Board membership: a diverse voice for the regional economy
The Business Board brings together leaders from across sectors, places, and communities. Members include the Mayor, local council leaders, higher and further education representatives, and business leaders who chair our cluster groups.
Together, they provide a range of perspectives and insights to help shape growth across the West of England.
Members act in a personal capacity, bringing their networks, expertise, and experience to help align business ambition with public investment and strategy.
Board chairs
Image credit: NCC Jo Dally (Interim Co-Chair)
Jo Dally is one of the Mayor’s Business Advisors, and Chief Business Officer at NCC. In this role, she leads NCC strategy development and implementation alongside the business’s public affairs and marketing functions and its portfolio of strategic industrial and place-based partnerships. Before joining NCC, Jo held senior leadership roles across the public and private sector, all with innovation and partnership working at their core. This included as Director of the Western Gateway (a pan-regional economic partnership), in bp’s Future Mobility and Solutions business, at the Royal Society (the UK’s National Science Academy), and as a Senior Civil Servant with responsibility for Horizon Scanning and Emerging Technologies.
Nick Sturge (Interim Co-Chair)
Nick Sturge has a portfolio of non-exec, advisory, and voluntary roles in the tech sector, public sector and education, including at techSPARK, CFMS, Bristol Women in Business Charter, Boomsatsuma, Bath Spa University and Cardiff University, and previously developed the innovation brief for Cheltenham’s Golden Valley Development. Prior to that he co-founded and floated Motion Media plc, grew the Bristol SETsquared Centre to become part of the top global university-backed business incubator, and co-founded Engine Shed to house SETsquared and drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the West of England. Nick achieved Chartered Director status with the Institute of Directors and has a track record of working at the intersection of academia, business, and government.
Board members
Nigel Toon
Nigel is a technology business leader, entrepreneur, investor and engineer, having been CEO at three successful venture capital backed companies, including Graphcore, which he co founded, and which developed a new type of microprocessor specifically for artificial intelligence. He was previously a senior executive at Altera, a major Silicon Valley, publicly listed semiconductor company. He has served as a board member and chairman for several technology businesses and currently sits as the senior non executive director on the board of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which is a non departmental UK public body that directs over £8bn per year into research and innovation funding for the UK. He has also been a member of the UK Prime Minister’s Business Council.
Imran Khawaja
Imran Khawaja was appointed Head of Filton Plant at Airbus in 2023, transitioning from his role as Head of Wing Airframe Architecture & Integration. Joining Airbus in 2000 through the Graduate scheme, his career spans significant roles across the A400M, A320 and A350 programs, including Composite Stress Engineering and key leadership positions within the A350XWB Wing Chief Engineer's team and Single Aisle development team. He is recognised as an Aircraft Architect, Industrial leader and Advanced Manufacturing specialist. A Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a Chartered Engineer, Imran is deeply committed to mentoring. As a member of the Filton site leadership team, Imran champions an inclusive culture at Airbus. He sponsors the Social Mobility employee resource group, a mission fueled by his personal experience growing up in a low socio-economic environment.
Andy Guest
Andy Guest is Head of Strategy and Group Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at the Mott MacDonald, one of the UK’s largest employee-owned engineering firms. With over 20 years’ experience in infrastructure and business development, Andy has led major projects and teams across the West of England, Midlands, and Wales. He is now responsible for shaping global strategy, driving growth, and managing strategic acquisitions across the global footprint of the Mott MacDonald Group. Andy is an active member of the Business in the Community National Place Taskforce and represents Mott MacDonald on the UK-ASEAN Business Council, supporting international investment and trade. He began his career as a science teacher and school leader in the WECA region before moving into senior roles in the private sector. Known for his collaborative approach and commitment to social value, Andy is passionate about supporting growth and innovation across the region
Helen Argo
Helen joined Aardman in 1998 and has worked within all the main production departments. She initially started work in long form features before moving into series work on Creature Comforts, and over the past 16 years within commercials and short form creating animated and digital content for advertising agencies and third party brands as well as internally with Aardman characters such as Morph and Wallace & Gromit. As the Executive Producer for Third Party and Commercials, Helen is responsible for the day to day running of the production team to ensure productions are managed efficiently and to the high creative standards expected by the company.
Ann Cousins
Ann Cousins is a leader in Arup’s Bristol office, who, through this role, brings nearly twenty years of experience of working in the Region. She specialises in providing strategic advice on energy and climate change to both public and private sector clients, locally, nationally and internationally. She brings insight into the whole energy system and its potential to unlock growth opportunities, supporting a just energy transition for everyone who lives and works in the West of England. She brings a strong network and commitment to partnership and collaborative working, with previous experience on a Business West advisory group, and as co-chair of Bristol’s One City Environment Board. Arup’s independence as an employee-owned business helps her to focus on the wider outcomes for the area in these roles. Ann lives in South Bristol and loves exploring the West of England on her bike.
