The Royal Bank of Scotland has made four appointments in the North-East.

DOUG FRASER has been made manager of commercial banking in the Tees Valley. He joined the bank in 1981 and has worked in Edinburgh, Leeds, Sunderland and Darlington.

DAVID LANDER is NatWest manager of commercial banking for the North-East. He joined NatWest in 1987.

KEVIN TOKELL becomes director of commercial banking for the North-East.

He joined the bank in 1978 holding a variety of position in the region since then. His new role will see him heading a team of 15 relationship managers committed to winning new business.

NEIL SIMPSON takes up the position of manager of commercial banking in NatWest's Wearside office. He joined the bank in 1987.

* Northern Enterprise has appointed YVONNE GALE as portfolio executive. The 33-year-old chartered accountant from Whitley Bay previously worked with a number of North-East firms, including the Arena, the Officers Club and Unitech.

* JOHN HANSON has joined Paramount Homes Limited as operations manager, from Kingston Property Services. He has more than 20 years experience in housing management.

* Commercial property consultants Sanderson Townend and Gilbert (ST&G) has strengthened its senior management team. DAVID JACKSON has been appointed as a director, while retail specialist ANDREW WILKINSON becomes an associate director at the Teesdale Park business. It follows the decision to move from partnership to limited company status to meet changing commercial requirements.

* PR consultancy Bradley O'Mahoney Public Relations has appointed LOUISE PARIS, 24, as an account executive. A graduate in communication studies from the University of Sunderland, Louise joins from AD Communications in London.

* CAROLINE BARRASS is the new group products manager at DFDS Seaways. She will be based in the North Shields offices, from where she will be responsible for developing new products and services.

* GARY SCOTT has joined Northern Defence Industries as operations manager. Gary was previously manager of high growth at the regional development agency One NorthEast, and prior to that held a number of business development posts in the Northern Development Company.

* NIGEL GLAZIER, 16, from Bishop Auckland has been appointed IT technician at Parkside Comprehensive School in Willington, County Durham, while working towards an NVQ level 2 qualification in installing and supporting IT Systems.