RESEARCH, marketing and design firm Mackman, based in Sudbury, has welcomed two new graduates as interns.

Natasha Clarke graduated this summer from Leeds Metropolitan University and Lucy Shillito from Loughborough University.

The company has been running short internship programmes for the last few years. Their interns go through the same interview process that any other employee applying for a full time position would, looking for candidates with focus, drive and ambition.

Natasha said: “It’s exciting to be part of such a creative organisation. You can only learn so much from text books and hypothetical case studies. I’m getting lots of hands-on experience at Mackman.”

Lucy said: “I’ve only been here a week and already learnt so much.”

Director Paul Mackman said the internship programmes were beneficial to both parties.

“Our interns gain substantial amounts of experience, whilst bringing in new members to the team keeps the company current, it gives us the opportunity for fresh ideas and new perspectives,” he said.

EDME, the bakery ingredients supplier and producer based in Mistley, Essex, has bolstered its technical support to help bakeries with their product development.

The company has appointed Bob Craddock as innovation manager and Russell Wheeler as technical sales manager.

“These are exciting times to be in the bakery sector. There is a big focus on innovation,” said sales director James Smith.

“Our expertise in developing new applications for wholegrain malt products is key. The new appointments will ensure an even better response to the demand for technical consultancy, driving innovation for customers across the bakery sector and beyond.

“Bob and Russell have a wealth of experience, complementing the team’s existing skills, ensuring we are in a great position to support customers in the bakery trade.”

With 17 years of technical experience, Bob Craddock will be responsible for Edme’s New Product Development, creating pilot trials through to full commercial production proposals. His previous experience includes innovation and technical roles at Whitworths, Smiths Flour Mills and cereal ingredients company Bowman Milling.

Russell Wheeler draws on tenyears’ experience in technical sales management, providing insight on product benefits with a particular focus on speciality ingredients. He joins from Azelis Food Ingredient Technology and has worked with malted ingredients for around 11 years. The duo will join Edme’s technical baker, Richard Ball, who leads on product testing at the firm’s on-site test kitchen.

TA Hotel Collection, which owns five independent Suffolk hotels, has appointed Paul Clouting to grow its UK golf breaks business at Thorpeness Hotel and Golf Club.

Paul brings more than 20 years’ experience as a commercial director and marketer to his new role as hotel director and will oversee operations at the 36-bedroom golf hotel, 18-hole heathland golf course and private members’ club at Thorpeness on Suffolk’s Heritage Coast.

He will also oversee Aldeburgh Bay Holidays, the self-catering holiday rentals arm of the business, and weddings and functions venue Thorpeness Country Club, which celebrated its centenary in 2012.

Paul, a keen golfer and current vice-captain of Purdis Heath Golf Club in Ipswich, has held senior commercial and operational director in the football world and with major sports equipment manufacturers.

Tim Rowan-Robinson, chairman of TA Hotel Collection, said: “Paul’s appointment heralds an exciting new phase in the growth of our business.

Golf holidays are a resilient but highly competitive market sector in tourism and Paul brings the experience and skills to develop Thorpeness Hotel and Golf Club into Suffolk’s leading play and stay golf break destination.”

Prior to his career in football, Paul was marketing director for Dunlop Slazenger International Ltd and successfully relaunched iconic golf equipment brands into the UK market, including a 100% brand share (value) increase for Maxfli.

“I’m delighted to be joining TA Hotel Collection and especially Thorpeness, one of Suffolk’s idyllic holiday villages, designed in the 1920s as the perfect place to take a break in the country,” he said.

“I’m joining at a time where there have been a number of improvements to the course as part of a progressive plan to further enhance the outstanding golfing reputation Thorpeness enjoys.

“Our challenge now is to attract more golfers to stay and play here and move from being a jealously-guarded secret to one of Britain’s best-loved golf hotels.”

ROYAL Bank of Scotland Corporate & Institutional Banking (RBS CIB) has appointed Ben Bifield to the key role of business development manager for its East of England team.

Ben joins the CIB team from NatWest Commercial where he was a relationship manager in Luton looking after a portfolio of mid-corporate clients.

Led by regional director Jonathan Barrow, the East of England CIB team works with businesses with turnovers in excess of £25million across all sectors. The region is one of the most significant for RBS and the new appointment will help the bank cater for strong demand for funding and business support services from East of England businesses. A core focus in 2013 has been on the manufacturing sector: RBS recently launched the next tranche of its low-cost Manufacturing Fund and this has provided strong support for regional manufacturers.

Ben, who lives in Bedford, is a keen sportsman having completed the London Marathon last year. He has completed the Applied Diploma in Corporate Banking and will apply those skills as well as the experience he gained from commercial banking to his new role.

Ben said: “I am delighted to join this established team and I am looking forward to working with the corporate business introducers and professionals in the Cambridge area. I will be working very closely with my East of England colleagues and our team of specialists to provide expertise and solutions across the whole range of corporate finance, invoice finance, asset finance, trade finance and wealth management.”

Jonathan Barrow, regional director for the East of England, said: “Bringing Ben on board to increase the number of people directly involved in business origination shows that we are keen to do business in the local market and to build on Royal Bank of Scotland’s ‘open for business’ policy. Ben is already known to many of our business intermediaries and is a welcome addition to the team. He will add greatly to our capability in the East of England with his responsibility for new corporate business development predominantly in the Cambridge area but also supporting our teams based in Norwich and Milton Keynes.”

EAGLE New Energy, part of Mildenhall-based Architectural Glazing Group which includes English Architectural Glazing Ltd and Multifab Ltd, has expanded its team.

Charlotte Taylor has been recruited as business development manager and Gavin Bulmer as business manager, Scott Simmons joins as project engineer.

Charlotte has been working in the renewables sector for Windcrop as a site assessor and prior to this for the Freedom Group. Charlotte graduated from Reading University in 2009 with a BSc Physical Geography.

Gavin is a qualified electrician and has been working for T K Drake Electrical since 2005 managing the day to day running of the business. He holds Logic certification to work with both the PV and Heat Pump sectors and is recognised as an NICEIC qualifying supervisor for various technologies. Scott is a qualified electrician and is fully qualified in photovoltaics. He has worked on a self-employed basis with Winsor Electrical since leaving college in 2008.

MD Simon Gladwin said: “We are pleased to welcome the new team members who are well trained and have a strong background in this field.”

RICHARD Blake has joined Essex and Suffolk independent estate agency, Boydens, as senior property and new business manager.

Richard trained as a chartered surveyor 25 years ago and has spent his career prior to joining Boydens working in London for property companies on mixed-use schemes including the prestigious South Kensington estate. His new role, based at Boydens’ Colchester office, will see him responsible for the management of the firm’s’ extensive block management portfolio and its commercial business. Richard has lived in Colchester for the past 25 years. He was a founder member of Mile End Parish Council.