Mayor Ben Houchen
Tees Valley Mayor
Ben qualified as a solicitor in 2009 and practised corporate law, commercial law and commercial litigation for six years before running his own business. He was UK & European CEO of an international sportswear company. He was also leader of the Conservative Group on Stockton Borough Council from 2014 to 2017.
He was elected as the first Mayor of the Tees Valley in 2017 and was re-elected in 2021 with 73% of the vote. He was then elected for a third term in 2024 and currently continues to serve as the elected Mayor.
In his first term, Ben successfully delivered his manifesto pledge to save Teesside Airport from closure and is continuing to deliver the 10-year Rescue Plan for the airport.
He is responsible for establishing the first Mayoral Development Corporation (South Tees Development Corporation - Teesworks) outside of London, second only to the Olympic Park – which was set up for the 2012 Olympics. The Development Corporation is responsible for the regeneration of the largest brownfield site in western Europe, which has attracted billions of pounds in foreign direct investment and is creating thousands of manufacturing jobs in industries like offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon, capture and storage. He has also created two more Mayoral Development Corporations to help regenerate Middlesbrough and Hartlepool town centres.
He has also helped to deliver national policies to help level up the country, including being one of the architects of the UK’s Freeport policy. As a result, he was able to establish the UK’s first and largest freeport – the Teesside Freeport. He also worked closely with Government to bring the newly established Treasury Economic Campus to Darlington, which is the premier home for the Treasury outside of London.
Cllr Brenda Harrison
Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council
Prior to entering politics, Councillor Harrison’s career was in education, spending 33 years of her career teaching music and English in a Hartlepool secondary school.
Councillor Harrison is the Portfolio Holder for Culture and Tourism on the Tees Valley Combined Authority Cabinet and is passionate about delivering a brighter future for Hartlepool and the wider Tees Valley and ensuring young people have a voice to be heard.
Alison Gwynn
CEO, North East Screen
Alison has over 25 years’ experience in culture and creative industry, from providing marketing leadership at the Centre for Life to being instrumental in the planning and development of Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books. Her passion is to support the commercial business development of creative industry in North East England to be sustainable and thrive!
Recent achievements include securing a £37million regional investment from both a Partnership with the BBC and the formation of a landmark pan-region partnership – North East Screen Industry Partnership (NESIP). NESIP was formed by the three Combined and 12 Local Authorities from across the region to level up regional film and TV industries by more than doubling its 2019 share of the UK production market, delivering an annual economic impact to the regional economy of £88million. Alison received a Royal Television Society award for Outstanding Contribution to the Screen industry in 2022.
Sarah Bedford
Director & First Officer at HMB Accountants
Sarah specialises in helping owner-managed businesses, primarily within the Tees Valley, to grow and prosper. Her work with local business owners gives her a deep understanding of the challenges they face. Under her leadership, HMB Accountants provides exceptional service and strategic guidance, fostering the success of the local business community.
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Simon Corbett
CEO of Orangebox Training Solutions
In March 2016, Simon launched Orangebox Training as a start-up, demonstrating his commitment to creating a people-centric environment. Now leading a team of more than 60 staff, including skilled consultants and trainers, Simon ensures exceptional training services across the UK, Europe, and the UAE, with a focus on customer satisfaction, teamwork, and quality assurance.
Brenda McLeish OBE
CEO of Learning Curve Group
With more than 20 years’ experience in the education sector, Brenda has helped drive significant growth in the business, which delivers a broad range of educational services and training programmes across diverse industry sectors and a broad range of learners.
Having entered the sector with East Durham College, Brenda developed her career in a number of roles before joining Learning Curve Group in 2008. Progressing to her current role as Chief Executive, Brenda has helped the business grow from 40 full-time employees to almost 1,000.
Learning Curve Group supports approximately 200,000 learners every year through the learning materials it creates and directly across its network of training facilities and skills academies across England and Wales as well as through relationships with many thousands of employers. Since 2004, the company has seen its turnover increase from £1million to in excess of £60m, also gaining national coverage as a training provider.
Brenda was awarded an OBE for her services to education in the 2022 Queen’s New Year Honours list recognising her 20 years of dedication to the education and training sector on a national scale. This is due to always going above and beyond to promote positive change for the industry, fundraise for many charities and truly embody her vision for transforming lives through learning. Continuing her great success in 2022 Brenda was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of County Durham in May for her dedication and contribution to education and skills in the region.
Brenda is an active member of a series of strategic boards and network steering groups including AELP and St Martins Group.
She has also led on strategy to respond to local and national priorities to support NEETs, apprenticeship provision, delivery to the unemployed, work-based training, flexible learning provision and English and Mathematics.
Lisa Molloy MRICS
Commercial Director of Strabag UK
Lisa has 20 years’ experience working both nationally and internationally, commercially delivering major construction projects in civil engineering, renewables, oil and gas and infrastructure sectors – including commercially managing civil engineering businesses, managing commercial and contractual risks and mentoring and managing teams to achieve successful commercial delivery.
She has a vested interest in industry issues and their resolution, providing representation on industry boards and panels including conflict avoidance and resolution, EDI and a has a personal interest in skills shortage issues.
Cllr Shane Moore
Hartlepool Borough Councillor
With a keen interest in housing, sports and the cultural sector, Shane led on ambitious capital regeneration projects that are currently ongoing totalling over £80 million of investment.
Alongside his Council work, Shane works in the transport industry specialising in petroleum products. He is also a member of the North Area Council for Arts Council England.
Matt Storey
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner
Matt has worked in the public sector his entire career in the Office of Dari Taylor, Member of Parliament for Stockton South, as an officer at Middlesbrough Council and as Parliamentary Office Manager to Andy McDonald MP since 2012.
Matt has been a Councillor in Middlesbrough since 2016, representing Central Ward, and was Labour Group Leader between 2019 and 2023 and Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Board until May 2024.
Martin Raby
Principal, Northern School of Art
He has been the Principal at The Northern School of Art since 2008, and gained a PhD based on a case study at the institution.
The School is a specialist institution delivering further and higher education courses at campuses in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool. It holds Ofsted Outstanding ratings (2009, 2022) and Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold awards (2017, 2023).
