SThree, the international STEM recruitment firm, announced the appointment of Kate Holden to the newly created role of Chief Strategy and Development Officer. Holden will report to Mark Dorman, Chief Executive Officer. She will oversee the strategic planning process and the successful delivery of SThree’s group-wide strategy. Working with the executive team and Board, she will lead the implementation of strategic programmes across the Group. Holden joins SThree from the City & Guilds of London Institute, where she most recently worked as interim Chief Product, Technology and Customer Experience Officer. Before that, she was SVP and General Manager ELT at Pearson plc, where she led the division’s transformation from print-based publishing to a digital business.

Professional services firm Optionis appointed Doug Crawford as CEO. He arrives from UK-based conveyancing firm My Home Move. He has a successful background in growing and selling private businesses in the financial and professional services sector. He leads the Optionis Group alongside its Private Equity partners; Sovereign Capital Partners.

Scotland-based property and construction recruitment company Star Recruitment, formerly known as BBR Service, announced it appointed Gregor Cruikshank as the head of the company’s new white-collar division. The new division will focus on managerial roles in the construction sector. His previous experience includes working as a recruitment consultant for Contract Scotland, and as a consultant at Resourcing Group.