Advisory Board

Nick Baird

CEO, UKTI

Nick Baird was appointed Chief Executive of UKTI in September 2011. Prior to this, he was Director General, Europe and Globalisation and Member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Board - leading the FCO's work on Europe, global economic issues, migration and consular, from 2009.

Nick was also HM Ambassador for Turkey from 2006 to 2009, leading work on Turkey's EU process and regional conflicts. He has also worked on immigration policy at the Home Office and as head of the European Union Department at the FCO.

Jonathan Bye

CEO, Seabrook Crisps Ltd

After graduating in Business Studies from the University of Sheffield Management School in 1985, Jonathan has spent 27 years working in the Grocery industry for a variety of companies including corporates such as P&G and Dalgety, as well as SMEs such as Patak’s Foods, Vimto Soft Drinks and most recently Seabrook Crisps. His early career was in sales and other commercial roles prior to becoming MD at Vimto Soft Drinks and then CEO at Seabrooks.

Jonathan is also a Vice President of the FDF, representing SMEs on their Executive committee, as well as helping represent industry lobbying to Government and the FSA etc.

Outside of work Jonathan is married with two teenage children is an avid supporter of Middlesbrough football club.

Duncan Cheatle

CEO, Prelude Group

Duncan is the founder of The Supper Club, an invitation-only club for the founders/CEOs of high growth, innovative businesses over £1m sales. He is also Founder of RiseTo - The Enterprise Challenge - aimed at developing enterprise/business skills in young people to make them more employable or ready to start their own business, as well as founder of ThanksTo.com, whose mission is to give public recognition by saying thank you to all the unsung heroes in our communities.

He is also a director of the StartUp Loan Company chaired by James Caan which is overseeing the Start Up Loan scheme announced in May 2012 by Lord Young. Duncan has a wealth of experience in business turn arounds, start ups, funding, exits, sales and marketing, operations for high growth businesses, as well as accounting, consulting and corporate finance with PWC.

Andrea Davis

Managing Director, Industry Solutions, TDX Group

Andrea joined TDX in July 2012 as Managing Director of their Industry Solutions division. She has extensive experience of developing new businesses across different sectors and countries from her previous roles.

As CEO at Fellowes (a privately owned US manufacturing company) she delivered strong growth in business machines, oversaw award winning marketing initiatives, recognised by both customers and industry organisations and expanded the sales network through acquisitions. She was also responsible for sales activities into the exciting growth markets of Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa and South America. Previous roles also include the CFO at Willett International (a global print technology company), Head of Corporate Strategy for BAA and various roles at Ernst & Young, Price Waterhouse and J.P.Morgan.

Andrea has a B.Sc in Electronics and an MBA from London Business School. Outside of work, Andrea is a keen tri-athlete having competed in several races, and is a devoted mum to her son.

Sue Douthwaite

Divisional Managing Director, Santander bank

Having recently joined Santander Corporate Banking, Sue leads a team of 75 locally based experts who provide a dedicated relationship banking experience to businesses across the North of England.

Sue has extensive banking experience spanning over 25 years and her previous role at Royal Bank of Scotland was Regional Director, Corporate Banking for Yorkshire and the North East. Prior to then, Sue held a number of senior leadership positions across SME Banking in the North where she has been responsible for major change management projects and business performance.

She is a council member of the North West CBI, a member of the prestigious Two Percent Club, and is actively involved in the women in business agenda in the North.

Jamie Ford

CEO, Plusnet

Jamie Ford was made CEO, Plusnet in August 2010. Plusnet retails broadband and landline telephony services to both consumer and small business customers nationwide. Based in Sheffield it has been trading since 1997 and was acquired by BT in 2007, while a subsidiary of BT, Plusnet operates independently.

Jamie joined BT in April 2008 as Director Customer Experience and Operations, Retail Consumer. Prior to that, Jamie spent eight years at Accenture in the Business Consulting division working with clients across the telecommunications and utility industries.

He graduated from Durham University in Combined Social Sciences and is married with three young children.

Professor Anthony Fretwell-Downing

Chairman F. Fretwell-Downing Ltd & Director Fretwell-Downing Hospitality Ltd

A graduate of the University of Sheffield, and after a short time teaching chemistry following his PhD, Anthony was needed to support the family event catering business. But after a decline in the company's luxury market, Anthony was prompted to form various IT companies in the 80s.

Fretwell-Downing Group Ltd was formed in 1991 and by 2001 it was recognised as a major UK and international supplier of information management systems and associated services, with specialist interest in library automation systems integration, education management and catering control. The company became a collaborative partner with the University of Sheffield and Hallam University for several multi-million pound EU & DTI funded telematics projects.

Anthony was Chairman of the Management School from 2001 to 2007 and subsequently saw an internal restructure in the department. Previous roles at the University have included membership of the Political Economy Research Centre (PERC) and of the Advisory Committee of the ESRC Centre for Organisation and Innovation (COIC) and he was chairman of the Computer Science Industrial Liaison Board and has been a member the Career’s Advisory Board since 2002. Anthony rejoined the Management School Advisory Board three years ago as Chair.

