The Big Black Book by Downtown in Business

BOOK

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

#TBBB

CONTENTS

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

CONTENTS. INTERVIEWS. 9 11 VICTORIA BROWN The Interview: Ones to Watch

41 44 CHRIS OGLESBY The Interview: Leading Men

53 57 TIM BACON The Interview: Places to be Seen In

THE LISTS.

FEATURES.

12 15 ONES TO WATCH

18 22 FEMALE LEADERS

24 27 MOVERS & SHAKERS 34 37 DECISION MAKERS 46 50 LEADING MEN 58 62 PLACES TO BE SEEN IN

COLUMN: JIM HANCOCK

Osborne, Northern Powerhouse And Mayors

SPECIAL FEATURE: SAJID JAVID MP 2015 Was The Year That The Midlands Engine Was Fired Up

MINI-LISTS. 88

THE 13 BOXSETS

THE 13 MOVIES

TOP 13 GADGETS OF 2016

COLUMN: JAS SANSI The Engine Drivers

THE DOWNTOWN JOURNEY 2004 - 2016

13 FROM ‘15

Annual Review

13 FOR ‘16 Annual Preview

THIRTEEN FOR ‘16 SURVEY Here’s what we’ve found out...

DIRECTORY

CONTENTS

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

Editor/Graphic Designer Jack Hunter

Technical Editor Chris Wilcox

CEO’S FOREWORD

THIRTEEN - LUCKY FOR SOME BY FRANK McKENNA Chief Executive, Downtown In Business When I launched Downtown in Liverpool back in 2004 a senior council official told me that the organisation wouldn’t last five minutes. As we settle into 2016, Downtown is preparing to celebrate its thirteenth year in business.

We hate bureaucracy and red tape. It gets in the way of enterprise, stalls good ideas and frustrates our members. That’s why we highlight nonsensical governance structures that often have three, four or five public sector agencies all doing the same thing.

During that time we have extended our reach to include Lancashire, Manchester, Leeds and, most recently, Birmingham, and for me the journey has been hugely exciting, fascinating and, at times, frightening in equal measure.

We believe that cities make economies grow. Manchester is the most obvious in terms of evidencing this, but there are many other global cities that prove that a big city hub can act as a catalyst for big economic wins; wins that have a ripple effect for their wider city regions. We think that, on occasion, there is a need for Downtown to be disruptive. Nobody has a monopoly on good ideas, certainly not politicians and Town Hall leaders. Only those who do bugger all can say they have never got anything wrong. The good political leaders know and accept constructive criticism when they see it. Those that lack either the wisdom or confidence to engage with people who may not 100% agree with them don’t tend to last too long in office anyway.

When I started the business over a decade ago the main aim was just to stay in business, earn enough to pay the mortgage and start to agitate around issues that were clearly important to the Liverpool business community; leadership, planning, efficient governance structures and a genuine, independent say for the private sector on issues that affect the local economy. It wasn’t long though before the new way of providing business with a voice; the fresh environment we created for business networking experiences and an ability to stay in touch and engage with our membership began to provide an opportunity for Downtown to attack other places, and that strategy has, thankfully, proved to be successful. Each area we operate in is, of course, distinctive. Downtown has a bespoke offer for member companies in each of the areas where we operate. But across ‘planet’ Downtown our culture is consistent. We have a passion for a greater say over the big issues that impact on business growth. That means influencing politicians, and we believe it is easier to lobby local decision makers than national ones. For that reason, among others, Downtown has been a strong and consistent advocate of devolution and elected mayors.

CEO’S FOREWORD

Downtown has a number of mantras that have served us well over the years. ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ inspires lively and effective networking events such as Rise & Grind and Sexy Networking. ‘The business club with attitude’ a phrase coined by Steve Broomhead, the chief executive of Warrington Borough Council when he was head honcho of the Northwest Development Agency, represents that disruptiveness I mentioned. Downtown likes to inspire young entrepreneurs who have a bit of attitude themselves, and we are big on promoting female business leaders, which is why we attract so many female businesswomen to our network. We won’t host an event that we wouldn’t be interested in going to ourselves. There needs to be a purpose if we are to ask our members to give up their most valuable asset, which is time.

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To offer members that all important ‘ROI’, Downtown has created a diverse network, covering all industry sectors and companies that are small, medium and large enterprises. We have never seen the point of exclusively sticking a load of solicitors, or accountants, or PR businesses in the same room, because we want you to connect with people who you can potentially do business with. Downtown prides itself on providing a first class communications offer, with regular weekly bulletins, a smart, modern website (soon to be updated), our recently launched APP and, of course, this magazine. Ultimately, we want to give our members a great experience. That means hearing from inspirational speakers, engaging with decision

makers, learning from successful entrepreneurs and doing business with new connections. As we look forward to the rest of this New Year, I wanted to outline the issues, debates and discussions that will be exercising us in the coming months - or at least signal the policy areas that Downtown believes will be of interest to you in 2016. I wanted to use this foreword to focus on some key questions that may well shape Downtown’s agenda over the next twelve months. In a year that promises so much for the businesses that operate within ‘Planet Downtown’, what are the key challenges each region will face in 2016?

MANCHESTER The city has confirmed its position as the ‘capital’ of the Northern Powerhouse. The first to do a devolution deal with government, an international airport that is about to resemble a small city in its own right with expansion and development and a city centre that is buzzing with life, vitality and business growth. However, with success comes challenge, and for Manchester getting in and out of the place has become a huge frustration for many of us who work regularly in the city centre. The big transport infrastructure projects that are being negotiated through Northern Powerhouse are years away from completion, so what can be done in the short to medium term to address the misery of the Manchester motorist? Maybe the time is now right to revisit the notion of a congestion charge. An idea that was debated and then defeated by referendum back in 2008, has its time come? Certainly a serious conversation about the prospect needs to start again.

LIVERPOOL European capital of culture in 2008, the city has witnessed huge transformation and regeneration during the past decade. It is an absolute joy to see Downtown’s home town enjoy a renaissance that has delivered a much needed modernisation of its physical infrastructure, secure its place as one of the leading destination cities in Europe, and be seen once again as a serious economic player. With the political shenanigans that held up the city region devolution deal for a number of months now sorted, with a metro mayor to be established in 2017, there is a confidence within Liverpool’s business community that the city can maintain momentum and push on this year. Like the city itself though, Liverpool’s decision makers are sometimes beyond sensitive when it comes to accepting criticism, constructive or otherwise. Thin skinned hardly covers it. Nonetheless big questions for the civic leaders to address in 2016 must be: Is Liverpool’s aesthetic beauty being compromised with a series of poor quality, low cost development schemes that look very odd in a city that boasts world heritage status? And is the city capable of having a mature conversation between stakeholders and senior decision makers about the challenges Liverpool faces during the next stage of an exciting journey?

CEO’S FOREWORD

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

LANCASHIRE

LEEDS

At long last the local authorities in the county appear to have got the message that they need to collaborate if Lancashire is to play the part it deserves to play in the Norther Powerhouse project. I fully expect a Lancashire Combined Authority to be established this year and consideration to be given to the introduction of an elected county region mayor. The politics of Lancashire has been the cause of must frustration to businesses who care about how the place promotes, markets and positions itself; and the opportunity to present itself as the perfect location to act as the glue that holds together the Northern Powerhouse has been missed thus far. With the work of the excellent Ruth Connor and her team at Marketing Lancashire, a new found pragmatism among its political leaders and a determination of the Local Enterprise Partnership to engage more effectively with the business community, it is to be hoped Lancashire will emerge as a powerhouse in its own right over the next year. The question is, can the fragile â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;peace pactâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; among decision makers be held together in order for that realistic objective to be delivered?

At the time of writing the Leeds city region has yet to secure a devolution deal. I see no reason yet to panic about yet though. The key element of the whole Northern Powerhouse agenda at the moment is transport infrastructure and connectivity, and Leeds finds itself at the heart of much needed investment as far as the big rail projects are concerned. In the longer term though, as powerful personalities and champions emerge in the other core cities in the form of metro mayors, it is difficult to see how Leeds would not be disadvantaged if it does fail to get an agreement in place. I understand that negotiations are at an advanced stage, and we are likely to hear positive news of progress soon. But the longer the negotiation goes on, the more nervous those of us who see metro mayors as key to a much needed modernisation of local government will become. The size of Yorkshire makes this governance restructuring more complicated and complex than anywhere else. However, those complexities need to be sorted sooner rather than later if the pre -eminent city in the county is not to find itself left out of this first wave of devo deals. So the question is, can Leeds get the deal over the line?

CEOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FOREWORD

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

BIRMINGHAM The heart of the West Midlands engine endured a tough old year in 2015 politically, with the city council the focus of much criticism, finally resulting in long serving leader Sir Albert Bore stepping down to be replaced by John Clancy. With the relatively recent appointment of Mark Rogers as chief executive, the council would now appear to have two very able men at the helm, and it is to be hoped the city’s Town Hall can reestablish confidence and stability this year, and build from there. It is also clear that the role Birmingham, and Rogers in particular, played in the West Midlands Combined Authority negotiations was key. Fortunately the political challenges and machinations did nothing to stifle economic investment and exciting regeneration, with the launch of Grand Central and news of a big relocation and investment from HSBC among many highlights. But just as Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds are recognised as the key economic drivers of their city region conurbations, Birmingham has to do the same if the Engine is to work. Without a hub city, it is difficult to see how the Osborne agenda can be implemented effectively in the Midlands. Like Yorkshire, the geographical size of the West Midlands – and the strength of other big beasts within it – make this task anything but easy. Nevertheless, Birmingham has to become the main player, the engine driver, the brand. Can it convince its neighbours that this should be so?

“WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE DEVOLUTION AGENDA, WITH A SERIES OF ‘POWERHOUSE PROGRESS’ EVENTS IN THE NORTH AND A SPECIAL ‘KEYS TO THE ENGINE’ FORUM IN BIRMINGHAM...”

Some questions and planned debates that give you a flavour of what we will be focussing on during what promises to be another hectic year, hopefully with us developing ideas that can offer solutions to these challenges. In the twelve months ahead, Downtown will also be concentrating on property and development, Science and Innovation, the Digital and Technology sector and the food, drink and hospitality sector. Clearly we will continue to follow the devolution agenda, with a series of ‘Powerhouse Progress’ events in the north and a special ‘Keys to the Engine’ forum in Birmingham, whilst partnering with the Women’s Organisation to promote female enterprise. Last but by no means least, we will be doing our bit to promote the forthcoming International Festival for Business, hosted in Liverpool this summer, but providing

fantastic opportunities to all UK businesses. And so, to this very special issue of DQ. This big black book selects key personalities from the worlds of politics and commerce. It being our thirteenth year, we have identified thirteen people in each of our lists of those individuals this side of the Watford Gap who Downtown believes will have a big year. We have also produced lists of venues, movies, music, box sets and a whole host of other things that we think may interest and amuse you – as well as pointing you in the direction of thirteen fabulous events that Downtown would recommend to you this year. It promises to be an interesting 2016. I hope it is a good one for your business, and I hope to share some more great Downtown occasions with you in the coming months.

CEO’S FOREWORD

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

ONES TO WATCH Who are the people we expect to have a BIG 2016? We have selected thirteen of the most talented business leaders who will be worth keeping an eye on.

ONEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TO WATCH

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

THE INTERVIEW:

VICTORIA BROWN THE INTERVIEW: VICTORIA BROWN

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

ONES TO WATCH

THE INTERVIEW

THE UPTOWN GIRL IS ONE TO WATCH WORDS BY FRANK MCKENNA

Victoria Brown is 34 years old. She has been in business for seventeen years, and during that time she has built a successful, award winning HR outsourcing business; established and sold a hair and beauty salon; and most recently she has secured half a million pounds worth of investment for her latest business venture oneHR. Oh, and she dabbles in property. The young Liverpool entrepreneur is also Downtown’s ‘Uptown Girl’ – and, in her spare time, she’s my wife. I caught up with her for half an hour to find out what makes her tick… What got you interested in business at such a young age? “The simple answer is money. I needed to earn cash to get me through University and I soon found that by doing things myself, I made more cash. Initially, I was just doing a job as a self-employed gym instructor. I then noticed that all these women I was training were queueing up for beauty treatment. I had customers right there for the taking. There was a real market for beauty treatment back in 2000. So, I went on a beauty course to learn how to do nails. My friend was a hairdresser, so I employed her to do the girls hair. When I had made enough money doing this ‘mobile’ I opened my own salon. Eventually, I bought a property to establish the salon more formally and it was a great little business. I sold the salon a couple of years ago, but I still own the building. “

THE INTERVIEW: VICTORIA BROWN

That explains how you got into business, but there must have been a greater motivation than simply cash to make you think – this is what I want to do in future, own and manage businesses. “I suppose the flexibility and freedom being your own boss gives you, was a big thing. I like building and developing things, implementing ideas. I also had an ambition to start a HR outsourcing business which is why I took a degree in Psychology (she got a First). Doing a job I enjoy, a job that presents different things and different challenges every day, that’s really important. But, making cash is still a huge motivator.” So, High Performance Consultancy – give me the elevator pitch. “We are a national HR outsource provider offering a boutique HR service primarily to the SME market. Our clients are not just a number at the end of a call centre line, they get very hands on support and advice. The service provision is designed to be bespoke for each company, ensuring that the service meets their needs and their budget. We specialise in providing high quality and cost effective support. Our personable and professional approach means we offer an extension to your own in-house team.”

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Why has it been a success? “We have stayed true to our values and our commitments to our customers. We had a 98% client retention rate in 2015, which is testament to the great team we have built at HPC. I think that maintaining a genuine, personal relationship with clients is what stands us out from some of our competitors. Too many HR firms sell their services on preparing for the worst – staff disciplinary issues, Employment Tribunals. Of course, these are very real dangers that business owners need to take account of. However, developing your staff, retaining good team members, improving productivity. All these issues should form part of a good HR offer, and we do that.” What’s the new business, the latest idea? “It’s newly launched, but I’ve been developing oneHR for a few years now. I wanted to build an on-line tool that would provide a simple solution, particularly for small businesses, for the range of HR related matters that can often take an age to record using traditional methods. So, this product allows you to record absences, book holidays, and record performance management targets – all the things you would expect from a smart, comprehensive HR system. The simple proposition is that this product makes your business more efficient and saves you time. “ You have built two businesses without investment. Why did you seek an investor for oneHR? “I wanted to get it to market and progress this business quickly. Having spent so long developing the software, I didn’t want to spend another couple of years getting it established. I needed to get money into the business fast to hit the ground running; but I also needed the right investor, someone who understood and had built businesses themselves, and somebody who could help open doors into new markets for me. Mike (Askew) is the ideal person and I’m delighted to be working with him.”

“I THINK THAT MAINTAINING A GENUINE, PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CLIENTS IS WHAT STANDS US OUT FROM SOME OF OUR COMPETITORS.”

What advice would you give a young person with a business idea? Go for it! If you don’t you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. What are the three things you have learned in business? Customer satisfaction is an absolute priority. The customer isn’t necessarily always right, but if they’re not, you have to explain to them why not – and you have to deliver what you say you will. Second, cash is king. Processes, getting invoicing right and money in is something that many entrepreneurs overlook, because they hate detail. But, without cash, your business is dead. Don’t get carried away with turnover either, it’s the profit that matters. Finally, surround yourself with good people, and people you can trust. You taught me one of those lessons to be fair! What are the toughest things to overcome when you are growing a business? I suppose it depends on what stage of growth you are in. As a start up getting customers is the main concern. Once established, I think most business owners would say that it’s finding the right people. It’s so difficult not only to get someone who can do the job, but a personality that fits in with the rest of the team, gets the culture of the business and has the right work ethic. What is your New Year’s resolution for 2016 then? A few. I want to read more. I want to work smarter to improve work/ life balance. And I want to do a half marathon again. I did the North run in 2009 and raised money for Claire House. I’ll be running for that amazing charity again this time around. And what will be your biggest challenge? That’s easy – you!

THE INTERVIEW: VICTORIA BROWN

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

THE LIST:

ONES TO WATCH KATIE KERSHAW, NODE URBAN DESIGN Katie Kershaw is director at Node, an award-winning urban design, landscape and heritage practice. She is an accredited member of the Institute for Historic Building Conservation and was awarded recognised practitioner in urban design status in 2010 by the Urban Design Group. Katie is a non-executive director of Trident Social Investment Group, a trustee director of Birmingham Conservation Trust, a member of Birmingham Civic Society’s planning committee and an associate lecturer at the University of Birmingham. She was awarded the property and construction category and overall winner of Birmingham Young Professional of the Year in 2015. She was also a finalist in the outstanding professional category of the 2015 Birmingham Post Awards.

DOUG WARD, CO FOUNDER, TECH BRTAIN Doug is a tech entrepreneur and tech advisor to the UK Gov, having co-founded Tech Britain, the world’s first mapping project for the UK’s tech community and becoming one the founding members of the Tech City UK (TCUK) Cluster Alliance along with Baroness Joanna Shields that meets each quarter to help the UK be the best place in the world to create and base a tech business. Doug has since become head of the TCUK Cluster Alliance for Manchester. Doug is known locally as one of the leaders in Manchester’s tech community having created & brought various tech events to the city & co-founded the community driven space for tech startups, tech meetups, hackathons (e.g Startup Weekend Manchester) and the likes of Google & Twitter at ‘SpaceportX’ as well as

THE LIST: ONE’S TO WATCH

the recent announcement of ‘Forward’ , a 100,000 sqft not for profit campus which received £4million in the budget and has £20million private support. Doug has purposely designed & created Forward to be a tipping point for Manchester to one day become a top 5 European startup destination a.k.a #MCRTOP5. Doug also has an interest in some technology businesses such as ‘Telcom(.io)’, the fastest growing Internet service provider in the UK, now in 5 cities including a pilot project for the Bronx in conjunction with the Mayors office of New York. Most recently Doug has cocreated a tech startup in the E-Sports industry called ‘BetGame’ which William Hill PLC have invested in, allowing any online gamer the ability to bet on a computer game.

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JAMES VILLARREAL, FOUNDER, GLIDE

James Villarreal is CEO and co-founder of Glide. Glide makes bills simple for tenants and property businesses. It delivers one simple monthly bill for all utilities and services, both for tenants in shared accommodation and wanting to pay only their share, and for businesses with a portfolio of rental properties who want to cut their admin. In 2007 Glide raised an initial tranche of development capital that enabled the business to enhance its back office systems and start the roll-out of the concept across the UK. In 2010, Charles Cattaneo became chairman of the company, which now has over 30,000 customers across the UK. In 2010, 24-year-old James won the Birmingham Young Professional of the Year award, becoming the youngest entrepreneur to win. He is a founder member of and chair of the West Midlands Institute of Directors Young Directors’ Forum.

MO ADASS, FOUNDER, SIGNATURE BESPOKE Mo Adass is the founder and master tailor at high end fashion outlet Signature Bespoke. With branches in Liverpool and Savile Row, Signature Bespoke offer made to measure, luxury, bespoke clothing for men, with an exceptional range of ladies clothing due to launch in 2016. The company trades under the direct and exacting supervision of Mo, who boasts an international 15-year career in luxury fashion, with extensive experience in the high-end fashion business. Following the completion of his training with a master tailor from Canali, Mo’s experience has spanned exclusive haute couture designers such as Giorgio Armani, Dolce and Gabbana, and Louis Vuitton over glamorous locations including Dubai and Milan. A passion for sourcing the best fabrics from around the world is at the heart of Signature Bespoke’s ethos, with fabrics including Scabal, Loro Piana, Bateman on offer alongside the Scabal treasure box, which hosts fabrics interwoven with 24 carat gold, platinum and even diamonds. The particular strength of Mo and the Signature Bespoke team is a real flexibility, as even though they cater for international clients who would regularly order from the highest end of the market, a suit tailored with the same care and attention can be purchased without being prohibitively expensive or much more expensive than buying a designer off-the peg suit.

IAN LEADBETTER & DAN REILLY, EPIC NEW MEDIA These two digital entrepreneurs have been running Epic New Media for six years. However, it is there latest product, Ruler Analytics that has got everyone talking. This innovative Analytics platform has recently won a six figure investment into the business that will secure significant growth in 2016. Shortlisted for the Northern Digital Awards last year and in 2016, expect to hear a lot more about Ruler – and Dan and Ian – over the next twelve months.

THE LIST: ONES TO WATCH

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

CAT LEAVER, GROUP HEAD OF STRATEGY, WE ARE AD In five years with We Are AD, Cat has risen from Marketing Executive to Group Head of Strategy where she serves as a strategy specialist for the brand and manages the digital marketing teams in Glasgow, London, and Manchester. She manages the agency’s digital direction and marketing output and her experience spans a number of diverse projects with clients including Science Museum, Diet Chef, EDF Energy, National Theatre of Scotland and University of Southampton.

Outside of her day role, Cat writes a monthly column, ‘Digital Doctor’, for International Arts Manager and runs the Communications and Marketing team at TEDxGlasgow, bringing worldclass speakers to present at the yearly conference and supporting a series of yearround Salons. In the past year, she has spoken at the Festival of Women in Science & Technology in Dundee, Spektrix ‘Digital in the Arts 2015’, as well as hosting Women in Tech 2015 with Apple & TEDxGlasgow.

With hard work and a flair for leadership, Cat has served a key role in transforming We Are AD from its original Glasgow centre to the three-hub-city brand it is today. Cat is dedicated to going above and beyond clients’ expectations, specialising in assisting clients in digital strategy and marketing.

Cat is passionate about building a more diverse and equal industry, particularly championing women in technology. In her time with AD, she has been awarded the coveted ‘Chief Executives Award’ in Downtown in Business’ Women in Business Awards 2015 and, despite her short time working in Manchester’s digital scene, was listed ‘Digital Personality of the Year’ in the Mancoolian Awards 2015.

