Statutory Board

Tim is involved in a number of other organisations including being a Governor at Falmouth University, Governor at the Plymouth College of Art, Vice Chairman of South West Water’s WaterFuture Panel, Trustee at Dartington Hall, Chairman of the North Devon Biosphere Foundation and Board Member of North Devon +. Tim is also the national lead for the Great Food Plan (a Defra initiative).

Outside business related activities, Tim is also involved in a wide range of Criminal Justice Issues being a Special Advisor to HM Prison Services. Trustee for the Outset Foundation and Trustee for Fort Bovisand. Tim also served for 22 years as Chairman of the Princes Trust for Devon & Cornwall and as a South West Regional Board Member also a Board Member of Dame Hannah Rogers Trust.

Tim has active business interests and has been involved for over 35 years in a wide range of property issues. Tim is now extensively involved in Commercial Property Development across the South West Peninsula and is a Director within Belstone Fox Project Management Ltd and Wessex Investors Ltd.

BT’s Nations & Regions team is part of BT Group Corporate Affairs – it is responsible for developing strategic relationships with combined and local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, business, education and community organisations to focus on the success and growth of the UK’s regional and local economies. 

Paul and his team of region leads across England are also responsible for maintaining key political relationships on behalf of BT Group with MPs, elected mayors and local councillors on any matters relating to BT Group activity.

Paul also maintains a strong focus on strengthening BT innovation and R&D relationships with further and higher education institutions across the English regions in line with the UK’s Industrial Strategy. BT is the 2nd highest spender on R&D of any sector in the UK.

Paul is based in the South West and sits on the following external boards:

• Deputy Chair of the South West Business Council
• Board member of Heart of the South-West LEP Digital Skills Partnership
• Tech South West Advisory Board
• Member of the Court of Bristol University
• Board Member of Surf Life Saving GB
• Member of the South West CBI Council

Organisation: BT

She has just finished a twelve-year term as a Governor of the Cornwall College Group and held the position of Chairman of its Finance and Resources Committee for a significant period. She was holding the post of Chairman of the College’s Search and Governance Committee on her retirement.

In keeping with her interest in Education, she served as a long time Governor of the University of St Mark and St John (Marjon) with her term encompassing its progression from a College of Further Education to university status.

Thelma is a member of the Cornwall Newquay Airport Consultative Forum, a public/private body, a Non-Executive Director of Cornwall Care Ltd, the largest care company in Cornwall, a member of the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce Council and a recently elected member of the Wessex Reserve Forces and Cadet’s Association.

Her interest in the construction industry continues and she holds the post of Honorary President of the South West Women in Construction, a very active and growing organisation for professional women. She is also a Director of the Architecture Centre Devon and Cornwall and a long-term judge of the annual Michelmore’s Property Awards. Her previous career was in Construction and very significant involvement in the EU Funding Programmes for Cornwall.

Organisation: Cornwall Business Partnership

Other posts include; Vice President of Exeter Chamber of commerce, Chair of South West Chambers of Commerce, Vice Chair of Devon and Cornwall Business Council and Chair of the Area Tourism Partnership.

Organisation: Exeter Chamber of Commerce & Industry

The first part of Bob’s career was in the electronics industry where he was involved in the development of communications equipment, and subsequently was MD of a business unit of Canadian company Nortel employing 750 staff. He then went on to become Chief Executive of the Devon and Cornwall TEC and Business Link. During this time, he also chaired the Plymouth 2020 partnership and the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and was successful in raising through Chamber members the funding to employ renowned architect David Mackay to produce a vision for Plymouth’s development.

Bob is Chairman of Focus Training, a rapidly expanding private training company with centres in Cornwall, Plymouth, Newton Abbot, Exeter and Bristol. He has his own business consultancy Dartington Associates and through this continues to manage a loan fund on behalf of Inspiras Ltd of which he is a director. Bob also sits on the advisory group for the Dartington School for Social Entrepreneurs. In his leisure time Bob is a keen sailor and enjoys playing golf and badminton.

Organisation: Dartington Associates

She is currently heavily focused on working to support leaders in all sectors to develop their digital skills, understanding and strategic capabilities by maximising digital technologies in business plans for the years ahead. Julie is a skilled and experience executive coach and mentor, with top quality capabilities in governance, leadership and communications.

Julie is also Chair of the Heart of SW Digital Skills Partnership and a key regional influencer in all-things-digital, skills and digital leadership. Julie is currently serving at Board level with the South West Business Council, Exeter Chamber of Commerce and the Exeter & Heart of Devon Employment and Skills Partnership and has Trustee roles with Devon Air Ambulance and Colyton Grammar School Academy Trust. Julie also Chairs the Bank of England Citizens’ Panel events here in the SW, working closely with the central and regional teams to develop engagement and debate.

Organisation: Cosmic

In the recent past, Christine was a trustee of Devon Community Foundation, a director of Devon Social Finance, development manager at Dartington School for Social Entrepreneurs, an adviser to Plymouth University Business School, a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Task Group on Responsible Credit and Savings, and a Specialist Adviser to HMG Treasury Select Committee – providing expertise in the areas of credit, credit unions and community finance. Christine has also provided advisory services to three young start-up companies in various parts of the country.

