Our Board

The Entrepreneurs' Forum is a membership organisation for entrepreneurs, run by entrepreneurs. Our Board of Directors meet quarterly to steer the strategy and ensure we drive forward our ambition to make the North East an exceptional place to be an entrepreneur. The Board is by Brendon Hayward who was appointed in January 2024.

Our previous chairman include James Robson MBE, Nigel Mills CBE, Paul Walker, Tom Maxfield and Sir Peter Vardy.

Brendon Hayward

Brendon Hayward

Chairman

Co-founder and Joint Managing Director of Osbit

Brendon Hayward is the co-founder and joint managing director of Northumberland-based engineering firm Osbit. He joined the Entrepreneurs' Forum board as a director in 2015 and became Chairman in 2024. On joining the board, Brendon commented, "The Entrepreneurs’ Forum is important for business owners because you get to meet like-minded individuals and highly-successful people who you can learn from, share stories and share experiences."

James Robson MBE

James Robson MBE

Board Member

Director of Exwold and Founder of Alexander Jewitt & Co.

James Robson MBE is the founder of contract chemical processing company Exwold and consultancy firm Alexander Jewitt & Co. He was Chairman of the Entrepreneurs' Forum from 2018 to 2023. On joining the board, James said, "The access the Entrepreneurs’ Forum gives business owners to a strong and diverse network is vital to the success of so many North East firms. Being an entrepreneur should never be a lonely existence and the opportunity to engage with fellow business owners who have experience and expertise to share is without doubt one of the most valuable resources available to our members."

Brian Palmer OBE

Brian Palmer OBE

Board Member

Founder of Tharsus and Director of Universal Wolf

Brian Palmer is the founder of Northumberland-based robotics company Tharsus and director of Universal Wolf. On joining the board as a director in 2020, he said, "The Entrepreneurs’ Forum helped me on my entrepreneurial journey, providing inspiration, insight and camaraderie, so I feel that it is only right to accept the invitation to join the Forum’s Board."

Gill Courtney MBE

Gill Courtney MBE

Board Member

Founder of Stonelea Business Development and Former Director of Wessington Cryogenics

Gill Courtney MBE is the founder of Stonelea Business Development and former director of Wessington Cryogenics. She joined the Entrepreneurs' Forum board in 2015. On joining, Gill said, "Supporting local businesses is rewarding because investing in them and helping to remove barriers to growth such as access to finance , skills and promoting best practice generally leads to increased productivity and competitiveness, which is fantastic for the North East and UK economy. There's a huge amount of pride in the North East and this creates an environment for self-perpetuating growth."

Kari Owers

Kari Owers

Board Member

Founder and CCO of O.agency

Kari Owers is the founder and CCO of Newcastle communications business O.agency. A Forum member from day one, Kari joined the Forum board as a director in 2021. She said, “Joining the Forum was the first thing I did when I started my business and over the last 15 years I have benefited from advice and mentoring from many of its members, whilst learning from top entrepreneurs tell their stories and building new relationships at their events. I have gained invaluable knowledge and made new friendships that have lasted over the years, so now I’m happy to give back.”

Mike O'Brien

Mike O'Brien

Board Member

Co-founder of Opencast

Mike O'Brien is the co-founder of Tyneside tech consultancy business Opencast. He joined the Entrepreneurs' Forum board in 2023, commenting, "I'm delighted to have been asked to join the board of the Forum. I've been a member since we started Opencast and I've always been impressed with how inclusive the group feels irrespective of the scale of your business or stage of the  journey. I've certainly benefited from the excellent mentoring members have generously provided and the fantastic business insight trips the Forum organised to the likes of Google and Facebook! I'm looking forward to helping the Forum develop to encourage and support the new generations of business founders in the region."

Pamela Petty

Pamela Petty

Board Member

Founder of Entreprenising and Former Managing Director of Ebac

Pamela Petty is the former managing director of manufacturing company Ebac, based in Newton Aycliffe, and founder of consultancy business Entreprenising. She joined the Entrepreneurs' Forum board in 2014. She commented, "The North East doesn’t shout about what it does. If we lift our heads up for a short while, we can make a stronger economy."

Toby Bridges

Toby Bridges

Board Member

Executive Chairman of The NBT Group

Toby Bridges is the executive chairman of smart procurement service business The NBT Group. On joining the board, in 2022, he said, "To be joining the EF’s Board at the start of their third decade, having received the benefits of membership almost since its inception, and to tread in the footsteps of some of our region’s greatest entrepreneurs is a true honour. I’m looking forward to supporting the exec team, the members, and the partners, as we all endeavour to refresh, realign, and reimagine what great entrepreneurial support is, that will see our region’s economy thrive across our next decade."

Yvonne Bell

Yvonne Bell

Board Member

Director of Bell Bros (Ashington)

Yvonne Bell is the director of Bell Bros Ashington and has served on the Forum board as a director since 2015. On joining the board, she said, "I accepted the invitation to join the board of the Forum as I reckon it's payback time for all the support and encouragement its members have given me over the past few years... some of which haven't been easy. It is good to know we are not alone."

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