Our Business Growth Team comprises four experts in their specific fields:
BEV HURLEY, CBE
STRATEGY LEAD
Bev has started and run her own businesses all her life, with the exception of an early career in social housing, and a spell in a Canadian gold mine.
During her leadership of YTKO, her fifth venture, she has been responsible for creating and implementing many award-winning and pioneering services for entrepreneurs and businesses, from all backgrounds and sectors, which have transformed the lives and fortunes of thousands of clients. Several of these have spun out of YTKO to stand as independent businesses.
Her strengths are in business strategy, innovation, commercialisation, value propositions, investment readiness, business development, marketing and sales. Bev delivers our Growth Accelerators and Investment Readiness programmes. She has an MSc, is an accredited coach, mediator, mentor and an active angel investor, particularly in tech businesses.
MARK RAYNER
FINANCE LEAD
Mark has a broad knowledge of corporate finance and venture capital, as well as entrepreneurial experience helping early-stage founders and teams build and test strategies, focus, structure and plan for growth.
Mark’s career spans several sectors, from the Royal Air Force, SME lending, fund management, Life Sciences, and as a business builder at a number high growth technology companies, and is FCA Authorised.
He has also lived and worked extensively in North America working with clients such as Google, GoPro, Autodesk, Audi, Tesla and Apple. He enjoys coaching entrepreneurs of the future, and in a voluntary role as Advisor at Astia, champions women in business.
GARETH PREECE
TALENT LEAD
Gareth established his first business in 1995, providing management training and consultancy. He moved to Plusnet, responsible for all management development and customer service training, to the Learning and Skills Council, and then Principal Consultant for EY.
He helps business owners develop strong employer value propositions and branding to attract and retain key talent, innovative recruitment strategies, diversity and inclusion, process and competency mapping, performance management and workforce planning.
Gareth is a specialist in strategic workforce planning, skills and growth, with a reputation of effective delivery across skills, education and business growth engagements. He is a member of the IOD, a Chartered Member of the CIPD, Member of the Institute of Export (and Academic Boardmember) and a Member of the Institute of Economic Development.
LIZ RATCLIFFE
MARKETING LEAD
With a PhD in Hydrochemistry, Liz has had a rich and varied career including Head of Business Development for ITV and Head of Product Strategy for Ordnance Survey. It was through these roles she realised her passion and talent for marketing, setting up her own strategic marketing agency, her second successful start-up.
25 years on, Liz has worked extensively throughout the public, private and third sectors supporting clients in all aspects of marketing, from creating effective strategies to deliver sales and bottom line impact, brand building, market research, PR, content generation, value propositions, demand generation, and practical application of all tactics, both online and offline.
A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Liz is the Holder of five prestigious Chartered Institute of Marketing global awards, specialising in strategic marketing and lead generation tactics for businesses.