His lifelong fascination remains; perceiving how multidisciplinary groups of enthusiastic and open minded people can drive innovation and manage change.

Teresa Hitchcock

Partner DLA Piper

Teresa is UK head of Safety Health and Environment (SHE) within the Regulatory and Government Affairs group.  Before qualifying as a solicitor, Teresa worked as a senior environmental and health and safety regulator in local government, acquiring extensive knowledge in these areas.

Teresa has developed strong connections with local business in the Sheffield and the city region and was recently appointed a Board Member for Sheffield First for Environment, the local partnership established by Sheffield City Council to champion environmental issues in the area.

Her clients cover large and medium-sized concerns in heavy industry, and also a number of small businesses, nonprofit organisations and local authorities. Key areas of her recent practice have included regeneration projects, climate change law, the impact of Conservation Law on industrial operations, and a number of major health and safety investigations.

David Hobbs

Operations Strategy, IT & Business Planning Director, Tesco UK

David joined Tesco in 2002 as Change Director, and since then he has held various positions including UK & ROI Retail Support Office Director. He spent 8 years in the international business as Operations Development Director, COO in China and COO in Malaysia. David was promoted to the UK Board in March 2012.

Before joining Tesco David was a Management Consultant with Gemini Consulting specializing in retail and consumer goods companies. He started his career at Jaguar Cars and Marks & Spencer in buying roles. He has a degree in Business Studies from the University of Sheffield and an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.

David is married with two young children and in his spare time enjoys family time and watching Formula 1 racing.

Professor. Dr. Jos Lemmink

Dean Maastricht University School of Business and Economics, Professor of Marketing, Océ-Canon Endowed Chair in Business Services Innovation

Professor Lemmink holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Groningen and a Ph.D. from the University of Limburg. Previously, he was marketing advisor to Dutch Post and Telecommunication (PTT) in The Hague and visiting professor at universities in Queensland, Australia and Hasselt, Belgium.

Also the chairman of the ROA (Labour Market Research Organisation) and MERIT Foundation (Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology) and serves as a fellow of the Centre for Services Leadership, W.P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA and is a member of the advisory boards of Hanken, Helsinki, Finland.  Professor Lemmink is also a member of the European Advisory Council of AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business- USA.

Having published extensively on service science and management, service quality and modelling, Professor Lemmink has produced seven books and many publications in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Economic Psychology, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Management Studies, International Journal of Research in Marketing and Journal of Retailing. He has also held the position of editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Service Industry Management (now Journal of Service Management). His career has included international consultancy and research projects for worldwide companies such as European Union, Shell, Mitsubishi, Heineken, Océ/Canon, All Pensions Group (APG), Ericsson, Libertel/Vodafone, Dutchtone/Orange, Rabo Bank and Dexia Bank and he is founder of servicesciencefactory.com at Maastricht University.

Neil MacDonald

Master Cutler

Neil was installed as Master Cutler on 2 October 2012. Although he was born in Hampshire, Neil spent his early years in Scotland, before moving to Cheshire and later Sheffield, where he graduated from the University with a 2.1 in Economics and Accounting in 1977.

He spent ten years with KPMG, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1980 and went on to spend almost 20 years at Firth Rixson, the International Aerospace Engineering Group, headquartered in Sheffield, being appointed Group Finance Director in 1994 during which time he oversaw a period of great expansion, including the acquisition of Aurora in 1999.

His numerous non-executive and trustee roles include Sheffield Theatres Trust, where he is deputy chair, The Whirlow Hall Farm Trust and the Cathedral Archer Project. He is also a non-executive on The Children’s Hospital Board, having previously had a similar role at Rotherham Foundation Trust. Neil serves on the Sheffield University Finance Committee and chairs the Firth Rixson Pension Trustee Board.

Neil is married with two children and one granddaughter, enjoys good food and wine, travel and supports Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.

John Mothersole

CEO, Sheffield City Council

Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council, John was previously the Executive Director of Development, Environment and Leisure.

He joined Sheffield City Council in 1998, during which time he has been directly and closely involved in much of the regeneration of the City Centre. John's work and involvement has also covered the City’s green heritage, the sustainability agenda, transport, culture and planning.

Prior to coming to Sheffield, he was a Director with the London Borough of Camden for 7 years, and before that, the Arts Development Officer for Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

In John's current role, he is Company Secretary to Creative Sheffield, Guardian of the Sheffield Assay Office, Chair and Director of the Source Training Centre, Chair of LGYH Chief Executives’ Group, Chair of South Yorkshire Programme Management Board (ERDF), Chair of Sheffield City Region Chief Executives’ Group and a member of Core Cities Chief Executives’ Group.

Ann Pickering

HR Director, O2

Ann Pickering is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel Development and is the Human Resources Director for the UK’s No. 1 mobile phone network provider, Telefonica O2 UK Ltd. She manages a team of 120 who provide HR services to the 11,500 02 employees in the UK.

After gaining a degree in English, Ann began a career with Marks and Spencer, joining their Graduate Programme specialising in HR. She went on to hold variety of HR roles in different lines of business; an American investment company, and an international business technology services group operating in the UK, Europe, India and USA. Here, she was responsible for creating and implementing key strategic developments from an HR perspective in both the UK and abroad.

