Mediaworks has appointed Michael Sherwood as its new chief customer officer. Sherwood joins from Worldpay, where he served as director of onboarding, bringing over 25 years of experience in customer, digital, operations, and organisational leadership. His career includes senior roles at Atom bank, Virgin Money, Tesco Bank, BGL Group, and Orange. In his new role, Sherwood will focus on enhancing client collaboration with Mediaworks. He stated: “I’m delighted to be joining Mediaworks as Chief Customer Officer. The agency has a strong reputation for combining strategic thinking with digital expertise, and I’m looking forward to working with the team to help clients create better, more effective experiences for their customers.”
RMT Accountants Expands Durham Team
RMT Accountants & Business Advisors has bolstered its Durham office with three new hires. John Aitken joins as assistant manager at the Belmont Business Park base, bringing over a decade of experience from professional services firms across the North East. Aidan Turner and Oliver Swan have taken up accountant positions in the corporate services team. Turner completed a three-year accountancy apprenticeship before moving to RMT, while Swan previously worked in banking and professional services. David Holloway, director at RMT, commented: “John, Aidan and Oliver are all very impressive people and practitioners, and have already shown themselves to be excellent additions to the team. Our business is growing across all our different service lines and we’re continuing to recruit talented people to ensure our clients always have access to the expertise they require.”
QE Facilities Appoints Non-Executive Director
QE Facilities has appointed Simon Jefferson as a non-executive director, effective July 2026. Jefferson brings over 20 years of senior commercial leadership experience across water, environmental services, and infrastructure sectors. His previous roles include positions at Ramboll, Adler and Allan, Catsurveys, and Panton McLeod, following 15 years with Northumbrian Water. Damon Kent, managing director at QE Facilities, said: “I am delighted to welcome Simon to our board. His experience will complement our vision and values, and I look forward to the insight and challenge he’ll bring – particularly as we continue to grow both here in the North East and further afield.”
Hay & Kilner Appoints New Family Law Partner
Hay & Kilner has appointed barrister Kate Fenwick as partner and head of family and finance. Fenwick joins during the firm’s 80th anniversary year, bringing extensive experience from the independent Bar and a reputation for handling complex family law matters. She will lead the development of an enhanced service combining strategic legal advice, in-house advocacy, non-court dispute resolution, and expertise in international and high-net-worth family cases. Her trial-focused practice includes regular appearances in the Family Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal, as well as a year practising offshore in Bermuda on large-scale ultra-high-net-worth commercial disputes. Fenwick remarked: “Having worked closely with the firm for many years, it feels particularly special to make that relationship official. The opportunity now is to build a genuine 360-degree private family law offering that currently doesn’t exist in Newcastle.”
Women in Tech North East Adds Non-Executive Directors
Women in Tech North East (WiTNE), a community interest company supporting women and allies in the region’s tech sector, has appointed three new non-executive directors: Jo Larby, Jen Taylor, and Laurie Stirling. All have been involved with WiTNE for several years. Larby, technical product manager at Leighton and accessibility champion, has served as a panellist, host, and co-producer. Taylor, marketing and communications manager at NIHR Innovation Observatory, has championed WiTNE from its early days. Stirling brings operations and business growth expertise through her consultancy and is a long-time advocate for WiTNE’s mission. They join co-founders Kathryn Wharton and Rachel Pattinson, alongside existing non-executive director Jen Wood.
EMG Solicitors Strengthens Private Client Team
EMG Solicitors has enhanced its wills, trusts, and probate team with three new appointments. Laura Clarke joins the Penrith office as associate, Rachel Hunter joined the Gosforth office as a solicitor in May 2026, and Alex Lynas qualified as a solicitor in March 2026. The team is led by director Samantha Edward, co-author of ‘The Practitioner’s Guide to Probate and the Administration of Estates’, who specialises in estate planning, inheritance tax mitigation, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and estate administration. Edward said: “We are seeing our team go from strength to strength, and I’m proud to be bringing together even more experience and expertise as EMG continues to expand across the country.”
