STOWMARKET-BASED Muntons plc has become the first maltster in the world to make a dedicated appointment to ensure that it will meet its commitment to produce 100% low carbon malt within the next five years.

STOWMARKET-BASED Muntons plc has become the first maltster in the world to make a dedicated appointment to ensure that it will meet its commitment to produce 100% low carbon malt within the next five years.

Muntons has appointed Melissa Abbott to the newly created position of grain value chain specialist. Melissa will be leading the drive to ensure that everyone through the supply chain, from farmer through to end customer, works towards the same common environmentally responsible goal. The new role for Melissa will be the first in the industry.

Melissa joined Muntons in 2001 as a seed administrator for Simpsons Seeds - the then seed merchanting arm of Muntons - and in 2002 became grain administrator in the main malting business. Since then her role has changed dramatically, in 2003 she became the senior grain administrator responsible for the day-to-day running of the grain office at Stowmarket. This includes all administration for the grain that is purchased each year, the co-products that are sold and the scheduling of grain deliveries. She is a qualified licensed crop inspector and the chairman of the eastern section of the BFBi (Brewing Food and Beverage Industry suppliers association).

RANSOMES Jacobsen, the Ipswich-based turf maintenance equipment manufacturer, has expanded its management territory within the Jacobsen group with the inclusion of the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. Ransomes Jacobsen and Jacobsen are Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) companies.

To accommodate this expansion into APAC, David Withers, managing director of Ransomes Jacobsen, has announced several management changes at senior level across the business.

Alan Prickett, the former sales director, has been appointed managing director, Asia Pacific, and will be relocating to Singapore in the near future to head up the company’s operations in the Far East. Over the past 30 years, Alan has gained extensive experience in both the retail and manufacturing sectors of the grounds care industry. He joined the Jacobsen division of Textron UK in early 1997 after a sales career with Ransomes distributors P A Turney Ltd and E T Breakwell Ltd. Following the merger of Ransomes and Jacobsen in 1998, he was appointed UK retail branch manager and was subsequently promoted to the role of UK sales manager and then sales director in late 2004.

Backfilling the role of sales director is Rupert Price, who is promoted to this significant sales position from his former role of UK and Ireland sales manager. In his new role he is responsible for all sales activity and business development in Europe and Africa. A business and technology graduate from Sheffield Hallam University, he joined the business in 1999 and has held positions of increasing responsibility over the past 11 years.

Jason King has been promoted to customer care director. He joined Ransomes in 1989 as a technical apprentice and has worked diligently and successfully through various positions within the company, including product support technician, service parts sales manager, international training manager and latterly customer support and training manager.

Commenting on the appointments, David Withers said: “I’m absolutely delighted to announce these latest appointments, which refresh the senior leadership team here in Ipswich and provide the opportunity for dynamic and enthusiastic talent to blossom within the business. For example, Jason King joined Ransomes as a 16-year-old apprentice, gaining excellent technical skills and a wide range of experience across all levels of the business. Now, 22 years on, and with a passion for customer service, he has amassed a wealth of knowledge, which has equipped him to undertake his new position.

“Similarly, Rupert Price, who joined us on our graduate intake programme back in the late 1990’s, has shown great aptitude in many differing sales roles and last year was mainly responsible for our significant increase in market share as a result of the innovative new strategies he introduced in the UK.

“Alan Prickett will do a great job for us out in the APAC territory from his base in Singapore, where he will build on the successes of the team out there, as we aggressively pursue and exploit the burgeoning opportunities across that region”.

PROBATE and asset tracing firm Anglia Research Services has announced a key appointment to its legal team.

Solicitor Bushra Elzubeir has joined the company’s Ipswich office as in-house counsel.

Bushra, formerly of Kerseys and Birkett Long solicitors, was educated at Gilberd School in Colchester and at the International School of Choueifat in Dubai before taking his law degree at Anglia Law School.

As an experienced solicitor, he will bring invaluable knowledge of company commercial law and commercial litigation to the firm.

Managing director Peter Turvey said: “The addition of Bushra to our in-house legal team will broaden the scope of our interaction with the legal market, which is a major contributor in our industry”.

He added: “As we continue to expand in 2011, the addition of Bushra to our legal department ensures that we shall be solidly placed to deliver a value added service and also manage growth in a competitive commercial environment.”

NATWEST is pleased to announce the appointments of Alfie Gotts to the position of director, business banking and John Cox as director, commercial banking for Suffolk.

In their new roles – Alfie takes on responsibility for running the NatWest business banking operations for Suffolk – which supports businesses, that turnover up to �2million. John assumes responsibility for the commercial banking business, which supports businesses turning over between �2m and �25m.

Alfie and John take over their roles as the bank creates two specialist divisions to look after the SME market in the county, utilising the experience of its managers through two dedicated business channels. Alfie runs a team of 15 managers across six branches and offices. John has a team of 13 managers based within the bank’s business centre at Ransomes Europark.

Alfie has over 31 years experience in banking beginning his career with NatWest in Norwich in 1980. He has held a number of managerial roles within the business banking channel and most recently was director, branch business banking in Ipswich. John has worked in banking for 28 years. He has also held a number of managerial roles within the commercial banking marketplace and most recently was director, business and commercial banking in North Essex.

Alfie Gotts said: “We are changing the way we serve the Suffolk SME marketplace by providing management support to what we perceive to be two distinct markets. In doing so we are placing our most experienced managers, who are all local to the area with those customers who can benefit most from their knowledge and business contacts.”

John Cox added: “We remain committed to supporting our Suffolk based customers and their business aspirations. The closer we can get to our customers, the better we can support them. We believe this new local proposition, with dedicated experienced managers focusing on the business and commercial channels, will strengthen further our existing customer relationships and attract new business to the bank.”

SPECIALIST family legal executive, Vanessa Gillbanks, formerly of Blocks Solicitors in Felixstowe, has joined Setfords Solicitors as a family law consultant.

Vanessa, who will be working in the Suffolk and Essex areas, has over 24 years legal experience, 22 of those specialising in family law. Trained as a legal executive, gaining vast practice experience, she is a member of Institute of Legal Executives obtaining FILEX status she is also a resolution member, and an advanced family law panel member.

Vanessa has worked in the Suffolk and Essex areas throughout her career and is therefore familiar with these areas. She is however more than able to act for people in all geographical areas.

Vanessa’s experience in all aspects of family law has seen her deal with all types of family work from very high value to low and average financial matters .She has helped resolve all kinds of children issues and assisted in all kinds of divorces as a member of resolution she tries to deal with matters in a non confrontational way.

SAVILLS has announced a number of promotions for staff in the East of England including three from its Suffolk offices.

Peter Ogilvie from the Ipswich residential team has been promoted to associate director, while Katy Stephenson and Sam Parker from Bury St Edmund’s residential become associates.

Mark Oliver, head of the residential business in the east, said: “These promotions are thoroughly well deserved and are in recognition of the enormous contribution Peter, Katy and Sam have made to our business in Suffolk. Peter is a highly respected member of our long established Ipswich office, while the Bury team’s hard work and dedication has forged them into a force to be reckoned with after only a few years of opening.”