Wizu Workspace hires new commercial director

Wiizu Workspace, a leading provider of flexible offices and coworking spaces, has announced the appointment of Chris Mapp as its new commercial director. The move comes as Wizu continues to expand its footprint across the North of England and Scotland, as it accelerates its ambitiou s growth plans.

Commenting on the appointment, CEO Tom Almas said: "Chris' hire represents a significant step forward in the next chapter for us. As we continue with our growth plans, bringing on board the right senior leadership is crucial to the future success of the business. Chris' wealth of experience and commercial expertise in flex space sector will be invaluable to us as we look to expand our footprint and offer even more innovative solutions to our members."

Commenting on his appointment, Gerry said: “Mark has a clear vison for Honey based on delivering an excellent product for homebuyers that combines style, substance, and sustainability. “He is a highly capable operator, and I am enjoying working with him again to help firmly establish Honey as a recognised and respected housebuilding brand.”

Mark added: “I have a huge amount of respect for Gerry having experienced at first hand the wise counsel and strategic direction he provides.

“His appointment is a key element of our controlled growth strategy and will further enable us to quickly establish Honey within the residential development sector in the north and midlands.”

In his new role, Chris will be responsible for driving Wizu Workspace's commercial strategy, building relationships with key partners, and leading the company's business devel opment efforts.

Chris added: "As a seasoned ‘flex-pert’ with experience in commercial, operational, HR, and marketing functions, I'm excited to join the team at such a pivotal time in their g rowth journey.”

Wizu Workspace has been providing flexible workspaces since 2017 and has established itself as a leading provider in the industry.

Manufacturing and engineering employers in Leeds are being urged to nominate outstanding younger talent from among their own organisations for an awards initiative that is now in its second year.

Manufacturing Festival Awards aim to identify and recognise the achievements of the industry’s next generation of rising stars and potential business leaders.

The awards, which will take place in Leeds on 20 April, were launched in 2022 to highlight the successes and achievements of younger people already working in manufacturing and engineering. They also aim to promote the diverse modern career opportunities on offer in a sector that is facing a severe shortage of new employees with the right skills and technical qualifications.

Entries are now open and close on 3 April. This year’s awards categories are ‘apprentice of the year’, ‘rising star of the year’, ‘future leader’ and the new ‘employer of the year’ category, recognising a business that has been outstanding in attracting and nurturing talented younger employees.

Ben Wilson, chair of Leeds Manufacturing Alliance and director of Leeds-based glass reinforced plastic moulds manufacturer MPM, said: “Leeds Manufacturing Festival is all about highlighting manufacturing as a tremendously rewarding industry to work in and attracting the next generation of talent to the sector.

“As with the outstanding younger employees who were selected to win last year’s awards, I know that this year’s winners will also be superb role models and ambassadors for Leeds’ manufacturing sector and for the festival, helping to spread the message that manufacturing is a great place to work and with a vast range of career options on offer.

“The awards were a standout feature of the 2022 Leeds Manufacturing Festival and this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever. We’re urging manufacturing employers to put forward any younger team members that deserve recognition for their contribution to the business.”

“Manufacturing is a fantastic career choice and we hope that the awards will help to highlight that, along with all the other events that are taking place over the course of the festival.”

Entry forms for the Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards can be found on the festival website and entries must be received by 3 April. The awards ceremony will take place on 20 April, hosted by MPM.

Now in its sixth year, Leeds Manufacturing Festival runs until July. This year’s events include manufacturing ‘treks’, where school and college students visit factories across the city, as well as live careers panels and a careers showcase connecting around 20 manufacturing employers with Leeds students.

The festival is sponsored by Leeds City College, engineering and manufacturing recruiter E3 Recruitment, and Next Gen Makers, which runs a benchmarking and accreditation scheme for manufacturing and engineering apprenticeships. It is organised by the Leeds Manufacturing Alliance and supported by Leeds City Council, Leeds City Region LEP, Leeds Chamber and the Ahead Partnership.