Kate Hardcastle MBE

Kate Hardcastle MBE, a.k.a. The Customer Whisperer is the UK’s leading ‘go-to’ business expert on consumer insight for National TV & Media.

A highly respected media business presenter and reporter, she has created and featured in documentaries and prime-time TV & Radio shows on BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky and CNN. She is also a regular contributor to Forbes.com.

 Kate has championed good causes for over 25 years and in 2009 she founded Access for All, a campaign which sees Kate and the Insight with Passion team donate 20% of time to supporting small businesses and community projects free of charge. To date, the programme has supported over 1,200 organisations. 

 In 2018, Kate was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty the Queen, for services to business and entrepreneurship.

Amanda Lindsay, Managing Director of 2bhr & Founder and Lead Coach of 2b brilliant

Amanda’s results-led coaching programmes enhance her clients’ confidence, credibility and productivity. She has 20 years experience designing and facilitating tailored programmes, which identify and develop individuals’ strengths and weaknesses, accelerating their potential to deliver business goals. 

Amanda works alongside business owners and managers to develop fun-to-work-with teams, who deliver. She works with clients to clarify vision and purpose, matching people’s capabilities and drive to delivery of company aims.

She applies an intuitive understanding developed through extensive experience working as a consultant with a range of businesses – large organisations , SMEs (specialising in family owned companies) and “not for profits”.

Amanda started her career in fashion retail ultimately holding the roles of retail and HR director, establishing 2bhr in 1999. She works in the UK and internationally with a variety of organisations including high street and luxury retail, leisure, IT, local government, medical clinics and with private clients.

She has recently joined Teesside University Business School as a Special Lecturer.

Matthew Hopkinson, Co-Founder of Didobi & Income Analytics

Matthew is a Co-Founder of Didobi (www.didobi.com) and Income Analytics (www.incans.com). He is a recognised authority and practioner on the UK’s towns and cities. In 2013, he was a co-author of The Grimsey Review – An Alternative Future For The High Street and in 2018, The Grimsey Review 2. He has also supported the Portas Pilots with a data dashboard in 2012 and published a report on Data relevant to the UK’s Towns 2013-18. He has written an aide-memoire on #CreatingBetterTowns and #CreatingBetterLeaders. In 2020 he co-founded the #BetterTownsconsortium and co-created a #roadmap and the #BigTownAudit to support the repurposing of towns.

In 2019 Matthew was selected by Amazon UK to be the data insights adviser and report author for the ‘Clicks and Mortar’ campaign which was launched by Amazon in partnership with Enterprise Nation, Square payments and Direct Line for Business. He is a well-respected and trusted commentator on UK retailing and its places. Matthew is a regular contributor to national and trade media outlets. 

Matthew is a Visiting Professor at University College London and sits on the Research Advisory Board of Nottingham Business School. In 2020 he was selected as an Economic Growth Adviser for the Local Government Association and sits on the High Streets Task Force Professional Research and Data Group. He is an adviser to a data science company in London and a robotics spin out company from Leeds University. He is a Volunteer Business Mentor for The Prince’s Trust in the East Midlands. In 2018 he was a Finalist in the Innovator of the Year Award category for the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards.

Councillor Mark Robson

Mark has been a member of Hambleton District Council for 23 years and has been Leader for the past eight years.  Prior to becoming Leader, he ran his own successful business, MSR Motorsport for 18 years.

Through his involvement with the Council he is now responsible for the continuing development of the ten year District Economic Development Plan and the Financial Strategy, both of which will carry the Council forward until 2024/25.  Mark also sits on the Board of the Local Enterprise Partnership and has served on Sowerby Parish Council since 1987.

Councillor Peter R Wilkinson

Peter has been Deputy Leader of Hambleton District Council for the last nine years with Cabinet responsibility for Economic Development and Finance.  Peter has served on the Council for the last 14 years and also sits on the Local Enterprise Partnership Infrastructure Board and the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel.

Peter has worked in the Insurance industry for over 40 years, specialising in Property and Business Interruption claims and is currently Head of Claims for a global insurance broker.  He is a past president of the North East Chartered Insurance Institute, Vice-Chair of the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel and is Chair of the Central Northallerton Development Company responsible for the redevelopment of the former Northallerton Prison site.

