NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Gavin Capstick has been named as the next chief executive of the Lake District National Park Authority, taking over from Richard Leafe in October.
Gavin joined the authority in 2018 as head of programmes and resources and was appointed director of visitor services and resources in 2022. He comes from a strong public service background which has seen him work for Cumbria County Council, Capita and Carlisle City Council in a range of policy, community service, and contract management roles.
Gavin said: “I am incredibly proud to become the Lake District National Park’s new chief executive. As a Cumbrian born and bred, I’ve always been deeply passionate about the National Park and wider area and working for the authority has only grown my love for this special place.”
Gavin has shared three key priorities he will be working towards, alongside partners: supporting nature recovery and agricultural transition, promoting low impact visiting, and helping people access and learn about the National Park and World Heritage Site.
Gavin is family man who is currently passing on his love of cycling and walking to his children and, as a family, they are on a mission to complete all 214 Wainwrights.
He said: “I’ve always had a love of the outdoors and I’m committed to protecting nature and promoting access to the National Park for our children and generations to come.”
Gavin starts his new role in October and will spend the time between now and then working closely with departing chief executive, Richard Leafe, to ensure a seamless transition.
THE FIGURES ADD UP
Karen Thomson is returning to her role as partner and head of payroll at Armstrong Watson’s head office in Carlisle.
Karen previously spent seven years at the accountants and financial advisers. She is chair of the CIPP’s Special Interest Group representing Accountancy Payroll Bureaus and vice chair of Local Government Pensions Scheme (Cumberland). She also sits on a number of forums including: HMRC policies, Admin Burdens Advisory Board, the Employment Payment Group, CIOT Payroll Employment Tax and ICAS Payroll Employment Tax.
She said: “I am looking forward to returning to Armstrong Watson to once again head up the payroll service and the highly-skilled team.”
MEDICAL RECRUITS
The team behind the development of the pioneering Pears Cumbria School of Medicine which is set to open its doors in Carlisle continues to expand.
Six of the latest new recruits are from Cumbria. They include project manager Angie Illman, marketing and student recruitment officer Lucy Thorpe, executive assistant Bridget Liddle, communications and engagement officer Charlotte Young, placement officer Rebecca Hodgson and curriculum development fellow Craig Betton.
KEY BOARD APPOINTMENT
Richard Pike has been appointed as a non-executive director at Cumberland Building Society. Richard has held senior leadership roles at organisations such as Permanent TSB in Ireland, Governor Software, and the National and Cybersecurity Society in the US, has worked with Starling Bank and JP Morgan, is a senior consultant for MyComplianceOffice Ltd and a lecturer for The Institute of Banking. He was recently announced as chair at insurance company FBD Insurance PLC.
He joins fellow board members Jackie Arnold, Des Moore, Richard Ellison, Kelli Fairbrother, Vicky Bruce, Mark Stanger, Cameron Marr and Anna Barsby.
LOVE WINDERMERE
The Love Windermere partnership has appointed Lake District businessman Nigel Wilkinson MBE as its new Chair.
The partnership, which brings together organisations from across the South Lakes area, is working to protect and improve water quality in and around Lake Windermere.
Nigel Wilkinson is the managing director of Windermere Lakes Cruises Limited and also holds several board and advisory positions at organisations including VisitEngland, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) and South Cumbria Rivers Trust, and serves on the Tourism Industry Council. Previously Nigel was a director of Cumbria Tourism, chair of CLEP’s Visitor Economy Sector Panel and chair of the Lake District National Park Partnership’s Business Task Force.
He said: “It is a privilege to lead this ambitious partnership into its next phase. Windermere is an iconic waterbody in the heart of the Lake District and has many attractions, not least its four designated bathing waters which are consistently classed as excellent by the Environment Agency, but it also has complex challenges and needs to be resilient to the impact of climate change. I am passionate about water quality in the lake and Love Windermere is building on the improvements delivered in recent decades by bringing together everyone with the power to drive future enhancements, to protect the lake and to sustain our local economy and communities.”
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Kally Shane has been promoted to operations director at Carlisle-based H&H Insurance Brokers (HHIB) - 14 years after starting work at the firm as a trainee.
Kally has risen through the ranks since joining HHIB as a trainee account handler in February 2010 and will now take a senior strategic role in the business alongside managing director Paul Graham. She heads up the office side of HHIB, leading a team of account handlers, brokers and claims handlers, based at the firm’s head office in Rosehill.
Kally completed her industry qualifications within two years of joining HHIB and was promoted to account handler supervisor in 2015. She was made operations manager in 2018 before moving to head of operations two years later.
In 2022, she was one of only a handful of applicants from across the UK to be selected for a prestigious industry training programme run by insurance giant Aviva. As part of the Future Leader Programme, Kally regularly travels to Aviva’s offices in London for training with industry experts and leaders, and attends national conferences and events, alongside her day job. She is due to complete the two-year course in October.
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