HARWELL: Building services firm Elementa Consulting, based at the Harwell Innovation Centre, has won the Consultancy of the Year title at the annual Building Services Journal awards. The judges commented: "Elementa Consulting is doing everything right to ensure a good, strong business performance. This was reflected in its activities such as re-branding, opening new offices and continuing to develop its investor in people system"'. Managing director, Martin Clowes added: "We are thrilled to have won this prestigious accolade. We have set ourselves high standards to improve our systems, our management and technical skills, all with the aim of higher client satisfaction."

BANBURY/OXFORD: Entrepreneur Andrew Robinson visited Tudor Hall School, Banbury and St Edwards School, Oxford, to give talks about starting and running a business. Mr Robinson, 29, left a stable job to start up Strawtech UK, a company marketing Sippah milk-flavouring straws internationally.

MILTON PARK: Clean fuel company Oxford Catalysts has appointed Derek Atkinson as business development director. Mr Atkinson will be responsible for identifying, establishing and maintaining development partnerships with leading catalyst manufacturers, technology providers and operators in the gas-to-liquids and other clean fuel markets. He previously spent 17 years working for Grace Davison, a supplier of catalysts, in global sales and marketing roles. Mr Atkinson said: "I am delighted to be joining such an entrepreneurial company with the flexibility, drive and commitment that will enable it to make a significant contribution to the development and commercialisation of processes to produce cleaner fuels."

BANBURY: Construction company Morgan Ashurst, which has offices in Tramway Road, has been appointed by Oxfordshire County Council to run a £2.7m four-year contract carrying out maintenance properties, including fire stations, libraries and some schools in the North Oxfordshire area. Area director John Bennett said: "This award recognises our strength and expertise in the delivery of planned and reactive maintenance projects across the county."

ABINGDON: Architects and planners West Waddy is expaning into the field of urban design and has appointed Alex Cochrane to head up the new arm of the business. Mr Cochrane, 30, was previously associate at Kidlington practice Roger Evans and Associates. He is a visiting lecturer and design tutor at Reading University's School of Planning and has several works published on urban design. Senior partner Philip Waddy said: "This is another important step in providing our clients with a range of services under one roof and will complement our multi-disciplinary teams." The practice is currently providing a wide range of urban design support for clients, including the new Oxford Brookes University campus.

OXFORD: Eleanor Rice of accountants and business advisers, James Cowper, has won an investment race competition organised at a meeting for members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Delegates were asked to pick one FTSE 100 stock, one UK sector and one world market and Ms Rice's choice delivered a combined return of 176 per cent over six months. She was presented with a case of wine by competition organisers, Thesis Asset Management.

OXFORD: Bathroom supplier Ripples of Oxford raised more than £1,200 for Cancer Research UK by taking part in the Race For Life. Dressed in bright pink, showroom manager Jean Sewell represented the Summertown showroom and was cheered on by the team, including Rips the dog.

ABINGDON: Andrew Bradshaw has been appointed vice president of UK sales and marketing at computer security firm Sophos. Mr Bradshaw was previously mid-market and partner director at Microsoft, and will be responsible for growing Sophos's security and control market. Before working at Microsoft, Mr Bradshaw spent five years at Hewlett Packard in a variety of sales positions, lastly solutions sales manager in the financial services sector. He said: "Heading UK sales and marketing activities is a great opportunity, and I look forward to working with Sophos's partners and scaling Sophos's operation to its full potential."

BEGBROKE: Oxford Gene Technology has appointed Dr Tim Cook to its board as a non-executive director. Dr Cook most recently spent ten years as executive director at Isis Innovation, the technology transfer company of Oxford University. Before this he was a private investor and founding managing director of Oxford Semiconductor and Oxford Asymmetry, a spin out from Oxford University.

He said: "OGT spun out of Oxford University as I was joining Isis Innovation in 1997, and has been one of the most impressive spin-outs to date. I look forward to participating in what promises to be a very exciting future."

ABINGDON/WITNEY: Luke Anderson, has won the award for Outstanding Hairdresser of the Year at the Philosophy salons. Mr Anderson was presented with the honour at the Crazy Bear Hotel in Stadhampton by company director Mark Creed, as part of a special team celebration.

OXFORD: Tracy Norris-Evans, head of Marshall and Galpin's medical negligence department, has been made a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. She said: "It's a real honour and recognises how closely I work with the medical profession. My professional training is in the law but in preparing cases and representing my clients I do need a good understanding of the medical issues involved."

Ms Norris-Evans is a past president of the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Law Society and has specialised in medical negligence since 1988.

OXFORD: Commercial property agency Lambert Smith Hampton has appointed Charles Rowton-Lee as head of agency at its Oxford office. Mr Rowton-Lee was previously head of office at the company's Slough base for six years and has worked for the company for more than 13 years. He said: "Its an exciting time to be joining the Oxford office, which already has a strong and established industrial and office agency team. We want to grow this team over the coming months, so are looking for high calibre professionals."

HENLEY: Business speaker Roger Martin-Fagg has scooped three prestigious national awards for his commitment to inspiring and developing leadership. Mr Martin-Fagg, who is a visiting fellow at Henley Management College, was given the Outperformer award and the 15-year award by sponsors Vistage International. The 15-year award honours the delivery of exceptional value as a speaker. Mr Martin-Fagg, said: "It's always good to receive recognition, but its a particular honour to be singled out by such a distinguished panel of judges. This is a real accolade, which I value a great deal."