All You Need To Know About NAAME

A “Top 100 Manufacturing Figure”, IET Fellow and Chartered Engineer, Jamie has amassed ‘cutting-edge’ business reinvention expertise during a 30-year tenure in UK and international manufacturing businesses. In 2020, Jamie received an MBE for service to manufacturing. In addition to assisting in wider activities of the parent business, Jamie is Chief Operating Officer at multi-award winning Lintott Control Systems. Previously, Jamie was General Manager and Head of Excellence at AESSEAL plc. Since 2015, Jamie has been NAAME Chair, reflecting his passion for the sector.

James is the Project Manager for Engineering Success, delivering NAAME’s growth strategy, facilitating a prosperous manufacturing and engineering cluster and developing a pioneering talent sharing platform. James also coordinates the NAAME Network, supporting manufacturing and engineering businesses in New Anglia to solve challenges, build regional supply chains, create new connections, and seek new collaboration opportunities. He has a passion for supporting SMEs to overcome challenges, diversify and develop new products and process!

Stephen is an Economic Development professional with over 15 years’ experience of working at various local authorities who has been involved with NAAME since its reinvention in 2015. Stephen has worked in a variety of growth-focussed roles. As well as NAAME, Stephen has been an integral part of the Financial Industry Group (fig) Norwich since 2015 and was instrumental in the delivery of the Food Enterprise Park at Honingham. Stephen is employed as Major Projects Delivery Manager at Breckland Council, focused upon the achievement of inclusive growth, with a particular emphasis upon the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor.

Katy Davies is Managing Director of Evolve Your Future. With a strong focus on people strategy, Katy is also an Enterprise Advisor for Mildenhall College Academy and Chair of the Audit and Risk committee of the Perse School. Katy is a chartered accountant by background, and in 2021 was voted into the “Top 100 in Manufacturing” in the category of inspirational leadership where she was selected as an exemplar. Previously, Katy worked for Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge, firstly in finance and then moving into operations.

Make UK (formerly known as EEF) is the largest and most influential voice supporting over 20,000 UK manufacturing employers, of all shape, size and industrial sector. Chris is the main industrial ambassador for the Midlands & East of England, engaging with stakeholders to represent manufacturing business views. Including with the media, local & national government, High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centres, Mayoral Combined Authorities, the Bank of England and Pan-Regional Partnerships such as the Midlands Engine. A key part of his role as Region Director is to engage Make UK’s members and to assist them in advancing their business. By providing bespoke introductions, industry insight, a programme of events & networking opportunities, promoting their business and ensuring their views are heard with government. Additionally, Chris is also responsible for Make UK’s Affiliate Partner network of sector-specific trade association and regional cluster networks across the country, ensuring all four corners of manufacturing are represented with the highest levels of UK government.

Jo Kerrison from Norfolk County Council's Inward Investment team. Jo’s role is facilitating business growth and investment into the region. Due to her background, she is particularly passionate about working with AME businesses to increase awareness of the talent we have in the region, improve local supply chains, drive innovation, and recognise local success. Previously Jo provided key account support for Global Closure Systems a leading global manufacturer of plastic and aluminium closures, bottles, and dispensing systems with 23 manufacturing sites located in 13 countries and with a turnover of €600m. This included preparing global sales reports, budget preparation and analysis. Prior to this Jo worked for Lawson Mardon Group in both Norfolk and the Midlands in Sales, Production Planning and Customer Service. In her spare time Jo loves walking her 2 dogs, DIY and crime dramas.

Technical Director for Thurne-Middleby Ltd Norwich UK, has been a key member of the business for over 35 years. Thurne-Middleby Ltd designs and Manufactures high-speed slicing machines and systems for the Global Food industry and has customers of all sizes, in many global markets. ‘Thurne’ is now part of the much larger Middleby Corporation, headquartered in the USA and therefore joins one of the world’s leading Food Processing equipment suppliers.

Richard is Founder Owner of Warren Services an Engineering Company based in Thetford now in its 30th year. Great advocator of training young people especially Apprentices. He now actively devotes a lot of his time on various committees which include, New Anglia Skills Advisory Panel, MAKE UK Regional Board, Enterprise Advisor Thetford Academy, Ambassador for West Suffolk College, STEM & Apprentice Ambassador. Proud to be a member of the 5% Club and works very closely with the DWP.

Jordon King is chair of the Greater Norwich Manufacturing Group, and Head of Business Development at Delta Fire Ltd. A world class firefighting equipment manufacturer. As a Family Business Jordon has worked at Delta Fire Ltd from a young age, working across every department in the business. Jordon is passionate about streamlining manufacturing processes and has assisted in readying Delta Fire for Industry 4.0 by championing new and state of the art technologies. Jordon also pioneered the construction and relocation of the new Delta Fire headquarters located on Broadland Business Park. The custom built multi-million-pound facility which has been designed to a strict environmental brief as the company works towards net zero. Jordon holds a degree in Business Management from the University of Nottingham, and an advanced diploma in management accounting.

