A RIDING MILL entrepreneur is returning to his North-East roots after enjoying a globetrotting business career.

James Young has been appointed as the global head of new product development for leading baby brand Tommee Tippee under the Mayborn Group.

James grew up in Riding Mill and, a former student at Prudhoe Community High School, he went on to become an Oxford graduate with an MBA from Hull Universtiy Business School.

Launching his career at Procter & Gamble he went on to rise through the ranks in research and development at Reckitt Benckiser, working globally for brands such as Dettol and Strepsils.

He said: “I’m looking forward to working with a great team at Mayborn to drive new product development and develop the Tommee Tippee products of the future that will keep us at the forefront of the baby essentials market world-wide.

“Joining Mayborn is a great opportunity to build something really special at a company with a fantastic brand, which is so intrinsically linked to one of the most emotional and very special times of your life.

“Although I’ve lived across the world for the past 12 years, the North-East has always been my spiritual home.

“I’m looking forward to introducing my wife and two young sons to everything Newcastle and the fantastic Northumberland countryside has to offer – and spending time in the region that I’ve always considered home.”

In his new role with the Cramlington-based company he will be responsible for developing new ideas and products for the Tommee Tippee brand.

Mayborn’s global brands director Martin Cooke said: “James’s appointment is a real coup for us at Mayborn and it is testament to our ambitious growth plans and the strength of our brand that we’ve attracted someone of his calibre and stature.

“James will take ownership of the entire new product development process for our Tommee Tippee brand, including identifying potential new ideas to fuel the future product pipeline – and driving the commercialisation process right from concept development through to launch.”