Experience

Genecon

• United Kingdom
• Business Consulting and Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Managing Partner

  • Sep 2021 - Present

• Director

  • Sep 2021 - Present



BEST Growth Hub

• United Kingdom
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Lead Essex Growth Hub

  • Feb 2020 - Sep 2021

  Led the senior management team and development of the Essex Growth Hub. Included enhancing the critical business support offer to business across the entire Essex region during the Covid Pandemic. - scale up, star-up, turnaround and growth acceleration - economic and skills analysis - EXSE business festival - Horizon Unit - NOVO innovation awards - Covid management, adaptation and critical support Led the senior management team and development of the Essex Growth Hub. Included enhancing the critical business support offer to business across the entire Essex region during the Covid Pandemic. - scale up, star-up, turnaround and growth acceleration - economic and skills analysis - EXSE business festival - Horizon Unit - NOVO innovation awards - Covid management, adaptation and critical support



Place Engine Ltd

• London, England, United Kingdom

• Managing Director

  • Sep 2016 - Aug 2021

  Boutique place management and economic strategy consultancy specialising in night time, experience and cultural economy. Place management, Bids and high street curation advisor. Boutique place management and economic strategy consultancy specialising in night time, experience and cultural economy. Place management, Bids and high street curation advisor.



Nightworks

• London, United Kingdom

• Lead

  • Dec 2016 - Apr 2019

  Nightworks was set up as an asset locked, NFP vehicle to help the Home Office's LAAA areas become more diverse, economically stronger, more sustainable, and socially-appealing places. Our mission was to become the Home Office's voice for diversity in the leisure, evening, and night-time economy. Nightworks was dedicated to sharing excellent work from around the world, as well as delivering tailored support that promotes diverse, healthy and resilient socio-economic centres. Our free support for LAAA2 areas included the design and delivery of programme of tailored workshops, one to one advice and bespoke, free-to-access resources available online. Further professional and technical support was made available through the Nightworks Outreach Programme. Our team offered specialist programmes that blended analytical research, strategic planning and appropriate deliverables to champion socio-economic diversity and strength in a place. Thought leadership and areas of work included: • Diversification: Creating and sustaining socio-economic balance in a place. • Leisure Economy: Broadening perceptions of what leisure is, can be, and who it employs. • Self-regulation: Encouraging safer, appealing destinations through partnership working. • 24 smart cities: Supporting evidence-based decision-making to embrace the offline and online worlds. • Inclusive Places: Smarter management strategies to embrace leisure, retail, office and residential place needs



Association of Town and City Management (ATCM)

• UK and Europe

• Purple Flag & Evening And Night Time Economy Programme Manager & Portas Town Team National Advisor

  • May 2013 - Jun 2015

  This was a combined role as Specialist Advisor and Senior Programme Manager for the largest place management organisation in Europe working with local and national government in the UK and abroad to introduce night time economic development and place management programmes in towns and cities across the UK, Sweden, Republic of Ireland and in North America. Key responsibilities: • Led on the international expansion of the Purple Flag accreditation programme, awarded for excellence in the night time economy, working with locations across England, Scotland, Wales, Sweden, Canada and Ireland • Increased programme financial turnover by 300% and delivered a 34% net surplus in 12 months, previously in deficit on appointment • One of six national advisors by the ATCM and the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to aid local authorities across the UK to support and develop 55 Town Teams in the East of England as part of the Mary Portas High Street Review • Managed five LAAA Diversification advisors, 40 night time assessors and two project managers • ATCM evening and night time economy expert supporting over 450 members and 50 Purple Flag locations



ATCM

• East Region

• Town Team and Portas Pilot Advisor

  • May 2013 - Apr 2015



Heslton Council and Helston Business Improvement Partnership

• Helston, Cornwall

• Town Centre Manager & HBIP Managing Director

  • Dec 2010 - Apr 2013

  During my time as the Director of the not-for-profit HBIP organisation and Helston Town Centre Manager I developed and delivered a complete economic turnaround strategy on behalf of the Local Authority, in conjunction with writing and publishing a town centre business plan and new vision for Helston Town. Key responsibilities: • Founded and managed a not-for-profit town centre business partnership • Secured membership from over 70% of the Helston business community in just 3 months • Managed a three year development budget of £1 million and managed the delivery of over 25 town centre regeneration projects in year one • Revitalised Helston Town Centre by radically reducing the town centre vacancy rate by over 60%, improving both the economic and physical environment and significantly raising the national profile of the town Achievements: • Awarded the ‘Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) Chairman's Award for Outstanding Achievement’ for contribution to the industry (2013) • Winner ‘UK Town Team of the Year’, ATCM (2013) • Runner Up ‘UK Partnership of the Year’, ATCM (2013) • Publicly recognised by Mary Portas and Westminster as one of the leading Town Team operators in the UK



Stratforward Business Improvement District

• Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

• Executive Project Director - Chief Executive

  • Oct 2006 - Sep 2010

  Whilst Executive BID Director for the not-for-profit organisation Stratforward, I was responsible for the formation, strategic expansion and leadership of the multi-million pound, international award-winning destination management company. Key responsibilities: • Founded and managed a not-for-profit town centre business partnership comprising of 500 businesses • Responsible for all business operations, managing a budget of £2.2 million • Managed the delivery of over 30 projects annually, including festivals, events, destination marketing and business support • Founded the Stratford River Festival which is now in its 10th year, attracting over 70,000 visitors • Responsible for communicating the international brand of Stratford-upon-Avon as a destination to both the domestic and worldwide market through measurable, multi-platform marketing campaigns Achievements: • Global Winner, ‘Improving Visitor Experience’, awarded by the International Down Town Association (IDA) at the IDA World Congress (2010)



Financier Worldwide ltd

• Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

• Senior Accounts Manager

  • Sep 2004 - Sep 2006

  • Managed an international portfolio of multi-million international clients from the global corporate finance industry • Clients included senior partners from all ‘big four’ accountancy firms, ‘Magic Circle’ and a number of FST100 and F500 firms • Responsible for the management and development of the internationally distributed, monthly Financier Worldwide Mergers & Acquisitions supplement programme • Worked on a number of cross border initiatives including Asia and USA • Managed an international portfolio of multi-million international clients from the global corporate finance industry • Clients included senior partners from all ‘big four’ accountancy firms, ‘Magic Circle’ and a number of FST100 and F500 firms • Responsible for the management and development of the internationally distributed, monthly Financier Worldwide Mergers & Acquisitions supplement programme • Worked on a number of cross border initiatives including Asia and USA