Heather Frankham
Heather Frankham is a serial entrepreneur and impact leader with over 25 years’ experience in education, apprenticeships, and purpose-led business. After teaching in Bristol schools, she founded Lifetime Training in 1996, growing it into the UK’s largest apprenticeship provider, working closely with employers in the healthcare, retail, hospitality, and fitness sectors. Since exiting the business in 2016, Heather has chaired several education companies, co-founded the EdTech platform Bud, and established Origin Workspace to support business growth and collaboration. She has also invested in over 20 early-stage businesses and actively supports entrepreneurs across the region. Heather is passionate about creating inclusive opportunities for young people and helping businesses grow. She founded the Origin Foundation to support youth-focused charities and currently chairs both the Foundation and Youth Moves 224, which is delivering a new £12M Youth Zone in South Bristol. She remains a committed advocate for entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive regional development.
Annabel Thomas McGregor
Annabel is a purpose-driven leader with extensive experience across social enterprise, education, and the third sector. She’s currently CEO of Raised In CIC, a Bristol-based social enterprise providing high quality early years education and care in community spaces for the benefit of local families, while also championing working in early years as an aspirational and impactful profession. Her career spans senior roles in international education charities and business development for a global performing arts and communication exam board, alongside national work advancing creative learning in schools. Annabel also serves as a trustee for an academy trust and a heritage conservation charity, reflecting her commitment to education, culture, and community. She is passionate about educational equity, driving sustainable impact, and finding collaborative solutions to societal challenges.
Jon Hunt
Jon started his career in industrial chemistry, working with BP Chemicals and completing a PhD with Merck before moving into research and innovation policy at EPSRC. He went on to roles in a London SME and the Royal Society, then shifted his focus to driving regional growth. Based in Bath since 2005, Jon has led major initiatives at the Universities of Bath and Bristol and the West of England Combined Authority. He has chaired boards from national associations to local ventures, including Engine Shed and SETsquared, and previously led the ERDF Board. Jon was instrumental in securing IAAPS funding and delivering the Isambard AI contract - projects that put the West of England on the global innovation map.
David Withey
David is the CEO & Principal of South Gloucestershire & Stroud College. He is also the inaugural Chair of Colleges West, a collaborative partnership which brings together five colleges across the West of England Combined Authority area. Between them those colleges deliver high-quality education and training to more than 50,000 learners every year and employ 3.500 people. He is a former senior civil servant who has worked across Education and Treasury departments in the UK and Australia, most recently as Chief Executive of the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
Sado Jirde
As Director of Black South West Network (BSWN), Sado Jirde is a leading voice in the South West and nationally in shaping equitable policymaking.
Sado secured investment for groundbreaking enterprise programmes across Tech, Creative Industries, Green Skills and Social Enterprise, each to build sustainable business models and generate high-value wealth creation within communities excluded from mainstream economic activity. She established the Economic Inclusion Steering Group, convening cross-sectoral leaders to shape models for investment, access to finance, and inclusive growth for racialised entrepreneurs.
In addition to redeveloping The Coach House – a historic community asset in St Paul’s expected to generate over £20 million in value for communities - Sado sits on the One City Economy & Skills Board, the South West Museum Development Advisory Board. She is a Visiting Industrial Fellow at Bath Spa University and has won Transformational leader of the year in the South West Business Leadership Awards 2025.
Helen Godwin
Helen Godwin is the Mayor of the West of England. Elected in May 2025, she has started a new chapter for the region. Helen was born in the West, grew up here, is raising her family here, and has worked as a local councillor and in business. She’s committed to bringing people together to get things done, across Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire, working with North Somerset and the Labour government. Helen’s priorities include reliable buses and trains that connect our communities, affordable homes in the right places with essential services, and pathways to green jobs that power our future economy.
Kevin Guy
Kevin Guy is Leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council, and Deputy Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority. With a background in the Royal Navy and more than a decade as a councillor, Kevin enjoys helping others in the community come together and succeed for the benefit of everyone. He cares about making a positive difference to the area he lives in, from its economy to the environment. A resident in the heart of Bathavon North ward, he enjoys walking, supporting Bath Rugby and is looking forward to future regular swims in Cleveland Pools.
Mike Bell
Mike Bell is a member of North Somerset Council and is the Leader of the Council. Previously, he has been Deputy Leader of the Council, Executive Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing and Executive Member for Finance and Performance. He was a member of the LGA Culture, Tourism and Sport Board from 2013-2019, serving as Deputy Chair. He has been a member of the LGA Community Wellbeing Board since 2019. He works for disability charity the Thomas Pocklington Trust and is the past chair of the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire NHS Integrated Care Partnership and North Somerset’s Health and Wellbeing Board. He chairs the West of England Joint Committee.
Tony Dyer
Tony Dyer has represented the Southville Ward as a local Councillor since 2021. Appointed as Leader of the Council on 21 May 2024, he is the political figurehead of Bristol City Council and represents the interests of the council at a community, regional, national and international level. He has a comprehensive working background in IT consultancy, data analytics, and business, delivering large scale projects for multiple organisations and specific interest and expertise in local government finances, housing, and urban planning.
Maggie Tyrrell
Maggie Tyrrell is the Leader of South Gloucestershire Council. She is an experienced Councillor whose latest role on South Gloucestershire Scrutiny Commission has confirmed her belief that consultation and collaboration are key to good decision making. Maggie is also a tennis official, organising tournaments for young people across the region. She’s a proud grandmother of two girls and two boys.