ONE of the North East’s leading providers of business support and flexible workspace has bolstered its board with four high-profile business leaders.
The North East BIC, which boasts almost 250,000sq ft of workspace across its four business centres in Sunderland, Washington and Darlington, has appointed four high profile business leaders to supplement its board.
Andrew Marsh, Kevin Howell, Laura Middleton and Sophie Milliken MBE have joined its board of directors, complementing existing directors John Anderson CBE, David Howell, who was previously Operations Director, Paul McEldon OBE, Chief Executive Officer and Kevan Carrick, a director of the BIC for the past eight years.
Kevan Carrick has also taken on the role as chair, replacing John Anderson, who upon stepping down will be given the title of ‘Life President’ in honour of his services to the BIC.
Paul McEldon OBE said: “We are thrilled that Andrew, Kevin, Laura and Sophie have agreed to join the BIC board.
“They will bring a fresh new perspective to our thinking and ensure that, as new opportunities and challenges are presented, we are best placed as an organisation to ensure the region’s businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs have the support and tools required to succeed.
“We would also like to thank John for all of his work over recent years in his role as chair. The Life President award is testament to the incredible role he has played in our growth in recent years, and I have every confidence that Kevan will continue to pick up where he left off.”
Kevan Carrick said: “Over the past three decades, the BIC’s workspace and business support has generated over £2.5billion for the North East economy, providing a home for over 1,000 businesses while helping over 6,000 more to set up and grow.
“Looking ahead, our aim is to continue building on this success and we see the four new directors, who bring a wealth of experience in marketing, recruitment, business development and digital/AI transformation, as being key to achieving this.”
The BIC has delivered over a dozen business support initiatives across the North East over recent years, from social enterprise start-up and growth programmes to business start-up, veterans in business and innovation programmes.
A new business centre in Darlington also opened its doors and with more new programmes and events on the horizon, Kevan is excited to be taking on the role of chair at what is ‘a pivotal time’ for the organisation.
Kevan added: “Working more collaboratively with likeminded organisations is something we’ve done a lot more of over recent years, and it is this new approach to partnership working which I think has really underpinned our recent growth.
“By bringing together government, combined authorities, local authorities, businesses and community groups, we’ve been able to reach more people than ever before with our support, be it those looking to set up a business for the first time or those seeking to grow established businesses.
“We have also worked with partners such as Darlington Borough Council to open a fourth business centre and Sunderland City Council to launch a series of new events, all of which have proven a huge hit and have had a real positive impact on the region.
“Our job now is to help grow the number of successful SMEs in the North East, encourage more people to set up and help meet the challenges facing local and combined authorities and I have every confidence that our new board members will play a huge role in helping us do just that.”
For more information on the North East BIC, visit: https://www.ne-bic.co.uk/
About the new board members
Andrew Marsh
Andrew Marsh, Vistage chair, business owner, non-executive board member and chair/trustee of a number of charitable boards, has been influential in keeping positivity in the leadership ranks of the North East throughout recent years.
He is also involved in a number of local ventures, keen to see the regional economy thrive. Andrew runs six chief executive coaching groups in the North East, providing support and development for CEOs, MDs, business owners and inspiring leaders from a wide range of non-competing industries. He has also led several M&A integrations, unifying companies into one seamless high performing business.
Kevan Carrick
Kevan has been in business for over 50 years, as a chartered surveyor and mediator. His board roles as director, partner and chair have involved acquisitions, disposals and mergers for both business and charities. He acts as mentor to businesses and has run several successful companies.
He has contributed to the economic regeneration and growth of the whole North East region as consultant through JK Property Consultants as co-founder and partner advising on developments such as East Quayside, St James’s Boulevard, International Advance Manufacturing Park, Sunderland economic plan, Teesside International Airport and logistics park, and latterly Middlesbrough and Hartlepool Masterplans.
Kevin Howell
Kevin Howell is a pioneering tech leader and CEO of Howell Technology Group (HTG), with over 30 years’ experience driving digital innovation across the UK.
Passionate about the North East, he’s committed to making it a national leader in technology through HTG’s Microsoft Centre of Excellence, skills development, and community engagement.
As a Non-Executive Director for the BIC, Kevin brings strategic insight and a deep commitment to fostering innovation, helping shape the region’s future as a hub for digital excellence.
Laura Middleton
Laura is a seasoned entrepreneur and community marketing expert with a proven track record of building successful businesses over the past decade, including a notable exit in 2021 and her first investment in 2023.
As a Non-Executive Director for the North East BIC, she brings invaluable strategic acumen and champions the region’s entrepreneurial spirit.
Passionate about making entrepreneurship accessible to all, Laura is committed to inspiring and empowering the next generation of North East business leaders, fostering innovation and a thriving regional ecosystem.
Sophie Milliken
Sophie Milliken MBE is the founder and CEO of Moja Group, working with entrepreneurs and senior execs to supercharge their personal brands and position them as industry authorities. A multi award-winning businesswoman and proud mum, Sophie is deeply committed to the North East. She co-founded City Ladies Networking, running stylish monthly events in Newcastle, London, and Paris.
As Chair of Smart Works Newcastle, she has more than doubled the number of unemployed women receiving interview clothing and coaching across the region and brought on board Sara Davies MBE as the charity’s ambassador. She also serves as a Founding Ambassador for Every Child Needs a Mentor.
