INGO Wiangke, 43, has been appointed as general manager of the iconic, 15th century Swan at Lavenham, He joins the four-star hotel after spending four years in a similar position at the Michelin-starred Lords of the Manor in Gloucestershire.

Ingo Wiangke, 43, has been appointed as general manager of the iconic, 15th century Swan at Lavenham. He joins the four-star hotel after spending four years in a similar position at the Michelin-starred Lords of the Manor in Gloucestershire.

He aims to raise the hotel to a higher ech�lon in terms of its food, customer service and overall quality.

“I am relishing the opportunity and challenge of re-positioning The Swan at Lavenham to sit amongst some of the country’s finest hotels,” he said.

“The Swan already has a great pedigree, and based on this, we have started a journey to guide this beautiful, historic property back to its former glory and create an outstanding food and leisure destination, situated in an idyllic rural setting.”

Grahame Tinnion, managing director of Thorpeness & Aldeburgh Hotels said: “We are delighted to have Ingo on board with us. He brings with him an enormous wealth of experience, based on the considerable number of years he has worked in the hotel industry, as well as passion and drive and great enthusiasm. I am confident that this combination of skill sets will greatly contribute towards successfully repositioning this wonderful hotel and to building on its existing enviable success.”

IPSWICH-BASED Consense continues to expand with the appointment of four new members of staff in as many months.

The firm, at Martlesham Heath, specialises in community engagement and online consultations, and continues to buck the downward trend with a rapidly-expanding client base.

Julie Caton was appointed in March as project and PR manager, to work with clients in both the renewable energy and property planning sectors as well as manage PR activities for the company. Julie has 18 years of experience in the communications field with the police service, broadcasting and most recently local government.

Alex Wilden joined the team in March and is responsible for all of Consense’s internal and client IT data security within the company’s growing infrastructure, with a key focus on establishing appropriate hosting environments, data security and procedures in line with consultation data requirements. Alex’s skills are all backed up with industry qualifications, he holds Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) & Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows� OEM Pre-installation Kit Tools (MCTS) certificates. Alex is also currently preparing us for ISO 27001 certification, working towards Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) Server Administrator and developing its disaster recovery plan.

Cyra Parkes joined Consense as project director on a permanent basis at the beginning of April, having worked with them on a freelance basis for a number of years.

Cyra has extensive experience in a range of sectors. Working alongside property developers, renewable energy companies, local authorities and national house builders, she will be instrumental in devising and implementing public consultation exercises for its clients.

Paul Bennett is an experienced web developer who took up his role at the beginning of April. A Microsoft Certified Professional in ASP.Net, with 13 years of experience in web development, a wealth of commercial experience and several award winning sites and accolades under his belt, Paul will be working on the development of online consultations.

Jessica Topham, Director for Consense said: “We are delighted to welcome Julie, Alex, Cyra and Paul to our team.

“We know how important it is to employ the very best people to succeed for our clients and with a combined total of just over 50 years relevant experience, our new recruits are a significant investment into the future as our business continues to flourish.”

ALDEBURGH Business Association (ABA) elected a new chair and vice-chair at its recent annual general meeting.

Naomi Tarry of Best of Suffolk was appointed chair, and Robert Mabey of Regatta restaurant vice-chair. Several new posts were also created to spread the increasing workload of the seaside town’s vibrant business association. Naomi takes over the chairman role from Barry Shooter of Barry Shooter Pharmacy. Barry carried out the role for two years and was thanked for his commitment and dedication supporting Aldeburgh businesses.

Naomi said: “I am very excited about the year ahead and look forward to working with the team on a range of projects to help our local businesses to thrive as the economy comes out of the recession. We have a lively business community in Aldeburgh and it is great to see business competitors sitting down together to discuss how they can work together for the benefit of the wider community.”

Other committee appointments were: secretary and representative on the Heritage Coast Market Towns Initiative, Liz Biagioni of Pilates Positive; treasurer, Mark Fairweather, of Fairweather Stephenson & Co Solicitors; Christmas lights organiser, Sandra Burnett, of Burnett & Co; marketing and promotions committee chair, Alex Tarry, of Best of Suffolk; commerce committee chair, Robert Mabey, of Regatta Restaurant.

RICHARD Triolo, managing director of Systematic Logistics International Limited, a member of Palletways, Europe’s largest and fastest growing palletised freight network, has been named ‘2011 Colchester Connected Business Man of the Year’.

The awards ceremony was held at Colchester United FC with the chairman, Robbie Cowling, presenting Richard with the award. Mr Triolo was praised for his proactive business approach, as well as his focus and determination to take his business forward in a difficult climate.

Richard, said: “I am honoured to receive this accolade and it is testimony to our desire and determination to be a leading player in the logistics marketplace.

BUSINESSMAN David Dunn from Sudbury has swapped the daily grind of commuting to London for a brand new enterprise.

The 42-year-old has exchanged a career as a regional manager with the Post Office to set up his own company, Revive! Bury St Edmunds, which specialises in fixing scuffs, scratches and marks on cars and vans.

David worked for the Post Office for seven years and opted to take voluntary redundancy so he could follow his dream and set up his own business. Before that, he worked for 17 years for Sainsbury’s.

“I have been thinking of setting up on my own for some time now and the opportunity came along. I have done a lot of research and I am convinced there is a great business opportunity in the area,” he said.

“I am really looking forward to working for myself and building up a successful and thriving business.

“I have looked at other franchise openings but opted for Revive! because it offers such a great service and is a really good operation.”

David’s business covers the West Suffolk and Essex area and the plan is to expand over the next three years.

RETAIL Property Asset Manager, REALM, has appointed Paul McCarthy as the new centre manager for Freeport Braintree Outlet Shopping Village.

He brings a breadth of experience having held a number of senior commercial roles at Heathrow Airport and more recently working for a specialist retail consultancy.

He will work with the team at Freeport Braintree to drive the centre forward.