Member News
The B Local North East group has strengthened its position with the appointment of a new co-chair to the board.
Jon Dudgeon, co-founder and CEO of Newcastle-based Blu Sky Chartered Accountants, who certified as a B Corp in 2024, has joined the B Local North East group as the fourth regional co-chair.
Jon replaces former co-chair Mandy Barker, founder of Sail Creative, who stepped down from the role to refocus her personal efforts on supporting more grassroots, political and community-based initiatives.
Jon alongside his fellow co-chairs, Gemma Brannen, head of marketing at Robson Laidler Accountants, Jessica Williams MBA, founder of Just Williams and Suzi McCreedy, chief commercial officer at UMi will continue to support the growing network of B Corporations in the region with a new calendar of social and environmental events scheduled for 2026.
Speaking of his new role Jon said: “I am delighted to join the B Local as co-chair as I care deeply about the North East being a place where business is genuinely done in the right way for the right reasons. Throughout my career I’ve worked closely with business owners across the region, helping them grow in a way that balances commercial success with culture, community and long-term sustainability.
“I like getting people together, listening and turning shared values into practical action and solutions. I am looking forward to shaping a B Local that feels inclusive, diverse, and useful to both SMEs and larger organisations, working to create momentum and a stronger purpose led business community across the North East.”
The team have already run several key events throughout 2025 including a business skills exchange, screening of the Responsible documentary, panel and roundtable sessions and ended the year with a litter picking walk on Tynemouth’s Longsands beach – collecting a total of 80kg of rubbish.
B Local co-chair Suzi McCreedy said: “We were looking for a new co-chair to bring fresh ideas and energy to the team and Jon fitted the bill perfectly. We cannot wait to get going with our events schedule for 2026, to make an even bigger impact, raise awareness and grow the movement in our region."
B Locals are place-based communities of people using business as a force for good, founded in partnership with B Lab UK. They aim to connect like-minded companies and champion social and environmental responsibility in business.
B Corp certification is awarded to companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability alongside a commitment to goals beyond shareholder value.
The North East now has more than 30 B Corp certified businesses and there are 2700 in the UK, making the UK the fastest growing B Corp community.