Roberta Willner is the Business Development Manager for Norfolk County Council. Roberta leads the Economic Development team, with key areas of delivery including business and supply chain support, sector development and site development – including significant project work with Great Yarmouth Port. Roberta has worked in Economic Development for past 12 years, in various roles including grant funding programmes, delivering inward investment and leading on international trade programmes, predominantly for the energy and food & drink sectors. Roberta’s team also coordinate digital support for businesses and have been providing webinar support, during Covid-19, for Norfolk businesses to adopt new digital technologies. Roberta is also a member of the Tech East Board and East of England Energy Zone Strategic Board.

Kate leads the operations of the Institute for Manufacturing’s knowledge transfer company, including the effective function of consultancy support, administration, communications, marketing and event activities. She is responsible for HR and people strategy, including all recruitment to Board level. Kate also manages external collaborations and partnerships with key industry bodies and groups, with a particular interest in public engagement and supporting SMEs. In 2019 Kate won the Whitehall Industry Group Leadership Impact Award and was named on the IfM’s 2020 award in the Royal Academy of Engineering President’s Special Awards for Pandemic Services for her contribution to PPE sourcing projects.

Currently chairman of Warren Services in Thetford, Norfolk, William is an experienced business leader who is a firm believer of successful and sustainable businesses result from strategic alliances. With a career spanning over 20 years, William has developed a passion for developing new business products and services.

Norfolk born and bred, Jerry began his professional career in Kent as a University Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science, specialising in Sport and Exercise Psychology and the Sociology of Sport. In this role he worked not only with University students, but also with elite and professional sports people and junior sports teams. Following a return to Norfolk in 2002 he held a number of roles within the Norfolk County Council’s Adult Education Service. In 2009 Jerry joined City College Norwich where he has been Deputy Principal since 2012. In this role he has key oversight for all aspects of the College’s provision, with a particular focus on Apprenticeships and Higher Education. Jerry holds a number of Board memberships including serving on Norwich City Council Towns Deal Board, the Productivity East External Board, as a Council Member for the Cambridge Access Validating Agency (which develops Access to Higher Education courses) and sitting on the UEA Learning and Teaching Committee. Jerry is also the FE representative on the Executive Group for the Network for East Anglian Collaborative Outreach (neaco, part of the UniConnect programme), facilitating communication with the college sector for the project. As a sector leader, Jerry Chair’s the Association of College’s national Policy Group for Teaching and Learning and the New Anglia College’s Group Deputy Principals group. In addition, he currently co-chairs the Post 16 SEN Strategy Group for Norfolk. Jerry served as a school governor for over a decade at primary and secondary school levels including serving as a Governor of the University Technical College Norfolk.

Gary Jefferson is Executive Director, Curriculum at West Suffolk College. Having completed a mechanical engineering apprenticeship, specialising in manufacture and production, Gary soon became General Manager of a highly successful Hydraulic equipment-manufacturing specialist in North Norfolk before dedicating his more recent career to educating the future workforce of UK PLC. Gary now has ten years’ experience as a senior manager in the further education sector providing outstanding education, built around key strategic partnerships with employers to strengthen West Suffolk College’s curriculum offer, ensuring the students receive the best possible training in the region, that is current and leads to high value careers.

Working with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders, my role is to promote engagement and collaboration across our Engineering areas. Working closely with Industry to develop new and existing relationships locally and nationally as well as acting as a conduit between both our world-leading Engineering teams and our current and prospective partners. I facilitate engagement with organisations who are looking to grow and develop alongside UEA, providing pathways to research, professional development, consultancy and training as well as helping to identify and link organisations to next-generation talent through our exceptional graduate, placement and internship programmes. I also have responsibility for building our business engagement activity at our new £7.4 million, state-of-the-art regional hub for engineering, technology and management, Productivity East where we enable businesses in our region to work alongside our world-class researchers and students to discover practical solutions to current and future challenges. I have responsibility for building partnerships, developing CPD and training opportunities and enabling local and national organisations to enhance productivity gains through collaborative programmes and activities. I joined UEA in May 2019 in my present role as Relationship Manager. After studying Marketing and Business at university and holding various roles across the public and private sector I entered the Engineering Industry where I have spent 15 years developing high value relationships and managing multinational accounts and development activities. My most recent role prior to joining the UEA was working UK-wide, building strategic partnerships across the Mechanical Engineering industry for a large professional body.

