This week’s roundup of North East appointments spans technology, fragrance, law, housebuilding and social housing — with featured organisations including hedgehog lab, Noted Aromas, Muckle LLP, Bellway and the North East Housing Partnership.
hedgehog lab names Julian Leighton as new chair
Newcastle-based digital products agency hedgehog lab has welcomed Julian Leighton as its incoming chair, bringing close to three decades of technology sector expertise to the leadership team.
Leighton’s career began with IBM business partners before he co-founded digital agency Orange Bus, which he grew to 150 staff before its eventual acquisition by FTSE 100 company Capita. He later served on the Capita Software board until 2020, then collaborated again with former Orange Bus colleague Mike Parker to support the early development of software firm Therion. He currently operates his own advisory practice, offering non-executive director guidance and mentorship to scaling businesses, and recently joined Newcastle creative agency Different Narrative in a non-exec capacity.
Reflecting on the appointment, Leighton said that hedgehog lab and Orange Bus had shared early roots — even occupying the same building at one point — and that the chance to get involved felt like a natural next step given his long-standing awareness of the company’s growth and ambitions.
Susanne Given steps in as chair of Noted Aromas
Private equity firm NVM has installed Susanne Given as chair of fragrance company Noted Aromas, following its recent £31m management buyout of the business.
Given brings a strong track record across brand strategy, retail, ecommerce and direct-to-consumer businesses. Her past roles include senior positions at Outfittery, Superdry, TK Maxx and Morrisons, where she helped guide organisations through significant growth and transformation. In her new role, she will work alongside founder Megan and the wider executive team to drive Noted Aromas’ international expansion, with the EU earmarked as the likely target for their first overseas market launch later this year.
Given described Noted Aromas as a brand with a clear value proposition and strong growth momentum, and said she was looking forward to contributing to the next chapter of the company’s journey.
Muckle LLP welcomes newly qualified solicitor Anna Glover
North East law firm Muckle LLP has confirmed the qualification of Anna Glover as a solicitor within its sports, education and charities team.
Glover first joined Muckle in 2022 as a paralegal within the construction team, before transferring to the sports, education and charities practice in 2023. She qualified through the Solicitor Qualifying Examination (SQE) — the updated standardised route into the profession — while working full-time. Her academic background includes an English Literature degree from the University of Edinburgh and a law conversion qualification from Northumbria University.
Glover described qualifying while in full-time employment as a genuinely rewarding challenge, and said she was eager to deepen her knowledge across all three of the team’s focus areas — with a particular interest in education law, including tribunal work and HR advisory support for schools.
Bellway confirms Ben Singlewood as permanent head of construction in the North East
National housebuilder Bellway has formally appointed Ben Singlewood as head of construction at its North East division, converting what had been an interim arrangement since last May into a permanent role.
Operating out of the division’s Gateshead headquarters, Singlewood will oversee construction activity across Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham. He became a site manager in 2011, building experience across Darlington, Durham and Washington. A standout moment in his career came between 2014 and 2016, when he led the Stannington Park development — a regeneration scheme on the former St Mary’s Hospital site in Northumberland — earning a prestigious Pride in the Job Quality Award from the National House Building Council (NHBC) in the process.
Singlewood highlighted Bellway’s customer-first culture as a central pillar of the company’s success, describing it as fundamental to how the business operates and how it is perceived by buyers.
John Johnston takes the helm at the North East Housing Partnership
The North East Housing Partnership — a coalition of 19 social housing providers across the region — has appointed John Johnston as its new chair.
Johnston, who serves as chief executive of Bernicia, steps into the chairmanship after three years in the partnership’s vice chair role. His 40-year housing sector career positions him well to guide the partnership through its next strategic phase, which is shaped by four priorities outlined in the organisation’s updated 2026 prospectus: development and regeneration, housing quality and investment, better lives through skills and inclusion, and addressing homelessness through specialist and supported housing.
He succeeds Paul Fiddaman, chief executive of Karbon Homes, who steps down from the chair position in April after three years of service.
Johnston praised the partnership’s collective progress over recent years, noting how members had come together to support Combined Authority and local authority partners in realising the region’s growth ambitions and raising living standards for residents across the North East.