YORK PROFESSIONALS - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Board Director

Job Titles:

• Director

As Director of Sales And Business Development at YO1 Radio, York's local radio station, Dale leads the team to deliver outstanding creative opportunities for businesses in and around York. A member of York Professionals for many years, Dale is respected and well liked in the city and has an established network of contacts in the professional services sector. With a strong sales background coupled with an ongoing radio presenting career, Dale worked previously for Bauer Media and Minster FM. Representing the Creative & Digital Sector, Dale brings flair, enthusiasm and a creative outlook to his role as Director of York Professionals.

Job Titles:

• Chairman
• Managing Director of the Alternative Board

Elliot is the Managing Director of The Alternative Board (TAB), covering York and the North Yorkshire region where he operates as a coach and advisor to private business owners and leaders. A graduate from UMIST in Management Science, Elliot began his career in Human Resource Management with Unilever in 1995 and then onto United Biscuits (McVities) in London before becoming Sales & Marketing Director in his family engineering business in Halifax where for 17 years he guided the team to international success. In 2012 Elliot went to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen where he was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade on behalf of the business. Having held Board level positions within various engineering and manufacturing companies, Elliot has spent many an hour discussing and implementing strategies with business owners and their management teams. It is this insight and knowledge gained over 20 years that he wishes to share amongst fellow business owners to help them strive towards their personal and business goals. "G+E have been a YP member since the start and on the Board for as long as I can remember too. When my predecessor stepped down due to relocation, I seized the opportunity to join and become Treasurer. Prior to joining I did chat to a couple of contacts who had been involved previously and everyone's experience had been really positive. For me it was a great way to develop my network with like-minded business people and also my skill set, getting involved in things I would not ordinarily do in my role with G+E. I am enjoying the role and feel that I have grown in confidence and really got to know a great group of people with different specialisms."

Job Titles:

• Director
• Co - Founder of Torque Law

Emma Whiting is the co-founder of Torque Law, an award-winning employment law practice in York. Emma has specialised in employment law for over 20 years. She has a wealth of knowledge across the full spectrum of employment law issues, with a particular emphasis on providing strategic employment advice to SMEs and OMBs on complex and reputationally significant matters. She is also recognised as an accomplished negotiator, securing favourable outcomes for some of the region's most senior executives on their exit arrangements, as well as a first-class trainer, providing practical, tailored training programmes for HR teams and managers. When she's not chauffeuring her two children, Emma spends her free time on the tennis court, attempting to perfect her backhand.

Job Titles:

• Administrator
• Admin@York - Professionals

As Administrator for York Professionals Jo supports the Board of Directors. She organises, manages and delivers an annual events plan, arranges meetings, delivers marketing, social media and PR, acts as Treasurer and plays an active role in membership recruitment.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Senior Manager at Clive Owen LLP

Jonathan is a senior manager at Clive Owen LLP, an independent regional accountancy firm with offices in York, Darlington and Durham. York born and bred, Jonathan joined the firm in 2007 having graduated from Newcastle University, and qualified as a chartered accountant in 2011. He was appointed as a manager in April 2013, as a senior manager in October 2016 and as a director in April 2020. Jonathan heads the audit and accountancy department in the York office, and his experience of working with clients across many differing industry sectors ensures that he has a wide understanding of the challenges businesses face. Jonathan's approach is a personal service, aiming to build long-term relationships which ensures that he is able to offer the best solutions to clients. Outside of work, Jonathan is a keen sports fan, as well as an active member of City of York Hockey Club, for whom he has played in goal for the 1st and 2nd XI's over the past 11 years, as well as holding a role on the committee.