Elliot Leeder is currently Operations Director for Frugalpac an innovative, sustainable packaging company based in Ipswich with a global mission to decarbonise the food and drinks industry. Committed to creating and supplying recycled paper-based products and machinery with the lowest carbon footprint that are easily recycled again and don’t need go to landfill. Elliot oversees all Manufacturing, Supply-Chian, and Quality aspects of the business, with an extensive knowledge of Manufacturing, Engineering and Compliance having spent 14 years prior to Frugalpac working in the Aerospace and Automotive industries based in Suffolk to AS, TS & ISO accreditation standards. Elliot is driven by a passion for social responsibility and is committed to the aiding in the protection and expansion of local Engineering and Manufacturing Operations.

Andy has over 25 years’ experience of working for PLC’s, Global Corporations and Entrepreneurial Organisations in the manufacturing sector. Andy has also previously represented the UK on the global ISO technical committee responsible for the development of Standards for testing hydraulic filtration products. Andy is an Associate Professor at Norwich Business School at the University of East Anglia and continues to be highly engaged with regional businesses in his role as MBA Course Director and providing executive education programmes to the business community.

Katie is the innovation and Sectors Coordinator for New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and supports the development and implementation of the LEP’s sector development activity, assisting with building the strategic connectivity between innovation hubs and key areas of innovation-based activity across Suffolk and Norfolk.

I am responsible for ensuring that Norfolk Chambers maintains its position as a leading ‘voice of business’ in Norfolk, through influencing and lobbying on issues affecting the Chambers membership, including the local authorities, education establishments and the general business population. Norfolk Chambers raise and highlight the policy position of our members at a local, regional and national level on key issues, including skills, digital connectivity, infrastructure and place and perception of our region. We monitor local policies and projects/initiatives that directly impact upon our members and ensure relevant action is taken using our Board, area councils and special interest groups.

Ashley Shorey-Mills is the head of Supply Chain engagement at the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. He joined the team at the chamber in June 2021 and is focused on building the local and regional supply chain that will support the new nuclear build at Sizewell C. Supported by a team of 6, they are there to deliver support, guidance, expertise and advice to ensure local businesses from across East Anglia are ready, fit and able to take advantage of the huge opportunity that this £20bn project will offer our region. The chamber network is one that offers unique and wide ranging support to business and Ashley is a passionate promoter of the services and ethos behind the Chambers of commerce Before joining the chamber, Ashley spent a short period working with Classic and sports cars, and prior to that, spent over 20 years working with the region’s largest electrical retailer, Hughes. He is passionate about customer service and working with people, and has taken this ethos and focus into his work on the Sizewell C Supply Chain, ensuring that the support offered to the businesses he is helping to represent, is there when it is needed to give our local and regional supply chain an unfair advantage in gaining work on the Suffolk coast. He would also describe himself as undeniably positive and optimistic and truly believes anything is possible with a bit of drive, determination and commitment. Outside of work, Ashley lives in east Suffolk with his Wife Sarah, Children Eloise & Arthur, Dog ‘George’ & Chicken ‘Big Bird’ (sadly, yes, just one now)

Anette works at Ipswich Borough Council as Economic Development Project Manager. She leads on various projects one of them being the NAAME – GIMG. Anette’s previous experiences are within Business Development, Project Management and Sector Development. Away from work, Anette is a keen potter and enjoys spending time with her family and travelling.

Prior to commencing a career in education, David spent 4 years with TSB Bank. Initially recruited as a graduate management trainee he worked in a number of roles and locations prior to being appointed Recruitment & Training Manager – East Anglia. David has worked in 4 colleges over the past 30 years. He is a business studies graduate with post grad’ qualifications in marketing, banking and education (Cert’ Ed). His first management post was as a curriculum manager at South Essex College. In 1997 he moved to Mansfield to become Deputy Chief Executive at West Nottinghamshire College. Following an outstanding inspection he took up post as Principal at Boston College in 2001. Following a successful 4 years in post he left the college to gain private sector experience, taking up a director post with the Tribal Group, leading the FE Benchmarking business. David has been Principal at the College of West Anglia since August 2007.

Matt has an extensive background in External Funding and Economic Regeneration and has worked for Chester City, Waveney District and Great Yarmouth Borough Councils, as well as EEDA. He has worked on numerous domestic and EU projects and programmes. In addition to this, he has experience of the Voluntary/ Charity sector via his development/funding work with Voluntary Norfolk and the Prince’s Countryside Fund

A time served manufacturing professional devoted to customer satisfaction through a close post sale relationship. 27 years industry experience from shop floor to senior management, experiencing every part of the operation. Passionate about introducing the next generation of makers into engineering and manufacturing careers through meaningful engagement with schools and colleges. Proud supporter of UK Manufacturing. Dedicated to customer satisfaction. The Manufacturer TOP100 award winner. Industry Partner, Enterprise Adviser, T Level Ambassador. Collaboration is key, together we can make engineering and manufacturing shine!