With degrees in economics, and prior to settling in Devon in 2010, Christine has 30 years of experience in international development, including a substantial period with the World Bank, headquartered in Washington DC. During this time, Christine spent periods of time in Africa, South Asia, Middle East and Eastern Europe, and lived in Botswana and Hungary.

Emily combines excellence in teaching, a robust research ethos, and a strong and supportive presence in the business community across the South West and beyond. This has led to her being awarded Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and Fellow of Enterprise Educators UK. Emily also holds a number of business and enterprise support roles including Vice Chair of Enterprise Educators UK, and Director of the Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce.

Organisation: Plymouth Marjon University

Currently advising critical infrastructure portfolios totalling in excess of £16.7bn, including 11 energy from waste projects, major road and rail schemes, and separate regeneration programmes for three major SW towns.

A trustee of the Institution of Civil Engineers, she is also mentor to three engineers, and a regular speaker at Women in Leadership, Construction and other fora to promote engineering and career progression. Liz is a member of the Great Western Railway Advisory Board, SW Infrastructure Panel and Governor (UK) of the Association of Real Property and Infrastructure. She previously chaired the Local Transport Board, BBC Audience Council (representing England) and was interim CEO of Heart of the South West LEP. She has lectured for Bournemouth, Plymouth and Leeds University and been an expert witness to public inquiries on the impact of critical infrastructure on the tourism economy.

She founded Coast Communications in 2005, a strategic technical communications agency based in Cornwall, London and Cardiff, with a roster of national and international clients. In her (limited) spare time, Liz enjoys walking in the Black Mountains with her dog, paddle boarding on the coast and photography. She is learning Welsh, with nominal success.

Organisation: Coast Communications

In her last role she was Head of Science and Technology Futures and member of the Met Office Government Services Senior Management Board.

Vicky is now an honorary Professor at the Science Technology Engineering and Public Policy Institute at University College London and is developing a portfolio career as a nonexecutive director.

She is an independent member of the group audit and risk assurance committee for economy, skills and natural resources for Welsh government. She is the Independent Chair of Mathematics in Education and Industry (a charity that works with government to widen participation in maths education), and a Trustee of BRE Trust (Building Research Establishment), the Devon Wildlife Trust and In2ScienceUK.

She is also the National Labs lead for the Association of Research Innovation and Technology Organisations (AIRTO) and a member of the EPSRC Mathematics Advisory Team. Vicky was is also developing a number of climate-related activities to encourage the better use of climate science to make important decisions about the future.

Organisation: University College London

At 12%, Plymouth has the highest concentration of manufacturing employment of any City south of the Midlands1. It accounts for 16% of the local economy and contributes nearly £1Bn GVA pa. Since 2014 he has also been executive lead for the SW Manufacturers’ Network.

He is currently a non-executive director of the South West Business Council and a past Board Member of NHS Plymouth Primary Care Trust (2007-11) and Chairman of Guinness Hermitage Housing Association’s SW Area Committee (2005-13). Prior to this, Steve had a lengthy career (24 years) in the Electricity Supply Industry, where with SW Electricity plc he was a senior management consultant and business analyst. After completing his MBA, he was seconded as Business Development Manager with South West Enterprise Ltd (SWEL), a private sector economic development lobby group and went on to become Executive Partnership Director of Plymouth 2020 Local Strategic Partnership (2000-03).

Steve has undertaken a number of voluntary positions including Chair of Governors at the local primary school (1999 – 2017) and enterprise advisor (1998 on-going).

Organisation: Plymouth Manufacturers’ Group

Terry is a past Chair of the Devon Race Equality Council, been a director on the Board of Exeter City Football Club and is still involved as a director on the Board of the Teignmouth Eastcliff Community Company.

Outside business, Terry is involved in a wide range of Community interests especially dealing with young people, music and the Arts.

For his day job, Terry is one of twenty-two owners of Stephens Scown LLP, a 300 strong legal practice based in the West Country serving national and international clients. He is an employment law specialist who spends the majority of his time involved with businesses in terms of litigation, mediation or re-organisations.

Organisation: Stephen’s Scown

Beginning his career in Banking & Finance, Laurence gained significant experience during 17 years in that sector, including as an underwriter of corporate lending to a range of large SMEs and mid-corporates, as an Area Retail Manager he left the world of banking in 2002 to begin his new career in education.

In 2015 he became Deputy CEO for the College and during the last 10 years he has successfully led professional services at the College, including Business Development, Employer Engagement, Estates & Facilities, Finance, Human Resources, IT, Data & Systems, Commercial Services and Catering & Retail. Laurence has also been instrumental in growing and diversifying College income including successful partnership working and project development to secure bids which have also included in excess of £30m of new capital grants.

Some of his notable achievements at South Devon College have included delivery of the £9m University Centre South Devon; £7m South West Energy Centre, £3m South Devon College Sports Centre; and more recently £17m Hi Tech & Digital Centre. Laurence was instrumental in the College successfully securing achievement of Investors in People Platinum in 2017.

Laurence was appointed Principal & CEO at South Devon College in September 2019 and also holds positions as a Governor, Director or Member of other Boards

Organisation: South Devon College