Erin Wheeler

Erin leads the implementation of York and North Yorkshire LEP’s ambitious Circular Economy Strategy, which aims to transform the region to a competitive, carbon-negative circular economy that benefits businesses, communities and the planet.

Erin’s work includes developing resources and pilot programmes to support businesses and communities realise circular economy opportunities. For example, they are currently working with a range of stakeholders to develop a Circular Towns Guide to provide towns with the knowledge, practical tools and tips to trial circular approaches and initiatives.

Erin originally joined York and North Yorkshire LEP in a business support capacity, and moved to the Low Carbon and Environment Team to follow their passion for sustainability.

Jacob Blakey, Founder Blink

My name is Jake and I’m one of the founders of Blink. We love create products that increase conversions through device specific design, improving user journeys, and increasing your visibility on Google.

At Blink, we believe information is beautiful and our goal will always be, to leave this digital world a better place than when we found it.

Sue Jefferson

Founder and MD, Possibilities Realised Ltd.
Former Director of McCain Foods
Deputy Chair, York & North Yorkshire LEP Business Board
Director of Circular Malton & Norton CIC

With 30 years in UK Director and Global Leadership roles, Sue’s experience in strategy, innovation, manufacturing & change management has transformed teams, businesses and brands, small and large, with Danone Group, Jeyes Hygiene and the last 18 years with McCain Foods, before setting up her own company Possibilities Realised, helping organisations leverage competitive advantage through diversity of thinking and agility.

Sue created the C.A.R.B.O.N. Model for Sparkling Success © and works with organisations to develop their people to deliver transformational results & thrive in the ever-changing work environment. Never more so than responding to the challenges and opportunities of the pandemic, as well as increasing urgency of environmental and social expectations.

In Non-Executive Director roles, Sue is Deputy Chair of York and North Yorkshire’s Local Enterprise Partnership Business Board, chairs their Circular Economy and Low Carbon steering group and is a Director of Circular Malton & Norton CIC, seeking to be the UK’s first circular economy market town and roll out the approach across North Yorkshire for every business and market town to thrive with this opportunity.

Describing herself as a glass half full girl, she believes everyone can achieve their vision and found herself putting her own successful approach to paper with her book Boardroom Ready Women – How to Deliver Business Results and Still Sparkle.

Professor Alastair Irons

Professor of Computer Science and Academic Director for Digital Education at the University of Sunderland

Professor Alastair Irons is Professor of Computer Science and Academic Director for Digital Education at the University of Sunderland, having previously been the Dean for the Faculty of Technology. Prior to joining the University in September 2008 he worked at ONE North East, Northumbria University and ICI having moved to the north east of England from Scotland after graduating in 1984 from Edinburgh University. Alastair became a National Teaching Fellow in 2010. Alastair was a visiting scholar at the University of Cape Town in South Africa from 2013 – 2016 and is currently a research associate at the University of Johannesburg.

His research interests focus on digital education and digital pedagogies, but also on digital forensics and cybersecurity. His current research includes digital skills frameworks for students and academics, digital skills for all and digital poverty, as well as cybersecurity in the classroom and learning safely in the classroom of the future. He is currently finalising a book on assessment and has previously published books on formative feedback and on learning and teaching issues in computing.

Alastair is currently Vice President (academic) of the BCS and is chair of the BCS Academy board, he also sits on BCS Council and BCS Trustees and is a member of the BCS Academic Accreditation Committee. He serves on the management board of DYNAMO North East, the management board of Sphere North East, the Advisory Board of the North East Digital Catapult and on the management board of the North East Fraud Forum.

Katheryn Gregory, The Supply Chain Project Manager - East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Katheryn is the Project Manager of The Supply Chain Network (TSCN) project being delivered throughout the Yorkshire and Humber Region. Hambleton District Council are pleased to be a partner within the scheme so find out how your business may benefit from this programme. Hear from Yorkshire Dales Meats who have accessed grants to support them to develop their systems and grow their business and also hear from Jo Crebbin, Founder and Director of Honeycomb Consulting, talking about how her Specialist skills are supporting the project and the businesses in Yorkshire. For further details and or to arrange a call for more information please contact : Julie Hutton / Jayne Cranston on 01609 767186 and / or TSCN at 01482 391640.

The Supply Chain Network key aim is making opportunities visible, accessible, and winnable.