CLUB EVENT
Generation TV
In partnership with:
We are back from the summer break with a jam-packed event at an exciting new venue. The economy might be suffering some difficult cost and inflation headwinds but employment levels have continued to remain very high – the same has happened in the USA. As a result finding the right staff for your future workforce has never been so competitive and difficult. Many Tees Valley business are developing their own people rather than recruiting from other firms or relying on a stream of applicants from a diminishing pool of those without work. This event looks at the sources of new people and how businesses can get ahead of their future requirements. We will hear from the key people in education, apprenticeship training and our brilliant local university. We will also hear the experiences of a significant engineering business, Wilton group. Generation Tees Valley is about your future workforce, how our economy is changing and how we are going to attract and keep the right people here to help us all grow and prosper.
Running order for the evening is as follows:
6.00pm Registration with Tea/Coffee and a light supper
6:30pm Welcome and introduction from Jane Reynolds, Chair, TVBC
6:35pm Welcome from British Business Bank, Shaun Fooy
6:40pm Welcome from Yarm School, Huw Williams, Headmaster
6:50pm Ways we have learned from business - Yarm School Sixth Form Students
7:10pm Panel discussion hosted by Graham Robb of Recognition PR and including Huw Williams from Yarm School, Bill Scott from Wilton Engineering, Professor Craig Gaskill from Teesside University and Joanna Murphy from Baltic Training
8.00pm Summing up, Jane Reynolds MBE, Chair, TVBC and Networking
8.30pm Event close
Presenter bios can be found to the right of this page.
Attendance to this event is without charge for members and eligible guests*.
*Guest booking: We enable up to six guests to attend each of our events. If you have not attended one of our events in the past, and would like to come to an event to find out if the club is something you would like to be part of, please get in touch info@teesvalleybusinessclub.co.uk for further information.
All places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Shaun Fooy, British Business Bank
Shaun is the senior manager for the British Business Bank’s UK Network, looking after the North East of England & Tees Valley. He has worked for the Bank for nearly 4 years.
The UK Network team seeks to enhance business finance ecosystems across the UK so smaller businesses, wherever they are, can grow and prosper. It also helps the Bank develop a deeper understanding of small business finance markets in all parts of the UK so that, ultimately, the Bank can improve its support to smaller businesses everywhere.
Shaun has spent the majority of his 31-year career supporting smaller businesses in the North East, providing funding solutions as a relationship manager and business development manager. He has worked for a number of banks in the commercial and corporate banking market, including Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and RBS and NatWest.
Huw Williams, Yarm School
Huw is Headmaster at Yarm School, the region´s leading independent School with nearly 1200 pupils from 3-18. Joining in September 2019, he was in post for just a few months before the Covid pandemic hit, which shaped the changes and challenges the school faced in his first three years as Headmaster. New to the North East - and loving being here - Huw was previously Second Master (Senior Deputy Head) at Tonbridge School and before that a Housemaster at Westminster School. Before teaching, Huw worked in academia, completing a PhD at Cambridge, before becoming a Research Fellow there alongside his Post-Doctoral research into embryonic patterning at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. He has settled into the North East with his family and has swiftly become passionate about understanding and enhancing the opportunities available to young people in the region.
Graham Robb, Recognition PR
Graham is a well-known figure in the North East business community, having owned Recognition PR for over 30 years. He is a board member of the South Tees Development Corporation and served as board member of the Tees Valley LEP. He also served a three year term as Chairman of the Institute of Directors in the North and on the National Council of the Institute of Directors. Graham owns a number of influential networking products in the Northern Region including the two Shadow MPCs in Yorkshire and the North East and the large and dynamic North East and Yorkshire Business Network - in excess of 13,000 members. His regular business podcast ´Business Unmuted´ was started in the COVID pandemic and now receives thousands of viewers and listen for each weekly episode (Search for ´Business Unmuted´ on You Tube, Apple Podcast or Spotify).
Opinion formers, decision makers and business leaders listen to Graham. His advice has often helped organisations to enhance the reputation of their products, services or people and, in many instances, offset issues presented in hostile media situations and engaged in successful damage limitation.
Graham also frequently features in the media, with contributions on radio and TV and regular columns and opinion pieces in newspapers.
Dr Bill Scott OBE, Wilton Engineering
Dr Bill Scott OBE is Chief Executive of Wilton Universal Group which has achieved unparalleled success specialising in designing, manufacturing, coating and loading out large complicated structures for the Offshore Oil & Gas, Subsea, Marine, Decommissioning, Offshore Wind and Defence industries.
Company achievements include turnover growth from £600k to £85m; acquisition of an engineering design company; acquisition of a 54 acre site, followed by a further 58 acre site; led £16m Private Equity deal; fastest growing NE company 2010 and 2011.
Bill’s other personal achievements include:
He was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours 2019 for services to the Engineering and Offshore Wind Sector and to the community on Teesside.
Bill is passionate about all things to do with engineering and coating, creating opportunities for apprentices, equal rights for women, workplace health & safety and supporting local charities. He is a keen advocate of supporting the UK supply chain and works closely with trade organisations such as NOF, Subsea NE, Energi Coast, EIC as well as government departments including DIT and UKEF.
He is also involved in a number of other companies supporting them to grow whilst utilising his experience in the capacity of advisor, CEO or chairman. He mentors lots of SME’s and company directors for no personal gain other than seeing those companies go from strength to strength. His biggest passion is to inspire the next generation and, in that regard, he engages with schools, colleges and universities. He regularly delivers presentations that have been described as genuine, inspirational and motivational and are aimed at SME´s from all industries, and schools with students from aged 5 to 21.
Professor Craig Gaskell, Teesside University
Professor Craig Gaskell is passionate about the transformational impact of Higher Education on individuals, society, and the economy. He has significant experience of developing and delivering innovation projects in Higher Education, working across a wide range of academic disciplines, and in building highly productive partnerships with business and the public sector.
Craig has considerable experience as an academic and senior leader in Higher Education. He was a Dean at the University of Hull and has led several significant strategic change and start-up projects in the wider sector, notably as Provost of Coventry University’s ‘CU Scarborough’ and as founding Principal and Chief Executive of University Academy 92 (UA92) in Manchester.
Craig has a B.Sc and Ph.D in Computer Science and a Higher Education Teaching Diploma. He is a Chartered Engineer and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He has also held Professorships in Higher Education Enterprise at both Coventry University and Lancaster University.
Joanna Murphy, Baltic Apprenticeships
Director of Innovation at Baltic Apprenticeships a national tech and digital apprenticeship provider across the UK, training thousands of apprentices for companies from micro businesses to worldwide brands. Joanna is a TVCA LEP Board member, Vice Chair of the TVCA SME Board, and also represents Tees Valley on the Northern Powerhouse 11 Board.
Joanna has founded and sold two businesses over the last decade, and has been highly commended for various industry awards, including the National Women in IT Awards, Digital Leaders 100, and Digital Skills Initiative of the Year and as well as winning NE Innovator of the Year in 2016.
Joanna is a passionate advocate of the Tees Valley, digital skills, productivity, data, and digital transformation.
If you would like to become a member simply click the join button below. If you haven’t already attended one of our events, and would like to experience the benefits of club membership for yourself firsthand before you join, you can come along to one of our events as a guest. If you would like to do this please visit our events page, select the event you would like to attend, and complete your registration details in the box at the bottom of the page. Please note that guest places at each event are limited and available on a first served basis.
