Ipswich-based Concertus Design & Property Consultants have taken on four graduate apprentices in trainee positions within its Architectural, Building Surveying and Building Services Design Studios.

Three of the new recruits join the business as classmates from Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford.

David Mugliston, 22, has been appointed as assistant building surveyor. Nathan Vince, 23, has been made a design technician – graduate architectural technologist and Pete Horton, who is 29, has joined as assistant building surveyor.

All three are continuing with their studies and are aiming to achieve Chartered Status within the next couple of years.

Meanwhile, Rob Settle has been appointed as trainee engineer with the building services team. Rob, who is 29, previously spent seven years in the Army’s Corps of Royal Engineers, where he trained as an electrician. He has just started a degree in building services at London South Bank University.

Design director Matthew Self said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of four new graduate trainees. At Concertus, we feel it is important to provide opportunities to young people who show the right drive and enthusiasm towards a career in this vibrant and exciting industry and I would like to wish them all the best for their future.”

: : Brian Wilcox has been appointed area governor for Toast Masters International. Toast Masters, an international organisation, was formed in 1926 and now has thousands of speakers’ clubs in some 120 countries.

The aim of the clubs is to help individuals from all walks of life become proficient in speaking publicly to audiences of any size.

The five clubs in this area include SpeakEasy at Martlesham, Ipswich Electrifiers and Camulodunum on the Suffolk/Essex border near the A12.

Brian, of Willisham, near Ipswich, came to the town 50 years ago to help Eastern Electricity to computerise.

He is semi retired, but works for various online businesses. In his spare time, he has been involved in horseriding and stock care racing, I rode horses for some 29 nine years.

“As area governor for ToastMasters International I help the five local clubs to expand the good work they do in helping people from all walks of life to become confident speakers on any subjects in front of audiences of any size,” he said.

: : Colchester-based business management software firm Access Group has appointed Paul Bosson as its chief financial officer (CFO). The move is part of plans to support the company’s ambitious growth strategy, which has seen annual double digit growth since a Lyceum Capital-backed management buyout in 2011.

Access has split the role of CFO to cover finance and commercial elements. Adam Brown, former CFO, will remain as chief commercial officer with Paul having responsibility for all financial matters, covering financial reporting and compliance, business analysis, and working with investors to put in place the optimal finance and corporate structure to support plans for growth.

Paul has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the technology sector, having previously been CFO with both Masternaut and Sophis. He also brings with him a track record of securing additional investor backing to support fast growing companies like Access.

“Access manages acquisitions very successfully and this is a key area to support further ongoing growth,” said Paul. “It is important that Adam and our senior team have more time to focus on this area of growth while I focus on the finance areas of the business.

“The fact that we are so successful in this area is down to their industry knowledge. It’s a formidable combination of excellent knowledge and excellent staff. This was one of the reasons I was attracted to Access.”

Chief executive Chris Bayne said: “Paul has unrivalled experience in the sector, he has been a serial CFO of private equity backed technology businesses for the last decade, having achieved four successful exits for four different private equity firms. We’re delighted he is on board.”

Paul is a qualified chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse in London and holds an engineering degree from Imperial College, London, and a master’s degree in business administration from Henley Management College.

: : Matthew Went has joined Ipswich-based commercial mower makers Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd as human resources director.

He succeeds Carol Mellelieu, who retired in August and joins from freight management business P&O Ferrymasters, which is part of the Dubai World Company, where he held a similar position. Previous to this he was head of HR at Swissport, an aviator sector ground handling company with 3,500 employees.

Matthew was educated at Bishops Stopford’s School and Enfield College before gaining a BSc Sociology degree at Kingston University in Surrey. He later obtained an MA in human resource management from the University of Hertfordshire.

He reports to Nina Stasinopoulos, vice president of human resources at parent company Jacobsen in Charlotte, North Carolina. His brief will be to deliver enhanced staff relationships through consultation and coaching managers and employees on training and HR-related matters. He will be responsible for talent acquisition and development, performance management and employee relations.

Matthew lives in Dovercourt, Essex, with his wife Morna and their four-year old daughter.

: : Following the appointment of Dean Harris as head of tax, accountancy firm KPMG has further bolstered its tax team in East Anglia with the appointment of Sam Vanags, who has recently joined the firm from Grant Thornton.

Sam, who specialises in helping privately-owned businesses gain Government sponsored tax reliefs, especially around research and development, Patent Box and Intellectual Property, will be working across KPMG’s Cambridge and Ipswich offices. She will work with innovative local businesses, including family owned and manufacturing and technology businesses where her sector expertise is focused.

Senior partner Steve Muncey said: “Sam is a fantastic addition to our tax practice which has grown and been very successful over recent years. Her vast experience of working with innovative businesses is particularly suited to our region and will stand us in good stead as we look to maintain our position as one of the dominant tax advisers in the East of England.”

Sam said: “I am hugely excited about the prospect of working in this region which has a great reputation for its vibrant economy and diverse and successful range of businesses; from innovative start ups through to well established family businesses.

“As innovation is such a major component in helping businesses to grow, I know that helping our local clients ensure that they are fully compliant on tax and understand the various targeted tax reliefs on offer will play and important role in their plans for sustainable future success.”

Sam, who headed up the innovation practice at Grant Thornton for 13 years, will split her time between Cambridge, Ipswich and London.

: : Nicola Hunter, head of practice at Bury Physio, based in Bury St Edmunds, is part of a peer review team helping to raise standards for physiotherapy-led occupational health services.

The review team has been brought together to consider the applicability of the Safe Effective Quality Occupational Health Service (SEQOHS) standards for the services.

SEQOHS is a set of standards and a process of voluntary accreditation that aims to help to raise the overall level of care provided by occupational health services and make a meaningful difference to the health of people of working age. The SEQOHS Accreditation Scheme is managed by the Royal College of Physicians of London on behalf of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine.

Nicky said: “SEQOHS is conducting a pilot, in partnership with the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics (ACPOHE). The pilot scheme involved six occupational physiotherapy practices. They have worked through the standards and are providing evidence to demonstrate that they meet each standard. This is being used to test the acceptability and relevance of each standard to occupational health physiotherapy.

“The next phase is a site visit to verify the evidence. The pilot will then report back to the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, who will consider whether the SEQOHS standards should be extended to include this type of OH service. We are hoping that physiotherapy practices providing occupational health services will be formally included when the standards are updated in 2015.”