Member Article

North East entrepreneurs set to share successes with the region

Some of the biggest names in North East business are lining up to share their stories with the region’s entrepreneurs this spring.

Reading like a roll call of business icons, a full calendar of inspiring events, including site visits, dinners, panel discussions and a major conference, has been put together by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum.

The season has already kicked off with Sir John Hall, the winner of the Forum’s 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award, who opened the year as guest speaker at the Chairman’s Dinner.

Wayne Hemingway MBE, Sir Peter Vardy, Mike Matthews MBE and Paul Walker, former CEO of Sage plc, are among the names to come.

Forum members were at the official opening of the Staiths café bar, the final piece in the jigsaw of Hemingway’s visionary housing development in Dunston that has paved the way for alternative thought in estate design.

A visit to the UK headquarters of Facebook, in London, later this month is set to be a hugely popular opportunity to see inside one of the media phenomena of recent times and to learn about how the company has developed its culture to stay ahead of competitors.

Perhaps less well known but equally fascinating will be events with former BBC foreign correspondent Alex Brodie, who now runs Hawkshead Brewery in the Lake District, and Dr Sam Whitehouse, of QuantuMDx, whose products have the potential to revolutionise healthcare in developing countries.

Of particular local interest, former fighter pilot Dan Robinson will talk about how he has taken on and is building the family construction business, Gus Robinson Developments, following the tragic death of his father.

Other events will be more issue-based and will explore business challenges such as sales, recruitment and retention.

On Budget day on March 18, members are invited to join an event at PwC in Newacstle to watch the Chancellor’s speech live with experts and follow it up with discussion and comment.

May 14 sees the Forum move to The Sage Gateshead for the first time for its annual business conference.

In a combination of brain, body, brawn and blocked drains, the conference will focus on leadership in business, lifting the lid on what makes a successful leader whatever the business.

The speaker line-up includes:

Floyd Woodrow, a decorated former Parachute Regiment and SAS soldier and ex-head of the Counter Terrorist Unit who went on to be a director in the oil and gas and technology sectors before establishing security organisation Britam Defence Ltd and Chrysalis Worldwide.

Former Microsoft executive Richard Tait, the co-developer of the worldwide success story Cranium, which he sold to Hasbro in 2008 for $77 million. He has since gone on to create a new business based on Golazo sports drink.

Jamie Combs, founder of Natural Balance Foods, whose Nakd range of cereal bars and snacks is sold in supermarkets across the UK and across the world. A leader of conviction, Jamie previously worked in marketing for Baskin Robbins ice cream and as a business turnaround consultant.

Charlie Mullins started Pimlico Plumbers in the basement of an estate agent in 1979 with just a second hand van and a bag of tools. Determined to remove the stigma associated with the industry, 34 years later Pimlico is London’s largest independent plumbing and service company with a workforce of around 200, 160 vehicles and turnover in excess of £18 million.

Forum chief executive Gillian Marshall said: “We are all incredibly excited about our calendar for the next six months. We’ve got events of real strength and depth - inspiring speakers to hear from, amazing companies to visit and some fascinating issues to explore as we seek to support entrepreneurs in growing both their businesses and themselves as leaders.

“We hope the work that’s gone into bringing these opportunities to our members will help them at a critical time in the economic development of the region as, post-recession, we look ahead to renewed prospects for growth.”

For more information, visit www.entrepreneursforum.net