Karen brings to the role a wealth of experience having already served as Vice Chair for three years and as a member of the management committee since the Forum was founded a decade ago. Her expertise in retail spans 35 years and her previous position as Chair of the Whitley Bay Chamber of Trade brought her to the Forum as a founder member representing town centres. She has also had specific responsibility for communications and events which have included a leading role in the organisation of the prestigious annual North Tyneside Business Forum Awards.

Professionally, she has owned retail outlets in Whitley Bay and now runs two businesses, “Made to Treasure Events”, a bespoke wedding stationery and events management company and her own business consultancy, “Your Business Pilot,” supporting SME’s and start ups.

Wider Business Groups: 

• North Tyneside Strategic Partnership
• Covid-19 Engagement Board
• Town Centre Task Group
• North East England Chamber of Commerce
• North of Tyne Combined Authority (working groups)
• State of the Area Committee
• MINT Business Club Steering Group
• Inspire Network

Karen also represents North Tyneside businesses at local authority Cabinet meetings.

Andrew is a leading North East industrialist who has achieved regional and national recognition for his leadership of North East manufacturing businesses. Now operating in an advisory and non-executive capacity, Andrew is a director and co-founder of two new Tech businesses. Andrew is currently Chair of the make UK NE Regional Advisory Board. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

​Wider Business Groups: 

• Make UK NE Regional Advisory Board
• Make UK National Membership Board
• Newcastle College – Director of Industrial Strategy

Michael is self-employed web designer, web developer and SEO specialist. He works with other small businesses to get results from their web presence. He uses his skills and experience to help whenever he can with the management group, and works closely with local businesses to support and develop them while spreading the word about the North Tyneside Business Forum.

Michael has worked in the IT industry for over a decade, providing support for software development and web applications. Active in the community, Michael has played a supporting role for both local organisations and for local and national governing bodies. He is Operations Director at Wubbleyou, who focus on building scalable software empowering customer growth, automation, and efficiency.

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David Bavaird, a director of North Shields-based Engaging Pathways, has worked in finance, logistics and project management for over 20 years and brings a wealth of experience to the role. He is also the former-chair of North Shields Chamber of Trade and Commerce,and sits on a number of boards of education and third sector organisations.

Wider Business Groups: 

• Coastal Communities Team
• North Tyneside Learning Trust
• Armed Forces Group
• Sector Connector

David also represents North Tyneside businesses at local authority Cabinet meetings.

David also represents North Tyneside businesses at local authority Cabinet meetings.

Pat is a woman who has worked in the manufacturing industry for over 25 years, in North Tyneside, Rotational Engineering employs local people in specialist tool making and sheet metal fabrications.

Pat says “During times of economic uncertainty I feel that it is essential to maintain a very good level of communication with the business community. By being part of the Business Forum this helps us keep up to date with the ever changing business trends, having like-minded individuals to meet with and discuss not only our personal barriers but those wider afield is fantastic. We feel we are able to take advice from those who have the experience and connections to put us in touch with the relevant individuals/events that will not only benefit the business but hopefully the local community.”

Wider Business Groups: 

• British Plastics Federation 
• North East England Chamber of Commerce
• Wallsend Chamber

Toby Bridges is an experienced company director and has been CEO and now Chairs his fourth generation family company, NBT Group Ltd. NBT was the North East’s fastest growing company in 2018 & 2019 and Toby was the Entrepreneurs’ Forum Scale-up Entrepreneur of the year 2019/20.  He has started and sold a number of other companies and Chairs the charity the Exchange, a community theatre in North Shields  Toby mentors numerous businesses across the NE, on behalf of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, the NE LEP, and The Natwest Accelerator.

Wider Business Groups: 

• Entrepreneurs Forum
• Advisory Board – Scale up North East
• North East LEP Business Growth Board
• Advisory board to the Leo’s high growth programme

Toby also represents North Tyneside businesses at local authority Cabinet meetings.

Paul is Digital Transformation Director at Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD), where he helps the company find ways to use new technology and ‘Industry 4.0’ in sync to help them work more effectively and collaboratively. He uses his experience in the industry to provide SMD’s customers with a more engaging service, while also seeking out new business models for the future.

Keith spends his working life alongside volunteers, charitable organisations and members of the local business community.

Keith says: “I play to my experiential strengths by representing the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) on the management team. I’ll be working alongside organisations that fall into that category and representing them in the planning and management of the Business Forum.”

Julie is Interim Chair of Wallsend Chamber. Julie is the Company Manager of Baltic Mortgage Solutions, in Wallsend, and runs the business on a day to day basis. She has been working in Financial Services since 2004.

Wider Business Groups: 

• Town Centre Task Group
• Howdon and Wallsend Partnership Board
• North East England Chamber of Commerce

Miles is Chair of the North Shields Business Chamber. After practising as a corporate tax lawyer in London for 30 years, Miles returned to the North East, and he & his wife now rent out commercial and residential properties in the UK, France and Ireland.

Wider Business Groups: 

• North Shields Business Chamber
• North East England Chamber of Commerce

Miles also represents North Tyneside businesses at local authority Cabinet meetings.

Wider Business Groups: 

• North East England Chamber of Commerce
• Vice-Chair NE Growth Hub Provider Network Steering Group