BOTLEY: Steve Smith and Martin Drew have been promoted to become audit supervisors at the Botley-based office of Grant Thornton. Mr Smith, who has been with the firm for almost two years, and Mr Drew, who has been with the firm for nearly five years, are key appointments within the audit practice of the firm. They will be responsible for driving audits and supporting trainees.

ARDINGTON: Industrial design consultancy Taeno has changed its name to Crucible Industrial Design. Established in 1990, Crucible is an award winning consultancy and its designs have been selected by the Millennium Commission for inclusion on its design register. Its services range from market analysis and feasibility studies to concept design, prototype development and production. Managing director Mike Ayre said: "Our new identity is far more appropriate to what we are all about, and we will continue to provide the same great service and results that our reputation has been built on over the past 15 years."

OXFORD: Solicitors' firm Henmans has taken on three new partners, making a total of 23. Duncan Crine joins the professional indemnity team, bringing the team to five partners. Mr Crine is experienced in all aspects of professional indemnity and related insurance matters. He handles claims involving solicitors, barristers, surveyors, property and financial professionals. Rachael Smethurst joins as new head of the family team, bringing it to four lawyers. Rachael has ten years' experience and joins from Bath firm Mowbray Woodwards. James Simpson will head the employment team, following the departure of Colin Henney to start up an employee relations consultancy. Mr Simpson has more than 12 years' experience. Managing partner Julia Iball said: "We are in a very exciting period of growth."

LITTLE BALDON: Marketing agency JJ appointed four more people to its client services team. Nicola Stone joins as senior account director and has almost 20 years' experience in the marketing field, predominantly in the automotive sector, working with brands such as Toyota, Saab, Peugeot, Mitsubishi and Mazda. James Medhurst joins as account director on the Porsche Cars (GB) account having previously worked at WAA as an account director on Hilton Hotels, Jaguar and Land Rover. Tony Phillips is the new account director for the British Gas Business team and Iain Stewart, who has extensive experience in direct marketing, also joins the company.

OXFORD: Jimmy Thomas has joined the wealth management team at accountancy firm Wellers as a consultant. Mr Thomas has extensive experience as a financial advisor and pensions consultant, and he joins a team of three other consultants. He said: 'I am very much looking forward to working with Wellers' clients, and their families and friends."

COWLEY: David Oxlade has been appointed chairman of analytical services firm BioAnaLab. Mr Oxlade is an experienced health care business executive and was until recently a director and chief executive of the Xenova Group. He said: "The company has established a reputation for high quality and an efficient service for its customers, thanks to its dedicated team of scientists, which positions BioAnaLab well for its next stage of its development."

COWLEY: MeetingZone, the audio and web conference service provider based at the Oxford Business Park, has been awarded the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Service Innovation in the audio conferencing service provider market. The award goes to a company that has demonstrated excellence in customer service innovation within its industry. MeetingZone chief executive Tim Duffy said: "It is a true reflection of the dedication and energy that the whole company has placed on serving its customers better."

OXON: The local Business Link, which covers Oxfordshire, has appointed Blue Bear Communications, based in Lechlade, Gloucestershire, to handle its public affairs and public relations campaigns. Briony Roberts, who owns Blue Bear Communications, said: "Business Link is entering a new phase of growth and development. It's an exciting time to have come on board." Blue Bear Communications will work alongside Jo Love from Oxford-based Love Communications, which continues to handle all small business public relations activities.

BOTLEY: Tim Brown has joined Botley-based accountants and business advisers, James Cowper as an assistant manager in its business services team. Mr Brown qualified with the firm, but left in 2004 to spend two years at the Cowley head office of builders' merchants, Buildbase, where he was responsible for managing the group's corporate acquisitions. At James Cowper he will specifically focus on project-based work across the firm's three Thames Valley offices.

WANTAGE: Sue Graveston has joined the Wantage office of solicitors, Charles Lucas & Marshall to further her training as a legal executive. She will be specialising in personal injury and industrial disease work, and will be working closely with Michael Berrett, head of the firm's litigation team. Ms Graveston had previously worked at Charles Lucas & Marshall's Newbury office for five years and continues to be involved in debt collection, mortgage repossession and small claims litigation.

ARDINGTON: Marketing and communications agency Cooney Bains has recruited five new members to its growing team of 35.

Helen Marriner and Kimberley Daye recently graduated from Oxford Brookes University and the University of Gloucestershire respectively with qualifications in business and marketing.

Ms Marriner said: "It is so competitive to get into companies offering services relevant to your degree so I am really excited to have the chance to go through the thorough training that I will receive at Cooney Bains. The company has also added to its copywriting division by recruiting Sarah Peter whose previous client portfolio includes Cadbury and Barclays Bank. She will be supported by another new recruit, Carolyne Nailor, who has previous experience with clients such as Volvo and Beefeater.

CLIFTON: Communications consultant Kirsten Davies has launched her own freelance public relations consultancy, KDPR, aimed at serving businesses and organisations in the county and beyond. Ms Davies 35, has a wealth of experience, developed in the UK and abroad. She spent a decade with Banbury-based international public relations agency Porter Novelli and was most recently number two in a Bicester-based PR agency, specialising in crisis communications, media training and media relations programmes. Her clients have ranged from companies such as Bicester-based and Banbury firm Krcher to global names such as Gillette, PriceWaterhouse Coopers and Hewlett-Packard.

OXFORD: Michael Grange has been appointed as the new general manager of the Randolph Hotel. Mr Grange has spent the last seven years as regional general manager for the Macdonald Bath Spa hotel and the Macdonald Francis Hotel in Bath. He said "I aim to make the hotel the leading luxury property in the city and I want to utilise my experience of working with a spa to build the profile of the spa facilities at the Randolph.".

OXFORD: Building firm Ridge has appointed Andy Spruth as a senior mechanical estimator. He said: "Starting at Ridge has been a positive career move and I'm looking forward to progressing up the ladder." Phil Jones, senior partner at Ridge, added: "Ridge is committed to developing its staff and we look forward to the contribution that Andy will bring."

BANBURY: Architects Acanthus Clews has appointed four new staff. Leading the influx is Camilla Finlay, daughter of founders Michael and Heather Clews. Ms Finlay is joining the practice from London-based architects Farrells, where she was the youngest associate and had been working on urban master planning and sustainability. Nic Robinson has successfully completed his Part II examinations at Edinburgh, sponsored by Acanthus Clews, and is returning to work primarily in mixed use development. Stephanie Yates, a former pupil of Chenderit School at Middleton Cheney, had a work experience placement with the practice when she was 16 and now returns as an experienced assistant, having completed her college course. And Ian Shirvell, a building technologist, has joined to underpin the technical side of the practice.