Andrew Rowe, managing director at Ipswich based Concertus Design & Property Consultants, has been appointed as finance director for SPACES, the new society that has been formed from a merger between SCALA (Society for Construction and Architecture in Local Authorities) and SCEME (Society of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers serving Local Government).

Chartered surveyors Lacy Scott and Knight has welcomed Crispin Muir to its agricultural team at Bury St Edmunds.

Crispin is a chartered surveyor who has wide ranging experience with national firms, and has also acted as agent at institutions such as Castle Howard and Hatfield House, before coming to Suffolk in 2006, where he has settled with his wife, young family and Labrador.

Crispin will be strengthening the existing agricultural team which includes Graham Ford, who has recently passed his APC, to become qualified as a chartered surveyor.

Graham lives in west Suffolk and attended St Josephs College in Ipswich, before graduating from Harper Adams University, and has been at Lacy Scott and Knight since 2012. He is well known locally on the cricket pitch, playing for Worlington CC and Fordham CC.

Bury St Edmunds-based accountants Whiting & Partners has recently seen a record four staff qualify as Certified and Chartered Accountants.

Rachel Durey, 25, is from Ipswich, Megan Evans, 26, and Ellie Skipper, 25, are both from Bury St Edmunds, and Jonathan Moore, 37, is from Wattisfield.

“Our firm’s policy is to nurture and develop home-grown talent and getting four through the qualification process is a real milestone and great reward,” said managing partner Mark Haydon.

Ipswich-based McTear Williams & Wood, one of the region’s largest firm of insolvency practitioners, has promoted Tony Harrison to associate. Tony joined the firm 10 years ago as a senior administrator and until recently headed up a team which specialises in administration appointments. His focus going forward will be business development in Norfolk.

Members of the East of England Co-operative Society voted in some new board directors at its annual general meeting.

This year saw 19 candidates standing for six available places on the board. Three new directors were appointed: Emma Howard, Claire Johnsen and Steve Shaw. Existing Co-op Directors Phil Hartwell, Tereza Scrogie, and Celia Moore won re-election to the board.

Andrew Rowe, managing director at Ipswich based Concertus Design & Property Consultants, has been appointed as finance director for SPACES, the new society that has been formed from a merger between SCALA (Society of Construction of Architecture in Local Authorities) and SCEME (Society of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers serving Local Government).

SPACES is a national body which brings together both public and private sector professionals from a range of disciplines. It is unique in the market place, as it represents those delivering and maintaining public architecture, construction, engineering and surveying services. Andrew was previously a director of SCALA, a role he was appointed to in November last year.

“I am delighted to be taking up this national role in the newly merged society,” he said. “This position will give me the opportunity to help steer the new society towards being multi-disciplinary, giving real value to its members.”

Ipswich Building Society has appointed a new business development manager with significant experience in intermediary mortgage lending as it extends its offering to the broker market.

Andrew Sadler has more than 20 years’ experience and joins the society following three years at Virgin Money in area sales and business development manager roles.

Ipswich Building Society has recently announced it will be working with Legal & General’s extensive network of brokers which are part of its Mortgage Club, the longest running and largest of its kind in the UK.

Brokers will be able to access the society’s expert mortgage specialists and manual approach to underwriting, enabling the handling of more complex cases, particularly around mortgage misfits such as older borrowers, the self-employed and self-builders.

Michelle Stevens, head of mortgage sales, said: “Andrew is a welcome addition to our team. His significant experience within intermediary mortgage lending, as both a Business Development Manager and Area Sales Manager, will complement our focus on extending our expert offering to the broker market and enables us to continue our dedicated, personal approach to lending as the society grows.”

Bury St Edmunds-based Beckett Asset Management has appointed a new portfolio manager to help deliver its discretionary fund management service.

Craig Brown has joined the company to provide specialist investment analysis, drawing on his investment management experience gained at Barclays Wealth and Citibank where he was part of the team performing fund and investment selection, and managing client portfolios.

Beckett’s total funds under management have increased by around £50m in the past 12 months and are now approaching £200million. This makes it one of the leading portfolio managers of its type outside of London.

Craig has joined the company at a time of expansion along with a new consultant in the private client team at Beckett Financial Services.

Paul Fisher, a former employee of 16years, re-joined the company to help with all aspects of financial planning. His specialisms are pensions and retirement planning.

Two other internal changes saw Val Carroll promoted to director of healthcare and Lesley Delaney promoted to associate director.

The Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has appointed Neil Darwin as chief executive.

Neil has been involved with the work of the LEP since the creation of the original proposal to Government, and was formerly a board adviser before joining the LEP team on secondment from Opportunity Peterborough in June 2014. He has been the LEP’s interim chief executive since October 2014.

“I am pleased to have been appointed as chief executive of the LEP having worked with the team and board from the very beginning,” he said.

“I believe that the LEP plays a critical role in defining the future of our local economy by focusing on improving our infrastructure, ensuring we create an appropriately skilled workforce to meet the needs of our businesses, and helping our businesses to access the advice, support, and funding they need to grow.”

LEP chairman Mark Reeve said: “Neil is a strong leader who has been working hard to build effective relationships with local businesses, education providers, Government, and local authorities since joining the team full time last year. I am sure that under his leadership we will continue to make real progress in overcoming the key barriers to business growth to create more new jobs and grow our economy further.”

Facilities management provider Servest Group has appointed Kimberly Moss as its new group marketing manager.

Kimberly takes responsibility for all of Servest’s marketing functions which include strategy, branding and communications.

She has bold plans to reinvigorate Servest’s marketing department. Changes to branding, strategy and website are already in progress and she plans to bring in additional staff to meet the demand of the continuously developing company, which is based at Fornham All Saints near Bury St Edmunds.

Having worked in B2B and B2C environments across the retail, distribution, software and manufacturing sectors, Moss brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm and expertise to the role. Her skills were honed at university, whilst studying towards a psychology degree and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

She also assumes responsibility for managing Servest’s 10 Future Leaders.

The Future Leaders programme, which launched in March, aims to prepare the 10 candidates for a management role in the company over the course of two years. In addition to this, Moss is particularly excited by the prospect of inspiring more women to work in a traditionally male dominated FM industry.

“I am excited to be given the opportunity to be involved in such a flourishing company and I look forward to the different challenges the role will bring. I’m keen to teach Servest’s Future Leaders everything I know about marketing and management, and I’d like to inspire more young women to consider a career in the FM industry,” she said.