TOM & RICHARD SINGLETON, FOUNDERS OF ESSENTIAL JOURNAL Richard and Tom Singleton, founders of The Essential Journal in Liverpool, have big ambitions for their publication in 2016. The two brothers left their marketing backgrounds to begin the business together in October 2014 after noticing a gap in the market for a high quality, free regional publication that was centred on men’s fashion, lifestyle and culture. They knew they had something special and they haven’t looked back since. As The Essential Journal offers the unique opportunity for experts in their given field to provide the public with an unparalleled insight into their world, big names in fashion and culture were soon keen to get involved. The diversion away from traditional journalism, in terms of the contribution basis, means that The Essential Journal’s content is 100 percent

THE LIST: ONES TO WATCH

trustworthy and this is perhaps why its audience has grown so rapidly. This year will no doubt see more of the same quality content, with contributions from experts such as Elisabeta Canali and interviews with Hollywood’s stars like Michael Fassbender filling the publication’s pages. Their aim is now to expand on an award winning 2015, which saw the publication grow in both distribution and popularity and ensure more people get a chance to delve into such a unique publication. In fact, they’ve even made it their new years resolution. They want 2016 to herald The Essential Journal’s exciting and long awaited arrival into additional cities around the UK. 2016 looks set to be their year.

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JACEY NORMAND, TELEVISION PRESENTER Jacey is the main news and current affairs reporter and presenter for the BBC in the North West. Her career at the BBC to date has seen her host a variety of well known TV shows, including her own series for BBC daytime, reading the late news for North West Tonight as well as hosting the Crimewatch Roadshow, alongside Rav Wilding. She also did a stint working as a reporter on Radio 1's 'Newsbeat.' Jacey started her career in politics , working for an MP in Westminster. From this, she went onto to work for a US Congressman in the House of Representatives, attending Bill Clinton's final Whitehouse Picnic and meeting the President. Passionate about politics , she got her first break in television on the Politics Show NW - presenting alongside Jim Hancock. Passionate about her football team, Manchester City and an established corporate host, if she's not watching the match, she'll be somewhere 'chattering' for a living.

TOM CULLEN, FOUNDER, I CHOOSE BIRMINGHAM Tom Cullen was the former Associate Editor at the UK’s biggest upmarket men’s magazine, ShortList, before becoming editor of ShortList.com and Editor-In-Chief of London-focused email magazine, Mr Hyde. He won the Periodical Training Council’s New Editor Of The Year 2012 and the Association Of Online Publishers One To Watch, 2013, during his 12 years in the

London magazine industry. Having moved back to Birmingham to launch his own title: ‘I CHOOSE Birmingham’, he recently won the Birmingham Young Professional of the Year award in Communications, 2015. ‘I CHOOSE Birmingham’ is a high end magazine for men and women that’s emailed to its 11,000 readers once a week, bringing the very best things to do in and around this incredible city.

ELLIE PHILLIPS A media start in the making, Ellie has burst onto the scene in Liverpool, showcasing the city’s talent on both Bay TV and Juice FM. She is a fabulous presenter of live events too, and at some stage in her career she is destined to go regional, if not national. Look out for Ellie at Downtown’s Women in Business Awards in Liverpool in March.

THE LIST: ONES TO WATCH

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

FEMALE LEADERS Thirteen female business leaders who DQ expects to continue to achieve success over the next twelve months

FEMALE LEADERS

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THE LIST:

FEMALE LEADERS

LISA WILLIAMS, HEAD OF BRANCH, JOHN LEWIS BIRMINGHAM Lisa Williams is head of branch at John Lewis’ regional flagship department store in Birmingham, part of the Grand Central development which opened in September 2015. John Lewis has invested £35 million in the 250,000 sq ft department store, which is one of the largest outside London and stocks some 350,000 items. Before taking on the Birmingham role Lisa was head of branch at John Lewis High Wycombe and has spent more than 25 years with the John Lewis Partnership. Born in Shirley, this new role will see Lisa return to her family base in Birmingham. She has worked at John Lewis in a variety of customer facing roles. Lisa started her career as a part time selling assistant at John Lewis Milton Keynes and has since worked her way up through a number of operational roles at eight of the retailer’s shops including Sheffield, Cribbs Causeway and Bluewater. Lisa was head of branch at John Lewis High Wycombe for three years and in the last 18 months oversaw the retailer’s largest redevelopment investment of 2013 when the shop received a £16 million refurbishment programme. The upgrade created 200 new jobs within the Partnership and has led to sales growth of 27% at the shop.

THE LIST: FEMALE LEADERS

KATE WILLARD, CORPORATE AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, STOBART GROUP Kate is Corporate Affairs Director for Stobart Group. Stobart Group are a leading UK brand and infrastructure and support services Group operating in the aviation, renewable energy, rail and investments sectors. With a background in cultural and creativity, Kate has lived and worked in Hungary, France and Belgium working as an independent regeneration expert with the European Commission on major transnational projects in employment, social cohesion and regional development. Whilst living and working in Hungary, Kate also established the first UK Hungarian cultural partnership trust, Brouhaha Magyarország and was also CEO of the UK’s first rural regeneration company (Rural Regeneration Cumbria). Kate is a Churchill Fellow, FRSA and is Chair of both the Atlantic Gateway and the Thames Gateway, South Essex Growth Partnership.

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COUNCILLOR PENNY HOLBROOK Penny Holbrook was elected originally in 2003 at the age of 25 and served until 2008, re-joining Birmingham City Council again in 2010. She has previously been the shadow cabinet member, the executive member for local services (Erdington) and is currently the Cabinet Member for Skills, Learning and Culture, gaining a thorough understanding of local government.

DEBORAH LEARY OBE, CEO FORENSIC PATHWAYS LTD As Founder and CEO of Forensic Pathways, Deborah Leary has responsibility for the company’s strategic direction. Incorporated in 2001, Birmingham-based Forensic Pathways has become an award winning company and is internationally recognised for developing innovative technologies for the criminal intelligence market, particularly in the area of child exploitation investigation and counter terror.

awarded British Female Inventor of the Year 2005 and in 2009 was honoured with an OBE for her commitment to entrepreneurship and the community. Deborah holds a number of additional board positions and is on Richtopia’s list of the Top 100 Most Influential Entrepreneurs in the UK. She is also an adviser to the All Parliamentary Party on Women and Enterprise.

Cllr Holbrook’s current role is focussed on improving outcomes for young people and reducing youth unemployment across Birmingham. She also has responsibility for culture, including museums, libraries, arts and driving the creative economy. The challenges in this area of the portfolio are considerable and focus on developing sustainable models for the future given the significant cuts to the sector both nationally and locally. Cllr Holbrook recently challenged for the role of leader of Birmingham City Council, losing by one vote, but raising her profile considerably during the process.

Deborah is an international speaker and consultant on business build, entrepreneurship and innovation. She was

DR LIS SMITH, PRINICPAL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, PRESTON’S COLLEGE Dr Lis Smith joined Preston’s College in January 2011 as Principal and Chief Executive following a career in skills and employment with the Northwest Development Agency and Higher Education. Having started life as a research and development chemist, it provided the grounding for engaging with industry and public sector to understand their needs and deliver to this, something that is fundamental to the College and its demand-led agenda through being responsive to learners’ and businesses’ needs.

learners, enhancing employability and enterprising behaviours in all. The main focus of Preston’s College is to make our learners THE most employable, and as a consequence, our delivery model reflect more project based learning with the learning taking place in Real Work Environments, designed and supported by employers. This helps to expose learners to work practises and professional standards and our new iSTEM Centre and the Eric Wright Construction Centre are excellent examples of this.

With experience and focus on learning, enterprise and innovation, Lis is committed to providing real opportunities and outcomes for

THE LIST: FEMALE LEADERS

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MAGGIE O’CARROLL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, THE WOMEN’S ORGANISATION Starting her career in the United States, Maggie moved to Liverpool in 1991 where she successfully started and grew her own management consultancy business. In 1996 she started The Women’s Organisation to promote female enterprise policy and practice having identified it as a huge untapped entrepreneurial market for the UK. She has led the businesses development as an award winning social enterprise and it is now the largest and most successful dedicated Women’s Business Support Charity and Social Business in the UK. She is responsible for the overall strategic development of the business and has recently led the creation of a £5.3m International Centre for Women’s Enterprise Development in Liverpool. Maggie is actively involved in female economic development policy, influencing on an international, national and regional basis and is Chair of the UK Women’s Enterprise Policy Group and a member of the Women’s Budget Group.

She is a Business graduate with a Masters in Community Enterprise from the Judge Business School, Cambridge University. Maggie has lectured on a part time basis at Liverpool University Management School on Entrepreneurship and Liverpool John Moores University, on Measuring Social Impact within their Masters in Social and Community Enterprise programmes. She is an Entrepreneurial Scholar in residence at Simmon's College, Boston, USA. She is also currently chairperson of Vivark Ltd, a local social enterprise with over 250 employees, a multimillion pound turnover and a group board member of First Ark, a registered social housing provider with over 13,000 properties in Knowsley. She is a regular contributor to conferences in the UK, and abroad, on issues relating to women's education, employment, entrepreneurship and social enterprise.

RUTH CONNOR, CEO, MARKETING LANCASHIRE Ruth was appointed the first Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire, the new Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for the county, and took up the role in August 2012 having worked at board level across a range of renowned travel brands including: Rank Group, Bourne Leisure, Gold Medal Travel Group, Thomas Cook and Shearings Holidays. Under Ruth’s leadership Marketing Lancashire is charged with promoting the county as a great place to visit, live, work, study and invest.

KATE VOKES, MARKETING & HR DIRECTOR, BRUNTWOOD Kate Vokes is Marketing & HR Director of Bruntwood, a Manchester based property company who specialise in creating interesting workspace to meet a broad range of business needs. The company has a long history of investing in regional cities across Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham and employs around 500 people. Kate's commitments extend across Manchester, she took over as Chair of the Cityco board at the end of 2014. She is also a Trustee of the Oglesby Charitable Trust which has supported over 250 charities with around

THE LIST: FEMALE LEADERS

£7m since it’s inception in the early 2000s. Kate took on the role of Chair of The Factory Youth Zone for 3 years and continues to sit on the board, a charity giving 8-21 year olds in Manchester somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to. She joined Bruntwood in 2000, prior to that she worked in buying, selling and marketing roles in the food industry for Safeway and Rank Hovis McDougall before taking time out to do an MBA at Manchester Business School then joining Accenture.

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SIMONE ROCHE, FOUNDER, NORTHERN POWER WOMEN Simone Roche is founder of Northern Power Women, managing director at event curation company Events 1st, director at the Association of Women Travel Executives, and licensee for TEDxWhitehallWomen. Simone has developed a specialist network of impactful women and men and curated a portfolio of events, including the Women 1st Conference and the Shine Awards. She joined the Royal Navy at 17 as a radio operator, scaling the ranks up to Lieutenant, before taking up roles including looking after sponsors for London 2012 as a client services manager, events and sales management roles at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Aintree Racecourse, eventually becoming deputy general manager of operations for the build of the new Echo Arena in Liverpool. Simone is passionate about gender diversity and championing female talent. After 6 years of driving the gender agenda from London - Simone felt the need to change

the geography and champion good positive action from the north and launched the Northern Power Women campaign in March 2015 with a high profile conference including ministers, leaders and future talent. The Northern Power Women campaign was born as a legacy following the conference she created for IFB2014 - Women Inspiring the Economy. NPW awards which are open to men and women, have been launched to recognise, showcase and celebrate the exceptional role models across the Northern Powerhouse. NPW foundation will offer a legacy of bringing business and education together by connecting students with nominees and winners of the awards via speed mentoring events following the awards in march. Additionally the Top 50 Power & Future Lists will demonstrate the North’s got talent!

ELAINE BOWKER, PRINCIPAL / GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE THE CITY OF LIVERPOOL COLLEGE GROUP Elaine Bowker was appointed Principal of The City of Liverpool College on 1st June 2011 and is Chief Executive of The City of Liverpool College Group, one of the leaders in Further Education, and a key delivery vehicle of skills across the Liverpool City Region and beyond. With an annual turnover in excess of £65m, over 10,000 Apprentices nationally and 20,000 enrolments in Liverpool alone, the group provides wide ranging services to employers, other providers and students in a rapidly changing educational and economic landscape. Elaine’s previous position was Strategic Director at Manchester City Council where she had responsibility for transforming the organisation and creating over £120m savings, as well as driving the target for Apprenticeships within the organisation. Prior to her role at the City Council, Elaine

was the Executive Director within the former Learning and Skills Council responsible for Greater Manchester, and previously worked as Director of Area for Greater Merseyside, giving her strong ties to both city regions. Before joining the LSC, she worked in a variety of FE colleges, from lecturer to senior post-holder level, giving her a rounded view of skills and skills policy. She currently sits on the boards of Liverpool City Chamber of Commerce, Tate Liverpool, Scottish Power and is a Commissioner on the Liverpool Fairness Commission, as well as a member of the LEP Advisory Council. She is also a director of the national training provider First4Skills as part of The City of Liverpool College Group, and SharEd, the group’s commercial shared services company.

THE LIST: FEMALE LEADERS

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LYNDA SHILLAW, DIVISIONAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, PROPERTY AT MANCHESTER AIRPORT The boss of the Manchester Airport Group’s property arm, Shillaw joined MAG from Scottish Widows investment partnership where she held the role of director of real estate. In her position at MAG she oversees a £571 million property division across the group’s four airports; and the portfolio includes the Airport City development at Manchester, which is set to be the city’s biggest strategic development project. Graduating in 1986 with a degree in accountancy and finance, Shillaw has had a 20 year plus career in the property industry and headed The Co-Operative Estates, as well as holding roles at Lloyds Banking Group and BT.

FRANCES MOLLOY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, HEALTH@WORK

SARA WILDE-MCKEOWN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, INFLUENTIAL The Managing Director of leading communication and marketing agency Influential, Sara Wilde is one of the UKs most senior media figures and is the former commercial Managing Director of the Trinity Mirror Regional newspaper group. She is also a former Managing Director of Trinity Mirror’s newspaper, digital and events businesses across the Northwest and North Wales. Sara is chair of the Liverpool City Region tourism authority, responsible for driving forward the city’s visitor economy. She is a Non- Executive Director of Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre.

THE LIST: FEMALE LEADERS

Frances Molloy is the chief executive of the workplace health and safety charity Health@ Work. She had previously held the role of Principle Officer at Liverpool City Council, where she worked as part of the Healthy City team. The Healthy City team was about delivering public health messages to the local community. Her role at Health@Work revolves around strategic planning and vision; it’s her job to take the business forward by identifying new opportunities and brokering partnerships that will, ultimately, benefit Health@Work. Frances would like Health@Work to become the country’s leading expert on health in the workplace; something she thinks they are well on the way to doing. On a personal level, she is currently leading a high profile campaign to change tyre laws in this country.

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MOVERS MOVERS MOVERS & S H A S R K E H S S The men and women in and around town who get things done, open doors, are supremely well connected and who you need to get to know.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

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THE LIST:

MOVERS & SHAKERS

JAS SANSI, FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER

As a business graduate, he understands the importance of networking. Jas specialises in corporate photography especially award ceremonies, conferences and events. Jas captures these on his Nikon cameras and in addition to returning them back to the client, utilises social media to get these images out there.

in the minds of those who attended. Personal and Social Media Conversation the morning after an event will invariably focus on that event.’ ‘Having the images on your desktop and smart phones allows that conversation to be amplified. It supports contacts that have been established and allows a further line of communication for parties who were present. Images released immediately following an event allow the event to continue online.’

Jas explains ‘Its important for images from an event to be syndicated and released as soon as possible. Greater Birmingham is a busy region and its vital to tap into the interest an event generates whilst still fresh

Away from his work, Jas is a trustee of Love Brum, a charity which seeks to unearth some of the amazing community projects that go under the radar. And in doing so aid their fundraising.

Jas Sansi is a freelance photographer based in Birmingham.

TIM ANDREWS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HOLLYWOOD MONSTER Managing Director of Hollywood Monster, Tim has built a highly successful large format print and signage business. Tim started the business with his father, originally from their family home’s loft space in Hollywood, Birmingham. Since then, Hollywood Monster has become one of the largest in its sector, supplying clients nationwide with a range of graphics and digitally printed products, and employing around 70 staff locally in Birmingham. Tim and the business have a reputation for supporting local charities and community projects, raising in excess of £750,000 for local causes. This has also seen him pick up a number of accolades and be recognised as a leading corporate fundraiser. Tim is Chairman and Trustee of LoveBrum, a local charity that unearths hidden gem projects, funds and supports them.

ED JAMES, BROADCASTER For the past 14 years, Ed James has been waking up Birmingham and the Midlands on the region’s most listened-to breakfast show. The multiple award winning Heart Breakfast with Ed James and Rachel New is on air every weekday morning from 6-10 providing a huge slice of real life from what he calls ‘the best city in the UK’. Although born in Yorkshire, Ed now considers himself an ‘adopted Brummie’ having lived here for over 17 years.

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His ‘second job’ in conjunction with partner Denise is running full service agency The Ed James Group, providing PR, advertising, marketing, event/talent management and staffing. Ed is also very active in the business community in Birmingham hosting many of the corporate events and award evenings in the city. He’s also current chairman of Birmingham Press Club which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

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BILL ADDY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, LIVERPOOL BID COMPANY Bill Addy, Chartered Construction Manager, Business Director and Owner and Self Supporting Church of England Priest has been CEO of Liverpool BID Company (Business Improvement District) since March 2013, managing the 2 Liverpool BIDs, City Central and the Commercial District. The BID districts cover 120 acres of Liverpool City Centre and are home to 1,500 businesses employing more than 70,000 people. City central is now into its 10th year of operation having been successful at renewal ballot in 2013 and Bill is currently overseeing the renewal ballot for Commercial District in March 2016. Bill’s career spans 4 decades following 3 years as a full time construction student at Liverpool Polytechnic in the mid 1970’s, roles including technical and marketing expertise led to his appointment as director at North Wales development and Construction Group

DAVID WADE-SMITH, CHAIRMAN, DOWNTOWN LIVERPOOL IN BUSINESS David is Chairman of Downtown Liverpool. Independently minded and entrepreneurial, his business career has been dedicated to building customer focused businesses working alongside dedicated, passionate and talented people. He is Chairman of GovToday Ltd and Cofounder, Director of WebTicketManager Ltd. Both businesses are digitally based, high growth enterprises For nearly 25 years David has played an active part in the social and economic development of Liverpool. Amongst the many organisations he has served, David was a founding board member of Liverpool Vision and the Liverpool Culture Company. Currently, he serves on Mayor Joe Anderson’s Mayoral Development Corporation.

David McLean heading up the creation of a Liverpool office in 1994 . During the next 10 years David Mclean were at the forefront of much of the pioneering development and regeneration of Liverpool City Centre including Princes Dock joint venture with Mersey Docks and Harbour Company that brought Princes Dock back into commercial use and saw the Crowne Plaza open in late 1998. Joint ventures with Iliad to deliver East Village and the development of some of the first of the modern student accommodation in the city centre were added to his portfolio before venturing out into consultancy and co-ownership of a growing development company. Apart from work and ministerial duties Bill finds time to closely follow Everton and walk the family dog who is also a blue.

MAX STEINBERG, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, LIVERPOOL VISION Max was appointed Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision, the city’s economic development company in 2010. Over the past five years, he has played a leading role in attracting new investment, delivering global events and establishing Marketing Liverpool and Invest Liverpool. Max has a proven track record of working at the highest level in economic regeneration. He was formerly Chief Executive of Elevate East Lancashire in 2003. In 2009, he was appointed Chief Executive of Regenerate Pennine Lancashire Ltd, one of the biggest economic development companies in the UK. During his time at Liverpool Vision, Max has overseen Liverpool’s award-winning participation in the World EXPO Shanghai 2010, the only UK city invited to take part in the six month global event. Since then he has led the capture of Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) to Liverpool in 2012, the first time this international event has been held in Europe. Attended by several thousand delegates from 125 countries, the Congress was widely regarded as the most successful GEC to date. In 2014, as Chair of the International Festival for Business, Max led the planning and delivery of the inaugural event which took place in Liverpool City Region for 50 days in 2014. The International Festival for Business, was recognised as a major success and attracted significant new investment into Liverpool and the UK, and will again be hosted in Liverpool in 2016. In 1997, Max was awarded an OBE for services to Housing and Regeneration on Merseyside. He is the Chair of Riverside Housing Group and was a non-executive director of Kensington Regeneration from 2003 – 2006. In 2011 Max was awarded a Senior Fellowship at Liverpool Hope University and in 2013 received a CBE for services to business and the community.

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NEIL RAMI, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MARKETING BIRMINGHAM Supported by some 400 local companies, local universities, Birmingham City Council and the EU, Marketing Birmingham has responsibility for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and growing the city’s visitor economy. In the past seven years, Birmingham has created more jobs from FDI than any UK regional city. Having held similar senior management roles in Newcastle and Liverpool, Neil has presented nationally and internationally on the themes of city marketing and inward investment. Neil is a Board member of Birmingham Science City and the British Industry Tourism Group. He is also a member of the University of Birmingham Court and a Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a member of its Nominations Committee.

ANDY STREET, MD JOHN LEWIS AND CHAIRMAN, GREATER BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP With two high-profile business roles Andy Street can be considered one of the most influential people in the West Midlands. In June 2015 he was awarded a CBE for services to the economy, in his roles as managing director of John Lewis and as Chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP). During his time with John Lewis, gross sales have increased in excess of 50% to over £4bn. It has opened 18 new shops including a stunning flagship store at Birmingham Grand Central, and the johnlewis.com business has seen annual sales of over £1bn making the department store one of the UK's most respected and successful retailers. Andy is Chair GBSLEP, the body tasked with driving economic growth in the region. He is also Vice Chairman of Performances Birmingham Limited, which is responsible for running the city's Symphony and Town Halls and he was a member of the Prime Minister's Business Advisory Group.

THE LIST: MOVERS & SHAKERS

LOUISE TEBOUL, COMMON PURPOSE Louise Teboul runs cross-sector leadership courses for Common Purpose, international leadership organisation in Birmingham. In 2010 Louise was promoted to a UK senior management team role and oversees offices in Bristol and the South West. In 2014, Louise won the Outstanding Professional award at the Birmingham Post Business Awards and won the West Midlands Women’s “Outstanding Leadership” earlier this year, she was also shortlisted as “Business Woman of the Year” for the Birmingham Awards 2015. Louise is a proud ‘adopted’ Brummie – regularly supporting different organisations with help such as finding board members and volunteers, being an informal mentor or speaking at events.

STACEY BARNFIELD, CHAIRMAN OF DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM IN BUSINESS Stacey is the chairman of Downtown in Business Birmingham. Before joining Downtown Stacey was the editor of the respected Birmingham Post newspaper; his most recent and high-profile media role in a 23-year career in the regional press. Prior to his time at the helm of the Post he was deputy editor of its sister title the Mail. Stacey is co-director of Edwin Ellis Creative Media, a public relations, publishing and design agency based in Birmingham. He is also a director of the historic Birmingham Press Club, chairman of the Birmingham Mail Charity Fund, and steering group member for the Birmingham Big Art Project.