Ann’s expertise in Human Resources, together with a strong background in technology brought her to O2 in March 2004. Since joining O2, she has seen the company voted in the Top 20 in the Sunday Times Top 100 Employers in the UK for the last three years and No.1 in the UK Best Loved Brands.

Ann is married, has two boys at University and lives in Sheffield.

Martin Roth

Director Victoria and Albert Museum

Martin Roth became Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in September 2011.

Before joining the V&A, Martin Roth was Director General of the Dresden State Art Collections (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden), overseeing 12 museums and galleries. During his career Martin Roth had created a large network of international partners which has led to the development of numerous exhibitions overseas.

Martin is a member of the Council of the Royal College of Art, London, the Council of Imperial College, London and a Trustee of the Exhibition Road Cultural Group. He is a member of the advisory board of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Berlin and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation/National Museums Berlin. He is a Personal Member of the German Olympic Sports Federation, Frankfurt/Main. He is also a member of the Board of Museum Würth and is on the administrative board of the National Museum of German Art and Culture, Nuremberg and the Senckenberg Nature Research Society, Frankfurt/Main. He is chairman of the jury “365 Orte im Land der Ideen”, an event of the initiative Deutschland – Land der Ideen, Berlin and Member of the Prix Pictet Advisory Board, London.

He is widely published and has lectured at the University of Dresden, the School of Design in Karlsruhe and University of Karlsruhe.

Salem Samhoud

Founder of &samhoud

An Honorary Professor of the University of Sheffield Management School, and a successful entrepreneur, Salem is the founder of &samhoud, a consultancy firm with offices in The Netherlands and Spain. Samhoud has consulted a large number of prominent companies and organizations including the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, Municipality of Barcelona and the Dutch National Railways.

Previous to &samhoud, Salem started and owned his own transportation company and was a leading consultant in the area of public transportation. He had also worked as marketing manager for Unilever in Africa and is the author of various books in the field of entrepreneurship and organizational management.

Ian Shellard

Global Director Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Rolls-Royce

Ian joined the logistics function in 1999 after a career spanning engineering, business development, production, purchasing and finance roles within the Rolls-Royce group in Europe and the USA. He has led the implementation of a global physical logistics service through partnership with a small number of leading logistics service providers, which has been recognised by several industry awards for technical innovation and partnership.

Also an Honorary Professor at The University of Sheffield Management School and an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham Business School, Operations Management Faculty, specialising in supply chain management, Ian is on the Supply Chain Logistics Advisory Boards of The Cranfield School of Management, The University of Sheffield Management School and The University of Cardiff Business School.

Steve Smith

Director Group Sales and Operation Planning, Tata Steel

Steve has a deep and broad experience in the steel sector spanning over 25 years, having worked in Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Strategy and Marketing in UK and Finland. In his current role as Group Director, Sales & Operations Planning for Tata Steel, he ensures alignment and optimisation across the company's 11 sales sectors and its pan-European manufacturing base.

He is a graduate of both University of Sheffield (MEng 1990) and University of Warwick (MBA 2002), and is CEng FIMechE.

Nigel Turner

Non-Executive Director, Jetscape Inc, Gyro-Jet Ltd , The Airline Group Ltd

Recently the Deputy Chairman of British Midland Airways (BMA) until 2012, Nigel's careers at BMA spanned over 20 years at one of the largest scheduled airlines in the UK which comprised of three diverse airlines operating in three different markets.

Graduating with a BA Hons in Business Studies from The University of Sheffield Management School in 1980, Nigel's career progressed from a Cost and Budget Accountant to Chief Executive Officer of BMA by 2004, overseeing the purchase of British Mediterranean Airlines in 2007 and experiencing difficulties of working in a consumer driven industry highly regulated from a safety perspective.  Having conducted business in many different parts of the world including Russia, Iran, the Middle East, Africa, USA, and South America, as well as Europe and the UK, Nigel has well-established international-business links across the world.

Nigel's strengths and interests are in the areas of financial and governance matters, having held both Main Board and Non-Executive Director positions in the retail, manufacturing, and travel sectors and has an extensive knowledge of aircraft leasing business having worked on both the buy and the sell side for 15 years.

Andy Ward

Managing Partner of PwC Sheffield

Andy is Managing Partner of PwC Sheffield with responsibility for the firms' activities in the South Yorkshire marketplace. Andy delivers Assurance services to a broad range of clients from listed, internationally owned, private equity backed companies to entrepreneurial, privately owned companies, ranging from start ups to more established businesses. He focuses on the Manufacturing and the Property and Construction sector and also works with clients in the UK holiday/leisure sector.

He has over 15 years experience with the firm which has included client secondments and includes a recent secondment to the Houston office working on an IPO and carve-out transactions in the oil and gas sector.

Andy is an Alumnus of University of Sheffield and has always kept strong ties with the city. Away from work he enjoys family life with his wife and two young children enjoys training for and taking part in  10km or half marathon races. Any remaining spare time is filled with playing golf as well as enjoying music concerts and comedy nights.