Soon after graduating from the 'Automobiles Peugeot' school of plastic transformation, Eric moved to the North East in 1984.

Eric gained extensive foreign cultures experience in western Europe, managing a large team of representation agents as well as key account manufacturers during his time in technical sales with Elmwood Sensors.

In 1994 Eric joined Entek International Ltd (holders of 3 Queen's Awards for Export) where he is the sales & marketing manager. Entek Int. Ltd manufactures polyethylene battery separators used in the manufacture of car lead acid batteries worldwide.

Commercial developments of territories such as Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan brought him the North East Communication Export Award in 2006. Customer accounts in these countries have seen the growth majority of Entek International Ltd over the past two years.

Eric is a director to the board of European Commercial and Consular Office (ECCO) and French Business Council, which he joined in 1991.

Mark is the managing director of Newcastle Business Village, a managed office, workshop, warehousing and storage facility on North Tyne Industrial Estate.

Peter managed the three Tyne Tunnels - vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist - for nine years before transferring to the new single purpose venture TT2 in 2008, where he helped to design, build and operate the new tunnel and refurbish the existing tunnel to modern European standards.

He is chair of the UK Tunnel Operators Association and active in the World Roads Association (PIARC) where he leads an international task group.

In addition to being involved with the region’s strategic highway network and infrastructure resilience, Peter feeds his experience back into the regional decision making process via the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC), where he is vice chair of the chamber’s North Tyneside Committee. Peter is also the NECC representative on the North Tyneside Strategic Partnership and a member of the North Tyneside Education Business Partnership.

Ken is an experienced construction professional with a commercial background and over 30 years experience in project delivery with major organisations.

He has significant experience of major Private Finance Initiative, Public Private Partnership and Building Schools for Future (BSF) projects at both procurement and construction stages. Locally, he has been involved with a number of key local projects, including North Tyneside Schools, the Newcastle BSF programme and also led a successful bid for Middlesbrough BSF.

Ken is Managing Director at Turney Wylde Construction Ltd in Wallsend.

Alistair began working for his family’s business, Newcastle-based industrial merchant and manufacturer Parkland Engineering Ltd, in 1988. Appointed to the board in 1996 as commercial director, he helped grow the business by completing acquisitions in Glasgow & Teesside, followed by the opening of a new branch of the business in Aberdeen in 2001.

Seeking new challenges, Alistair left Parkland in 2002 and set up Synthesis IT Ltd to provide the local business community with independent IT consultancy, hardware and support services.

A year later he created Dimasoft Ltd, an Internet service provider and software development company. Since then Alistair has added several other business interests to his mainly technology focused portfolio, including setting up a new office accommodation business, Amron Properties Ltd in North Shields.

David is both a chartered accountant and chartered banker with over 40 years experience advising and representing a wide variety of North Tyneside businesses and not-for-profit organisations. His professional practice, one of the largest on the coast, specialises in providing tailored accountancy and taxation services to businesses varying from the sole trader working from home to multi-million pound corporate clients.

In addition to the accountancy practice, David has considerable experience in the financial sector as a building society director, in the educational sector as a governor of a local further education and higher education college and in the charitable sector in a number of roles as trustee, secretary or treasurer of various charities.

Karen has worked in retail for over 25 years and has experience of both large chain stores and independent high street stores. Opening her own business Made to Treasure in 2002 in Whitley Bay, she has expanded into larger premises and continued to grow her career.

Passionate about business, Karen is involved in a range of business groups. She represents the FSB on the forum and is also chair of the Whitley Bay Chamber of Trade. Karen is a business ambassador for the North Tyneside Education Business Partnership and as a qualified tutor, trains young people in art, design & business skills.

Ken was brought up in North Shields and runs Novocastrian, a Public Address and Radio Hire business, based in Tynemouth. Ken has previously managed a Business Advice Centre and is keen to share his views on what is needed to run a successful business. Ken has a wealth of experience in export sales having worked for manufacturers of safety devices to the Oil and Gas and Chemical Process industries. Ken previously managed the Wansbeck Business Forum so brings a special set of skills to the North Tyneside Business forum based on experience of running many business to business events. A keen sailor and motorcyclist, he recognises the importance of balancing the demands of work with the need to chill out big time!

Tel: 0191 2269206
Email: kuikenuk@life.com