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STEVE BENNETT, CHAIRMAN, DOWNTOWN MANCHESTER IN BUSINESS Originally from Nottingham, Steve studied Chemistry at the University Of Manchester (UMIST) before embarking on a 20+ year career in science-based manufacturing and marketing businesses. He has worked in over 45 countries with personal experience of Technical, Operations, Commercial and Business management responsibility. Fluent in Italian, Steve has successfully operated as Managing Director of both UK and overseas organisations and has a proven record of delivering performance improvement in the UK and worldwide for both large international and privately owned SMEs.

Following a conscious career move into senior-level recruitment; Steve formed TransitionPlus Ltd in 2004 to offer executive level search and associated services and has developed a strong track record of finding and delivering the best possible people into their new positions. Steve is an experienced NED and Chair, has coached and mentored both individuals and teams to stronger performance and is a passionate believer in connecting people for mutual benefit and the approach of “Pay It Forward”.

COLIN SINCLAIR, DIRECTOR OF PROPERTY MARKETING

ROGER MARSH, CHAIR, LEP BOARD Roger is the former senior partner of PWC, he chairs the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and sits as a member on the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. As chair of the LEP he secured the country’s largest growth deal settlement and brought £1 billion investment into the region. A strong and respected private sector voice within the corridors of power regionally and nationally, Marsh could be a key figure as Leeds continues to negotiate its devolution deal with George Osborne and co. His accountancy background aside, Roger has a keen interest in transport strategy – another crucial policy plank if the ambitions of the Northern Powerhouse are to be achieved.

Colin started his career in the music business managing bands on Factory, A&M and Virgin America Records, as well as owning the Boardwalk nightclub and music venue (198699). He went on to produce numerous major events before becoming joint Marketing Director for Manchester Enterprises and MIDAS (Manchester’s Investment and Development agency) in 2004. Colin became Chief Executive of MIDAS in 2005 where he played a key role in promoting the city region to international firms and innovative global businesses.

Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham in order to generate new enquiries, particularly those sourced through digital marketing, business development and networking.

Colin joined family-owned property firm Bruntwood as a Director in 2010, to work on the diversification of their portfolio in Manchester, with a focus on developing new space for the science & biomedical sector, along the Oxford Road Corridor.

By 2015 Bruntwood had embarked on a new journey, pioneering the changes needed to compliment the way that people are now beginning to work. Colin became the Director of Workspace Development, to head up the evolution of workspace across the portfolio. With an emphasis on the customer experience, he is helping to place Bruntwood at the forefront of design-led collaborative workspace across all of our city regions, whilst continuing to pioneer in the Liverpool market. In Manchester, Colin is part of the team that recently launched ‘neo‘Bruntwoods most advanced workspace to date.

Projects he worked on included the £24m Citylabs development (at the site of the former Royal Eye Hospital), the £70m redevelopment of Manchester Business School, for the University of Manchester, and Bruntwood’s acquisition of a controlling interest in Manchester Science Park. In 2012 Colin's role changed to Director of Property Marketing, as during the recession filling vacant space had become Bruntwood's priority. That switch meant Colin could use all of his creativity to differentiate Bruntwood’s property offer in Manchester, Cheshire,

By 2014 Colin had also started working part of the week in Liverpool, where Bruntwood went on to pioneer some of the city's most creatively designed workspace, at places like the Cotton Exchange and Queens Buildings. Colin also introducing co-working to Liverpool and Manchester, in the form of The Loft and Together.

Colin is a founding member of the Liverpool MIPIM Steering Group and a Board member of the Liverpool Commercial BID (Business Improvement District.

THE LIST: MOVERS & SHAKERS

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DECISION MAKERS A focus on the politics of the North and West Midlands. Thirteen key players in the world of politics; with exclusive contributions from Jim Hancock, Sajid Javid MP and Jas Ansi.

DECISION MAKERS

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OSBORNE, NORTHERN POWERHOUSE AND MAYORS. BY JIM HANCOCK

I first met George Osborne on Knutsford Heath in 1998. I was invited to film him strolling across the grass after his selection as Conservative Candidate for Tatton. He always seemed to me a bit of a cold fish on a mission for High Office and little concerned to make an impression on the Regional Media. It is ironic that these days he is never off our screens as he promotes the Northern Powerhouse. After he restored Tory fortunes in Tatton in 2001, it rapidly became clear that George Osborne and David Cameron were the coming men in the Conservative Party. This was confirmed when Cameron secured the leadership four years later. Osborne had run his campaign and became Shadow Chancellor. The closeness of their relationship has been extraordinary and has underpinned the success of the party both politically and economically ever since. They have been helped from having come from similar backgrounds and having a shared view on the positioning of the Conservatives for the 21st century. Despite this their unity should have come under strain over the years. The relationship between Prime Minister and Chancellor has fractured spectacularly twice in recent memory with Margaret Thatcher and Nigel Lawson and more recently the soap opera of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown which did much to discredit New Labour.

in his favour. I am cautious for a number of reasons. Despite his qualifications for the job, he is only narrowly ahead of London Mayor Boris Johnson in the Conservative home polls of Tory members. Perhaps it’s that personal coldness and a fear that he would not be able to reach out to the public that makes party members fearful. It may also be that they have had enough of the Social Liberalism over issues like gay marriage that Osborne shares with the Prime Minister. The main reason for my caution about whether George Osborne will get the keys to no.10 is Europe. I expect the drama to play out as follows. The PM comes back with a package of reforms from our European partners. It will be widely derided as insufficient. Cameron and Osborne will at last realise how irresponsible they have been to imperil Britain’s economy and standing in the world and will campaign vigorously for a vote to remain in the eu. If the vote is to pull out, where does that leave George Osborne? Aren’t both men discredited having been repudiated on the biggest question this country has faced since 1975?

GEORGE OSBORNE FOR PRIME MINISTER?

One of the factors which undermined the Blair-Brown partnership was the promise allegedly made by Blair that he would stand down so that Brown could inherit the leadership. Cameron and Osborne have avoided any such deals but we are once again faced with the possibility, as in 2007, of the Chancellor succeeding the Prime Minister.

If Osborne decides to stand he would almost certainly be one of the two candidates put forward by Tory MPs to the wider membership. They will have the final say. Who will the other one be? I’m not sure it will be Boris. Activists would be angry at the decision not to give them the chance to elect their “Conference Darling” but the London Mayor has not flourished in the House of Commons and unless he is given a big job this year and makes a good fist of it, MPs might go for Home Secretary Theresa May, Business Secretary Sajid Javid or even Education Secretary Nicky Morgan as the second candidate. The latter is a long shot but so was John Major. George Osborne may lead

So what are the prospects of George Osborne becoming our next leader? I would say they are 50/50. Having been responsible for turning round the economy and, in his role as Party Strategist, plotting two successful General Election Campaigns, my odds should be more

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“IN 2015 THE CHANCELLOR MUST HAVE TURNED UP TO EVERY CONSTRUCTION SITE THAT HAD A TENUOUS CONNECTION TO THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE.”

In a rare flash of self deprecating humour George Osborne’s Christmas cards featured him in a yellow hi viz jacket. In 2015 the Chancellor must have turned up to every construction site that had a tenuous connection to the Northern Powerhouse (NP). The project is a spectacular reversal of Margaret Thatcher’s centralisation of power away from northern town halls in the 1980s. The motivation for the Northern Powerhouse has political and economic motivations. On the political front, the tories have been virtually non-existent in our northern cities for decades. If they cannot make an impression on local governance, they may be able to gain some traction with people in the North if the NP can deliver economic and other benefits. They may even hope that a Tory leaning business person might one day become an elected Mayor in one of the great northern cities.

NORTHERN POWERHOUSE YEAR OF CHALLENGE

The economic motivation is that the days of Central Grant Funding of town halls is coming to an end. Councils will raise their income from business rates, council tax and fees. Devolution must follow the money. The move will also leave central government free of the blame as councils struggle to meet the soaring cost of elderly care in particular.

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So far progress with the NP has been patchy. Deals were done reasonably smoothly with Greater Manchester and the Sheffield City region. Some of Merseyside’s districts held out for a long time against an elected Mayor and the full Leeds City Region deal is held up in a dispute with North Yorkshire over transport powers. Wyre Council is providing a stumbling block in Lancashire whilst Cheshire and Warrington’s deal is being delayed by the recent resignation of the Cheshire East Council Leader. Leaving these issues of structure behind,2016 needs to be the year when people start to see some delivery from the NP. The winter floods will have damaged the North’s image as a place to invest and the NP must be seen to be delivering in practical areas like this. Yorkshire forward and the North West Development Agency were quickly alongside people in the 2005 floods but these Regional Development Agencies were swept away like the bridge at Tadcaster in favour of this form of city based devolution. Let’s see if it works.

The NP needs particularly to start delivering on transport. The announcements on HS2, the new franchises and rail investment are steps in the right direction. However we remember the notorious “pause” on the Leeds-Manchester Electrification which shows that NP devolution is still subject to Whitehall diktat.

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“THE BIG QUESTION IN THE LIVERPOOL CITY REGION IS WHETHER THE CURRENT ELECTED MAYOR OF LIVERPOOL, JOE ANDERSON, CAN FULFIL HIS AMBITION TO TAKE THE POST FOR THE WHOLE AREA NEXT YEAR. “

The great paradox of NP devolution has been that it is branded as bringing power to the people of the North to make their own decisions. The only people who have been involved in the devolution deals so far are a few council leaders, their officers and whitehall mandarins. What are the people's priorities for the NP? We won't know until next year when mayors will be elected for the city region combined authorities. So do we have any budding borises up north? In Greater Manchester the former minister, Stretford MP and current police and crime commissioner Tony Lloyd is in a strong position. He was chosen instead of Lord Smith of Wigan to be the interim mayor. The obvious alternative to Lloyd is Sir Richard Leese, the leader of Manchester Council and the architect of the extensive devolution deal the conurbation has got including £6bn of NHS spending. However rumours persist that he is more interested in pan northern work with bodies like One North and Rail North or that the other districts want to avoid Manchester domination of the post. This may be behind rumours that Ivan Lewis, the Labour MP for Bury South may be interested. It does look very male and Labour in Manchester. It would be refreshing to see someone like Lady Susan Williams go for it. Although the former Tory leader of Trafford, she headed up the non party Atlantic Gateway Project for a while and would remind us that the agreement of Conservative controlled Trafford to the combined authority deal was crucial.

government experience. Against that she has put down roots having worked in the city for hbos for four years before becoming an mp. The big question in the Liverpool City Region is whether the current elected Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, can fulfil his ambition to take the post for the whole area next year. There is considerable opposition amongst the authorities outside the city against what is seen as Liverpool domination. This was manifested in a petty squabble over the chairmanship of the combined authority. Anderson showed his displeasure when Wirral leader Phil Davies was elected. Davies has now stepped down in favour of Anderson. But Anderson faces a problem. Will he stand for re-election this year as Mayor of Liverpool hoping in a year's time he will stand for the wider job? Meanwhile word reaches me that Alison McGovern, the able Labour MP for Wirral South might run. She would certainly appeal to Labour supporters outside the city in places like St Helens and Southport.

A BIT OF DEMOCRACY WITH OUR DEVOLUTION?

Over in the Leeds City Region there has been a stand off with the government insisting on an elected mayor in return for further devolution powers. Presuming that a deal is done who might be the elected mayor? The Chamber of Commerce recently made clear that they want a person with big character, passion and a business background. But chamber president Gerald Jennings realises combining business skills with political acumen in one person is difficult. Paula Dillion who is soon to succeed Jennings as the chamber's first female president has ruled herself out, demonstrating the difficulty of getting women to put themselves forward for such posts. One potential female candidate is Leeds council leader Judith Blake. However she has only recently taken up that post and I understand is unlikely to be interested. The city has two senior Labour MPs who are out of sorts with the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and might fancy a shot at the job, Hilary Benn and Rachel Reeves. I would be surprised if Benn, the MP for leeds central would be interested. He was a very low profile shadow communities secretary having little to say about Labour's view on the Tory Northern Powerhouse Project. Leeds west MP Rachel Reeves is a more likely prospect although she has no local

Finally, we come to Lancashire where a devolution deal is yet to be struck and where the issue of having an elected mayor in a more rural county, remains unresolved. A further complication is the surprise decision by the government to allow district and county councils to potentially force through reorganisations without the agreement of their neighbours. The previous communities secretary, Eric Pickles, had put a virtual freeze on local government reorganisation which is badly needed in places like Lancashire. However was it wise to raise this complicating factor in the middle of the devolution process?

If there is to be an elected mayor in Lancashire, speculation will surround members of the cabinet at county hall like leader Jennifer Mein, deputy leader David Borrow, Matt Tomlinson (education) and Azhar Ali (health). But here, as in the Leeds City Region there is the difficulty of getting a credible candidate with political and business experience. I have to indicate that Lancashire has such a person in the shape of our own chief executive Frank Mckenna. He was deputy leader of Lancashire County Council before developing a wide range of business contacts as he has developed Downtown in Business in key cities in the North and Midlands including Preston. In conclusion it should be a good year for business although there are uncertainties on the horizon. The chinese economy, rising wage demands, the lack of skilled labour and the EU referendum will all need watching as the Conservatives get into their stride in power with Labour weakened by internal strife.

COLUMN: JIM HANCOCK

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SPECIAL FEATURE:

SAJID JAVID MP

SPECIAL FEATURE: SAJID JAVID MP

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DECISION MAKERS

2015 WAS THE YEAR THAT THE MIDLANDS ENGINE WAS FIRED UP BY SAJID JAVID MP Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills The regional economic plan to make the Midlands the engine of growth for the British economy is a fundamental part of our long term economic plan and I’m excited to see the future successes. Since 2010 the Midlands has grown above the national average, creating over 250,000 new jobs. I want to help create a further 300,000 extra jobs and add £34 billion to the Midlands economy by 2030. The Chancellor and I signed the historic West Midlands devolution deal - a clear sign of our support and confidence in what the people of the Midlands can achieve. Furthermore with support from 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships, The Midlands Prospectus, launched in November has set a clear ambition and course of action to drive economic growth in the region. I want to do this by backing the core strengths of the local economy like advanced manufacturing and engineering while putting skills at the heart of the economic revival. I believe the Midlands can lead the way in Science and Innovation by supporting technology in our world leading automotive sector and that’s why we are protecting science funding of £4.7 billion. We are also empowering Local Authorities and Local Enterprise

Partnerships across the Midlands to help create a skilled and flexible workforce who will be the catalyst that drive the Midlands Engine. Our economy grows when we create opportunities for businesses to do the same. Britain continues to be a great place to start a business but while the banks are lending again, I recognise that access to finance can still be a key issue for people setting up on their own. That’s why we pledged to treble the Start Up Loans programme during this Parliament to 75,000 loans and have already issued nearly 5,000 loans worth over £25 million to budding entrepreneurs in the Midlands since the programme began. To make this sustainable in the long term I want to make sure our children have the opportunity to learn about enterprise at school. The government has invested £20 million in the Careers and Enterprise Company to inspire young people and help them launch their careers in enterprise. Giving students a strong sense of enterprise will allow them to go far after they leave school, college or university, and enter the world of work. Now the Midlands Engine stands fired up and primed. I have every intention of making 2016 the year it accelerates ahead of the pack.

SPECIAL FEATURE: SAJID JAVID MP

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THE LIST:

DECISION MAKERS

COUNCILLOR KEITH WAKEFIELD Keith Wakefield is currently Chair of the Transport Committee on the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Prior to that he was the Leader of Leeds City Council from 2003 to 2004 and 2010 to 2015, when he chose to step down as Leader. Keith was first elected to Leeds City Council in 1988 and continued as a councillor representing the Kippax and Methley Ward, covering many of the former mining villages in the East of Leeds. In his time as a councillor he has been responsible for the Council’s budget, housing, regeneration, community safety, highways, education and tackling inequalities. He was also responsible for creating the Council’s first ever Community

Safety and Regeneration Department, including the Council’s One Stop Centres. Keith has had major involvement in a number of key developments in Leeds including the First Direct Arena, Trinity Leeds, Victoria Gate, the High Speed 2 rail link, City Deal, East Leeds Extension, Leeds Apprenticeship Training Agency, Leeds City College and securing the 2014 Grand Depart of the Tour de France. Professionally, he worked for over 25 years as a lecturer in Further Education until he gave up work to commit myself fulltime to being Leader of Leeds City Council.

DAVID BROWN, CEO OF TRANSPORT FOR THE NORTH David Brown, newly appointed Chief Executive of Transport for the North (TfN), is a prominent leader in northern transport, with over 25 years’ experience in both the public and private sectors covering all modes of public transport. As Chief Executive of TfN, David is responsible for transforming regional connectivity and driving economic growth in the region. He will oversee the development of TfN into a statutory organisation by 2017, bringing together the northern transport authorities to allow the North to speak with a single voice on the big transport decisions which will benefit the region as a whole, driving growth and successfully securing its position as a true Northern Powerhouse. David joined TfN from his post as Chief Executive/Director General at Merseytravel and Head of Paid Service of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

THE LIST: DECISION MAKERS

(LCRCA), in which he was instrumental in driving forward the LCRCA’s Transport Plan for Growth and a driving force behind Liverpool city region’s Long Term Rail Strategy. Prior to that David was Director General of South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, where he led on the development and delivery of a modern and economical integrated public transport system within the South Yorkshire city region. He also led on the Rail North project, resulting in the successful establishment of Rail North as a Company Limited by Guarantee. Strong commercial negotiations and exceptional stakeholder management from David led to the creation of this innovative organisation, which jointly specified the invitation to tenders for the two northern franchises, delivering significant benefits to passengers and £1.2bn investment as a result.

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GED FITZGERALD, CEO, LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL Ged Fitzgerald is Chief Executive of Liverpool City Council. The city of Liverpool is pivotal in promoting and positioning Liverpool City Region as a key economic driver within the UK. The City Region is the latest area to sign a devolution agreement with Government transferring powers locally and bringing influence over £3bn of national funding over 5 years. Liverpool will be at the forefront of driving the success of local devolution. Ged has been in Local Government since 1983 and held a range of senior posts in both Economic Development and Strategic Policy before becoming a local authority Chief Executive in 2001. Liverpool City Council has undergone a process of radical change under Ged’s leadership as the city responds

to unprecedented funding reductions. Innovation, partnership working and doing more with less are central to ensuring the city remains a vibrant, attractive international destination where people want to live, work and visit. Ged is a fellow of the RSA, Chair of Business in the Community Liverpool City Region Leadership Board and sits on the Business in the Community North West Regional Advisory Board. He is a Non-Executive Director of the Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool, Chair of the University of Liverpool’s Heseltine Institute Advisory Board and a trustee of the Mayor’s Hope Fund, a registered charity established to alleviate food poverty in Liverpool. Ged is a very keen follower of Liverpool Football Club.

MARK ROGERS, CEO, BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL Mark graduated from Oxford in 1983 with a degree in Modern History and embarked upon his working life by becoming a volunteer care assistant in a residential special school. In 1985, having qualified as a teacher, Mark took on roles in special schools in the East Midlands and the North West, before becoming a headteacher in Tameside in 1994.

JOE ANDERSON, MAYOR OF LIVERPOOL Joe was born in 1958, one of six children, in a city centre tenement, Kent Gardens, near the Dingle. He left school at 16, spending 12 years at sea, becoming the National Union of Seamen’s youngest ever convenor. Joe was elected to Liverpool City Council in 1998 and following the 2010 election, Leader of the Council. In May 2012, Joe became the first ever directly-elected Mayor of Liverpool winning almost 60 per cent of all votes cast. Mayor Anderson has navigated a course for the council through an increasingly difficult time for Liverpool, with the city losing 58%

of its central government funding. However, under his leadership in his first term as Mayor, Liverpool has built 14 new schools, built or refurbished 6,000 homes, created over 20,000 jobs, more than 67 acres of new and improved green space, planted over 2,000 new trees and oversaw the creation of the International Festival for Business. Joe became chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined authority in December 2015 to lead on the next phase of devolution and the creation of a new Metro Mayoralty in 2017.

In 2001, Mark was seconded to be Head of Specialist Education Services in Tameside, working on the authority’s first inclusion strategy. Having developed an appetite for local government from this role, Mark was then appointed as Assistant Director, Children & Young People, for Stockport Council in 2003, where he oversaw the council’s ‘Every Child Matters - Change for Children’ programme. Three years later Mark took up the post of Director of Children’s Services in Solihull and in 2007 he became the Chief Executive in the same authority. During this time the council became a pioneer of Lean in the local government sector. In March 2014, Mark took up the role of Chief Executive and Director of Economy at Birmingham City Council, making improvement in children’s safeguarding services his number one priority, whilst also promoting the city as the place to live, learn; work and play. Subsequent highprofile events have meant that he has added education and corporate governance to his list of areas requiring radical change – along with needing to oversee £250m of budget savings by 2018. Progress is being made across all these areas – and Birmingham is reclaiming its reputation as Britain’s second city.

THE LIST: DECISION MAKERS

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SIR RICHARD LEESE, LEADER, MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL Richard was born, brought up and went to school in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. After graduating from the University of Warwick, he worked as a teacher in Coventry and as an exchange teacher in the USA before moving to Manchester to take up a post as a youth worker which included educational research. He was elected to the City Council in 1984 and became Deputy Leader from 1990 to 1996 having previously chaired the Education Committee (1986-90) and Finance Committee (1990-95).

Political interests include the links between economic development and social policy, developing open democracy and the community leadership role of local authorities; and the role of cities in creating a sustainable future. Richard is heavily involved in regeneration activity including being on the board of the Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company. He is chair of Manchester Airport Group Shareholders Committee, Deputy Leader of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Chair of the Regional Leaders’ Board (RLB).

SIR HOWARD BERNSTEIN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL Manchester council's chief executive and power broker whose rise from junior clerk to town hall boss has become legendary. He is credited with the city's rebirth following the 1996 IRA bomb, brokering Manchester City FC's investment in east Manchester, championing the Metrolink and bringing the 2002 Commonwealth Games to the city which was rewarded with a knighthood.