Job Titles:

• Director

Karen joined the board in 2017, and is one of the two owners of York PR, communications and digital agency, The Partners Group. She joined Partners in 1999 and was part of the MBO team that acquired the business in 2006. Karen has worked in PR and communications for 20+ years, and her experience ranges from floor coverings to food ingredients, Vikings and entrepreneurs to membership organisations and professional services firms. She loves learning what makes organisations tick and helping them use effective PR and communications to reach and influence the right people. Karen supports social entrepreneurs in the region as a volunteer business mentor through UnLtd, and currently chairs the global International Public Relations Team PR network, which helps SMEs tap into PR and marketing expertise in global markets.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Founder and Managing Director of KD Recruitment

Kelly is the founder and Managing Director of KD Recruitment. Having spent most of her career working in the corporate world within property, banking and recruitment; Kelly decided to use her vast skillset and experience to set up her own recruitment agency in 2017, knowing that being successful in recruitment was about a lot more than simply sending a CV to a job. She is passionate about being a flexible and supportive employer, especially with staff who have children as she didn't receive any support when returning to work after both of her children. She is an expert recruitment and resourcing strategist who works closely with senior leadership teams across North and East Yorkshire. Supporting them with talent attraction strategies, staff retention, diversity and inclusion, employer branding, current market conditions and salary bench-marking. This then enables her team to recruit the best people for them within Accountancy and Finance, HR, Office Support, Sales, Marketing, Procurement, Logistics, Supply Chain and IT. Kelly also makes sure that she supports jobseekers throughout their journey with KD Recruitment by providing bespoke careers advice, guidance on their CVs and personal branding, as well as supporting them with interview preparation. After 12 months in business, Kelly was shortlisted for a number of business awards in the local region and won the prestigious "STAR Women in Business" award for best Micro business, which shows the impact that she made in such a short space of time. Since then she has gone on to be a finalist for the Yorkshire Choice Awards, Scarborough Business Awards, Regional FSB Awards and the Chamber of Commerce Awards. Kelly has grown the team steadily and they continue with the same values as her which is clear to see as KD Recruitment are now recognised as one of the leading recruitment agencies on the region.

I'm Lisa Clifford. Internationally certified firewalk & empowerment master trainer, global speaker & coach.

Job Titles:

• Consultant
• Director
• Managing Director of YorGuest Ltd

Will is an experienced consultant with 20 years' experience as a coach, facilitator, and senior manager having worked in a number of large complex organisations, both public and private, embedding strategic change. Lorraine Wilson is Managing Director of YorGuest Ltd, a family-run, York based Property Management company that specialises in managing holiday homes for property owners in Yorkshire. After successfully rising to the challenge of running her own holiday lets in York and Warwickshire, Lorraine established YorGuest to use her knowledge and experience to help others benefit from the advantages that short-term lets can provide. Despite launching in 2020 during a challenging time for hospitality, YorGuest has now grown to be one of the leading Holiday Let Management companies in York. York-born and bred, Lorraine has an established presence within the York business community and was a finalist two years running in the York Women Mean Business Awards in 2018 and 2019. Lorraine is passionate about the local area and works closely with Make it York as part of the Members Advisory Board. When not assisting guests with their own holidays Lorraine loves holidaying and eating out with her family.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Creative Director of Soapy Productions

Sophie is Creative Director of Soapy Productions, an event AV company providing stages, lighting and sound for indoor and outdoor events across Yorkshire. Sophie's career began as a broadcast journalist on the news desk at Stray FM, often providing news bulletins for stations across Yorkshire including Minster FM and Yorkshire Coast Radio. In 2015, she launched a successful marketing agency in York, and is now helping to build Soapy Productions as the go-to AV provider for small events across the region. She also recently launched a podcast production arm, providing podcast services to businesses. Sophie is a Chartered Marketer and hosts York's local podcast, Between These Walls.

Job Titles:

• Vice Chair
• Partner at Andrew Jackson Solicitors

Susie Mortonson works as a partner at Andrew Jackson Solicitors, specialising in corporate and commercial law. Susie advises a wide range of businesses in a wide range of sectors on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and investments, shareholder issues, corporate governance, partnerships and all forms of commercial contracts. She previously worked as partner and Head of Department at another local regional law firm and, prior to that, with two major commercial law firms in Leeds. Susie aims to take a pragmatic but commercial approach to all transactions, and clients and fellow professionals appreciate her ability to combine commercial and technical insight with the calm, personable approach she also brings to her work. She is passionate about championing local businesses and encouraging them to succeed in the Yorkshire market and beyond. The Legal 500 (2018 edition), the independent study of leading law firms, notes that Susie provides 'concise and prompt advice'.