The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has appointed Michael Collins and Jonathan Burke to its UK board of directors.

Jonathan Burke is appointed UK operations director following the announced retirement of Kelvin Wilden.

Jonathan has worked for leading international transport companies during his 20-year career. Between 2008 and 2014, he achieved great success remodeling MSC’s road haulage operation. More recently, Jonathan gained valuable director-level experience at a logistics and intermodal company.

Michael Collins is appointed commercial director, which is a new role within the company. Michael joined MSC in 2000 and has managed various export trades including USA and Asia. In his most recent role as export commercial general manager, Michael has taken increasing responsibility for the wider running of the company.

Dan Everitt, managing director at MSC UK, which is based in Ipswich, said: “I am delighted to welcome Michael and Jonathan to our board. They are highly experienced respected managers within MSC and in the wider transport and logistics industry.

“These appointments come at an exciting time for the company; international transport is facing new challenges from an economic, political, social and technological standpoint. I am confident that MSC’s management team and staff of 600 UK-based employees will bring the company continuing success.”

He also paid tribute to Kelvin Wilden: “For 14 years Kelvin has been an enormous asset and loyal member of the MSC family. We would like to thank him for his tremendous efforts and achievements at the company and wish him a wonderful – and relaxing – retirement.”

•Ashtons Legal has created a niche regulatory and road transport team within its business legal services group, including the appointment of two new specialist solicitors – one of them a Legal 500-ranked “leading individual” in East Anglia.

Partner Tim Ridyard and solicitor Tim Norris have joined the firm having worked together for a number of years previously.

They are specialists in providing advice to those seeking to operate HGVs, passenger vehicles (including taxis) and agricultural vehicles.

They cover applications or variations of licences, advice on prosecutions by enforcement agencies such as the DVSA, HSE, Environment Agency, Border Force, HMRC, Trading Standards, Local Government or the Police. While the majority of their work is for businesses, they are also able to assist privately-paying individuals who require support in relation to motoring or other offences.

Both solicitors will be based in the heart of the region at Ashtons’ Bury St Edmunds office and will serve clients across East Anglia and beyond. Due to the nature of transport and regulatory work they will represent clients at public inquiries and courts across the UK.

Ed O’Rourke, chief executive of Ashtons, said: “As we strive to ensure that we can help meet all the legal needs of our commercial clients, it is important for us to seize opportunities to expand our service areas. Tim Ridyard and Tim Norris are a great addition to Ashtons and I’m delighted to welcome them on board.”

Tim Ridyard added: “Tim Norris and I have assisted many businesses across East Anglia in recent years. The regulations governing not only road transport but all sectors are ever-changing and it is frighteningly easy for businesses inadvertently to fall foul of the law.

“Some business owners come to us for advice early on as to how they should proceed but more often than not our first contact from a business is when something has gone wrong and they are facing a prosecution of some sort for a breach of the regulations. We look forward to working with Ashtons’ clients in both regards.”

•East Anglian building supplies company Kent Blaxill has appointed Jason Brightman as manager of its Bury St Edmunds store.

Jason brings 16 years of experience in building supplies, including the last six as manager of a large branch for a national company.

Simon Blaxill, Kent Blaxill managing director, said: “Jason has made a big impact in a short period of time which is very promising for the future success of Kent Blaxill’s Bury St Edmunds store.”

Since starting in his new role, Jason has concentrated on a “back to basics” overhaul of the branch which has a staff of 22.

“I have stripped things back so that everything is in front of the customers for them to see what we have got,” said Jason. “On the heavyside we have been making sure we have no gaps in our stock. We want to ensure we are a one-stop shop.

“We have also now relaunched the DecXpress daily delivery service for decorative materials. We have also done a lot of work rebuilding the yard so that it is more friendly for customers and easier for our operatives to work in.

“There are a lot of good members of staff here and I have been concentrating on making sure that everybody is working closer together as a team.”

•Self-invested personal pensions (SIPP) specialist Curtis Banks, which includes Suffolk Life in Ipswich, has announced a new senior management committee to deliver the next stage of its strategic objectives.

The group recently reported strong full year financial results for 2016 and confirmed that a number of functions had already been aligned between Curtis Banks and Suffolk Life, which it acquired last year.

Rupert Curtis, chief executive of Curtis Banks, said: “Working together with the executive board, we have created a number of new roles to oversee the capabilities and needs of the whole group and drive forward the changes needed to deliver efficiencies and an improved service for all our customers.”

The new senior management committee will comprise of Rupert Curtis, Paul Tarran and Will Self, all executive directors of Curtis Banks Group plc, together with Ian Stone, chief risk officer, Richard Valentine, chief operating officer, Jane Ridgley, chief services officer and group HR, Nigel Rodgers, chief information officer, and Renata Chester, Suffolk Life finance director.

Curtis Banks has also confirmed a number of newly expanded roles within the group. Commercial director James Scott’s responsibilities now cover the wider Curtis Banks group, Greg Kingston has assumed the role of group head of marketing and communications, and Gemma Millard will have a group legal role.

Rupert Curtis added: “The appointments we have made demonstrate the depth of experienced management across our businesses. Our new senior management team will ensure we move forward together as one combined Group with common purpose and direction.”

•Property law firm Attwells Solicitors, which has offices in in Ipswich and St John’s Wood, London, is has announced two internal promotions to senior roles.

Lloyd Clarke and David Bullock, who previously worked at senior solicitors, have both been promoted to the role of associate, following a successful 12 months for the firm.

Lloyd, 31, joined the firm in 2009 and heads its employment law department, at both head office in Ipswich and the London office. He is a specialist in business and employment law and has been instrumental in developing the employment division for the firm’s London office.

He said: “I am extremely pleased to have been promoted to associate level. To be able to see the firm grow alongside my own professional growth, especially as I started here as a paralegal, is wonderful, and to have been able to develop the employment law department as I have, is a great achievement.”

David, 32, joined the practice in 2012 and is Attwells’s commercial property expert, working from its St John’s Wood office. In addition to his commercial property caseload, he looks after business development for the London branch.

He said: “Working for Attwells has been an enjoyable and challenging experience, and I am thrilled to have been promoted to associate. Attwells has always encouraged my entrepreneurial spirit, meaning that I have been able to have a direct impact on the firm’s growth in London. I am delighted to have this recognised by the partners.”

Nick Attwell, partner at the firm, said: “Both David and Lloyd have proved themselves as experts in their disciplines and consistently deliver an excellent personal service to their clients. We are thrilled to have them in our team and these promotions reflect that.”

•Colchester-based manufacturing consultant Stuart Allan has been appointed to help deliver the the Government’s new Manufacturing Growth Programme in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridge.

Through the programme, SMEs with a commitment to growth can access professional support in a variety of areas, from business strategy and operations, to innovation and marketing.

The development grant scheme aims to identify opportunities, drive growth and profitability, and help manufacturers through the Brexit process with a programme of supported solutions.

Stuart, who previously founded and ran his own multi-million-pound manufacturing business, says the outlook is positive.

“There is no doubt that Brexit will bring challenges, but I believe it will create many more opportunities for those businesses that are ready to exploit them,” he said. “Identifying risk and potential, as well as developing and delivering the right strategies has never been more critical for UK manufacturers.”

He added: “After the shock of Brexit, 2016 was a surprisingly positive year for business. We still have uncertainty, but I believe, an incredible amount of opportunity in UK manufacturing and I’m excited to be working with the region’s businesses to help them grow and develop.”