GEORGE OSBORNE, CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

JENNIFER MEIN, LEADER, LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL Jennifer Mein’s political career began in 2005 when she was first elected to Lancashire County Council. The Labour politician served as a cabinet member for children and young people, before eventually being elected as Labour group leader in 2009. Four years later she became leader of one of the largest local authorities in the country, although an overall majority was not secured, power being shared with the Liberal Democrats. Jennifer faces a big couple of years as she tries to manage challenging budget reductions; drive forward Lancashire’s devolution agenda; and then, in 2017, see off the Conservatives in the County Council elections.

THE LIST: DECISION MAKERS

Chancellor, Northern Powerhouse champion, Northwest MP and, he hopes, the next Prime Minister. Osborne is credited with masterminding the Conservative General Election victory in 2015 and is seen as the steel, maybe even the brains, of the Cameron-Osborne partnership. Tough on public spending with a zeal to shrink the public sector that would cause Margaret Thatcher to blush, his ultimate ambition may be thwarted due to his lack of charm and charisma – and a tendency to be too clever by half at times. His recent U Turn on tax credits was wholly avoidable, and successive budgets have done little to support SMEs. Nevertheless, Osborne is still favourite to get the keys to number ten when his mate Dave vacates the property – and in the meantime he will press on with the Powerhouse and austerity.

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COUNCILLOR JOHN CLANCY, LEADER, BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL John Clancy was elected leader of Birmingham City Council’s ruling Labour group and, in turn, city leader, in a closely fought behind-closed-doors election in November 2015. The Quinton councillor replaced Sir Albert Bore who stood down after 16 years as leader of the city. Cllr Clancy, a former corporate lawyer turned teacher, is a relative unknown in leadership circles, with just eight years’ service as a councillor and someone who has never held a senior role at the authority; within cabinet, scrutiny committee or executive office. Having convinced fellow Labour Party execs he is the right man to lead the city, Clancy now has the tougher job of convincing the Birmingham Independent Improvement Panel he is the best person to progress the Kerslake Report reforms and deliver wideranging leadership and cultural change at the council. Football-fan Clancy’s policy agenda includes tearing up the city’s £90 million contract with IT provider Capita, giving free school meals to all children at council-run infant and junior schools and a renegotiation of the 25year multi-billion-pound highways deal with engineering giant Amey. From a business perspective, Clancy is a fan of the city’s manufacturing sector microbusinesses and SMEs and believes they must be nurtured and supported.

TOM RIORDAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, LEEDS CITY COUNCIL Tom took up the position of Chief Executive of Leeds City Council in August 2010. He is the youngest Chief Executive in the history of the council. In Riordan’s first year, Leeds has set a new ambition to be the Best Council in the Best City in the UK, achieved over £50m of efficiency savings without reductions in front-line services, secured good quality assessments across adult social care, fostering, adoption and youth offending services, started building a state of the art Arena. This launched an initiative to improve the insulation of thousands of households through the Wrap Up Leeds project, which doubled the number of apprentices in the city. This delivering a £60m independent living accommodation scheme for people with learning disabilities and taken children’s services out of special measures.

Tom was born and educated in North Yorkshire and graduated from Trinity College, Oxford in 1989. He joined the Whitehall fast stream in 1990 and progressed quickly, specialising in environmental policy and representing the UK in international negotiations on climate change and endangered species. Tom gained a first class Masters in Business Administration at Imperial College in 1997. After setting up the Regional Development Agency Yorkshire Forward, he became its Chief Executive in 2006, supporting 10,000 businesses during the recession, completing award-winning regeneration developments and pioneering low carbon initiatives. Tom has recently been involved in leading the Commission on the Future of Local Government and in helping to develop Leeds’ City Deal.

COUNCILLOR JUDITH BLAKE, LEEDS CITY COUNCIL Councillor Blake became the first ever female leader of Leeds City Council last year, succeeding Keith Wakefield. Previously serving as Deputy Leader and as the Cabinet member with responsibility for children’s services, Judith is also a member of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

THE LIST: DECISION MAKERS

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THE ENGINE DRIVERS BY JAS SANSI

I was asked to photograph the Devolution Deal signing for the West Midlands Combined Authority a couple of weeks ago. In case this sentence makes no sense to you whatsoever, let me explain. The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is made up of the Councils of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton. They are working together to attract funds from central Government which are to be spent on projects across the entire combined authority e.g. transport. The Devolution Deal is the culmination of negotiations for the money and how and where it is spent. After months of confidential negotiations, it was agreed ahead of The Spending Review and signed two weeks ago in Coventry. Are you still awake at the back? The Government demanded the Combined Authority elect a Regional Mayor, somebody who in George Osborne’s words ‘’would get the credit if things went well, and carried the can if they went less well.’ Basically a Greater Birmingham Boris Johnson. Just don’t shout the words Greater Birmingham too loud. So far no one’s put their name forward. As Christmas approaches and people take time off to sit and reflect, you can be assured come the new year, candidates will step forward. So who’ll take on the responsibility for a role that has no precedence. Let’s look at some of the possible candidates. NINDER JOHAL, President of The Black Country Chamber. Ninder Johal is an intelligent and personable operator. His network

COLUMN: JAS SANSI

stretches long and wide and he has demonstrated the importance of collaborative working. He was a bridge for many of the regions within the West Midlands long before anyone uttered the words Combined Authority. Ninder beats the drum for business with the same passion he did for the Bhangra band Achanak. ANDY STREET, Chair of Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP). Andy Street has the energy of an atomic bomb and the communication skills of Obama. He has demonstrated great leadership in the GBSLEP and as MD of John Lewis. Andy would be a quality candidate. Question is, would he want to do it? GISELA STUART, Labour MP for Edgbaston. Gisela has fought and retained the extremely marginal Edgbaston seat since 1997 proving her political acumen. Quite simply she is a remarkable ambassador for Birmingham. Gisela has championed the city at the Commons in hosting Birmingham Days showcasing the best Brum has to offer. SION SIMON, MEP for the West Midlands. Sion originally stood down as Birmingham MP for Erdington to fight for the role of City Mayor. The electorate had other ideas with 58% voting No in the referendum to have a City Mayor for Birmingham. JAMES WONG, Chung Ying Group. James may be surprised I’ve included his name here. The West Midlands is the only region that can boast a trade surplus with China. A lot of those deals come through Hong Kong which is where James’ family originate from. Having a Regional Mayor with an insight into this part of the world could pay huge dividends. His brother William would keep the business operating in his absence.

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LORD DIGBY JONES, Business Ambassador. If you were to Xray Lord Jones, you would be presented with the word ‘Business.’ He’s a popular and engaging speaker who is respected by the great and the good. But does he still have the energy for such a demanding role? And one that will be scrutinised by the media from day one. PAUL THANDI, CEO of The NEC Group. Voted the most powerful person in Brum in The Birmingham Post Power 50 list, Dr Thandi is one to watch. Recent changes in the ownership of The NEC Group may prevent Paul from wanting to take his eye of the most popular Conferencing Venue in the UK. The NEC turns 40 in 2016 and it needs someone with strong lungs to blow out the candles.

“WHOEVER PUTS THEIR NAME FORWARD WILL NEED A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ELECTION.”

JUSTICE WILLIAMS MBE. Female Entrepreneur and Love Brum Ambassador. Justice is engaged and engaging. A strong communicator and a wide reaching voice. One to watch. PAUL KEHOE, CEO of Birmingham Airport. Strong calibre in leading the airport through the financial crisis emerging with an extended runway, over a million passengers a month and new flights announced monthly. An engaging personality heading up an engaged Airport. ANITA BHALLA OBE. A very strong resume, excellent communicator and a network encompassing Business and The Arts. Anita would be a very popular choice. WAHEED SALEEM. Networked and pedigree as Organisational leader and communicator. Vice President of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce, Waheed gets involved with Greater Birmingham’s diverse communities. ANDREW MITCHELL. Conservative MP for Sutton Coldfield. Has spoken of the need for Birmingham City Council to be split up which is the opposite of what the Combined Authority is talking about. Nonetheless, one of Brum’s few Conservative Members of Parliament, Andrew appears to have left the unfortunate episode with that bike in

Downing Street behind him. NEIL RAMI, CEO of Marketing Birmingham. Mission accomplished for Neil with Birmingham firmly on the global map and attracting eye watering levels of Foreign Direct Investment. Bringing Deutsche Bank and HSBC to Brum and accelerating tourism to the second city, could Neil do for the wider region what he’s done for Birmingham? Undoubtedly. DESMOND JADOO, a champion for Birmingham voices. Stood as an Independent candidate for the City Mayor Referendum. Will certainly attract votes in Birmingham, the challenge will be the other regions. ED JAMES, Heart FM Breakfast Presenter. Ed is a Politics graduate and one of the most powerful media personalities in the region. He’s also one of the most popular. KATHRYN JAMES, MD of The NEC Group. If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, take a look at the success of the NEC Group. It contributes over £2 billion to the region and has been the number one conferencing facility in the UK since it opened in 1976. Major deals with Barclaycard and Genting demonstrate the level at which this group operate. As MD, Kathryn James would be formidable as Regional Mayor. Whoever puts their name forward will need a strategic plan for election. I predict Electoral turnout will be 30% at most so candidates need only speak to a minority of the region. Social Media will be very important but as the PM said in his Conference Speech ‘Twitter is not Britain.’ The Combined Authority represents the population of a Scandinavian country. It’ll be one of the most powerful positions in British Politics. Good luck to all those who step up to the plate. Let me know if you need a campaign picture.

COLUMN: JAS SANSI

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LEADING

MEN The men who will be at the forefront of economic growth in a city near you in 2016.

LEADING MEN

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THE INTERVIEW:

CHRIS OGLESBY

THE INTERVIEW: CHRIS OGLESBY

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LEADING MEN

THE INTERVIEW

CHRIS OGLESBY WORDS BY FRANK MCKENNA

Property giant Bruntwood has been a major stakeholder in the regeneration of Northern city centres since the early 90’s and is sure to continue to play a key role in the development of the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine agendas. At the helm of this innovative business is chief executive Chris Oglesby. I visited City Tower in Manchester to find out what makes him and his business tick.

By the late 90s we had built a strong portfolio on Manchester and I think we played our part in supporting the city in its regeneration ambitions. The early 2000s saw the rapid expansion of the business with highlights in Manchester being the purchase of the RBS Manchester Portfolio and City Tower along with the expansion into Liverpool then Leeds and Birmingham.

Frank McKenna: Tell Bruntwood journey

As we come out of this latest recession the move the company has made into the growth sectors of science, technology, creative and digital is probably as significant for the business as my father’s decision to move into offices in the late 80s. Just like then it was , initially a strategy we stumbled upon really - I’d love to say all of our plans and strategies were well thought through and devised years in advance - but the best ones are initially born out of opportunism.

about

the

Chris Oglesby: The company was set up forty years ago – in 1976 – by my father (Michael). It was a tough time for the industry and with no bank debt available, he was backed by local business angel, Ellis Bor They started by taking large obsolete, industrial units and breaking them up into smaller workspace. Their initial business model was honed in recessionary times and a theme that runs through our company’s evolution is the way in which successive recessions have refocussed our activity. The early 80s recession was much worse for the North than the crash of 2008. This part of the world lost large chunks of its traditional industry, unemployment levels were off the chart and it was difficult to see what the future was for the region.. During this period, my father sold most his old industrial buildings and started, initially opportunistically, to buy some office buildings. Coming out of the early 90’s recession, we settled on a strategy of owning and managing offices in Northern city centres that were in need of major refurbishment. The plan was to regenerate them and then disrupt the market with a different type of offer – flexible leases, high levels of service and competitive rents.

THE INTERVIEW: CHRIS OGLESBY

The opportunity in this instance was the purchase of the building that was the National Computing Centre on Oxford Road in 2003, now the Manchester Technology Centre.. It wasn’t at the heart of the city’s knowledge quarter as far as we were concerned - it was an opportunistic, well priced purchase on the fringe of the city centre. It was only when we got under the skin of the micro location that we saw the potential for that part of town, and the potential of what was coming out of the universities. So as we had the swing out of industrial property in the 80s into offices, as we come out of this downturn we see a demand emerging for these growth industries. That’s not to say we will abandon the CBD office market, which is still hugely important to us, but we do see the science and technology agenda as one that is really going to drive the growth of our cities and therefore our business. These externally driven factors were also complimented by what was going on inside

the company at the time. I became CEO in 1999. My father saw succession planning as vitally important and he stood down long before he needed to. Having said that he remained a very hands on Executive Chairman for the next few years.! What that move enabled him to do though was to get very involved in many civic and philanthropic activities, and that started to very strongly align Bruntwood’s interests with those of the cities we operate in. As we look to the future and the devolution agenda, even closer working relationships are going to be required between the public and private sectors to crack some of the long term problems that have blighted our cities for far too long. This increasing alignment of those relationships and agendas is now a key part of the company’s forward strategy.

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FM: Congratulations on your 40th anniversary, that’s a fabulous milestone, and it’s fascinating to hear how Bruntwood has evolved during that time. Equally fascinating is how you have positioned yourselves as cool. It’s unusual for a commercial property developer to be seen as cool. How have you done that? CO: It is very important to us to remain current, that we keep on our toes and that we are entrepreneurial, however I don’t think we’re cool.

FM: But other people do. They say to us ‘Bruntwood is cool’. The buildings are cool, the space is cool… CO: (Laughing) Hey, as much as I’d love to be, I’ve never been cool. What we are is restless as a company; afraid of getting stale and constantly looking to improve what we’re doing. Entrepreneurs are never satisfied and are constantly driven to find better, customer led propositions to stay ahead of the market. We see competition everywhere; even where it doesn’t exist and yes, I guess, in doing so, from time to time,our people do create some pretty cool product; but that isn’t a core driver. What is, is the way in which we do business; the values we stand for. At the heart of this is the philanthropic work we are involved in and the way we are linked into communities is very important. There is something quite cool today about good business; about doing business in the right way. Since the crash I think, I hope, that we, business leaders and business owners, have to behave differently. Our colleagues, our customers and our communities expect it of us.

FM: Bruntwood is involved in so many things, the Factory Youth Zone, the Manchester International Festival CO: … Now MIF is cool, very cool

FM: Yeah, but In terms of your philanthropic work, the projects and initiatives you back, how does an organisation the size of Bruntwood select those partnerships? CO: Initially it was very opportunistic and the first major thing we got involved in was the Commonwealth Games, which we sponsored at the cost of a year’s profit. Since then, it has gradually become more strategic with the base premise that for our business to be successful, our communities need to be successful. From there we look at what we feel will have the biggest impact on our communities and where our involvement can add the most value. We donate >10% of our profit each year through the Oglesby Charitable Trust and Bruntwood, with the latter also impacting on our communities through a myriad of public / private

partnerships, civic work as well as just by doing business the right way.

FM: Let’s move onto the devolution agenda then, how do you view the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine? CO: The Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine have huge potential as we move through the next stage of the economic cycle. As I said earlier, I think the big regional cities performed much better throughout the last crash than was the case during the 80s recession. Okay, property values dropped, there was some over- supply, and wages didn’t go up much, if at all. But overall it didn’t feel as bad; unemployment remained relatively stable and the infrastructure of our cities that supports the commercial sector continued to improve with investment in transport, the universities, hotels, new bars and restaurants where normally under a recession, the picture would have been one of decline. Devolution gives us a fantastic opportunity to push on with the next chapter in the renaissance of our cities as the drivers of economic growth and to really go for it. In doing so, we need to pull the wider hinterland in, so that surrounding towns benefit from that growth too. The big issues that faces us all is whether our labour pool is sufficiently large and diverse and whether we have sufficient strength in depth in key industry sectors to be internationally significant. The answer to both lies in agglomeration and at the heart of this is? Collaboration between city region partners, and then across regions, so that places like Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester can work together on mutually beneficial projects, means that we can begin to genuinely compete on a global scale.

FM: So you see devolution as a positive then? CO: A huge positive. Bruntwood have had a northern powerhouse approach for years. Companies like yours have space with us in multiple cities. The reality of life in the north is that we work across cities. Sure, each city has its own economic area, but equally the cities are so close that it makes sense to work together. Connectivity is a problem though. One of my favourite anecdotes involves the BBC going up to Newcastle and saying ‘Isn’t it great that we’re in the north now’ and Newcastle replying ‘yes, but it’s quicker for us to get to London than Manchester’. We view devolution as very positive because it will hopefully sort out the big strategic issues like this. The biggest threat is politically – can our politicians (with a big and a small p) work together?

FM: I was going to ask you about the politics. I’ve often said that we’ve got the political blueprint in the north. It’s called Manchester. The more other local authorities learn from Manchester the better. You have been involved in Manchester’s progress and regeneration for many years. How important has political leadership been to that success? CO: Absolutely vital. Sure, the private sector has delivered in spades in the city, but part of the reason that it has been able to do so is because the political leadership has reignited and continually reinforced the three pillars of any organisation: the City’s strategy, brand and culture. There are no other Town Halls that I go into where they get all three elements in the same way. The Manchester motto Concillio et Labore, or Wisdom and Hard Work, really does sum up how Howard, Richard and his team operate. The private sector can be a bit scathing about those who work in the public sector, but there is no question that down the road they are as strategic and work as hard, if not harder, than any of the rest of us. They also think long term too, which is a massive plus. So long term strategy, brand and culture – coupled with a dose of good old Mancunian graft.

FM: Howard is getting wheeled out all over the place at the moment. He’s like the Elvis of local government. CO: Haha rightly so. But that doesn’t mean every city should be like Manchester. Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds – they are all wonderful cities in their own right, with fantastic, distinctive brands. They all need to work at building their own partnerships with the private sector. But then the private sector has to be open, honest and collaborative too. It takes time to build this culture in a place, but if the right partnerships can be developed, the rewards are significant.

FM: Briefly, where is the commercial property market at the moment? CO: We suffered a huge dip in the market and we expected a very steady climb back. But the spike has been as steep as the fall. I think we are now returning to a period of stability and steady growth. Our cities reacted well to the recession, so we are seeing more interest from inward investors. It is also good to see corporate businesses moving their HQs back into regional cities, and not automatically opting for London. Overall, I think the occupational and investment markets are in a stronger place than at any other time in the 25 years that I’ve been working in the region’s office market.

THE INTERVIEW: CHRIS OGLESBY

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

FM: What is the best deal you’ve ever done? CO: That’s a tough one, we do thousands of deals a year…

FM: Okay, the deal that has given you the most satisfaction maybe

to think. We have a strategic retreat every year, and it’s invaluable. Without the strategic eye constantly open, then the likes of the NCC deal would have just been a good property deal. Alongside this, I am a fully signed up member of the view that you can do anything you want to if you work hard at it.

CO: My first ever letting when I was leasing space for the business in Portland Buildings. I put a firm of engineers into there. But, probably the purchase of the National Computing Centre, because of where it has ended up positioning us. Sure, it has proved to be a brilliant property deal, however it has been its catalytic impact in getting us into the Science and Technology sector that has been much greater.. If we hadn’t bought it, we wouldn’t have bought MSP, The BBC site, Citylabs or Alderley Park. It was one of those lovely examples because it has slightly by accident ended up driving the strategy of the business.

Finally, our own family motto ‘Be Yourself’ which has been so important to the Bruntwood brand. If you want to operate in the long term then you just can’t fake it.

FM: What lessons have you learnt in business, what tips would you offer?

CO: To spend more time with my Mum. She’s a remarkable woman, and we’re very proud of the CBE she was awarded in the Queen’s New Years’ honours.

CO: I think that Manchester motto ‘Wisdom and Hard Work’ is a good starting point: Always think strategically about what you’re doing. Take time out

THE INTERVIEW: CHRIS OGLESBY

FM: What are your predictions for Man City this season? CO: Premiership Champions; semi- finalists of the Champions League.

FM: Finally, any resolutions for 2016?

FM: Thanks for your time Chris, much appreciated. And by the way, I think you’re cool.

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THE BIG BLACK BOOK

THE LIST:

LEADING MEN MICHAEL FINNIGAN, CEO, I2I Michael Finnigan is a force of nature and has known Frank McKenna since 2002 when working with Bolton Wanderers as sport’s first ever ‘Inspirational Organisational Performance Coach’. Michael invited Frank to a game and they have been firm friends ever since, especially after Michael joined Frank’s beloved Everton in 2004. Michael’s business, ‘i2i’, is best known as Psychological Coach to golfer Darren Clarke in winning The Open, Wigan Athletic in winning the FA Cup, India winning the Cricket World Cup, and Russell Crowe’s South Sydney Rabbitohs winning The Rugby League World Club Challenge. Their biggest successes though are in business, with the likes of the Royal Mail, (a £23 million return on a £500K investment in i2i’s ‘Winning Hearts and Minds’ programme), Rolls Royce (a £400 million pound first year saving from a similar £250K ‘WHAM’ investment), and Travel Counsellors, (recording the highest ever Bain Consulting Customer Service Net Promoter Score). Michael is continuing the legacy of W Clement Stone, whose life goal was to ‘change millions of lives for the better’ and his global team at i2i are doing exactly that from right here in the UK.

TOM BLOXHAM MBE, CHAIRMAN, CO-FOUNDER, URBANSPLASH The least qualified board member. Tom sold fire extinguishers door to door, studied a degree in politics, and ran a market stall down Affleck’s Arcade. He made more money sub-letting the space than selling his posters. That’s how it started. As well as steering Urban Splash through the many ups and recent downs of business, Tom chairs the Manchester International Festival and is a trustee of The Tate, Manchester United Foundation and is also Chancellor of The University of Manchester. Tom was awarded an MBE for services to architecture and urban regeneration in 1999.

THE INTERVIEW: CHRIS OGELSBY

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

MARC REEVES, EDITOR-IN-CHEIF, TRINITY MIRROR MIDLANDS Marc Reeves has edited the Birmingham Mail since December 2014 and is editorin-chief for the Mail’s parent company Trinity Mirror Midlands. He is also a past editor of the Birmingham Post, as well as several other titles across the country, in a 25-year career in the regional press.

Marc is responsible for a portfolio of printed newspapers, websites and social media accounts and is a high-profile figure in Birmingham’s business community. He helped launch the West Midlands edition of the BusinessDesk. before returning to Trinity Mirror as publishing director in 2013.

