Our weekly round-up of achievers and people on the move in Cumbrian business.

Claire Hebdige, a chartered tax adviser and NHS pensions specialist at Dodd & Co Chartered Accountants - which has offices in Carlisle and Penrith - has been appointed chairwoman of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales ' healthcare special interest group.

In her new role, Ms Hebdige is responsible for organising the group's annual conference, organising training sessions and writing for the group’s newsletters and website.

Cumbria Chamber of Commerce has appointed Julian Whittle as business engagement manager.

He joins the Chamber on January 30 from media company CN Group, where he has worked as a journalist for nearly 25 years in Barrow and Carlisle, latterly as group business editor.

Two new assistants have joined property firm Mere Commercial , based in Penrith.

Charlotte Kimber, a qualified surveyor who also works part of the week for the Lake District National Park will assist with professional and agency work. Catherine Ellis is an experienced secretary and administrator who also runs Cumbria Admin Services who will assist with agency and admin work.

Progression Solicitors , which has offices in Ulverston, Windermere, Grange-over-Sands and Barrow, has made three new appointments.

George Lonsdale, a senior solicitor who most recently worked with Wright & Lord in Morecambe and will head the commercial litigation team based in Ulverston.

Leonie Bentley has relocated to south Cumbria from London and will be joining the property team in Windermere in a support role.

Helen Lloyd has joined as a trainee solicitor after working as a paralegal for another firm.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) , the UK’s export credit agency, has appointed Patrick Kendell as senior export finance manager. He will lead its business development and advisory activities in the north of England.

Mr Kendell was most recently business development manager for the University of Strathclyde Business School , in Glasgow. Prior to that he worked for the regional development agency One North East , where he was head of international inward investment.

He will lead UKEF ’s team of export finance managers including Steve Cowles, who looks after Cumbria.

Rebecca Tonkin and Stuart Irving have both been made partners at Carlisle firm Bendles after more than a year as associates

Mr Irving is part of the commercial team and specialises in employment law. He joined the firm in August 2010.

Miss Tonkin joined the firm in August 2013 and is a childcare solicitor who specialises in care, adoption, special guardianship and complex private law children cases. She is also a member of the Law Society Specialist Children Panel .

There has been news for two other lawyers at

Bendles

.

Amy Nelson who specialises in care, adoption, special guardianship and private law children cases has joined the firm.

She graduated from the University of Cumbria in 2014 and completed her postgraduate diploma in legal practice with the University of Northumbria.

Amy Labram, who has been with the firm as a trainee since February 2015 and will qualify as a solicitor next month. She is currently working in the litigation, employment and matrimonial departments.

She read law at Northumbria University and graduated in 2012.