EF News
The North East’s largest entrepreneurial network, the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, has announced the appointment of two new board members.
Sarah Thackray, co-founder of event management company BeaconHouse Events, and Richard Lane, co-founder of revenue acceleration specialists durhamlane, join the board.
They join Brian Palmer OBE (founder of Tharsus), James Robson MBE (founder of Exwold), Kari Owers (founder of O.agency), Mike O’Brien (co-founder of Opencast), Pamela Petty (founder of Entreprenising), Toby Bridges (executive chair of NBT Group) and chair Brendon Hayward (co-founder of OSBIT).
Welcoming Sarah and Richard to the board, Brendon said, “Sarah and Richard bring a wealth of experience, energy and insight to the Entrepreneurs’ Forum board.
“Their entrepreneurial journeys and deep understanding of their respective industries will be invaluable in supporting our mission to equip entrepreneurs with the tools they need to scale, sustain and survive the challenges of their business journey. I am delighted to welcome them both and look forward to the positive impact they will have on our community."
Sarah co-founded BeaconHouse Events in 2014, leveraging over 17 years of experience delivering conferences and events across the UK and the Middle East. She is a seasoned expert in growth strategy and finance, excelling in event strategy, budget management, programme curation, event sustainability and stakeholder engagement.
Commenting on her appointment, Sarah said, “I am excited at the prospect of representing the smaller SME businesses in the membership as I have found the Forum to be so important in my own entrepreneurial journey. Also, coming from an events background, I am passionate about delivering sustainable, impactful events and I look forward to seeing how the Forum events programme develops."
Richard, a seasoned sales leader and creator of the Selling at a Higher Level methodology, co-founded durhamlane in 2011 to revolutionise B2B sales. Leveraging his expertise in developing high-performance teams and selling complex solutions, durhamlane has established an enviable reputation as a trusted partner for ambitious, global brands seeking outsourced sales services to accelerate their growth.
On his appointment, Richard commented, “Starting, running and building a business is demanding but also hugely rewarding. The Forum offers North-East business owners a unique blend of learning, inspiration, mentoring and networking that has certainly benefited me over the years. I am looking forward to supporting the team achieve their ambitions that will ensure our region remains an entrepreneurial place to live and work.”
In welcoming the new appointees, Brendon expressed his gratitude to Gill Courtney MBE and Yvonne Bell, who have stepped down after serving since 2015.
“I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank both Gill and Yvonne for their contributions to the Forum over the years. Their experience, commitment and insight have been invaluable.”
The Entrepreneurs’ Forum was founded in 2002 is a vibrant community of over 340 North East entrepreneurs.
Its partners include Agilico, RBC Brewin Dolphin, Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, Northumbria University, Ward Hadaway, Blu Sky, Maitland, North East Times and LDC.
