The Entrepreneurs’ Forum has announced it has appointed experienced Teesside business owner, mentor and investor James Robson MBE as its new chairman.
Robson succeeds Nigel Mills CBE, who has held the position for six years and is a highly-active entrepreneur who has launched and invested in a number of growing businesses. Nigel will remain on the board.
Robson, pictured above (left) with Mills, established Exwold Technology in Billingham in 1992, which is a contract chemical processing company operating in the agrichemical and speciality markets.
The company currently operates from four sites in Tees Valley employing in the region of 120 people, with a turnover in excess of £10m.
Now a non-executive director of Exwold, Robson is able to focus more of his time on sharing the lessons he has learnt during his own entrepreneurial journey with other businesses.
His consultancy company Alexander Jewitt and Co. provides mentoring and hands-on resources to North East small and medium sized enterprises.
As an accredited coach, Robson has built a respected reputation for helping business owners and was presented with the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s Mentor of the Year Award in 2016.
He also works closely with the Department of International Trade (DIT) and, as an investor and chairman of Mircopore Technologies, has raised considerable capital to fuel international growth, bringing the Loughborough University spin-out from the Midlands to its new home on Teesside.
Awarded an MBE in 2011 for services to North East business, Robson is also a prominent member of the region’s chemical sector community and is a member of the North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) leadership board.
He said: “I am very honoured to be appointed Chairman of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum.
“I would like to thank Nigel Mills on behalf of the members for his dedicated and loyal service during his chairmanship and I look forward to building on his achievements in driving the scale-up agenda and as a champion of North East business.
“The access the Entrepreneurs’ Forum gives business owners to a strong and diverse network is vital to the success of so many North East firms. Being an entrepreneur should never be a lonely existence and the opportunity to engage with fellow business owners who have experience and expertise to share is without doubt one of the most valuable resources available to our members.”
Outgoing chairman Mills said: “I am delighted to pass the Chairmanship of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum to James who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role.
“The Forum has established itself as a core part of the North East business community and I am proud to have played a role in its continuing growth and the development of events and programmes that encourage and nurture entrepreneurship in the region.”