STEVE JACKSON OBE, FOUNDER & CEO, RECYCLING LIVES Steve Jackson OBE can comfortably claim to have commercial diversity. Originally employed in his Father’s scrap metal business, Steve started his own business in 1995, when he became one of the UK’s first Internet Service Providers. Acknowledging that he was too early, it took 4 ‘tough’ years before he enjoyed any success. His commercial interests have included publishing, personalised car registrations, property development and internet domain trading, as well as a spell as CEO of Preston North End plc. Throughout his career, Steve became increasingly passionate about charity and corporate social responsibility. He commenced Recycling Lives in 2008, with the aim of

creating a successful business with an in-built social impact. Today, Recycling Lives is ‘twice winner’ of the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. The business is totally committed to sustaining charity through environmentally and socially ethical services, including metal recycling, waste management and skip hire, WEEE processing and compliance. Steve’s latest venture, launched in 2016 is Careicon, a social media platform that helps businesses to brand their altruism globally and connect with what their clients ‘really care’ about.

TOM CHEESEWRIGHT, FOUNDER OF BOOK OF THE FUTURE Tom Cheesewright is the founder of applied futurism practice, Book of the Future and creator of the Futurist’s Toolkit, a suite of tools for agile organisations. He is one of the UK’s best-known futurists, offering insight into tomorrow’s world and technology-driven change through conference keynotes, media appearances and direct consultancy. Through Book of the Future (http://www.bookofthefuture.co.uk), Tom helps organisations to see, share and respond to a coherent vision of tomorrow. Clients range from charities and councils to global corporations, and include LG, Nikon, Sony Pictures, the NHS, Manchester University, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

THE LIST: LEADING MEN

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

ANDREW CORNISH CEO, LIVERPOOL JOHN LENNON AIRPORT It’s been almost 18 months since I arrived in Liverpool to take up the role of CEO at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and I am delighted to report that the past year has seen a period of consistent growth and development at the Airport. Much of this has been down to the hard work and commitment from my colleagues right across all aspects of the business, combined with the support we are now seeing towards the Airport from stakeholders, business and travellers from across the Liverpool City Region too. Over the past 12 months we have secured flights from 5 new airlines, announced 12 new services to 8 new destinations, bringing over 90 additional flights per week. Our message both internally and externally is Together we will create the airport our region loves and hand in hand with the increased choice of destinations and airlines has been our commitment to further improve the customer experience. As owners of the business, Peel have continued to invest in the Airport and a program to fix the basics is well underway to address those areas we know our customers want to see improved. LJLA is Faster, Easier and Friendlier for our passengers and these latest improvements will complement our existing best in class operational performance too. A successful LJLA can help the City Region prosper and my resolution for 2016 is to ensure we play our role in making sure that the Northern Powerhouse delivers on its aim to improve connectivity. The Airport is already a key gateway not just for the City Region but for the wider North West, North Wales and beyond and it is vital that the region maximises the opportunities available and continues to support the Airport, as we continue to grow the choice of airlines and destinations serving Liverpool.

PAUL BASSI, REAL ESTATE INVESTORS Paul Bassi is Chief Executive of Real Estate Investors Plc, a publicly quoted property investment company with a portfolio valued at over £100 million and with interests in quality commercial and residential properties throughout the Midlands and UK. Paul is also is Chairman and Founder of Bond Wolfe and non-executive Chairman of CPBigwood Chartered Surveyors, where he remains a major shareholder. These business interests employ 300 people and manage in excess of £3 billion of property in 100 cities and 30 counties throughout the UK.

THE LIST: LEADING MEN

Paul is also the former Regional Chairman & Strategy Advisor to Coutts Bank (West Midlands) and a member of the bank’s Executive Steering Board. Paul is a former Director of the Birmingham Hippodrome and past President of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. Finally, Paul does a significant number of talks, speeches and mentoring of young aspiring entrepreneurs and senior management with local universities and businesses throughout the West Midlands and has unknowingly become a role model in particular for young Asians.

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

ANDY BOUNDS, INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR Awarded the title Britain’s Sales Trainer of the Year, and described by AstraZeneca’s Global Communication Director as “a genius, whose advice can’t be ignored”, Andy’s insights stem from the fact his Mother is blind. This has given him a lifetime’s experience of communicating from someone else’s point of view… so critical when seeking to persuade others. Andy’s three books are all international best-sellers. In fact, one was only kept off Amazon's #1 spot by Harry Potter! Andy has spoken in 35+ countries, to audiences of all sizes. He has delivered keynotes at the Professional Speakers Association conference, as well as for bluechip companies, Governments, professional bodies and business experts. His core belief is “it’s not what you say that counts. It’s what people do differently after you’ve said it”.

ANTHONY MCCOURT, CEO AND FOUNDER, COURT COLLABORATION CEO and Founder of Court Collaboration and its group companies, Anthony has worked with investment partners to deliver significant real estate projects in the UK. In 2008, Anthony joined the company behind the £100 million ‘The Cube’ development in Birmingham City Centre, which he led out of administration on behalf of Lloyds Banking Group and through to completion in 2010. Prior to this, he acted for development clients such as Salhia Kuwaiti Sovereign Fund, CBRE and Jones Lang La Salle as a Commercial Development Solicitor with international law practice Wragge & Co.

With a firm understanding of commercial development and experience of delivering a multi-million pound mixed-use project, Anthony started Court Collaboration in 2010 where he is responsible for the company’s growth and ultimate strategic development. Anthony is a Governor of Birmingham Metropolitan College and Founder and former Chairman of both the Greater Birmingham Professional Services Academy and Birmingham Enterprise Academy. In 2008, he was crowned the youngest ever winner of the Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Award.

THE LIST: LEADING MEN

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

DAVID CAPPER, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, WESTFIELD HEALTH David is the Commercial Director at Westfield Health – one of the UK’s leading providers of corporate health and wellbeing solutions. Perhaps unknown to some, David actually started out as a professional footballer with Sheffield United FC before his career was prematurely cut short by injury. So at the age of 21, he turned his hand to business and has subsequently enjoyed a successful career in service led industries spanning nearly two decades. David spent several years as European Sales Director at global language solution provider thebigword Group. Among other clients, he worked with the Ministry of Defence to provide skilled language support for military operations overseas in the form of highly trained linguists and interpreters. With almost a decade of experience in the healthcare industry, David joined the Board of Directors in March 2015 to lead the health and wellbeing strategy at Westfield Health, working closely with the public and private sectors to drive innovation and technology to improve health outcomes for the wider population with emphasis on prevention rather than cure. In October 2015, David secured a pioneering partnership with the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, based at Sheffield’s Olympic Legacy Park, which is acknowledged as the most advanced wellbeing and physical activity research centre in the world. David says his 2016 resolution is to fall in love with a new sport!

JONATHAN DIGGINES, CEO, EV GROUP STEVE KUNCEWICZ, HEAD OF IP & MEDIA, BERMANS Steve leads Bermans’ dedicated Creative Industries Team, which is going from strength to strength since its launch in 2013. Working for a diverse range of clients in the Creative, Digital, Media & Tech sector and beyond, Steve specialises in contentious issues relating to copyright, trade marks, passing-off domain names, confidential information, defamation, reputation management, data protection and privacy and is nationally recognised as a leader in his field by Legal 500 for his niche expertise in social media-related issues. Since being crowned “Legal Entrepreneur of the Year” at the 2014 Mancoolian Awards, Steve has continued to be as busy outside the office as he is in it, sitting on the Boards of ProManchester, The MPA, Noise Festival, Manchester Creative Studio and the Rochdale Development Agency and the councils of Manchester Law Society and the national Law Society. Splitting his time between Manchester, Liverpool and London, Steve is also a regular commentator on legal issues for Sky News, ITV News, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Breakfast and BBC Radio Manchester. In his (rare) spare time, Steve works hard to feed Mrs. K’s habit for Handbags, Shoes and Champagne and on turning his 4-year-old son into as big of a pop culture obsessive as he is.

THE LIST: LEADING MEN

Jonathan joined Enterprise Ventures in 2005 as Chief Executive. Since that time Enterprise Ventures has increased funds under management from c. £10m to more than £200m. Previously Jonathan spent 11 years with Murray Johnstone Private Equity, followed by four years with Aberdeen Murray Johnstone Private Equity, where, as Managing Director, he was responsible for raising and managing c. £500 million of private equity and venture funds, investing in the UK mid-market. Jonathan has led a substantial portfolio of successful private equity investments, including Canadian Pizza, Greater Manchester Buses North, New World Domestic Appliances, Pilkington’s Tiles, Xyratex, Rank Amusements, Est Est Est, Zero Waste, Styles & Wood, Brookhouse Holdings and Plaxton. After twelve years in practice as a solicitor Jonathan is a highly experienced company director who has held a significant number of public and private company board positions. He is a former Member of the Council of the British Venture Capital Association, where he chaired the BVCA Legal & Technical Committee and is Chair of the Community Development Finance Association a post he has held since 2011. Jonathan also sits on the Regional Council for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

PLACES T BE SEEN IN The coolest bars, restaurants and hotels in Planet Downtown.

PLACES TO BE SEEN IN

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

THE INTERVIEW:

TIM BACON

THE INTERVIEW: TIM BACON

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

PLACES TO BE SEEN IN

THE INTERVIEW TIM BACON

WORDS BY CRAIG SERGEANT

Tim Bacon is an icon in the world of business hospitality. He is the nearest thing to Midas when it comes to bars and restaurants, and he has built the Living Ventures brand to be one of the coolest in the UK. In 2015 he won the prize that is awarded in memory of the late, great Tony Wilson, the ‘Tony Award’ at Downtown’s Mancoolians.

excited to expand their world. At the moment, Living Ventures holds the metaphorical umbrella over seven brands (and to continue the explorer analogy, that’s one for every continent): Gusto, The Alchemist, Blackhouse, Australasia, The New World Pub Co., Artisan, Manchester House and Red Door. However, it’s unlikely to end there.

From humble beginnings to unimaginable riches: it’s the same old story. Correction: It’s the same old fascinating story. You see, the life of an entrepreneur is always extremely interesting. Period. It’s probably something to do with the human psyche’s penchant for voyeurism, an unquenchable thirst to see how others have made their fortune (and maybe pick up a few tips along the way). Tim Bacon, antipodean hospitality expert and North West-based head honcho of Living Ventures, could probably make a pretty decent cocktail to hit the spot for that thirst of yours, but his story is even better.

To get to the stage he is at, Tim Bacon has had to constantly keep on pushing forward. But everybody has to start somewhere, and that somewhere was in the East End of London before relocating at 18 months old to Tasmania, the island state off the south east coast of Australia. Little is known about Bacon’s formative years, or more precisely, Bacon himself is not too forthcoming about it. His parents separated when he was very young but nonetheless he would have an idyllic childhood, sharing his time between his mother and father. In his teens he spent a period backpacking in London and when it was over vowed to return to the UK. However, his own biography tends to airbrush these parts out and begins with his forte: hospitality.

Currently, Bacon’s Living Ventures is a company on an upward trajectory, progressing and diversifying in the UK hospitality sector with the verve and wanderlust of an 18th century explorer hungry for new experiences,

THE INTERVIEW: TIM BACON

“TIM BACON, ANTIPODEAN HOSPITALITY EXPERT AND NORTH WESTBASED HEAD HONCHO OF LIVING VENTURES, COULD PROBABLY MAKE A PRETTY DECENT COCKTAIL TO HIT THE SPOT FOR THAT THIRST OF YOURS, BUT HIS STORY IS EVEN BETTER.”

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

PREVIOUSLY... But wait! There was something else before that. Another world to which Bacon belonged; one in which the general public on these fair shores will have first met him. Startlingly, Tim Bacon first found fame in 1985 as an actor on Australian soap opera Sons and Daughters, playing the role of part good-hearted soul and part-maniac Chris Bainbridge. For many, his first career move of acting would have been considered the pinnacle – would have been making it. Not so. In an era of less televisual variety, being beamed into the living rooms of millions wasn’t enough for the young Bacon and as quickly as it had begun, his foray into acting was over. 1987 is the year when it really all began for him. It was time to skip across the world to London and, rather stereotypically for an Australian, start working as a bartender at TGI Friday’s in Covent Garden. Entering the hospitality industry on the bottom rung but making cocktails with unrivalled skill (perfectly timed to catch onto the zeitgeist of the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail), in 1989 he won a bar tenders competition that landed him a demonstration spot on primetime UK television chat show Wogan. Once again Bacon was to be beamed into the homes of millions and showing the nation his talent. As when he landed the soap role it was a classic case of right place, right time.

Bacon looks back on his TGI Friday’s era with fond memories, a glint in his eyes recalling the simpler times when even then he “earned a fortune”, but after his TV appearance he was inundated with job offers from around the country as his phone went “ballistic”. By this point, Bacon had already undertaken (and passed) bar management courses but was being asked to train bartenders and design bars for top dollar. Due to leave in four days to work on a cruise ship, in his words, “a decision had to be made”. He stayed. Wise move. So began a relatively short-lived enterprise in consultancy work under the banner Bar Biz Training. Although not the most enjoyable of his enterprises, Bacon gained great experience nonetheless, noting that taking a lot of risks is easier “when you’re not the one writing the cheques” and he learned a lot from “other people’s mistakes”, two lessons he still lives by to this day despite the fact that he is now very much indeed the one writing the cheques. By 1993, Bacon’s career in the hospitality industry had lasted three times as long as his stint in the acting world. This time, his world had him hooked, had drawn him in and there was no turning back. The only thing to do was to keep on ploughing ahead. So he did.

PURCHASE. With a good level of experience, tough lessons learnt and brief flirtations with stardom all tucked neatly under the belt, Bacon pressed onwards with ventures anew and purchased his first establishment, JW Johnson’s Bar and Restaurant on Deansgate in Manchester, the city that from then on in would be the focal hub of all Bacon’s hospitality pursuits. He spotted that JW Johnson’s was “an ideal investment” that was merely being managed poorly before takeover. With prime location and an overhaul, Bacon quickly rejuvenated not just the business, but also the immediate surrounding area as competition sprang up from La Tasca and the Moon Under Water. He adds that it only took three months to turn the business around from a loss maker to one that “did very well for us”.

As with every entrepreneur, there is no standing still. By 1996 JW Johnson’s was sold and in came a new business partner in the shape of Jeremy Edwards. Together they set up the company Life Restaurants and developed two chains to run in parallel. The first was Via Vita (with the Marston brewery) and the second was Life Café (with Whitbread). Via Vita expanded to 7 restaurants across the country whilst Life Café became what Bacon lovingly labels “a Liverpool institution”. However, at the end of the booming ‘90s both these projects were passed on to their respective breweries to look after. Itchy feet? Perhaps, who can say? But perhaps the turn of the new millennium signified that it was time for yet another handbrake turn on the hospitality industry highway.

THE INTERVIEW: TIM BACON

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

VENTURES. In 1999 came Bacon and Edwards’ first truly famous establishment as they set up Living Ventures and opened the first Living Room in Manchester with the backing of venture capitalists Sagitta Private Equity (now Bowmark Capital). With the memory of recession long since banished from the memories of most in the UK, the boom years kept-a-booming and nouveau riche Premier League footballers honed in on the Living Room like bees around pollen. By association, the Living Room was the place to see and be seen in and within a couple of years a Living Room had popped up in pretty much every single one of the UK’s major cities. It was with the Living Room that Bacon truly began to show his maverick aesthetics in hospitality. His typically Australian laid-back disposition vies with an inherent natural ambition, the result of which back then was to develop the Living Room into a casual dining bar and restaurant covering several floors with an uptempo vibe permeating throughout. With an emphasis on cocktails, food, live music and a late license, celebrities could not get enough of the place. The UK couldn’t get enough of celebrities either (and still can’t) so the people came in their droves

whilst the money came rolling in. By the time it came to sell the chain in 2007, it had grown to 34 bars employing 1500 people with an annual turnover of an astounding £50m. Which begs the question, why on earth would anybody sell such successful businesses and continue to try new things? Well, Bacon himself has analysed this and pinpoints his own low tolerance for boredom, believing that sticking to any one brand for five years is the complete antithesis of his philosophy as “it becomes like work then”. This fuels his ‘screw it’ mentality - a popular attitude amongst some of the most successful in business, just ask Richard Branson [see DQ Spring/Summer 2012]. Luck plays a part too, in yet another instance of right place right time, or perhaps making the right move at the right time, Living Ventures received an offer for the Living Room chain from Ultimate Leisure, an offer too good to refuse. The fee? A mere £27m – “silly money” as Bacon described it. The deal was completed one whole year before the credit crunch struck and one can only imagine what comparably paltry sum Ultimate Leisure’s offer would have been in 2008.

AUDACITY. “SO NOT ONLY WERE THE RESTAURANT GROUP BUYING SOMEBODY ELSE’S BUSINESS, THEY RELINQUISHED CONTROL IN ALLOWING LIVING VENTURES TO RETAIN THEIR 60% SHARE. NO GUTS, NO GLORY.”

Rolling back a few years to 2005, Living Ventures completed what at the time he considered their best deal “purely for its audacious nature”, purchasing Est Est Est with the help of The Restaurant Group. This involved The Restaurant Group buying out Bacon’s venture capitalists Sagitta (Est Est Est owners) and paying £7.7m for its 40% stake in the Living Ventures, and then in turn selling the newly acquired Est Est Est to Bacon and co. for £16.4m. So not only were The Restaurant Group

buying somebody else’s business, they relinquished control in allowing Living Ventures to retain their 60% share. No guts, no glory. With Est Est Est ailing at the time of purchase, “in terminal decline” in fact, Bacon renovated and rejuvenated the chain, and rebranded some of the lost cause units as Blackhouse Grill and Gusto. Over time, Est Est Est has been phased out and replaced by these new successful brands.

SPINNINGFIELDS. Which brings us to this modern era of recession, which Bacon reflects on being a good time to open business “for those with a clear vision”. Living Ventures’ most grand developments of recent times and likely to be the most familiar, is the near-monopoly of the Spinningfields area just off Deansgate in Manchester city centre. Here you’ll find the Australasia eatery, an unrivalled brand in terms of like-for-like food and drink competition and is Bacon’s attempt to bring a slice of his homeland into the heart of his adopted city. Its subterranean location is a literal take on the term ‘down under’ and highlights Bacon’s propensity for the unusual in terms of design and ergonomics. Another radical design is the Oust House pub, the building of which itself is an actual oust house imported from Ireland and built around a steel frame.

THE INTERVIEW: TIM BACON

Meanwhile, The Alchemist venue crams all of Bacon’s cocktail expertise into an extensive high-end menu. Not all of Bacon’s ventures are a success of course. He is quick to pull the plug when something does not immediately start producing the desired and required successful results, so the nearby Peppermint Bay café-deli didn’t make the grade. Bacon’s other brands in Spinningfields however, have proved to be profitable enterprises and prove Bacon’s natural aptitude for determining at an early stage what will be a worthwhile project to pursue. If people don’t take to his ideas and plans, he admits that he’s not going to “force it” and continue to flog the proverbial dead horse. As Einstein said, insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results.

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

QUICK Q&A.

INTERVIEW BY FRANK MCKENNA Frank McKenna: Tell me about the Living Ventures incredible journey. Tim Bacon: Living Ventures has been 23 years in the making we started in: • '93 with JW Johnsons. • '95 with Starvin Marvins an American Diner on Salford Quays. • ‘96 saw the opening of Via Vita Mediterranean Restaurant and the sale of JW Johnsons and Starvin Marvins and the launch of Life Restaurants with Jeremy Roberts and Dave Hinds. • '98 we sold Via Vita to Woverhampton Breweries PLC and '99 was the birth of The Living Room. • '00 saw the sale of Life Cafe to Whitbread PLC. • '03 saw the concept development for Prohibition Bar. • '05 Living Ventures acquired Est Est Est. • '07 The Living Room is sold for 28mto Ultimate Leisure and Est Est Est is rebranded as GUSTO. • '10 The Alchemist Spinningfields opens and we acquire 5 restaurants from Heathcotes. • '11 Australasia opens along with NWTC first pub The Oast House. • '12 Living Ventures come 28th in The Sunday Times Top 100 companies to work for. • '13 Hill Capital invest £2.7m in NWTC. • '14 Palatine take a 65% stake in GUSTO. • '15 Palatine invest 12M in the The Alchemist operating 42 sites nationwide.

FM: During that journey what have been your personal highlights? TB: My first sale and opening The Alchemist in Spinningfield because everyone including my business partner thought I was insane.

FM: What have been your biggest disappointments?

FUTURE DAYS. So what next for Tim Bacon? Well like any MD should be doing, he is always planning for the future. Pencilled in the 2016 yearbook is the The Club House in Liverpool ONE, plus a Liverpool Australasia in one of the city’s Three Graces the Cunard Building. He also has plans for Birmingham, where he will add a Gusto to his existing Botanist brand in the West Midlands; whilst in Leeds Alchemist, Botanist, Grill on the Square and Gusto fly the Living Ventures flag. Bacon admits his grandiose plan: to bring Manchester its only Michelin Star. He has admitted that there’s no other reason for him doing this project but realises that if it doesn’t happen and Manchester House is still

profitable, then no big deal, it still counts as a win. “It’s incredible that a city of Manchester’s size and pedigree does not have a starred restaurant” he opines, before adding “and we would like to get the ball rolling”. Tim Bacon and Living Ventures are quite literally reaching for the stars and maybe the Michelin crusade will be a success one day, maybe it won’t. But at least this laid-back Aussie with the hospitality Midas touch is maverick enough to take on such a herculean task, and with his ‘screw it’ attitude repeatedly reaping dividends, it’s not too difficult to think that he might just succeed. Again.

TB: I don’t do disappointments.

FM: Among the many things Living Ventures (LV) is admired for, your cool branding and ability to target a diverse range of customers for the wide offer the group has is something very special. How do you create a new brand and take it to market? TB: It must interest me and turn me on as a an individual, we cater for 70% of the western world and most importantly we give a front face thats relevant to that market.

FM: The other area where you are particularly strong is staff training and development. Can you explain what LV offers in this respect? TB: We focus heavily on recruitment and and the importence of finding like minded people and training them the LV way.

FM: In all businesses there are challenges. What have been your toughest? TB: People, finding sites and on a personal level at times motivating myself.

FM: What tips would you offer any new entrepreneur looking to get into the hospitality sector? TB: Remember that, when you open the door of your first site that’s not the end thats only just the beginning. Success is shown after 3 years trading and not before.

What is your resolution for 2016? TB: To get well and to continue to grow the business.

