Bury St Edmunds-based technical training company CNet Training has expanded its operations department.

Shelly Bryant has joined as international operations co-ordinator. Shelley will organise and manage all training venues and associated travel and accommodation for program instructors and assist with travel, freight and accommodation for global exhibitions.

Emily Jessup has joined as HQ operations co-ordinator. Emily will also organise on-site training work placements associated with the training provided to personnel leaving the armed forces.

Operations manager Mel Green said: “We are pleased to have Shelly and Emily as part of our team. Both have excellent experience within their different fields and will make a huge difference to the efficient operations at CNet Training as the company continues to grow.”

: : Bury St Edmunds-based recruitment firm Cooper Lomaz has appointed Philip Pitt as head of business development.

“We had 200 applicants for the post and Philip was the stand-out candidate from Day One,” said operations director Mark Fletcher.

“He has a wealth of experience, working for large national agencies and we are tremendously excited by such a quality addition to our successful management team.

“Very few of our competitors have someone in a business development role, but for us it was the next logical step. We have grown 20% in the past year and we aim to grow another 20% next year. Having Philip on our team will allow us to develop the way we sell our service to existing clients and open up opportunities with new clients.”

Philip brings a cross-UK client portfolio to the post, having worked with companies in London, Liverpool and Bristol, with particular experience in the public sector and financial services. He will report to Cooper Lomaz sales director Richard Mould, who said the move was about ongoing account-focused relationships with the company’s clientele.

“Cooper Lomaz works with an umbrella of clients, from start-ups to huge multi-national companies that need to fill 200 to 300 roles a year,” he said. “Philip will work across all of our seven specialist divisions and identify new areas for us to move into.”

Father-of-two Philip has a decade of successful business development experience to call on. He said Cooper Lomaz’ professionalism, standard of service and reputation was a perfect fit for him.

“I have worked for both multi-national organisations and SMEs,” he said. “Before joining Cooper Lomaz I worked on a freelance basis, providing business development and bid management to a portfolio of recruitment clients.”

Hockey umpire Philip, who is relocating from Surrey with his wife Christine, said: “It is a natural move for me. We have always loved East Anglia.”

He pointed out that it was now usual for large recruitment companies to appoint business development specialists. Because of its growth, Cooper Lomaz had reached a size where it needed to do likewise to continue to move forward.

“I am looking forward to getting to know the area and our clients and I am very happy to talk to anyone who wants to have a good open discussion about the recruitment solutions we can provide,” said Philip.

: : Angela Lewis has set up her own business WriteHereWrite- Now to offer ghost-writing services for people with an interesting story to tell but no time to write their memoirs.

Angela, from Hadleigh, has been writing for local magazines for 10 years and last year published a book about a local World War II veteran entitled Long Way From Home.

Angela spent 16 years in various office-based jobs, mainly using her German as an added skill, often in international positions in customer service or doing translations.

: : East Anglian builders’ merchant Collier & Catchpole has welcome Michael Andrews to its Colchester yard sales team.

Michael, 25, who was born and brought up in Colchester, joined another family-run builders’ merchant after Colchester Sixth Form.

However it was his two years in sales with brick specialists Brickability which earned him the name “Mick the Brick” and provided him with a detailed knowledge of the wide range of bricks available and their respective features and benefits.

Michael said: “I was keen to return to the merchants’ side of the business. Although I very much enjoyed the responsibility of looking after a wide geographic region, I believe that I can now put this experience and product knowledge to good effect in advising Collier & Catchpole customers, regular or otherwise, as part of the sales team in Colchester.”

Managing director Tim Rowbottom said: “We continue to recruit with an eye to the future and believe that Michael, with his specialist knowledge of bricks and his wide general knowledge of the building sector, will prove to be a very valuable member of the Colchester yard sales team.”

: : Bennett Homes is strengthening it sales team with the appointment of Katie Vinyard as home adviser.

Katie joins the team based at the company’s headquarters at Nowton, near Bury St Edmunds, with responsibility for liaising with potential customers on the purchase of their new homes and providing a dedicated service from the first contact through to moving-in day and beyond.

This follows a number of previous positions Katie has held in the new homes market over the last 10 years where she has acquired the skills and expertise for her new role.

Sales and marketing manager Dawn Urry said they were “delighted” to welcome Katie to the team.

: : Colchester PR and digital marketing company Mosaic Publicity has taken on six new members of staff.

New PR and digital director, David Betteridge has a long history of working in publicity at the highest level for blue-chip companies.

He is joined by Philippa Green, who returns as PR and digital account manager after leaving to raise a family. An ex-journalist from local and national newspapers and magazines, she has 15 years’ experience as a PR professional.

Also new to the agency is Pal Gleed, Mosaic’s search engine optimisation expert, who has worked in the digital arena for more than 15 years for companies including ferry company giant DFDS Seaways and national travel company and cruise specialist Reader Offers.

Harriet Bisdee joins as office and account administrator and has already become client-facing in her new role presenting and filming videos for clients.

Tara Lee has been appointed as marketing manager, bringing with her 12 years’ marketing experience working in local businesses including print business Polestar, and Colchester law firm Fisher Jones Greenwood.

Chris Douglas has officially become part of the Mosaic team as graphic and web designer after previously working for the agency as a contractor. He has a long history of working in the business sector for organisations such as Care UK, the Ministry of Defence and local government.

Mosaic chief executive Karen Ainley said: “This new team are tried and tested and have proved themselves time and again in their fields.”

: :Two senior appointments have been made at accountants, financial advisers and insurance brokers Scrutton Bland.

Steve Liddell, who lives in Woodbridge, joins the firm’s Colchester office from one of the big four accountancy firms. His new role as corporate partner will see him specialise in audit and corporate finance work.

He will be involved in the education and haulage sectors, while also supporting the financial services arm of Scrutton Bland.

James Tucker joins the Ipswich office from a role in industry, although he was previously a partner with a regional firm of accountants.

James is looking forward to working with family businesses, especially in the agricultural and property sectors. He will be one of three partners heading up the Ipswich business services team.

Managing partner Tim O’Connor said: “Attracting new partners of this calibre is extremely pleasing.”