Movers and shakers

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Adrian Davis-Johnston has been appointed as the new head of research, development and innovation at Nuvia .

Raised in Cumbria, Adrian recently led the Innovus programme, which identified and delivered £7.5m of private sector-led innovation projects in Cumbria-based SMEs, creating over 80 jobs and leveraging £4.5m of private sector investment.

Adrian said: “The potential which exists within Nuvia to exploit our knowledge and expertise to develop new products and services for the nuclear market is vast. I am looking forward to working with an motivated team to shape future opportunities for Nuvia; to win business and to provide innovative solutions to our clients."

Six lawyers at Burnetts have been promoted recently.

James Johnston , who first arrived at Burnetts as a work experience student in 2003, is now a partner and head of the firm’s dispute resolution team. Jayne McCluskey is now a senior associate and solicitor Hannah Fitzpatrick and chartered legal executive Caroline Manningham are associates.

Corporate lawyer Melissa McManus and agribusiness specialist Megan Richardson have become associates.

A Cumbrian law firm is recognising homegrown talent by offering full time positions to three former trainees.

Laura Ousby , Sian Rae and Laura Wilson are all being kept on as solicitors by Cartmell Shepherd when they qualify.

Laura Ousby will be a solicitor in the family law department at Viaduct House in Carlisle while Sian Rae and Laura Wilson will both be solicitors in the private client team – Sian at the city’s Rosehill office and Laura in Penrith.

The Wild Boar Inn Grill and Smokehouse has appointed a new restaurant manager.

Alex Lunan , 31, of London, has joined the inn at Crook near Windermere, which is run by English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues.

Alex has worked in the hospitality industry for over 13 years, including at Disney and London’s exclusive Soho House.

1818 Auctioneers , an auction house on the Cumbria/Lancashire border, is celebrating the news that two of its staff are now associates of the National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers and, a third, has become a student member.

Jackie Rothwell and David Hunter join their colleague Bill Nelson as members of a body representing over 300 UK wide valuers and auctioneers.

Trainee valuer Garth Drinkall , who joined 1818 Auctioneers six months ago, has become a student member of NAVA.

Leading Cumbrian accountancy and finance firm Armstrong Watson has a new man at the top.

Mike Kienlen has been appointed chairman having worked for the firm for 13 years at their Leeds office.

A partner in Armstrong Watson’s restructuring recovery and Insolvency service, Mike has over 28 years’ experience working in insolvency.

As chairman, Mike will support chief executive Paul Dickson with the leadership and strategic positioning of the firm, both internally and externally, focusing on business development and increasing Armstrong Watson’s presence in the Yorkshire region as well as throughout the North of England and Scotland.

Carlisle United ’s sales and marketing director Phil King will be leaving the club soon, it was announced, to return to the North East.

King joined the Blues in June 2015 and headed up the club’s commercial and marketing activities, including overseeing the return of summer concerts, including Rod Stewart, Olly Murs and UB40, as headline acts to Brunton Park.

He has also secured major sponsorship deals in his three-year stay with the club and was part of the club’s 1921 board of directors and a trustee with the Carlisle United community sports trust.

Della McCarron , a former student of St Benedict’s School’s West Cumbria Sixth Form Centre in Whitehaven, has been named the Lamont Pridmore

Business Studies Student of the Year 2018.

The award sponsored by the award-winning Cumbrian accountancy firm was presented to Della at an awards night hosted by the school in Red Lonning. She was chosen by her teacher Paul Charlton having improved on her target grade of a pass to achieve a distinction*, making her a “worthy winner”.

Brewin Dolphin has welcomed a new starter to the investment team at its Penrith office.

Rachel Story , 21, has joined the wealth management company as an investment management assistant.

Rachel, who has lived in Cumbria most of her life, completed her A-levels at Trinity School in Carlisle and then went on to study a degree in mathematics at the University of Leeds.

Two Kendal women are set to paint the town red with a new business, Mint Events , which will offer social evenings with a difference.

Over drinks and canapés, Kerry Howarth and Claire Wickham will guide customers every step of the way to paint their version of a famous painting.

Law firm Napthens has appointed of a commercial property solicitor in its
Kendal office.

Daniel Coll qualified as a solicitor in 2014 and studied at Lancaster University and BPP Law School in Manchester.

Jamie Allison, the firm’s head of real estate and head of Cumbria, said: “Daniel is a welcome addition to the commercial property team. “We expect Daniel to be the first of a number of new additions to the team, as we continue to recruit across our services in the coming months.”

The Wordsworth Hotel & Spa in Grasmere, has appointed a new spa manager.

Lauren Wood , originally from Dumfries, has worked in the cosmetic and beauty industry for over four years. Prior to starting her new role at The Wordsworth Hotel & Spa, she worked for Estée Lauder and Artdeco.

Andrew Lawrence is the new head of small and medium businesses for Barclays ’ Cumbria and North Lancashire team, with responsibility for businesses with a turnover up to £6.5m.

Andrew, who has worked at Barclays for 10 years, will be based in Kendal and will lead a team of 13 SME relationship managers across Cumbria and North Lancashire. Andrew is married to Carly and they have an 18-month old son Callum.

Solicitor Barry Scott has returned to Cumbria after a year working away from the county.

He is back heading the commercial property department with the Temple Heelis law firm, which has offices in Kendal, Windermere and Ambleside.

It is a post he held from 2012 to 2017 before spending a year working on the the Fylde Coast in Lancashire.

Lawrence Conway , chief executive of South Lakeland District Council, has been appointed to the Institute of Economic Development ’s board of directors.

He said he will use his new role to champion a sustainable and growing UK economy post-Brexit.

He added: “I’m looking forward to the role immensely. It is a great challenge for me personally.

“In the past 18 months, I’ve seen the IED gain traction, connectivity and make an impact.

“If you’re looking to help the country pre and postBrexit, what better way to work towards that than through the IED which can bring local and national government influence and collaboration?”

Saj Ghafoor , who runs the HDM Spice Shop in Carlisle’s Brook Street,

met the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla at a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate people of Commonwealth heritage who have made a positive contribution to business, community and culture in the United Kingdom.

Saj organises multi-cultural events in Carlisle to build bridges in the local community.