THE INTERVIEW: TIM BACON

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

RESTAURANT BAR & GRILL, LIVERPOOL Halifax House, Brunswick Street, Liverpool, L2 0UU T: 0151 236 6703 Located in Halifax House, in the heart of the busy commercial district on Brunswick Street, The Restaurant Bar & Grill in Liverpool creates an impression as soon as guests walk through the former old banking hall doors. The striking cocktail bar takes centre stage with the main dining areas located on either side, divided by eye catching glass wine racks. At the front of the restaurant, guests can relax in the lounge area and watch the city go by through the open glass windows, or choose to dine near to the open kitchen, wood stone oven and rotisserie. They pride themselves on the philosophy of ingredient provenance and are dedicated to ensure that every time you visit them, you will have fantastic food and service. Open every day for lunch, dinner or a private party in the private room at the front of the restaurant, this modern, stylish and innovative restaurant is the perfect destination for a variety of occasions, guaranteeing consistently great food and impeccable service; whether it’s a business lunch or simply relaxing with a classic cocktail at the bar.

THE LIST:

PLACES TO BE SEEN IN FAZENDA Horton House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool L2 3PG T: 0151 227 2733 The Avenue, Manchester M3 3AP T: 0161 834 1219 Waterman’s Place, Leeds LS1 4GL T: 0113 247 1182 The multi-award winning Fazenda Group have restaurants across the North in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester offer guests a truly unique dining experience. Inspired by the stylish high-end restaurants found in the dynamic, cosmopolitan cities of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and across South America; Fazenda Bar & Grill blends together all the tradition behind the Brazilian way of serving with modern interiors, high quality dining and ambient surroundings with ultimate authenticity. The Fazenda journey begins at the bountiful gourmet salad bar before diners can indulge in freshly-grilled meats, ‘churrascaria’-style

THE LIST: PLACES TO BE SEEN IN

(‘from the barbecue’) carved from joints at the table with exceptional standards of service. Serving up to fifteen different cuts of beef, lamb, chicken and pork all cooked to your taste, Fazenda has an offering for everybody. From old world to new world styles, inclusive of a comprehensive selection of Argentinian and Brazilian wines, there is an offer for all palates. Guests can enjoy private bespoke wine masterclasses as well as a number of specialised masterclasses throughout the year. Conference and networking facilities for businesses are available in each restaurant.

TICKLED TROU THE BIG BLACK BOOK

MACDONALD TICKLED TROUT HOTEL Preston New Road, Samlesbury, Lancashire, PR5 0UJ T: 01772 877 671 Having recently been reborn with the help of a 0.5 million pound investment, the famous hotel is now a true 4 star property that rivals all those in the surrounding areas. The riverside lounge acts as a daily networking event for the ‘who’s who’ of Lancashire and the perfect mid-point for those doing business between the North and South. The Tickled Trout is moments from the M6 with nearly 100 complimentary car parking spaces, combine that with an award winning chef and a friendly team with the right mix of northern charm and 4 star professionalism and there really nowhere else better to do business.

If your meeting needs are larger than a booth and a couple of fair trade cappuccinos then you can chose from 10 conference rooms available, 6 of these being executive boardrooms, complete with in built projectors and those big leather swivel chairs we all love. Macdonald Hotels has recently launched their meetings product with the succinct strapline ‘We make time for your business’. The offering is slicker and cleaner and more modern than it has been in the past and features fresh fruit and wrapped sweets in every room as standard and freshly made snacks at every break. Lunch is a 2 course carvery with a different joint of meat each day and is always manned by a chef to talk you through the options.”

WITH STUNNING VIEWS OVER RIVER RIBBLE, YET CONVENIENTLY TOWN CENTRE, MACDONALD TIC HAS AN IDEAL LOCATION WITH EV

ALBERT SQUARE CHOPHOUSE

In the bar and restaurant we are dedicated to creating classic British food with a modern twist, made from fresh local ingredients. We keep what has been described as ‘one of the best wine lists in the region’, along with quality cask-conditioned ales. The Thomas Worthington Boardroom provides a setting of real historic charm for conducting business and for private entertaining. The boardroom is an inspirational space enhanced by stirring views of Manchester’s wonderful Town Hall & the forever-changing Albert Square. Our largest private room the Memorial Hall can accommodate 100 guests. Complete with state-of-the-art facilities, delivering total exclusivity – with its own private lift & bar.

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• 10 fully equipped conference rooms

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• Excellent conference and meeting venue for doing business, interviewing and networking

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• Four-star hotel

The Memorial Hall, Albert Square, Manchester, M2 5PF T: 0161 834 1866 Albert Square Chop House in Thomas Worthington’s iconic Memorial Hall, bang in the heart of the City. Built in 1866, listed, but long neglected, it’s now a dining pub and British restaurant, with a unique event floor.

• 98 river view and executive bedrooms

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CAL MANCHESTER HOUSE Tower 12, 18-22 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BZ T: 0161 835 2557 One of Manchester’s most iconic restaurants, critically acclaimed Manchester House is a jewel in the city’s culinary crown.

a taste of modern culinary creativity that stands out from the usual fine dining fare. Inventive twists and ingenious presentation complement the delicate balance of flavours Opened in 2013 and set within an unassuming Macdonald from the carefully ingredients. Tickledsourced Trout Hotel, Preston New office block in Spinningfields, Manchester House is home to the highly celebrated Chef On another level is the Lounge on 12, Aiden Byrne and his long serving team. with private daytime spaces available for Aiden’s career is steeped in traditionalism afternoon tea, business meetings or drinkers and his flavour combinations stay true to looking to soak up the spectacular views. classical marriages. But, like Manchester Sunset transforms the Lounge into the city’s House, he delivers his creations in unique finest cocktail retreat, mixing the mood as 26786_TT Leisure A4 DBA AW.indd 1 expertly as their drinks. With a friendly team and unexpected ways. always on-hand, you can live the high life From the reasonably priced lunch menu to anytime, day or deep into the night. the extravagant 15-course tasting menu, this is a venue where foodies can experience

Road, Sa

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DOUBLETREE HILTON 6 Sir Thomas St, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 T: 0151 556 1222 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Spa Liverpool fuses two historical Grade II* listed buildings dating back to 1865, to create a vibrant hotel set amongst striking architectural features that have been carefully restored. A decade in the making, this upscale and stylish hotel perfectly blends contemporary luxury and rich Victorian textures, fabrics and restored wood furnishings with a nod to Liverpool’s mercantile past. Situated on Sir Thomas Street and Dale Street, original Victorian features are prominent throughout the 87-bedroom property with sweeping staircases, Italian mosaic tiles, 19th century walnut wood paneling and stained glass windows. The home of celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli’s only UK restaurant, diners can relax in the comfortable and informal ambience of the brasserie, named after Novelli’s fiancee Michelle. Choose from an exciting and varied menu which includes cliched frogs legs and snails, an abundance of daily fresh fish specials, succulent steaks and hand crafted desserts. There’s also some ingenious blends of unusual flavours for you to sample including chicken cooked with chocolate, French onion soup cooked with vanilla and daube de boeuf

with a hint of liquorice. With something for every palate, it’s the perfect place to awaken your taste buds in Liverpool. Enter the ambient Library Lounge and steep yourself in history thanks to the many reportage photos of Liverpool life throughout the last 150 years. Walk through the mahogany archway and take a seat in the oversized luxurious velvet chairs and sample an array of fine wines, port and champagnes, or take a sip from something special on the cocktail menu. The Library Lounge offers decadent Afternoon Tea alongside a condensed menu of hearty favourites including Le Novelli burger and smaller plates. Hilton’s new spa concept, eforea spa, promises that guests will “emerge brighter”. With a focus on wellbeing, ancient healing techniques are practised by expert therapists using Elemis products. Take a dip in the hydrotherapy pool or complete the thermal journey in the steam rooms and sauna. The real jewel in the crown at this hotel is the palatial Presidential Suite. A truly breathtaking room leaves guests speechless and offers that A-list experience for those looking to sleep in Liverpool’s most luxurious bedroom.

THE ALCHEMIST 3 Hardman Street, Manchester, M3 3HF T: 0161 817 2950 Bringing the adventurous and unconventional to Manchester, The Alchemist is a cocktail bar that celebrates molecular mixology, alchemy and craftsmanship. Cocktails are at the heart of everything and The Alchemist is all about theatre. Drinks are served in all manner of vessels with changing colours, dry ice, hot and cold sensations and elements of nostalgia. Some favourites include The Smokey Old Fashioned, the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and the Screwball, to name but a few. A full food menu is available for lunch and dinner with dishes including prawn lollipops, sticky beef salad and special fried chicken in a basket, and brunch served at the weekend. The Alchemist is present in London, Leeds and two locations in Manchester; one in the heart of Spinningfields and one on New York Street.

HOTEL DU VIN & BISTRO 25 Church St, Birmingham B3 2NR T: 0121 794 3005 Once an eye hospital, this landmark Victorian building built in 1884, makes an eye-wateringly grand setting for one of the finest hotels in Birmingham. Nestled in the city's Colomore business district, Hotel du Vin Birmingham is the perfect base camp to make the most of this bustling city, whether you're here on business or pleasure. More canals than Venice, the birthplace of Baltistyle cooking and home to the Bullring, Britain's second city is a vibrant cultural cauldron with something for everyone. Step into the welcoming open-air courtyard at the heart of our Birmingham hotel, with its retractable roof and sculptures for a wonderfully lazy al fresco lunch. Enjoy an aperitif or unwind with a nightcap in the ornate Bubble Lounge Bar. Dine in the

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candle-lit splendour of our trademark Bistro, serving French classics with a distinctly British twist. Explore our extensive wine and Champagne list: with over 40 to choose from, there's always a fizz to match your mood. Head underground to the vaulted Pub du Vin and join the locals for great ales and good honest grub - done du Vin-style. Keep things private (for work or play) in one of four stunning and unique function rooms. Pick up the pace in our fitness club, or wind down in the spa with a sauna, steam or indulgent treatment, then hit the hay in one of 66 bedrooms and suites to discover comfy custom made beds, Egyptian bed linen, huge fluffy towels, monsoon showers and oversized roll -top baths. As a local might say, it's 'bostin'.

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THE BOTANIST 78 Deansgate, M3 2FW T: 0161 833 1878 Discover a world of adventure and exploration, where botanical cocktails await the curiously minded. A concept like no other, offering a world-famous selection of botanical cocktails, craft beers and ales, Champagne and wine. Food inspired by the deli, rotisserie and BBQ. With live music every night, sublime social times are guaranteed!

MALMAISON 7 William Jessop Way, Liverpool L3 1QZ T: 0151 363 3640 The Mailbox, Wharfside St, Birmingham B1 2JR T: 0121 794 3004 Malmaison is an exciting, aspirational lifestyle brand. From their iconic buildings to their inspired Brasserie menus, Malmaison dares to be different from other UK hotels. Malmaison exists to cater for those who demand something different. People who are looking for a stylish stay, daring dining or a truly impressive events venue with a rich, relaxed atmosphere. You may find yourself checking into a converted castle prison, a hospital or even a Royal Mail sorting office. Each location is designed with flair and imagination, with sumptuous accommodation, energetic bars, and brasseries in settings that look good enough to eat.

CHAOPHRAYA LEEDS 20A, Blayds Court, Swinegate, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS1 4AG T: 0113 244 9339 For over a decade Chaophraya has welcomed the people of Yorkshire through its doors, becoming synonymous with Thai Dining in Leeds. We are proud of our award winning service and our expert team of Thai Chefs. Everyone associated with the restaurant share a common vision based on the Thai phrase ‘Ow Jai Sai’ which translates as ‘From the heart’. This phrase is now part of the DNA at Chaophraya. They focus on excellence not only because it is expected of us but because they believe in it from our hearts. Chaophraya also aim to create exciting new opportunities for their guests. We offer Thai

cooking classes and cocktail masterclasses, both of which provide visitors with a unique insight into the art of Thai cooking and culture. With the guidance of Chaophraya’s expert chefs and Award Winning Cocktail Bartenders our guests can discover the art of Thai cooking, the culture, origins and ingredients before enjoying a Thai banquet fit for a king. They offer unprecedented opulence and style, presenting inspirational Thai dining that goes beyond quality food with spirituality and elegance to create the most regal dining experience in the city.

With Business Bespoke, Malmaison offers made-to-measure meeting and event hosting that really is a cut above the rest, with glamorous venues, professional staff and a wealth of innovative extras that are sure to flatter your figures at your next presentation. And then there’s the bespoke, creative catering – so tempting that you may need to book in for a refitting afterwards. Extras come as standard and your dedicated Events Planner works tirelessly to make sure everything fits perfectly. From organising a post-meeting whiskey tasting to ironing your shirt, everything’s possible in their expert hands – everything just fits perfectly around you. And when we say ‘made to measure’ we also mean Malmaison can cater for meetings & events of any size. You’ll be surprised just how spacious and versatile those stylish spaces are, with table, seating and floor plans to suit everyone.

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SIMPSONS RESTAURANT 20 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3DU T: 0121 454 3434 Simpsons Restaurant is now the place to charm potential new business clients after a recent refurbishment saw the Grade II listed Edgbaston building extended, receiving national press coverage. One of the city’s five restaurants with a Michelin star, holding the accolade for 15 years, its outstanding kitchen produced the likes of Glynn Purnell and fellow super-chefs Luke Tipping and Andy Waters.

VINCENT CAFÉ AND COCKTAIL BAR Walker House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool L2 3YL T: 0151 236 1331 A place for the first bite, the last cocktail and everything in between, the Vincent Café and Cocktail Bar is nestled proudly in Liverpool’s historic Exchange Flags, a landmark of the city that plays host to a multitude of high-end dining spots and businesses. The restaurant prides itself on offering everything from an early breakfast to kickstart your day, to revitalising after-work cocktails and excellent, freshly made takeaway sushi. And when the Vincent team say they offer everything, they really mean it; you can choose to indulge in the superb afternoon tea available seven days a week or enjoy one of the finest Sunday roasts in the city. The menu is mainly inspired by broad European and international tastes, but many dishes are centred around modern British cuisine. The eclectic dining menu features a plethora of irresistible offerings such as the sea bass, fillet steak and lamb cutlets. Is your mouth watering yet? The perfect setting for a business event, conference or private gathering is also offered with the Vincent’s beautiful private

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dining and meeting room, which seats up to sixteen people and boasts a 50-inch widescreen plasma TV. A professional environment that’s sure to impress! If it’s drinks that you’re looking for, the bar at The Vincent proudly serves expertly mixed cocktails that use only the freshest and highest quality ingredients. The elegant and evidently well-crafted bar area is home to a huge range of gins, whiskies, rums and wines, so you’ll be truly spoilt for choice. Extreme attention to detail has been paid in The Vincent’s build and design, as the renovated grand hall is now of equal splendour to the historic Exchange Flags which it inhabits. Copper and leather are in abundance, lit up by high windows that provide a breathable and relaxed environment. A mixture of comfortable seating and booths accompany the bespoke design in reflecting The Vincent’s aim of offering the full range, whilst still maintaing quality.

M AC DO N A LD

TICKLED TROUT HOTEL

WITH STUNNING VIEWS OVER THE BEAUTIFUL RIVER RIBBLE, YET CONVENIENTLY CLOSE TO PRESTON TOWN CENTRE, MACDONALD TICKLED TROUT HOTEL HAS AN IDEAL LOCATION WITH EVERYTHING ON OFFER. • 98 river view and executive bedrooms

• Scottish Steakhouse restaurant

• 10 fully equipped conference rooms

• New Riverside Bar and Lounge

• Excellent conference and meeting venue for doing business, interviewing and networking

• Good Cup Coffee

• Four-star hotel

• Explore nearby Lake District, Blackpool, Poulton-le-Fylde and the Yorkshire Dales

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 0344 879 9053

Macdonald Tickled Trout Hotel, Preston New Road, Samlesbury, Preston, PR5 0UJ

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2004

THE DOWNTOWN JOURNEY IN THE BEGINNING... Even before its official launch, DLIB had hosted one of the hottest events held in the city for years, and set the standard for its future activities. ‘24/7’ looked at Liverpool’s aspirations to be a 24 hour city, and featured a superb interview between Mr. Manchester, the late, great, Tony Wilson, and Cream Supremo James Barton. DLIB’s launch party took place on 10th May at Liverpool’s first Japanese restaurant, Sapporo, attracting 200 guests. Such was the interest in the new business club, an after show party was held at Colin’s Bridewell, attracting a further 150 people.

In association with the ‘Inner City 100’ Downtown held Liverpool’s first ever Business ‘Oscars’ at The Racquet Club; and the second annual ‘Livercool’ awards took place, with Phil Redmond picking up the main award. In October, the inaugural Property Forum was held, and a campaign against Liverpool City Council’s proposed ‘tall buildings policy’ was launched. DLIB also criticised the decision to abandon the development of the ‘Fourth Grace’; called for the establishment of a ‘Gay Quarter’ in the city; suggested that the Council appoint a ‘Business Champion’; and undertook a research project into attitudes about Liverpool’s business reputation.

“DLIB WON’T LAST FIVE MINUTES.” Liverpool City Council official in conversation with Frank McKenna, May 04

THE DOWNTOWN JOURNEY: 2004-2016

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‘SEXY NETWORKING’ COMES TO TOWN... 2005 During its first full year, Downtown started to gain a reputation for hosting the swankiest events for the glitterati of the city. The ‘Sexy Networking’ brand was introduced; the inaugural gala awards ‘Oscars’ were hosted at the spectacular Sefton Park Palm House; the third annual ‘Livercool’ awards sold out in record time; and DLIB hosted a fashion show at Cavern Walks in association with Vivienne Westwood. Downtown members were treated to a comprehensive presentation by Grosvenor’s Rod Holmes on how the ‘Paradise Project’ would transform the

city centre; and DLIB’s positive influence on two of its newer members was apparent when Liverpool won the Champions League, and Everton qualified for the same competition for the first time, finishing fourth in the Premiership. On the campaign front, DLIB called for a streamlining on the number of agencies involved in running the city; and backed the idea of an elected Mayor for Liverpool. Other issues included the much anticipated tram scheme coming off the rails, and an unholy row breaking out between the leading honcho’s at Liverpool City Council.

“DOWNTOWN LIVERPOOL IS THE BUSINESS CLUB WITH ATTITUDE” Steve Broomhead, CEO of the NWDA - Liverpool Business ‘Oscars’ July 2005

MOVERS & SHAKERS... DLIB hit the radar of some leading movers & shakers in 06. Among a number of big hitters introduced to the Downtown membership during this year were the Leaders of both Liverpool and Manchester City Council’s; Treasury Minister Ed Balls; and Prime Minister Tony Blair. The events programme was as strong as ever, with ‘Sexy Networking’ finding a new home at the Sir Thomas Hotel; the second annual ‘Oscars’ event adopting an ‘Untouchables’ theme; and ‘Livercool’ was given the ‘Top of the Pops’ treatment, with Radio City’s Kev Seed

hosting an evening that saw John Lennon Airport Chief Neil Pakey walk away with the main award.

2006

There was also success for DIB as the City Council scrapped its proposed ‘tall buildings’ policy. However, Downtown warned that the introduction of an empty property tax was a daft idea; and as concern grew about the effectiveness of the Culture Company, the ‘business club with attitude’ suggested that Phil Redmond should be given a leading role in driving forward the agenda for 08.

THE DOWNTOWN JOURNEY: 2004-2016

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DOWNTOWN MEANS BUSINESS... “THE PROMISED BONFIRE OF THE QUANGOS HAS TURNED OUT TO BE MORE LIKE A BARBEQUE.” DIB Chairman Frank McKenna, commenting on the ‘streamlining of agencies in Liverpool, as three regeneration organisations merging into one still left a further 80-odd bodies untouched. Downtown Bulletin, February 07.

As Liverpool celebrated its 800th birthday, DLIB celebrated further success for its lobbying activities as Phil Redmond was given a leading role within the Culture Company and three regeneration agencies, Vision, Liverpool Land Development Company and Business Liverpool were merged into one body.

makers, including the Chief Executive’s of both Liverpool City Council and the Mersey Partnership; the Shadow Chancellor George Osborne; and Manchester’s Sir Howard Bernstein. DLIB hammered the powers that be for cancelling the Mathew Street festival and moving the Summer Pops to Aintree!

The private sector champion also hosted a major conference, ‘Liverpool Means Business’ attracting over 200 delegates, whilst launching the ‘Liverpool Local’ initiative – calling on greater opportunities to be given to local companies in public sector procurement procedures; and campaigning against the introduction of legislation that would give local authorities the power to raise a Supplementary Business Rate.

At a ‘Monopoly’ themed ‘Livercool’, cushion manufacturer Tony Caldeira won the Entrepreneur of the Year award; whilst the 400 plus guests were wowed by entertainment from China Crisis. Downing walked away with the major prize at the ‘Oscars’ event.

Downtown’s events continued to attract some influential figures, with contributions made from a host of leading decision

Having operated exclusively in Liverpool for three years, Downtown extended its reach to England’s newest city Preston, launching DPIB in April with a glittering party at Heathcotes in Winckley Square, attracting well over 150 of the city’s business leaders.

NO TIME TO RELAX... DLIB hosted a record number of 27 events during Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year, with the launch of the ‘Liverpool Business Week’ and a spectacular fourth birthday party at the London Carriage Works among the highlights. On the campaign front, Downtown joined a chorus of support for the Superlambanana to stay in the city; the green light was given to the establishment of a gay village; the Chief Executives of Liverpool Vision and the Northwest Development Agency backed the ‘Liverpool Local’ initiative; whilst a massive 86% of members supported DLIB’s view that a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to antisocial behaviour in the city centre should be adopted. Downtown also teamed up with new all speech radio station City Talk for its Cuban themed ‘Oscars’ evening, where Kim Hughes and Phil Easton presented the major prize of the evening to Midas Capital. ‘Livercool’ 08 was full of highlights; a virtuoso performance from top comedian John Bishop; the now infamous ‘Relax’ video; Holly

2007

Wood (and that is her real name) inevitably winning the ‘sexy networker’ of the year title; and Simon Edwards named as Entrepreneur of the Year. A stream of activity, including the opening of Liverpool ONE, La Machine and the MTV Awards had Liverpool in the headlines for all the right reasons – and the city could even celebrate the end of the ‘big dig’! As Downtown launched a new digital magazine, it continued to attract top speakers; but none more energetic, nor entertaining, than the former Deputy Leader of Liverpool City Council, Derek Hatton, who gave a robust defence of his time in office in an interview with Jim Hancock during Business Week, which aired on no less than three occasions by City Talk. In Preston, Downtown strongly criticised Blackburn and Blackpool for objecting to the multi million pound Tithebarn regeneration project, and called on local authorities from across Lancashire to work in a more cohesive and co-ordinated way.

