RECRUITMENT specialists North-East Workforce is incorporating the Solutions to Staffing (S2S) agency into its business.

S2S is the creation of its director, DAVID HOWES, who has extensive management experience in the warehouse and distribution trade.

He has been the branch manager of a national employment agency and gained experience as a recruitment consultant.

S2S aims to identify openings in the labour market that have not been fully exploited by recruitment agencies in the past and has already secured a six-year contract with a prominent employer in the region.

* ANN OWENS has joined the family law team of Blackett Hart and Pratt. Based in the firm's Newcastle office, Mrs Owens, 41, will advise on issues arising from divorce, separation, financial and children. Before joining Blackett Hart and Pratt, she was a partner in a Sunderland firm before setting up her own firm, Sutton Owens Lawyers and Mediators, in South Shields. She is a member of the Law Society's Family Law Panel and is among a small group of legal advisors in the region to have trained as a Lawyer Mediator through the Solicitors Family Law Association.

* International property and construction consultant Monk Dunstone Associates (MDA) has promoted three members of staff. MAURICE LOW has been promoted to an associate director and IAN BRADLEY and HOWARD DAVIES have become associates.

* RICHARD SICE, a consultant at Academy Marketing has been elected chairman of the North-East Branch of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). He took up the role at the annual meeting this month. Mr Sice, from Sunderland is an experienced marketing consultant who has worked in the manufacturing, distribution and service sectors with the Bonas Machine Company, Canford Group and SigNET AC Ltd. He works closely with local government advisory bodies, the North-East Chamber of Commerce and Business Link and is the chairman of the Professional Events Network.

* MARK SIMPSON, 28, has joined Newcastle's UNW chartered accountants as a senior corporate finance executive. He moved from KPMG, where he worked for seven years. He joins a corporate finance team, to work on buy-ins, buy-outs, due diligence and grant applications.

* SHARON YOUNG has taken over at Orange's Communication Centre on the Bracken Hill Industrial Estate, Peterlee, County Durham. She began her career with Orange in 1995 and worked as a customer services manager in Darlington and Peterlee, before going to North Tyneside to set up Orange's operation in 1999, opening a call centre. During her time in North Tyneside, Mrs Young managed the opening of a second communications centre last year, before returning to Peterlee this month. Before working for Orange, Mrs Young worked for British Gas.

* Allied Irish Bank (GB) Newcastle, has appointed PATRICK McGARRY as business development manager. Mr McGarry, 39, has 21 years' experience gained as a corporate relationship manager at the Co-operative Bank.