Several members recently stepped down from the Board due to relocation, retirement or other commitments. They have made a hugely appreciated contribution to Buckinghamshire Business First’s growth over the last 5 years.

We received a great response from the business community when we advertised these roles, and these changes keep our Board fresh as we continue our unwavering commitment to support every business in the county, regardless of size, sector and aspirations.

The five new Board members are:

• Klaus Allion, ANT Telecommunications
• Rebecca Bunting, Bucks New University
• Paul Gartside, Intel Security
• Eman Martin-Vignerte, Bosch
• Conor McKechnie, GE Healthcare Life Sciences

Philippa Batting, Managing Director of Buckinghamshire Business First, comments:

“All five of our new Board members embody the spirit of the Buckinghamshire business community and bring talent, expertise and energy to the table. We are very fortunate to have them by our side as we continue to help businesses of all sizes in the county.”

Each member of our Board of 10 business leaders bring with them a unique skillset and experience and the diverse nature of industries represented by their businesses fittingly matches the diverse business community we have in Buckinghamshire.

Large companies like the ones that have taken a place on our Board play a vital role in the local economy and they complement the smaller businesses that already have a place on our Board. Large companies also add volume to our voice when we communicate to national and local government: that Buckinghamshire delivers fantastic results on jobs growth, business start-ups and more, with little funding from central government, so imagine what we could deliver with appropriate funding.

New board members speak

Conor McKechnie is passionate about Buckinghamshire’s potential: “Buckinghamshire is a terrific place to do business, whether from a UK, European or global point of view. I look forward to working with the Buckinghamshire Business First team to help support Buckinghamshire’s existing business community and attract new businesses to the county.”

Paul Gartside feels his background ensures he can make a valued contribution to the Board: “I have lived and worked in Buckinghamshire for most of my life, I have also travelled extensively in the pursuit of international software development in the context of a major multinational company. I believe this gives me uncommon experiences and perspective to add to the already broad and capable Buckinghamshire Business First Board team. I am deeply passionate about this county and wish to assist in its continued growth and success.”

The departing board members are:

• Ruth Farwell, formerly Bucks New University
• David Pritchard, Manches LLP
• Rob Spurrett, COM DEV Europe
• Lisa Williams, John Lewis

Lisa Williams, who stepped down in preparation for her move to the new flagship John Lewis store in Birmingham, is overwhelmingly positive about her tenure on the Board:

“I found my time as Board Director extremely interesting and valuable, as for me I was starting new in the area and it gave me an instant network to support me in driving my business forward. On the back of that I have enjoyed getting involved in issues, using my experience and supporting others to drive the business and wider economic growth of Bucks.

“It has been fascinating learning more about the structure of the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and how it works alongside Buckinghamshire Business First. This helped me in gaining a broader understanding of LEPs across the country. I have met a real variety of businessmen and women, some likeminded, others not so much but it has been fascinating to be part of a blend of people giving up their time to improve our country.”

Find out more about our current Board members here >