OBE People

Everyone connected with Oxfordshire Business Enterprises has a personal interest in helping start-up businesses to succeed.

Your first point of contact will be Lynette Riley, Enterprise Co-ordinator, who will arrange an appointment for you to see one of our business advisors:

“The advisor I saw provided guidance against the pitfalls and made me think. The style was informal but very professional.”

- Donna Purton, Hygiene Link food safety training More client comments »

 

Our Advisors

Jeremy Andrews

Jeremy is one of our longest serving and most experienced advisors with a background as a sales development manager with ICL (UK) Ltd. He currently runs his own business specialising in sales training and outplacement.

Raymond Cook

Raymond joined us fresh from a successful career spanning over twenty five years owning and operating small and medium sized companies. His wide management experience in both the commercial and retail sectors is complemented by his training in coaching and advising independent business. He is enthusiastic to assist those choosing to create their own unique enterprise.

Simon Forrester

Simon has over 25 years' experience in advertising and marketing agencies and now runs his own marketing consultancy offering wise words and creative ideas to his clients. His business provides marketing strategy development, market research, copywriting, literature design and production, PR, newsletters, direct marketing and internet marketing. Simon offers marketing advice in its widest form to OBE clients looking to start up a new business.

Bernard Goodchild

A former general manager in the banking and finance industry, Bernard has a wealth of experience advising small businesses. He is now an independent management consultant and advisor to a wide spectrum of SMEs assisting with the development of business strategies, plans, raising finance and performance management.

Richard Hartree

Richard is our longest serving advisor having been with us since 1993 and having had a successful career in industrial management. He has also been an award winning Prince's Trust mentor for a number of years and especially enjoys working with pre-start and new businesses, providing business start up help.

Jonathan Hewitt

Jonathan had a successful home and international career in engineering, construction and property management before opting out to win awards as proprietor of the Red Lion public house in Chalgrove. Although retired, he now carries out consultancy work for various organisations as well as his advising role for Oxfordshire Business Enterprises.

David Hill

David has a wealth of experience in training and course presentation. David's background is in commercial and general management with multi-site retailing operations mainly in the drinks sector. He has held senior appointments in personnel and marketing.

Ivor Hopkyns

Ivor was raised and educated in Western Canada and worked for over 30 years for a major Canadian bank in a variety of management and advisory roles. He has been an OBE advisor for over 10 years having helped numerous clients start their new businesses.

Alexandra Mann

Alex has a background in training and before setting up her own coaching practice as a personal development coach, she was a technical trainer for a large international software development company. Alex has a passion for helping both individuals and new businesses reach their true potential.

John May

John has over 30 years' experience advising and helping a diverse portfolio of businesses ranging from sole traders to large corporate organisations. He has been a business advisor for the last 12 years, and has also presented business related workshops for 10 of those years, since leaving Lloyds TSB. Although a generalist, he has particular knowledge of management issues, sales, finance and management accounts.

Gary McHale

Gary is a partner with the MGroup at Summertown in Oxford. The MGroup offers a wide range of business services to its clients. He is a qualified chartered certified accountant having trained with the group ten years ago. Managing a portfolio of clients, his specialist areas are business start ups and international corporate organisations.

Maria Odeyemi

With a background as an optician, Maria managed various optical practices until she started her own businesses in 1990, firstly running her own optical shop on a local USAF base and then a Dollond and Aitchison franchise in Ruislip. Her present highly successful venture was started seven years ago with a tried and tested philosophy, an unknown name and limited funds.

Paul Ovington

Paul is an accomplished and versatile consultant. He possesses a broad range of skills successfully applied in a range of cultures. A key speciality is project management & business planning. He has helped organisations of all sizes to improve their ability to meet market objectives.

Sam Sadler

Sam is the managing director of Sadler Talbot Ltd, an Oxfordshire firm of Chartered Certified Accountants. She has worked with small to medium sized businesses in a vast array of sectors for nearly 20 years. The knowledge gained from working with her clients and running her own practice means that Sam is all too familiar with the issues facing businesses, not just the burden of accounting and taxation.

John Vernon

John is a highly experienced general manager with many years in the engineering sector as both a line manager, corporate strategist and trouble-shooter. He has spent the last 12 years involved with those planning to start up a new business and early stage companies with particular emphasis on budgeting, business planning, strategy and management controls.

Malcolm Warden

An engineering graduate and chartered management accountant, Malcolm has many years' experience working for international companies at directorate level in the UK, USA and Europe. He is enthusiastic to improve business processes especially in the IT field, challenge assumptions and reduce costs. He currently provides part time finance director services to smaller companies.

Peter Windatt

Peter is an accountant and licensed insolvency practitioner having the benefit of 24 years' business recovery and insolvency experience. A director of his own practice employing around 30 people, Peter is fully aware of the practical issues and pitfalls facing small businesses.

Fin Whyte

During a long business career in senior management posts, Fin has gained in-depth experience of new ventures and the work needed to research, establish finance, plan, launch and monitor progress in the early months. Fin has a particular role in advising and helping those clients who have experienced mental difficulties.