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The Team
Connect Yorkshire is supported by a full time executive team and its board of directors.
The Executive Team
Photograph, from left: Edward, Andy, Amanda, Danielle, James, Nick, and Richard.
Nick Butler, CEO
T: 0113 384 5642
E: nick.butler@connectyorkshire.org
Nick, having trained in the City, worked for many years as a corporate lawyer at DLA in Leeds, during which time he dealt with mergers and acquisitions,floatations and VC transactions culminating in the award of the Dealmaker of the Decade title by Insider magazine in 2001. Prior to becoming a full time director at Connect Yorkshire, Nick served on the board of a listed plc, which he chaired and on the boards of two SME's, which received VC funding.
Andy began his career in banking where he worked across Yorkshire, Lancashire & Cumbria before moving sectors to run a major retail network for American Express Europe. This led to him being involved in a global airport tender team which won a significant contract to run services @ Heathrow. He then moved North to work for UK Steel Enterprise, a subsidiary of Corus which helps SMEs to grow. Prior to joining Connect, Andy had worked for 8 years for South Yorkshire Investment Fund, the sub-regional gap fund specialist which was the forerunner and model for the recently launched Finance Yorkshire.
Amanda Robinson, Operations Manager
T: 0113 384 5640
E: amanda.robinson@connectyorkshire.org
Amanda joined Connect Yorkshire in February 2009. After spending over six years working abroad in the travel and recruitment industries she returned home to live in the UK. She is now enjoying a new challenge working for Connect Yorkshire and is looking forward to playing a vital part in co-ordinating all the upcoming workshops and events.
Danielle Ward, Marketing Manager
T: 0113 384 5643
E: danielle.ward@connectyorkshire.org
Danielle completed a Masters in Business at Leeds Metropolitan University and graduated to pursue a career as a marketer in the IT sector. She is passionate about communications and assisting small companies. In March 2008 joined Connect Yorkshire in the newly created role of Marketing Executive.
Edward Lamb, Business Development Executive
T: 0113 384 5638
E: edward.lamb@connectyorkshire.org Edward joined the Connect Yorkshire team in April 2009 having worked as an Account Manager in Leeds for 3 years. Previously he completed a Bachelors Degree (Hons.) at the University of Leeds where he read History.
James Fry, Finance and Compliance Officer
T: 0113 384 5636
E: james.fry@connectyorkshire.org James qualified as a member of the ACCA in May 2007, and has worked the majority of his career as a practice accountant . He holds a BA(Hons)Econ. in Business Economics from Queen Mary, University of London.
The Board of Directors
The board is made up of the following members and meets regularly to discuss and make decisions about the ways in which Connect Yorkshire can best fulfil its objectives.
Richard Doyle, Chairman of Connect Yorkshire Richard founded Esteem Systems in 1985 which he subsequently sold to a BI/MBO team backed by Primary Capital in late 2004. Since then Richard has immersed himself in a variety of voluntary and commercial roles which include being on the board of governors of a couple of independent schools, Chair of Liquid Accounts, Chair of Total Commerce Management, NED at Nynet and NED at Endeavors Technologies.
Nick Butler, CEO, Connect Yorkshire
Please see Nick's details above
Phil Cammerman - Managing Director, Yorkshire Fund Managers Phil has over 25 years experience working as an employee or as an owner-manager in engineering and hi-tech businesses in the UK and USA. He has spent the last 20 years in the venture capital industry, taking over as Managing Director of Yorkshire Fund Managers Limited (YFM) in 1990. Phil is a Director of each of the three VCTs advised by YFM.
Ian Morrison, Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Ian Morrison is a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Leeds, who specialises in working with technology businesses. Ian is a leading member of PricewaterhouseCoopers Technology Team in the North who provide advice to technology businesses ranging from start-ups to listed companies. He has been actively involved with Connect Yorkshire since its inception, assisting in the company selection process for each investment conference, participating in the Fast Forward panels and, most recently, Co-Chairing our 2004 Investment Conference.
Ian Gilbert, Managing Partner, Walker Morris Recognised as one of the leading corporate lawyers in the region, Ian has over 20 years expertise of the venture capital industry having started his career with 3i before joining Walker Morris. Ian advises clients from major corporates through to university spin outs on the full range of corporate finance legal issues. In Chambers Legal Directory for 2006 he is particularly renowned for his “real depth of experience” and a “practical, non-theoretical approach”. Recent transactions on which Ian has advised include the £328 million acquisition of ANS 2003 plc, £250 million sale of Castlebeck and AIM IPOs for Getech Group plc, Syntopix Group plc and Proactis Holding plc
Will Lifford Will is a chartered accountant, having been UK Senior Audit Partner at Grant Thornton prior to his retirement in 2007. In his professional career, he advised private and listed companies across a wide range of sectors. He now has a number of non-executive appointments and also acts as a financial consultant.
Philip Hill, Director, U&I Phil focuses on coaching, mentoring and offering business support to senior business people. Phil is a qualified Executive Coach and Chartered Accountant and has worked as a coach since 2008.
For the previous 9 years as Managing Director of Sewell Moorhouse, he led his financial recruitment business through rapid growth before selling his stake in the company. Prior to that, he spent 6 years as Finance Director of Gremlin Group during which time the company grew from a small independent computer games business to a fully listed plc.
Gerard Toplass, Managing Director, Claughtons Gerard, qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in 1991. He started his first ICT business in 1996, leading the business through 9 years of acquisitive and organic growth, successfully disposing the business in 2005. Subsequently, Gerard now invests and helps ICT business start-ups; an active investor, he provides mentoring and strategic support across all aspects of the business.
Helen West, Chief Executive Officer, Business Link Helen is the Chief Executive for Business Link Yorkshire. Helen was the Chief Executive of Business Link York and North Yorkshire, from its beginning in 1995 through to April 2008, and was instrumental in leading it to become one of the top performing Business Links in the country.
Born in Harrogate, Helen graduated from the University of Bristol with a BSc in Psychology. Returning to Yorkshire, Helen worked in a variety of roles in occupational psychology, personnel and training, including working as a Careers Officer in Bradford with the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative and as a Senior Psychologist for the MSC in Sheffield. Before her work with Business Link, Helen spent five years with North Yorkshire Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) as Head of Strategy and Development.
James Newman, Chairman, Finance Yorkshire James is a qualified Chartered Accountant and after a full time career as Finance Director of a number of plc's, James now has an extensive Non-Executive portfolio, including chairing two AIM companies and on the Board of three main market plc's. He is Chairman of Finance Yorkshire and Deputy Chairman of the Governors at Sheffield Hallam University and is currently the 385th Master Cutler, the acknowledged business leader in South Yorkshire.
Brian McCaul, Director of Commercialisation, University of Leeds
Yorkshire Forward As the regional development agency for Yorkshire and Humber, Yorkshire Forward was instrumental in securing funding to pump-prime Connect Yorkshire.
The Connect Yorkshire team takes responsibility for the strategic development and management of Connect Yorkshire and reports to the board with regard to its development. It is also responsible for liaising with sponsor and partner organisations and for developing events including the regional Investment Forum.
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