JUDGING PANEL

Ben has spent over 30 years involved in the commercial property sector, latterly as an equity partner of Carter Jonas. His extensive experience includes commercial agency, development, investment and strategic asset management.

Founded Jaynic and previously Carisbrooke. 40 years of obtaining planning and developing land. Proud of thinking outside the box.

Nicola has a degree in marketing and has worked in the commercial property industry since 2002. She worked at Carter Jonas for 10 years before joining Jaynic in 2018 after a short career break.

Born in Leicester, Alex Till moved to Suffolk 25 years ago initially working with SMEs at the Port of Felixstowe developing the purchase and supplier chains within Europe. Since then he has worked for various Suffolk based companies and organisations in Suffolk.

Alex is passionate about the progression of young people and is a Visiting Fellow at UCS’s School of Business and continues to volunteer for the Princes Trust, a role he has undertaken for the past 20 years, representing Suffolk and Norfolk at the Princes Trust Regional Council.

In 2018 Alex was appointed chair of the National Enterprise Network supporting the business enterprise sector in England. 

Alex is chief executive of MENTA and his focus is on helping existing, small businesses, championing SME growth and economic development and providing inspiration and information for start-ups.

Allan started his career in retail in 1990 at Sainsbury’s Homebase on a year’s Trainee Management course, before eventually moving in to shopping centre management in 2003, where he enjoys the huge variety of daily challenges.

Most recently, Allan was appointed as Centre Manager for arc Shopping Centre in February 2022 – Allan has always loved arc and Bury St Edmunds with it’s marvellous mix of the old and the new, and feels really welcomed by everyone he has met. 

Allan attended The Bury Free Press Business Awards for the first time last year, where he says the standard of entries was outstanding, and he would like to wish everyone entering this year’s awards the very best of luck.

Chris Ridgeon is both a Partner and Chairman of Whitings LLP and is a Chartered Certified Accountant having qualified with Whitings in 1990.

He is responsible for a diverse portfolio of corporate and non-corporate clients and acts for clients in various sectors, many of which are from the farming and construction industries. Chris is also an auditor and assists his clients in acquisitions and disposals.

Outside of the office Chris is a member of Bury Abbey Rotary Club, having previously been President and Bury 41 Club, having previously been Chairman of this in addition to Bury Round Table. He is also a trustee of the Suffolk Academies Trust.

Chris is, and continues to be, Treasurer of various organisations and clubs, something which he has enjoyed doing as part of giving back to the community that he has worked in for all his working life.

Jane started WS Training in September 1994 and has developed the company into the largest private provider in the east of England, currently with five learning centres.

The company provides Commercial Training across a large variety of subjects including Health & Safety, Management and IT.

Apprenticeships are offered in a range of sectors including Management, Engineering, Insurance, IT, Social Care and Hairdressing. 

Our centre for High Needs Learners offers high quality learning pathways for young people aged 16-24 with special educational needs and disabilities.

Julie has a portfolio of private sector consultancy experience as well as in local government in London, Cambridgeshire and Glasgow.

She has also run her own business providing consultancy services to private and public sector clients. She is currently Director for Planning and Growth at West Suffolk Council. 

She is delivery focused and enjoys making new and innovative ideas happen. Julie is committed to working with others to achieve outcomes which position our businesses and communities in the best place now and in the future.

Kirstie joined WS Training in October 2018 as Director of Quality. Following 6 months in this role Kirstie took the opportunity to become Deputy CEO, and soon after in August 2019, became CEO of WS Training. From this time Kirstie has worked with a fantastic team to ensure WS Training delivers quality training, tailored to the individual. WS Training prides itself on delivering a range of bespoke courses, offering blended learning opportunities, of face to face and remote training, to cater for the specific needs of learners, delegates and employers. 

WS Training operates from 3 sites across the East of England, with its Head Office based in Great Barton, Bury St Edmunds. The company provides Commercial Training across a large variety of subjects including Health & Safety, Management and IT. Apprenticeships are also offered across a range of sectors including Management, Engineering, IT, Supply Chain & Logistics, LMO, Business and Administration and Customer Service.

