary Scheme, launching a civil engineering "groundworker Olympics" for the 2026/27 academic year, and promoting apprenticeships to support critical national infrastructure delivery.

Barclay said: “One of the things that attracted me to the role was the opportunity to work with schools, colleges, training providers and industry to help inspire the next generation. By encouraging more young people to explore the wide range of careers available in civil engineering, we can help address the industry’s skills gap while creating opportunities that could shape their futures.”

Miller said: “Kate brings valuable experience in business support, project coordination and stakeholder engagement, which will enhance the work we do on behalf of our members.”



Yorkshire law firm Switalskis has strengthened its residential conveyancing division with three appointments at its Huddersfield office. Sally Ann Masih joins as a conveyancer, bringing 25 years of property law experience alongside early career background in estate agency. Having operated in the local market since 1993, she handles transactions across England and Wales, spanning period properties, conversions, and new-build housing. She is joined by conveyancing assistants Suzy Overton and Jane Beaumont, the latter bringing 11 years of legal administration experience to the team.

Sarah Cookson, joint head of residential conveyancing, said: “Sally Ann has built an excellent reputation throughout West Yorkshire and brings an exceptional breadth of experience, combining years in conveyancing with a strong background in estate agency. Suzy provides a friendly and supportive approach to every client, and Jane brings the same people-focussed approach to her work.”

Masih said: “Moving home is a big milestone, so it’s important that clients feel informed and supported from start to finish. Everyone in our team understands the different pressures everyone involved is under, which helps us explain the process clearly, manage expectations and keep transactions moving.”



Hexham-based consultancy Hedley Planning has recruited three graduate planners following a surge in regional development and property mandates.

Sophie Harrison joins the Northumberland firm’s Hexham office full-time after completing her town planning degree at Newcastle University. Graduates Lizzie Brown and Jessica Mackie join the Hexham and Newcastle offices respectively on year-out professional placements. The appointments coincide with the firm doubling its office footprint following a relocation to Tanners Burn House in Hexham, responding to an influx of planning applications across northern residential schemes, commercial regenerations, and renewable energy assets.

Managing director Sean Hedley said: “The decision to invest in new talent reflects strong and sustained demand for planning services from leading housebuilders, commercial property developers and the renewable energy sector, and forms part of a wider strategy to build a sustainable pipeline of skilled planners for the future. We are proud of the local talent such as Sophie, Lizzie and Jessica that we are attracting to the business, as we strive to deliver excellence and grow our footprint across the region.”



State-owned defence manufacturer Sheffield Forgemasters has inducted 18 apprentices, selected from nearly 700 applicants, to support its ongoing £1.3bn recapitalisation programme. Owned by the UK Ministry of Defence, the historic South Yorkshire plant manufactures complex steel castings and forgings for international marine, civil nuclear, and defence applications, including components for the SSN-AUKUS nuclear submarine fleet.

The recruits enter fully funded technical apprenticeships covering metallurgy, CNC programming, non-destructive testing, steel melting, and precision machining. The programme underpins site-wide modernization, including a new 13,000-tonne forge line and an advanced 30,000-square-metre machining facility.

Laura Hooper, people and culture director at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “We have approximately 780 employees, ten percent of whom are apprentices at any one time, as we build the future workforce and continue developing our capabilities. Sheffield Forgemasters’ transformation is enabling us to deliver a new level of training as we embrace a high-technology engineering sphere and create an advanced, comfortable working environment for our employees to enjoy.”