THE DOWNTOWN JOURNEY: 2004-2016

2008

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HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY! 2009 It is difficult to imagine a more impressive way to start a year than by facilitating an audience with the Prime Minister. Gordon Brown met with almost 100 DLIB members in January to kick off a spectacular 2009 events programme that included the second annual Liverpool Business Week; two gala awards evenings; a fifth birthday party; and presentations from a host of leading entrepreneurs and decision makers, among them Government Minister Andy Burnham and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling.

Downtown led and won the campaign against Liverpool City Council’s proposal to extend city centre car parking charges beyond 6pm. DLIB also urged Liverpool MP’s and agencies to work together to attract the Ministry of Justice regional facility into the city. In Preston, Downtown launched a Property & Regeneration forum and hosted the inaugural Lancashire Business Week. Frank McKenna also called on a more locally focussed procurement process from public agencies whilst we hosted an event with FOUR shadow cabinet ministers who now serve in the government; George Osborne, Teresa May, Ken Clarke and Phillip Hammond.

“LIVERPOOL WILL BE THE ONLY MAJOR CITY IN THE UK THAT WILL IN EFFECT BE CHARGING PEOPLE AN ENTRANCE FEE AFTER 6PM.” DIB Chairman Frank McKenna, BBC North West Tonight, 24TH April, commenting on the City Council’s proposal to extend car parking charges from 6pm to 8pm.

DQ LAUNCHED AS DOWNTOWN MANCHESTER TAKES OFF Manchester became Downtown’s third destination, with Sir Howard Bernstein and 150 of the city’s business leaders helping to launch DMIB at a stupendous party hosted by Cloud 23 at the Hilton hotel in March. Three months later and the first edition of DQ magazine was published. In Lancashire we asked the question, is Preston a city in name only? This debate sparked a whole range of controversies and discussions which, sadly, are still to be resolved.

2010

Back in Liverpool, Downtown hosted the very first ‘Leaders Debate’ between Liberal Democrat Warren Bradley and Labour’s Joe Anderson. Six weeks later Anderson led his party to victory for the first time in twelve years. He adopted DLIB’s suggestion of a business champion, appointing David Wade Smith – and took on the job as a full time position. It was a busy year for Frank McKenna who started to present his radio programme ‘City Talks Business’ on 105.9fm; and he offered us all the benefit of his top five male grooming tips!

THE DOWNTOWN JOURNEY: 2004-2016

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AN EMBASSY, A CATHEDRAL AND A WINTER WONDERLAND 2011 The Downtown Preston brand became Downtown Lancashire as we started to attract increasing interest from across the county as the organisation stepped up its calls for a radical overhaul of local government structures in the region. Downtown partnered with Liverpool City Council to establish a Liverpool ‘embassy’ in London, whilst also campaigning for a ‘yes’ vote to set up a Business Improvement District in the commercial area of the city – and ‘Livercool’ was a particularly spectacular occasion with the Crowne Plaza hotel transformed into a Winter Wonderland for the annual gala dinner! In Manchester the inaugural City of Manchester Business Awards took place at the marvellous Cathedral, with the icon that is singing

“WHEN I CAME HERE (LIVERPOOL) AFTER THE RIOTS IN THE EIGHTIES THERE WAS NO BUSINESS COMMUNITY. LOOK AT IT NOW!” Lord Michael Heseltine

THE DOWNTOWN JOURNEY: 2004-2016

legend Rowetta providing equally marvellous entertainment to the 300 guests who saw council leader Sir Richard Leese rewarded for his services to Manchester. Downtown continued to attract big hitters to its events with Lord Heseltine, Ed Miliband, Chuka Umunna and Chris Grayling among leading politicians addressing our members, along with entrepreneurs and opinion formers Toby Young, Steve Morgan and Matt Riley. On the global business stage we lost the ‘entrepreneur of entrepreneurs’ Steve Jobs, who sadly passed away in October of this year.

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TAYLOR SIGNS IN AS DOWNTOWN LANDS IN LEEDS 2012 The great city of Leeds became Downtown’s fourth destination, with a grand launch party at the Corn Exchange in September, where shadow Treasury Minister and Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves addressed the 200 plus invited guests to the exclusive event. A ‘Big Conversation’ was organised in Lancashire with businesses views being sought on everything from how the county was marketed through to its skills base and results fed through to the county’s Local Enterprise Partnership. Preston was the European City of Sport, and the Open Golf Championship retuned to Royal Lytham. In Manchester the inaugural Smart City conference was held; the Global Entrepreneurship Congress came to Liverpool with Downtown hosting the ‘Global

2013

JOIN THE REVOLUTION

“DOWNTOWN IN THREE WORDS? RETURN ON INVESTMENT!”

Mike Carr, Managing Director Altrad NSG

Brands, Global People’ fringe event; and the tenth annual ‘Livercool’ awards was held with an audience of 450 business leaders from the city who were treated to a ‘Roasting’ of Frank McKenna, followed by entertainment by the award winning Toni James band. The 50th ‘Sexy Networking’ event was hosted at the Hilton’s Playground. One of Downtown Liverpool’s major campaigns finally delivered as the city opted to have an elected mayor for the first time. The former editor of Northwest business publication, Insider, Michael Taylor was appointed as chairman of Downtown Manchester in Business.

Downtown launched a major initiative to devolve greater autonomy to city regions from Westminster in a bid to improve economic growth and activity in the North of England, and begin to close the unhealthy and growing ‘North-South’ divide. Our inaugural ‘Northern Revolution’ conference at Media City attracted the chief executives of Manchester and Leeds city Councils, and the chief executive of Liverpool Vision. Other guests included Baroness Susan Williams, Geoff Muirhead and over 150 delegates. Downtown’s messages from the event included support for the controversial HS2 project and a call for metro mayors for Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds. As Downtown established an ‘enterprise club’ at the City of Liverpool College, we promoted apprenticeships to our membership across the region, and called on the education and training agenda to be more radical, getting young people ‘work ready’ and raising awareness among students of the opportunities for starting a business.

“WE WANT TO CREATE A BUSINESS VOICE FOR THE NORTH.”

Frank McKenna, Downtown in Business.

regeneration continued its momentum with the opening of retail development Trinity. Downtown hosted its first ‘Women in Business’ awards in association with the Women’s Organisation; and the inaugural ‘Mancoolian’ awards dinner. Lord Andrew Adonis was the political ‘star turn’ of the year, with appearances in Manchester and Lancashire; he also kindly hosted a delegation of Downtown members at the House of Lords. The other huge impact speaker of the year was property entrepreneur Andrew Rosenfeld who wowed the ‘It’s Liverpool – the Business Conference’ in November. David Wade Smith was appointed as chairman of Downtown Liverpool in Business, whilst Mark Asquith joined the Downtown team as Head of Marketing & Communications.

We also got passionate about ‘sales’, reminding businesses that this is what makes them tick! The ‘sell more stuff’ event with Andy Bounds and Michael Finnigan was one of the highlights of a year that saw Downtown host over 150 events. In Leeds Downtown became a firm supporter of the ‘Trolley Bus’ scheme as the city’s

THE DOWNTOWN JOURNEY: 2004-2016

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2014

TEN YEARS IN BUSINESS THE JOURNEY CONTINUES Downtown celebrated its tenth anniversary and saw the Northern Powerhouse agenda it had been promoting for a decade take centre stage of the national and regional political agenda. We organised a series of conferences across the regions with contributions from leading national and regional decision makers and entrepreneurs, highlighting the importance of devolution to business and economic growth. Membership surpassed 800 companies; we organised a record number of events; and among notable speakers were shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna, the chief executive of First for Skills Barbara

Spicer, the head of Marketing Lancashire Ruth Connor and Manchester chief constable Peter Fahy. We also introduced our new morning networking brand ‘Rise & Grind’. Downtown launched its new APP, and our CEO Frank McKenna was appointed to the national board of the International Festival for Business, which will be hosted in Liverpool in 2016.

2015

BIRMINGHAM LAUNCHED AS NORTHERN POWERHOUSE TAKES OFF

The business voice for the north decided to spread its wings south in 2015, establishing the Downtown brand in Birmingham with a lavish launch party at the Laurent Perrier Champagne Bar in the heart of the city in September. Stacey Barnfield, the former editor of the Birmingham Post, was named as chairman of the Birmingham group. The devolution agenda also made significant progress, with the surprise election of a majority Conservative government meaning that George Osbornes’ pet Northern Powerhouse project – elected mayors and all – would go ahead unchallenged. In Leeds, Downtown hosted the inaugural City of Leeds Business Awards, where council boss Tom Riordan gave a rousing keynote speech, and Sir Gary Verity walked away with the ‘Man of the Year’ prize. Other DIB award winners in 2015 included Living Ventures Tim Bacon (Manchester), Frances Molloy of Health@Work (Liverpool) and the inspirational Michael Finnigan

(Lancashire). We also hosted an inaugural Women in Business gala lunch in Lancashire, and a ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ awards night in Liverpool celebrating all that is great about the hospitality sector in the city. As ever, Downtown led the way on the issues that matter to business with a special conference, ‘Limitless’, for high growth businesses; and organised a series of forums around devolution and its impact on business with the mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, Birmingham City Council CEO Mark Rogers, Sir Howard Bernstein, Sir Richard Leese and Lancashire leader Jennifer Mein all contributing to the debate. Downtown was also named as the best business networking group by the Forum of Small Business

2016 WATCH THIS SPACE... THE DOWNTOWN JOURNEY: 2004-2016

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To view oneHR visit www.onehrsoftware.com To claim your free version of the product contact : chris.witterick@downtowninbusiness.com

SCAN O UR C O D E TO HE AR FRO M THE O NE HR M D

ANNUAL REVIEW

13 FROM ‘15 It’s been another fantastic year at Downtown, and we have really enjoyed working with our fabulous members and hosting what most objective commentators would consider to be some of the very best business events in the north of England – and now the West Midlands too. Here are 15 highlights from 2015, as chosen by Team Downtown. We’re sorry if we missed out your favourite, but we did have over 200 to chose from…

LIMITLESS – DEVELOPING A HYPER GROWTH MIND-SET Over 100 business leaders packed into the Liverpool Hilton Hotel in February to hear from a range of top entrepreneurs and opinion formers about business growth, aspiration and ambition. Among the speakers were the inspirational business coach Andy Bounds and leading female entrepreneur Lorna Davidson.

DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM LAUNCH A spectacular September in the West Midlands capital included the opening of the multi million pound Grand Central station; and the launch of the Downtown brand in Birmingham. The Laurent Perrier Champagne Bar at Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill in Birmingham, overlooking the city, was a fitting venue for the occasion, attended by a list of movers and shakers, including the ubiquitous Ed James, Brummie entrepreneur Deb Leary and, of course, the Downtown Birmingham chairman Stacey Barnfield.

13 FROM ‘15

ANNUAL REVIEW

AIRPORT AFTER DARK Downtown teamed up with Liverpool John Lennon Airport in May 2015 to offer a unique insight into the innermost workings of the facility, going behind the scenes for an exclusive invitation only tour. The airport granted Downtown exclusive access to off-limits areas, and 25 leading members of the Downtown network were treated to a fascinating evening. Following a networking buffet with fellow guests, members received an update presentation on the airport’s progress, before enjoying a walking tour of the terminal. A visit "airside" followed to hear about airport security and departure lounge improvements, before a tour of the main apron by Airport transfer bus, concluding with a very popular visit to the Airport Fire Station!

RISE & GRIND WITH MICHAEL FINNIGAN The most awesome of speakers was on hand to provide inspiration, advice and humour to audiences in Manchester and Liverpool as part of Downtown’s increasingly popular ‘Rise & Grind’ series of breakfast events.

LUNCH WITH SIR HOWARD BERNSTEIN One of the key architects of the Northern Powerhouse agenda, the chief executive of Manchester City Council, gave a candid and fascinating insight into his city’s devolution deal, and his vision for a stronger north of England to a room full of business leaders at this exclusive Downtown lunch at Ribby Hall, Lancashire.

THE INAUGURAL CITY OF LEEDS BUSINESS AWARDS City Council chief executive Tom Riordan, LEP chairman Roger Marsh and the Yorkshire icon Gary Verity were among a glittering guest list at Downtown’s very first gala awards dinner in Leeds. Held at Elland Road, and hosted by the talented Christine Talbot, the evening was a fantastic celebration of the city’s finest in business.

13 FROM ‘15

ANNUAL REVIEW

DEVO SCOUSE The campaign for elected metro mayors and greater devolved powers has been on the Downtown agenda for thirteen years. As the Northern Powerhouse agenda has developed we have organised dozens of events to debate and discuss the issues around this critical area of policy. Professor Michael Parkinson was on hand to outline the Liverpool deal at a special breakfast forum just days before the ‘Devo Scouse’ deal was finally agreed.

THIS IS TOMORROW CALLING! A posse of futurologists, techies and geeks got together at Preston’s College to focus on the challenges and opportunities for businesses of the future, with outstanding contributions from leading UK digital entrepreneurs at a unique conference that attracted delegates from across the county and demonstrated that the digital and creative sector is an important and growing part of Lancashire’s economy.

NICOLA HORLICK DOUBLE HEADER Downtown secured the speaking services of the serial entrepreneur, business leader and incredibly talented Nicola Horlick for an exclusive private dinner at the 5 star Lowry Hotel; and a champagne breakfast forum at the wonderful Albert Square Chop House. Sharing her experiences of her fascinating journey, and focussing on the new finance and investment models available to business, these two sessions were BOOM!

13 FROM ‘15

ANNUAL REVIEW

MANCHESTER BEER PONG This was a new event format for Downtown, but the Manchester business community definitely didn’t disappoint. Over 100 people attended this lively, and competitive networking event at Manchester’s Southern Eleven in Spinningfields. Players separated into teams of 4, and took on their rivals in a sudden death knock-out format, to find out which company in Manchester is the best at throwing a ping pong ball into a cup of beer. We have absolutely no idea who the winner was, but it was a great event, and we will definitely be doing it again in the near future. Get practicing!

WORK HARD PLAY HARD The inaugural Downtown Liverpool Lifestyle & Hospitality awards evening was a roaring success, with the city’s thriving bar, restaurant, retail and hotel industry sectors players finally getting the chance to celebrate the success of Liverpool’s growing visitor and tourism economy in an environment where they could let their hair down, have fun and not be concerned about ‘being fair’ to establishments in other parts of the city region!

LIVERPOOL VISION'S 15TH BIRTHDAY Liverpool Vision, the economic development and inward investment agency for the city, celebrated its fifteenth anniversary in November. To mark the occasion Downtown Liverpool invited over one hundred of Liverpool’s business leaders to an exclusive lunchtime event, which celebrated the great work the organisation has delivered in the past and discussed Vision's ambitious plans for the future. The event, hosted at the brand new DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, saw chief executives and chairmen from a range of leading companies join past and present Vision board members to contribute to an afternoon of lively discussion and celebration.

LUNCH WITH ALASTAIR CAMPBELL Last, but certainly not least, a magnificent gala lunch, again with our friends at the Hilton Hotel Liverpool. Frank McKenna interviewed Tony Blair’s former spin doctor for an hour on a whole range of issues including the then forthcoming General Election, devolution, Scotland, the EU, football, his book ‘Winners’ and Malcolm Tucker! A massive thanks to Carolyn Hughes PR who organised the gig and made it all happen. Pete Price summed up the Campbell/McKenna conversation “you could hear a pin drop."

13 FROM ‘15

ANNUAL PREVIEW

13 FOR ‘16 The Downtown in Business team is putting the finishing touches to our most ambitious events programme yet. In 2016, the fastest growing business club outside of London will host over 250 events across five regions. Informing, connecting and celebrating with a diverse range of small, medium and major businesses. Here we recommend sixteen Downtown highlights for 2016. Have a great Christmas – and a busy Downtown New Year!

POWERHOUSE PROGRESS Downtown has been at the forefront of the Northern Powerhouse debate and discussion, campaigning for twelve years for devolution and elected metro mayors. A series of forums and conferences throughout next year will look at the ‘what next’ for the Powerhouse agenda – and explore what it means for business. Among the contributors to this series will be the chief executive of Manchester City Council Sir Howard Bernstein, the chief executive of Leeds City Council Tom Riordan, the chief executive of Transport for the North Dave Brown and devolution expert Professor Michael Parkinson.

A FRANK CONVERSATION WITH... Downtown boss Frank McKenna will be continuing to interview some of the biggest names in business and politics throughout 2016. The interim Mayor of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Tony Lloyd, the former chief executive of the Football Association David Davies, entrepreneur and investment specialist Nicola Horlick, Birmingham chief executive Mark Roger and Bruntwood boss Chris Oglesby are just some of the names lined up for this fascinating series.

LANCASHIRE BOOST CONFERENCE The annual BOOST conference will take place in the Red Rose County during the spring, looking at Lancashire’s place in the Northern Powerhouse; and focussing on the key sectors that will be driving the regions’ economy, with digital and creative, food and drink, advanced manufacturing and construction high on the agenda. www.boostbusinesslancashire.co.uk/events

13 FROM ‘16

ANNUAL PREVIEW

KEYS TO THE ENGINE What and who will be the key drivers for the West Midlands engine as a new Combined Authority starts to take shape? What impact will this new strategic body have on the Greater Birmingham economy? And how influential can the business community be in shaping the policies and priorities of the organisation? Business leaders, decision makers, academics and entrepreneurs will explore these important questions at a special summer conference to be hosted by Downtown in 2016.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS In association with the Women’s Organisation, Downtown will be promoting female enterprise, celebrating successful women in business at spectacular gala awards lunches and campaigning on issues that will support a more positive environment for female entrepreneurs. www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk

IFB16 The International Festival for Business will be taking place in Liverpool in June, and we will be advising businesses from across the Downtown network how to effectively get involved and contribute to what will be a spectacular 3 week jamboree of business conferences, forums and networking opportunities. We will also be contributing to the exciting ‘Edge’ fringe events programme for IFB16. To sign up FREE to the IFB business club please visit www.ifb2016.com

RISE & GRIND Fabulous speakers, great coffee and bacon butties, and over 100 other business folk to connect with, the popular Rise & Grind breakfast offer from Downtown will continue as we find the best in the business to inspire you to grow your business.

GATHERING OF THE CLANS In partnership with leading hotel the Tickled Trout, Downtown Lancashire will continue to bring together our members with those from other business associations from across the county, giving you even more opportunities to connect. www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/macdonald-tickled-trout-hotel/

13 FROM ‘16

ANNUAL PREVIEW

MIPIM UK The London festival will host its third annual conference in the autumn. Downtown will be there in force, hosting events and working with our private and public sector partners to maximise the benefit of this superb three day conference. www.mipimuk.co.uk

BIRTHDAY BASH In 2016 Downtown is 13! We’ll be celebrating with a very special Leaders Lunch event in Liverpool, and throwing a party that we guarantee will be a very memorable Downtown night.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS, AMBITION AND ENTREPRENEURS The best entrepreneurs, business leaders, enterprising individuals and companies will be recognised at the legendary series of gala award dinners that Downtown has become renowned for in Liverpool, Lancashire, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham in 2016.

THE LEADING OF LEEDS A series of discussions with some of the key decision makers from across the Leeds city region will take place again next year, with the Combined Authority, the Local Enterprise Partnership, the city council and the regions’ MPs contributing to the debate.

SEXY NETWORKING Last but not least the legendary quarterly Downtown evening that attracts up to 200 business leaders who are looking to ‘work hard and play hard’ whilst winning business too. No boring speeches, no sales pitches and no ‘elevator’ presentations, this is modern networking in a modern setting. Great connections can be made in a relaxed, social environment – and sexy networking offers the ideal backdrop to do just that.

13 FOR ‘16

your local print provider Liverpool, Knowsley, Manchester and across the UK

digital printing & finishing

variable data & cross media

display graphics

lithographic print

3D printing

managed print services

scanning

bid services

artwork & design

call us on 0151 236 5151 or email liverpool@callprint.co.uk

www.

.co.uk

Qualifications & Apprenticeships At Geason Training we deliver world-class training and our learners come first.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - NELSON MANDELA The UK’s construction industry is facing a serious skills shortage.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT? Are you employing and upskilling the next generation? Are you developing yourself or your team? Let us help you progress

At Geason Training we are committed to guiding all our stakeholders through a process of progression. Every qualification we deliver can lead you to further education which statistics show means more job satisfaction and greater earning potential. Our industry experts can help give you advice and guidance on how you can plan for a better career.

Get in touch today and find out how you can progress with Geason Training.

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” - ERNEST HEMINGWAY Do you need a construction apprentice? The UK Government is committed to ensuring they deliver two million apprenticeship programmes by 2020. This objective gives you the opportunity to find the right apprentice programme to suit your needs and meet your business objectives. The Geason Training Apprenticeship Hubs are helping young people who are just leaving school or have many years experience and want to train for future development to find their perfect apprenticeship. Get in touch today and one of our industry experts will listen to your needs and talk through your options with you to source the right candidate.

“Educating yourself does not mean that you were stupid in the first place, it means that you are intelligent enough to know that there is plenty to learn.” - MELANIE JOY Do you want to find out about qualifications? In today’s world the need to evidence learning has never been more important. Geason Training are learning experts and are ready to understand your needs. Our wide range of qualifications include Construction HNCs and HNDs and ensures you are equipped with the necessary skills to ensure you are qualified to move you and your business forward.

Let us help you. Everyone at Geason Training is committed to ensuring we deliver what you require. We listen to your objectives and ensure our tailored packages are built around your needs. Our training analysis process helps capture all the information required to ensure your future goals are aligned to what you need us to deliver.

OUR TEAM ARE READY TO HELP YOU TODAY Call us on 0330 088 9596 or visit us at www.geasontraining.co.uk

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

THIRTEEN FOR ‘16 WE FOUND OUT THAT...

43.4% OF YOU WILL FIND ‘ ’ AS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF 2016.

69.7% OF YOU FOUND INSPIRED THEM THE MOST.