Our centre for Supported Learning offers high quality learning pathways for young people aged 16-24 with special educational needs and disabilities. We also offer traineeships as part of our study programme provision to support young people gain valuable qualifications, whilst gaining quality work experience.

Lamia has been with the company for 11 1/2 years, starting as a graduate in the R&D team. Over the years, she has worked in various technical teams but has spent the majority of her career working in Treatt PLC's applications department, demonstrating the value of their products in beverage applications. Whilst carrying out this role Lamia has had the fantastic opportunity to manage the US applications team. Her focus is now Head of Product Development making sure that Treatt continues to create products to wow and surpass consumer demand.

I have been in my role for over 13 years and the organisation represents over 400 town centre businesses ensuring that there is a voice for our members with the authorities and other organisations.

The BID also organises events, initiatives and promotes the town and our businesses in order to increase the number of people who visit the town. Bury St Edmunds is itself a brand and in order to encourage visitors return we need to ensure that they are well looked after and are made to feel welcome. High quality customer service is an important part of this approach.

Mark Daly is a specialist Corporate lawyer in Greene & Greene’s Commercial team. Qualifying in 2008 at an international practice in Cambridge, Mark joined the Firm in 2010 before becoming a Partner in 2012.

Focussing on commercial contracts, investments, fundraisings, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), financing and shareholder matters, Mark has significant experience of acting for main market public companies on M&A, fundraisings and group reorganisations. He also regularly advises private companies, partnerships, entrepreneurs, start-ups, business owners, investors, charities and other organisations.

Recent experience includes complex cross-border commercial contract negotiations with international corporates, multi-jurisdictional joint ventures, acting for the selling shareholders of private companies and leading on strategic transactions for PLCs.

Mark is the former Chairman of the Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District, Our Bury St Edmunds, overseeing the promotion and development of the town’s central business district. 

A keen sports fan, Mark enjoys watching the cricket, rugby and football with his partner and sons, alongside the occasional round of golf.

Phil returned to West Suffolk College in July 2015 after spending 9 years working in Cambridge. 

Qualified to a high level in Management, Business, Customer Service and Health & Safety, Phil offers over 15 years of experience within further education together with running a small business which supplied hospital and ambulance equipment earlier in his career. 

Phil believes in quality, innovation and passion to succeed in both business and life.

Rachel Turner-George is a dispute resolution lawyer in Greene & Greene’s highly-rated dispute resolution team.

Qualifying as a Solicitor in England & Wales in 2013, she joined Greene & Greene in September 2022.

Rachel is a litigator with a focus on complex commercial disputes, civil fraud claims and property disputes, with particular experience in obtaining urgent injunctive relief and enforcing judgments. She acts for companies and individuals. Rachel came to Greene & Greene from a London City firm specialising in multi-jurisdictional, high value disputes and asset recovery.

Recognised in the directories as a ‘rising star’ in commercial litigation and a ‘consummate professional’, Rachel has wide expertise across banking, finance, international trade and insurance disputes in court and arbitration proceedings, as well as considerable experience from the worldwide enforcement of one of the UK’s largest-ever divorce awards (£453m), targeting assets such as a superyacht, overseas bank accounts, Liechtenstein trust entities and valuable artwork. Since joining Greene & Greene Rachel’s experience has included obtaining freezing injunctions over assets and charging orders against property, and handling a variety of contractual and tortious disputes involving companies and individuals both in the UK and overseas. 

During her career Rachel has worked in London, Athens, and now Bury St Edmunds. She has an MA in Classics from Oriel College, Oxford. Outside work Rachel enjoys netball, cycling and country music (an interest not shared by her family) and, together with her young daughter, is trying earnestly to improve at gardening and baking.

Following a long and distinguished career with Lloyds Bank where Steve headed up the Commercial Banking operation for East England, he has now launched a business coaching and mentoring business (Number 4 Consulting), where we works with business owners and senior managers to help develop people strategies, create personal development plans and improve internal communications and processes. 

Steve is currently Chair of West Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, Chair of Love Newmarket BID and a member of the Newmarket Charitable Foundation Events committee

Suzanne’s role is to ensure the smooth operation of MENTA and @inc sites across West and East Suffolk. Liaising with new and emerging businesses in our co-working spaces, engaging on their initial business ideas to housing new tenants in our sites.