Leading commercial property developer and regeneration specialist Wykeland Group has made a series of internal promotions to strengthen its experienced team.
The promotions for four team members to new senior roles reflect and reward their contributions to the business and puts in place a new structure which reinforces Wykeland’s strategic priorities.
The quartet’s new roles ensure Hull-based Wykeland is even better placed to identify and deliver regeneration opportunities, maximise commercial property assets, invest in managing facilities and supporting tenants, and market the business and its capabilities.
Tom Watson has been promoted to Head of Regeneration. Tom has worked at Wykeland for 12 years and has been heavily involved in the regeneration of the Fruit Market urban village in Hull. He will continue to oversee the area’s growth, as well as other regeneration projects and city centre assets.
Matt Clarkson has been promoted to Head of Facilities Management. With more than six years of service with Wykeland, Matt is now responsible for the proactive and reactive management of facilities across the whole Wykeland portfolio, which now amounts to almost two million sq ft of space.
Natalia Rudd has been appointed as Head of Marketing. Natalia joined Wykeland in 2021, having previously worked at FTSE 100 speciality chemicals manufacturer Croda and Hull-based baker Jacksons. In her new role, Natalia will oversee all marketing, communications and social media activity, as well as operational income, including car park revenues.
Liam Knaggs is now Wykeland’s Head of Business Space. Having joined the business last year from electric vehicle network provider Milence, Liam is now responsible for overseeing Wykeland’s out-of-town offices and industrial assets.
Managing Director Dominic Gibbons said the promotions to new roles reflected the breadth of experience and capability within the Wykeland team.
Mr Gibbons said: “These key appointments demonstrate the very strong focus we have on developing and rewarding talent within the business.
“They also further strengthen our team as we put in place a new structure reinforcing our focus on key areas of the business and supporting our strategic objectives going forward.
“I’d like to congratulate the four colleagues on their promotions, which are well deserved, and look forward to seeing them make important contributions to Wykeland’s continued growth in the years ahead.”
Wykeland is currently delivering a number of key regeneration projects in Hull, including completion of the restoration of the city’s historic Burton House and the redevelopment of Castle Buildings, close to the Connexin Live arena.
Wykeland’s extensive portfolio includes many of Hull and the Humber’s premier business parks, including the flagship Bridgehead site in Hessle, Hull’s @TheDock tech campus in the Fruit Market, and the fast-growing Melton West business park in East Yorkshire.
In Lincolnshire, Wykeland owns and operates the leading business park on the south bank of the Humber, Europarc in Grimsby, and is joint venture owner of the Waterside retail and leisure destination centre in Lincoln, with Lincolnshire Co-op.
Wykeland has played a leading role in many of the region’s biggest investments in recent years, having worked with Smith+Nephew to secure planning approval for 100m manufacturing facility, currently under construction, and with Amazon to develop a £550m retail logistics fulfilment centre, now fully operational, both at Melton West.
In Goole, Wykeland is working closely with Finnish inward investor Metsä Tissue to bring forward a three million sq ft manufacturing facility. This would involve an investment of hundreds of millions of pounds to create the UK’s largest tissue paper mill.