Lead on Entrepreneurial Marketing at Leeds Business School. Also lead academic on numerous Knowledge Transfer Partnerships with some exciting SMEs.

Welcometraining is a creative learning business that believes in offering pragmatic and flexible training consultancy service to companies which builds long term business relationships. The growth and success of Welcometraining has been supported by out team of like-minded professionals with a breadth of skills and industry experience. This enables us to add real value to the service we offer our clients whilst maintaining our core values of integrity and trust, professionalism and quality with genuine customer service.

Set up Andrews Associates and welcometraining in 2008 after 10 years as CEO of YTB. Andrews Associates is a consultancy network of leading independent consultants, delivering high quality strategies, marketing plans, feasibility studies and a range of other services to clients across the UK and worldwide. We offer a wealth of specialist experience with clients ranging from top international hotels and resorts, national and local government to tourism enterprises, heritage and environmental agencies and local communities.

Leadership and Innovation Management Training consultancy helping SMEs discover their business model and how to disrupt the market via the Game Changer programme. Helped over 200 SME businesses across the North of England who are looking to lead rather than follow.

Delivered exciting and dynamic events, training and business consultancy.

Yorkshire Tourist Board is the regional tourism marketing agency for the region. It is a £7.7m turnover business with three key areas of business activity, marketing the region, the development and quality of the tourism experience, and the representation of the 2,800 members to enable an environment for tourism to grow. The marketing activity has over a 60% conversion rate, generating £100m of direct tourism expenditure, with a 25% of the customers being first time visitors to the region and a return of investment of 15:1. YTB was the Area Centre for the north of England for the national Quality Assurance Schemes, and has lead from the front in pushing the quality agenda. Yorkshire was the first region to have all local authorities committed to an "Inspected Only" policy for marketing activity and represents the regions on national policy. The company employed 30 staff.As Chief Executive I was responsible for:Long/medium term strategy, such as Regional Tourism Strategy, Corporate Plan and Marketing StrategyExternal communications with political bodies, media and other organisations with an interest in tourism activities,Project development and management of key investment programmes such as bidding and delivery of IIFA (Bollywood) Awards, Royal Ascot at York, etc.Develop and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders to ensure that their policies align with the tourism agenda,Financial and operational effectiveness of the company.

I was responsible for modernising the company and my priorities were to restructure the organisation into core business units, set clear performance and management objectives, and set the direction for growth and development.The main responsibilities were:Development and implementation of the Corporate Plan, Business Plan and Marketing strategy.Expand the marketing activity in the domestic and overseas markets by sales missions and the formulation of packages, identifying sales opportunities and matching these to available product,The development and implementation of marketing campaigns to promote the region to the public and the trade,Deputise for the Chief Executive as required.

Focused the Development team to be customer focused resulting in increase income from research and consultancy activity. Ensuring planning policies met needs of tourism industry, including public enquiries. Implemented "Inspected only" policy gaining all Local Authorities to adopt similar policy. Secured Isle of Man and Guernsey contract for Quality Assurance schemes. Improved product development via targeting of European funding through schemes such as Whitby Tourism Renewal Scheme, First Stop York, Leeds Waterfront.

As a new position it required the rapid development and implement of strategic and operational plans for the provision of a balanced and extensive programme of tourism and countryside activities and monitor their effectiveness. The main initiative was the Cultural Tourism Development Action Plan (TDAP) that developed the cultural activities, including new festivals, and packaged them for the European market with tour operators.

Part of a new tourism unit, I was responsible for the enhancement of the tourism product through the provision of professional advice, feasibility studies and use of soft loans from the Economic Development Fund. I liased with hotel developers, promoted potential sites and assisted with planning applications. Arts Council of Great BritainLondon

Worked in most of the French resorts

Financial appraisal of touring companies and determination of grant offer from the ACGB. Streamline information process and grant application form.