Entrepreneur to lead young directors

Natalie Sykes said she wanted to attract Government ministers to Yorkshire, so they could find out about the views of the region’s directors, and become aware of the widespread support for a high speed rail link to London.

Ms Sykes, from Harrogate, takes over from Kenton Robbins, who has become the IOD’s regional director.

Ms Sykes started her first business at the age of 17 when she saw a niche in the haulage and capital equipment industries to supply electrical components in bulk.

She has also held senior roles in the business travel and corporate hospitality sectors.

She is managing director of the management consultancy Profile Seven, a board director for Groundwork UK, the environmental regeneration charity, and has interests in other companies ranging from health and nutrition to carbon fibre manufacturing.

“What is important to us here in Yorkshire is not necessarily what is important to other areas of the UK,” she said. “I want to highlight the issues that most affect Yorkshire business and attract ministers to the region to see first hand what we need and how they can help.

“It is a critical time for business, particularly in Yorkshire with issues such as the high speed rail link, the proposed changes to business rates and the application by Virgin Trains to run the East Coast network. It is a challenge to ensure that we represent the whole of the Yorkshire and the Humber region and we can best achieve that by working in collaboration with the branches.”

She is also hopes to attract the IoD’s next YDF National Annual Conference to Yorkshire.

She said: “We have successfully planned major events and we know our model works to host the event at a national level.”