60.6% OF YOU THOUGHT IS THE BEST PERSON TO LEAD THE UK IN 2016.

THIRTEEN FOR ‘16 SURVEY

YOUR CUSTOMERS - 42.5% CASH FLOW (BAD DEBTORS) 9.4% ACCESS TO FINANCE - 4.7%

KAREN BRADY - 18.2% ALAN SUGAR - 12.1%

(WE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT, NO ONE LIKES )0%

JEREMY CORBYN - 12.1% NICOLA STURGEON - 12.1% BORIS JOHNSON - 8.1% RUSSELL BRAND - 4% NIGEL FARAGE - 3%

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

49.5% OF YOU THINK THAT THE GROW.

WILL

84.6% OF YOU THINK WE SHOULD .

92.5% OF YOU THINK WE SHOULDN’T

STAY THE SAME - 40.2% SHRINK - 9.4% TOTALLY TANK - 0.9%

15.4% THINK WE SHOULDN’T.

7.6% THINK WE SHOULD.

THIRTEEN FOR ‘16 SURVEY

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

67.4% OF YOU ARE !

67.3% THINK THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE AND WEST MIDLANDS ENGINE IS A FORCE FOR GOOD.

63.7% THINK ELECTED MAYORS WILL MAKE CITY REGIONS MORE INFLUENTIAL.

THIRTEEN FOR ‘16 SURVEY

32.6% OF YOU ARE .

32.7% THINK IT’S A POLITICAL SCAM.

36.3% THINK IT WOULDN’T.

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

51.9% OF YOU FIND YOUR FAVOURITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM.

54.6% OF YOU THINK ARE THE BEST BAND EVER.

43.3% OF YOU THINK IS THE BEST BOND.

FACEBOOK - 30.8% INSTAGRAM - 7.7%

AND 9.6% OF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS!

OASIS - 20.6% DURAN DIRAN - 12.4% THE VERVE - 6.2& KAISER CHIEFS - 6.2%

DANIEL CRAIG - 42.3% ROGER MOORE - 8.7% PIERCE BROSNAN - 5.8%

THIRTEEN FOR ‘16 SURVEY

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

43.3% OF YOU CHOSE AS THEIR FAVOURITE FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR.

VICTORIA BECKHAM - 20.6% MICHELLE MONE - 19.6% NICOLA HORLICK - 16.5%

THIRTEEN FOR 16’ THANKS FOR TAKING PART!

THIRTEEN FOR ‘16 SURVEY

Bold Street & Hatton Garden

Liverpool’s Newest, American Themed Café Bar

NOT EVERYTHING IS BLACK & WHITE.

Live Music, Quiz Nights, Great Coffee, Dafna’s Cakes, TV Wall of Fame, Private Events.

We Provide An Unparalleled Office Experience So That Your Office Never Stops Moving.

For more information visit:

www.ameriesko.com Email: hello@ameriesko.com Phone: 0151 236 3185

nativauk.com

@msbsolicitors MSB Solicitors

11/02/2016 0151 281 9040 www.msbsolicitors.co.uk

Untitled-1 1

•MSB SOLICITORS•

PROGRESSIVe EXPANDING YOUTHFUL

MSB are a progressive, expanding and youthful Liverpool law firm with can do attitude. We provide exceptional and affordable legal advice across all sectors. Our expert commercial team are able to advise you

MSB are a progressive, expanding and youthful onwith every of provide your business, from intellectual Liverpool law firm can doaspect attitude. We exceptional andproperty; affordable legal advice across all dispute resolution; joint ventures and sectors.

mergers; and financing, refinancing and

Our expert commercial team are able to advise you crowdfunding. on every aspect of your business, from intellectual property; dispute resolution; joint ventures and mergers; and financing, refinancing and crowdfunding.

Contact our commercial partner, Mark Forman

A MULTI AWARD WINNING, LIVERPOOL LAW FIRM WITH markforman@msbsolicitors.co.uk Contact our commercial partner, Mark Forman A CAN DO ATTITUDE. markforman@msbsolicitors.co.uk

www.msbsolicitors.co.uk 0151 281 9040

MSB areMSB a multi award-winning Managing Paul toBibby proud to pick up the award for Legal Entrepreneur of the are a multi award-winning firm.firm. Managing partner Paulpartner Bibby was proud pick upwas the award for Legal Entrepreneur of the Year at Livercool 2014; and we were also delighted to receive the award for best medium law firm at the Liverpool Society Contact ourLaw commerical Mark Forman: Year at Livercool 2014; and we were also delighted to receive the award for best medium law firm at thepartner, Liverpool Law Society awards in May 2015. We have also been short-listed for Best Legal Firm at the City of Liverpool Business Awards in July 2015. awards in May 2015. We have also been short-listed for Best Legal Firm at the City of Liverpool Business Awards in July 2015. MarkForman@msbsolicitors.co.uk

13:40:3

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

THE 13 BOXSETS

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK RATING 8/10

The story of Piper Chapman, a woman in her thirties who is sentenced to fifteen months in prison after being convicted of a decade-old crime of transporting money to her drug-dealing girlfriend.

THE SOPRANOS RATING 9/10

New Jersey mob boss, Tony Soprano, deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life.

HOUSE OF CARDS THE WALKING DEAD RATING 8/10

BREAKING BAD RATING 9/10

A chemistry teacher diagnosed with terminal lung cancer teams up with his former student to cook and sell crystal meth.

GAME OF THRONES

Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes leads a group of survivors in a world overrun by zombies.

THE WIRE RATING 9/10

Baltimore drug scene, seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.

FRIENDS

RATING 9/10

While a civil war brews between several noble families, in Westeros, the children of the former rulers of the land attempt to rise up to power. Meanwhile a forgotten race, bent on destruction, return after thousands of years in the North.

THE WEST WING RATING 8/10

Inside the lives of staffers in the west wing of the White House.

MINI LIST: THE 13 BOXSETS

RATING 9/10

Follows the lives of six 20-something friends living in Manhattan.

24 RATING 8/10

Jack Bauer, Director of Field Ops for the Counter-Terrorist Unit of Los Angeles, races against the clock to subvert terrorist plots and save his nation from ultimate disaster.

RATING 9/10

A Congressman works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him.

THE OFFICE RATING 8/10 The story of an office that faces closure when the company decides to downsize its branches. A documentary film crew follow staff and the manager Brent as they continue their daily lives.

SUITS RATING 9/10

On the run from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant college-dropout, finds himself a job working with Harvey Specter, one of New York City's best lawyers.

BAND OF BROTHERS RATING 9/10

The story of Easy Company of the US Army 101st Airborne division and their mission in WWII Europe from Operation Overlord through V-J Day.

CLAIRE HOUSE STRICTLY FLYER PRINT.pdf

24/11/2015

16:50

does

Strictly 2016

Saturday 26 March 2016 Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Liverpool, L3 0AN Tickets £60 Sparking drink on arrival, Two Course Meal, Rum Chocolates and Coffee. Dress to impress, 7pm – 1am

To book call 0151 343 0883 or email events@clairehouse.org.uk. clairehouse.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1004058

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

THE 13 FILMS

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

PULP FICTION

RATING: 8/10

Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, but is later sued by two brothers who claimed he stole their idea, and the cofounder who was later squeezed out of the business.

RATING: 9/10

The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangsterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.

JERRY MAGUIRE RATING: 7/10

When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent with the only athlete who stays with him.

ROGUE TRADER RATING: 6/10

The story of Nick Leeson, an ambitious investment broker who singlehandedly bankrupted one of the oldest and most important banks in Britain.

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A WONDERFUL LIFE RATING: 8/10

An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.

THE GODFATHER STEVE JOBS RATING: 7/10

Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution, to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter. The story unfolds backstage at three iconic product launches, ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac.

MINI LIST: THE 13 FILMS

RATING: 9/10

The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET WALL STREET

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA RATING: 8/10

RATING: 7/10

A young and impatient stockbroker is willing to do anything to get to the top, including trading on illegal inside information taken through a ruthless and greedy corporate raider who takes the youth under his wing.

A smart but sensible new graduate lands a job as an assistant to Miranda Priestly, the demanding editor-in-chief of a high fashion magazine.

RATING: 8/10

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

TRADING PLACES CITIZEN KANE LIMITLESS RATING: 7/10

With the help of a mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100 percent of his brain abilities, a struggling writer becomes a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with lots of dangers.

RATING: 8/10

Following the death of a publishing tycoon, news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance.

RATING: 7/10

A snobbish investor and a wily street con artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.

MINI LIST: THE 13 FILMS

YOU

JOB S ’ Y A D O T CAN’T DO

WITH YESTERDAY’S

METHODS SS

SINE U B N I E B AND

. TOMORROW

JOIN DOWNTOWN IN BUSINESS

WWW.DOWNTOWNINBUSINESS.COM

“

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

THE TOP 13 GADGETS FOR 2016 BY TO M C H E E S E W R I G H T

SMART SECURITY If security is a concern then alarm systems have never been smarter. For The Loadout this year we've tested models from Piper and Panasonic but our absolute favourite was the MyFox. A wireless system from France that combines clever senses with a privacy-respecting and beautifully design CCTV system.

THE PROFESSIONAL TABLET iPad Pro or Surface 4, the bigger tablets with an even bigger bang are the commuter kit of choice right now. It doesn't matter whether your life is Apple-flavoured or vanilla Windows, you'll appreciate the convenience, portability and power of these smart slabs.

THE STREAMBOX

SMART WATCH

AUGMENTED REALITY Google's Glass may be back in the labs for now but that doesn't mean that augmented reality - overlaying the real world with digital information - has gone away. Expect to see lots about Microsoft's HoloLens in 2016 as the company starts opening the platform up to a wider range of developers, albeit at $3,000 a pop for now.

Everyone asks me the same question: 'What is a smart watch for?' And I respond with the same answer; 'What is a watch for?' If you really wear a watch to tell the time, then go and get yourself a ÂŁ5 digital number from Argos. If you wear it as a bling fashion accessory or because you nurse secret Dick Tracy fantasies? Go get yourself an Apple Watch or Asus ZenWatch and enjoy the novelty.

SMART THERMOSTAT Do you still have one of those nasty beige boxes on the wall that takes a pencil and the patience of a saint to programme. Get rid. Smart thermostats like the Nest can save you money and mean an end to fussy fiddling. Control them with your smartphone or let them do the thinking: the Nest knows when you're in and out and sets your heating accordingly.

VIRTUAL REALITY Much easier on the wallet is virtual reality, immersing yourself in a completely digital world. Modern phones are powerful enough and offer good enough screen resolution to create a compelling experience at a low(ish) price: just check out Samsung's Gear VR. But the real excitement is around Facebookowned Oculus Rift. Expect massive media coverage when it launches in the first months of 2016.

3D PRINTER It's been the most hyped gadget category for the past few years and yet we're still not 3D-printing toys, tools and tat at home. Things may change in 2016 as bigger names like Dremel enter the market and a new range of kid-friendly kits arrives. Though I've been predicting this since 2014, so maybe we'll have to wait another year yet.

Live TV is so 2010. It's all about the box set these days, just without the boxes. You can stream Netflix, Amazon, iPlayer and more to any screen you like with the addition of a digital streaming box. My favourite for some time has been the Roku: powerful, reliably, reasonably-priced and so simple to use that anyone from three to 93 can get to grips with it.

THE HOVERBOARD Yes, they have a habit of catching fire. And they're technically illegal to ride just about anywhere. But I can't help thinking we haven't seen the last of these smart little scooters. The price isn't going to climb, quality will improve and the appeal of gliding effortlessly around town will be increasingly appealing as the size falls. Eventually the state may need to compromise. BATTERY PACK With all these gadgets, the chances are you're going to need to juice-up on a regular basis. Battery packs don't need to be big and chunky to keep you up and running for a whole working day and drinking night. I tend to pack an Enerplex Jumpr Mini for little boosts and CasePower Leaf for a more serious charge: neither will knock your coat pocket out of shape, or break the bank.

SMART LIGHTING One of the most pleasing gadgets in my house is the most simple. Thanks to a home automation system from Fibaro, when if it's dark when I walk into the living room the lamps gently rise to a warm glow. Who needs light switches anyway? Smart lights can save you money again, especially if you have kids who leave on every light in their path. And they're great for security: program them to turn on and off automatically while you're away. giving the impression that the place is still occupied.

WIRELESS 'PHONES Headphones, coats and scarves are a recipe for disaster. How many phone smashes are caused by catching the wires on something? While I love my big over-ear Oppo PM-3 headphones, for the quick stomps between a day of meetings a sleek pair of bluetooth in-ear 'phones wins. I'm currently sporting a pair from JBL but look forward to trying the Kickstarter-launched Dash 'hearables'.

TOM CHEESEWRIGHTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOP 13 GADGETS FOR 2016

D1R3CT0RY

DOWNTOWN’S TOP 100 AND... 13

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

A Aabyss W: aabyss.uk T: 0151 733 3223 ABode Manchester W: www.abodemanchester.co.uk T: 0161 247 7744 ACC Liverpool W: www.accliverpool.com T: 0151 475 8888 Al Bacio W: www.al-bacio.co.uk T: 0161 832 7669 Aloft Hotel W: www.aloftliverpool.com T: 0151 294 3970 Aspray W: www.aspray.com T: 0800 077 6705 Atlantic Tower W: www.thistle.com T: 0871 376 9025

Carringtons Catering W: www.carringtons-catering.co.uk T: 01695 632227 Champion Accountants W: www.champion-accountants.co.uk T: 01772 735000 Chaophraya Manchester W: www.chaophraya.co.uk T: 0161 832 8342 City of Liverpool College W: www.liv-coll.ac.uk T: 0151 252 3000 Claire House Children’s Hospice W: www.claire-house.org.uk T: 0151 236 2933 Coffee Fuelled W: www.coffeefuelled.co.uk T: 0845 230 4444 Condy Lofthouse Architects W: www.condylofthouse.co.uk T: 0151 207 4371 Conlons Construction W: www.conlon-construction.co.uk T: 01772 335268

B and B Hygiene W: www.bbhygiene.com T: 0151 489 2711

Cote Liverpool W: www.cote-restaurants.co.uk T: 0151 709 8487

B&M Waste Services W: www.bagnallandmorris.com T: 0151 343 4600

Cote Manchester W: www.cote-restaurants.co.uk T: 0161 834 0945

Baluga W: www.balugabar.co.uk T: 01772 886311

CPL Training W: www.cpltraining.co.uk T: 0151 650 6910

Bar Opus W: www.baropus.co.uk T: 0121 289 3939

Crowne Plaza, Liverpool W: www.crowneplaza.com/Liverpool T: 0151 243 8000

Barton Grange Hotel W: www.bartongrangehotel.com T: 01772 862551 Bierkeller W: www.thebierkeller.com T: 0845 533 3000 Bluefin Group W: www.bluefingroup.co.uk T: 0161 429 9032 Brabners W: www.brabners.com T: 0161 836 8800

D Deloitte W: www.deloitte.com T: 0161 832 3555 Desktop NW W: www.desktopnw.com T: 01704 891155 Doms W: www.doms-manchester.co.uk T: 0161 834 2649

Brown Turner Ross Solicitors W: www.brownturnerross.com T: 0151 236 2233

Everton Football Club W: www.evertonfc.com T: 0151 556 1878

Brunswicks Solicitors W: www.brunswicks.eu T: 0151 666 1700

Everyman Cinema W: www.everymancinema.com T: 0121 296 7613

Bruntwood W: www.bruntwood.co.uk T: 0151 242 6310

Exhibition Centre Liverpool W: www.exhibitioncentreliverpool.com T: 0151 703 7294

Callprint W: www.callprint.co.uk T: 0151 236 5151 Cape Point Liverpool W: www.capepointliverpool.com T: 0151 556 1502

F Freeths W: www.freeths.co.uk/Manchester T: 0845 634 2540

G Garratts Insurance W: garrattsinsurance.co.uk T: 01772 555576 Geason W: www.geasontraining.co.uk T: 0330 088 9596 Gerald Eve & Co W: www.geraldeve.com T: 0161 830 7070 Gorvins W: www.gorvins.com T: 0161 930 5151

H Hard Day’s Night Hotel Liverpool W: www.harddaysnighthotel.com T: 0151 236 1964 Hays Specialist Recruitment W: www.hays.co.uk T: 0161 236 2622 Health @ Work W: www.healthatworkcentre.org.uk T: 0151 236 6608 High Performance Consultancy W: www.highperformanceconsultancy.com T: 0151 556 1975 Hilton Liverpool W: www.hilton.com/Liverpool T: 0151 708 4200 Hotel Indigo Liverpool W: www.ihg.com/hotelindigo T: 0151 559 0111 Huddled W: www.huddled.co.uk T: 0844 848 7000 Huntleys W: www.huntleys.co.uk T: 01772 872820

I Il Forno W: www.ilforno.co.uk T: 0151 668 0007 Intercity W: www.intercity.technology T: 0161 241 1229

J Joseph Frasier W: www.josephfrasiersolicitors.co.uk T: 0845 653 7529

K Kennedy Ross W: www.kennedy-ross.co.uk T: 07825 613 592

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

Lancashire Business View W: www.lancashirebusinessview.co.uk T: 01254 297 870

Nativa Business Solutions W: www.nativauk.com T: 0151 362 0032

Lantei Compliance Services W: www.lantei.co.uk T: 01772 250179

Neighbourhood W: www.neighbourhoodrestaurant.co.uk T: 0161 832 6334

Lauraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Little Bakery W: www.lauraslittlebakery.com T: 07505 557145

Novotel Liverpool W: www.novotel.com T: 0151 702 5100

Listen Creative W: www.listencreative.co.uk T: 0151 706 0741 Liverpool BID Company W: www.liverpoolbidcompany.com T: 0151 233 2890 Liverpool Football Club W: www.liverpoolfc.com T: 0151 264 2500 Liverpool Hope University W: www.hope.ac.uk T: 0151 291 3000 Liverpool John Lennon Airport W: www.liverpoolairport.com T: 0871 521 8484

M Magma Digital Ltd W: www.magmadigital.co.uk T: 0845 241 6460 Malmaison Birmingham W: www.malmaison.com/Birmingham T: 0121 794 3004 Malmaison Liverpool W: www.malmaison.com/Liverpool T: 0151 363 3640 Manchester 235 Casino W: www.manchester235.com T: 0161 820 3924 Manchester House W: www.manchesterhouse.uk.com T: 0161 835 2557 Manzo W: www.manzogrill.co.uk T: 0151 203 8965 Marco Pierre White Liverpool W: www.mpwrestaurants.co.uk T: 0151 559 0555 Marmalade Toast W: www.marmaladetoast.com T: 01772 285521 Marsh W: www.marsh.com T: 0151 236 8211 Morecrofts W: www.morecrofts.co.uk T: 0151 668 0290 MSB Solicitors W: www.msbsolicitors.co.uk T: 0151 281 9040 My Bar Staff W: www.mybarstaff.co.uk T: 07792 916247

On the 7th W: www.onthe7th.co.uk T: 0161 686 5500 Online Ventures Group W: www.onlineventuresgroup.co.uk T: 0844 871 7291 Organic Insurance W: www.organicinsurance.co.uk T: 01254 368 251

P Palm Sugar Lounge W: www.chaophraya.co.uk/palm-sugar/ T: 0151 707 6323

Restaurant Bar & Grill Liverpool W: www.individualrestaurants.com T: 0151 236 6703 Restaurant Bar & Grill Manchester W: www.individualrestaurants.com T: 0161 839 1999 Royal Liverpool Hospital W: www.rlbuht.nhs.uk T: 0151 706 2000 Ruth Haliday W: www.ruth-halliday.co.uk T: 0161 839 7654

Saturn Security W:www.saturnsecurity.co.uk T: 0151 427 5977 Sefton Park Palm House W: www.palmhouse.org.uk T: 0151 726 9304 Signature Bespoke W: www.signaturebespoke.co.uk T: 0151 236 2122

The Albert Square Chop House W: www.albertsquarechophouse.com T: 0161 834 1866

Pertutti Manchester W: www.pertutti.co.uk T: 0161 834 9741

The Alchemist Leeds W: www.thealchemist.uk.com T: 0113 246 0540

Petty (CS) Ltd W: www.pettycommercial.co.uk T: 01282 456677

The Everyman Cinema Leeds W: www.everymancinema.com T: 0871 906 9060

Piccolinos W: www.individualrestaurants.com T: 0151 236 2555

The Leeds Club W: www.leedsclub.com T: 0113 388 2800

Pip Personnel W: www.pippersonnel.co.uk T: 0151 363 1707

The Lowry Hotel W: www.thelowryhotel.com T: 0161 827 4000

Preston College W: www.preston.ac.uk T: 01772 225522

The Richmond W: www.richmondliverpool.com T: 0151 236 1220

The Victoria and Albert Hotel W: www.marriott.co.uk T: 0161 832 1188

Quill W: www.quillmcr.co.uk T: 0161 832 7355

R Radisson BLU Leeds W: www.radissonblu.com T: 0113 236 6000 Radisson BLU Liverpool W: www.radissonblu.com/Liverpool T: 0151 966 1500 Recycling Lives W: www.recyclinglives.com T: 01772 65432 Regenda W: www.regenda.org.uk T: 0344 736 0066 Restaurant Bar & Grill Leeds W: www.individualrestaurants.com T: 0113 244 9625

The Yacht Club Liverpool W: www.yachtclubliverpool.co.uk T: 0151 707 6888 Three Graces Legal W: www.threegraceslegal.co.uk T: 0151 251 0070 Tickled Trout Hotel W: www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk T: 0344 879 9053

U UCLAN W: www.uclan.ac.uk T: 01772 201201

Vincents Solicitors T: www.vincentssolicitors.co.uk W: 0800 310 2000

W Wilson Henry W: www.wilsonhenry.co.uk T: 0151 264 8888

THE BIG BLACK BOOK

THE BIG BLACK BOOK 2016 ONES TO WATCH DECISION MAKERS Victoria Brown Cat Leaver Doug Ward Jacey Normand Mo Adass Tom Singleton Richard Singleton Tom Cullen Katie Kershaw James Villarreal Dan Reilly Ian Leadbetter Ellie Phillps

Sajid Javid Cllr. Keith Wakefield David Brown Ged Fitzgerald Joe Anderson Mark Rogers George Osborne Richard Leese Sir Howard Bernstein Tom Riordan Judith Blake Cllr John Clancy Jennifer Mein

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