We are somehow already heading into Winter after another year of political, economic and technologic turmoil. Read the newsletter (opens in browser).

A huge congratulations to Duncan Kerr at Wave Active, who scooped up The Alchemist Award at Hubbub2024. Alan Margetts, MD at The Kitchen Store, sponsored and presented this award. Below are some words from MDHUB team member Helen Bailey explaining…

Congratulations are in order for Helen Saint at GPsurgery.net, as she scooped up Best Supporting Act at Hubbub2024, MDHUB’s Leaders lunch and awards ceremony. This award was sponsored by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council. Below are some words by Tim…

Congratulations to Dylan Jones at DJ Engineering, who was awarded The Kindness Award at our recent awards ceremony. The Kindness Award is a new award for 2024 in memory of our much-missed colleague Joe Mattelaer. The award was presented to…

Well done to Ryan Page at Espresso Solutions, who won The Swiftie Award at Hubbub2024, our annual Leaders lunch and awards ceremony! The award was presented by Peter Luck at ROCC, who sponsored this award. Below are words by Kerry…

Well done Lisa Cooper at KBC PR, who has won The Lioness Award at our annual Leaders lunch and awards ceremony, Hubbub2024. The award was presented by Terry Toms at R&D Tax, who sponsored the award. Below are words by…

Celebrations are in order for Jonathan Grant at DMH Stallard, who won The Braveheart Award at our annual Leaders lunch and awards ceremony, Hubbub2024. Sponsor Paul Mason, Director of Nordell, presented this award. Below are some words by the MDHUB…

Congratulations to Peter Luck at ROCC for winning The Disruptor Award at Hubbub 2024, MDHUB’s annual awards ceremony. The award was presented by Russ McKenzie, Director of nTrust, who sponsored this award. Below are some words shared by MDHUB team…

A huge congratulations to our MDHUB Leader of the Year, Steve Hayman of Cheesmur Building Contractors. Steve is a very special human being who we have had the pleasure of knowing for a good number of years and who we…

When Andy Ferret, Founding Director of Shoreham-based app development agency, Brightec, took a 12-week sabbatical to help himself recuperate after 14 years running the agency, Josh O’Riordan stepped into his shoes to run the company. Now in his tenth year…

Work-life balance: how do you get it right? For Cameron Fry, this involves juggling several businesses, as well as finding time for his family. Millie Green of MDHUB finds out what it takes for Cameron, founder of the Liqui group,…

Read about what the MDHUB team have been up to and what we’ve got on offer for the March-September season in our March 2024 newsletter.

MDHUB member Flare Audio is a disruptor in the sound technology sector. Millie Green talks to co-founder and co-CEO Davies Roberts about his work, and an exciting new product launch scheduled for 2024. Davies Roberts is an inventor. Naturally, this…

Read our December 2023 newsletter. This feature includes an events roundup for the start of 2024, and the results of our 2023 members survey.

Well – that was another year of turmoil! We had hoped that the new year would be clearer, more settled and positive following the Trussonomics debacle. Sadly, the world thought differently. As always, our focus is on how you are…

Read our November newsletter. This feature includes an interview with Rob Day, and the award winners from our recent 21st birthday celebrations.

As part of our 21st anniversary celebrations, we recently invited three fabulous speakers, Mamta Patel, Matt Barker and Giles Palmer, to share their experiences with our members.   Their combined years of experience running some of the biggest and most impactful…

Thank you to TEK Express for sponsoring this award. Go to the TEK Express website. Liqui® Group was founded in 2007 by furniture designer and maker Cameron Fry who has grown the practice into an international ,award-winning, multi-disciplined design studio…

Thank you to Nordell for sponsoring this award. Go to the Nordell website. Bill joined The Hub 100 in its very early days, representing his thin company Brighton Sheet Metal. With a mostly absentee owner and little support Bill kept…

Thank you to LMS Group for sponsoring this award. Go to the LMS Group website. Josh (Brightec) is exactly the sort of person you would want to have your back, thoughtful, skillful, kind and determined and a worthy winner of…

Thank you to DMH Stallard for sponsoring this award. Go to the DMH Stallard website. Kerry Kyriacou’s comments: It is no surprise Steve has won this category – he was recruited as Operations Manager a couple of years ago to…

Thank you to Brightec for sponsoring this award. Go to the Brightec website. Rosie has been a member of MDHUB for many years with Leapfrogg a very early social media company. Rosie also joined in the MDHUB tour to China. …

Thank you to Flare Audio for sponsoring this award. Go to the Flare Audio website. Unfortunately Pete was unable to join us at Hubbub2023, but his colleagues Ronni Patel and Kristian Abrahamsen from ROCC were there to accept the awards…

Thank you to Cheesmur Building Contractors for sponsoring this award. Go to the Cheesmur Building Contractors website. Jess was introduced to the MDHUB by a member of our MDHUB London group back in 2018 initially for support through Management Coaching…

Thank you to nTrust for sponsoring this award. Go to the nTrust website. Flare Audio started in 2010 in a garage in a garden. As a small team of three they built their first loudspeakers and provided PA for gigs…

Millie Green of MDHUB interviews colleague Rob Day Rob Day is an MDHUB success story. A member in the early days of the hub100, Rob has since joined the MDHUB team, and now facilitates workgroups for our members. We chat…

Kate Bendix chats with Sam Francis and Kath Akturk of TEKexpress. Read the article on the Surrey Business Magazine website. My go-to mindful exercise is – who would I like to be stuck in a lift with before several fit…

Read about the efforts of four MDHUB members to raise money for charity by swimming and walking. Read the article on the Platinum Business Magazine website.

Dynamic’s Motoring Editor, FIONA SHAFER, MD of MDHUB interviews long-term MDHUB member Barney Dines, CEO of Heritage Parts Centre in Shoreham-by-Sea Fiona Shafer interviews Barney Dines, CEO of Heritage Parts Centre. Who knew that one of the biggest spare parts…

Read Kate Bendix’s interview with Clare Wilkinson at Hot Horse. Read the article on Platinum Business Magazine’s website.

Please see our programme here.

Please follow this link to read 360 HR Ltd.’s Spring 2023 employment update.

Follow this link to download the 50 Leaders Survey results document.

Follow this link to download the programme of events for May to July 2023.

MDHUB Director, Phil Green was delighted to present recent Futurehub alumni Joe Mattelaer, Kath Akturk (TEK Express), Jo Lucas (Alistair Fleming Design), Emma Penn (Nordell) and Kevin Roberts (E & S Heating & Ventilation) on the 20th February 2023 with…

Read Phil Green’s overview of the Futurehub programme. By Kate Bendix

Our late winter and early spring programme has now been released. Our post Covid day to day focus shifts into the future as we look forward to a brave new world, once again. Picking up on fast developing trends for…

Our final award of the event, MD of the year, was awarded to Sam Francis of TEK Express. In 2000, Sam set up TEK Express when she spotted a gap in the IT support market for businesses and their remote…

“Running a business is far easier with help. This is demonstrated wonderfully by the winner of our Best Supporting Act award, Kath Akturk at Tek Express. Kath’s boss Sam Francis nominated her for the award, and explained the potential that…

“When demand rockets and you have to scale your business, it can be easy to lose quality in your service. The Born to Run award, which we presented to Rachel Walker and Kate Underdown from The Foldline, celebrates the right…

“Adaptivity is the theme of the next award that the MDHUB presented: the Alchemy Award. Justin Sayers, CEO of Adventure Connections, received this award for his graceful navigation of several turbulent years as an events business. Just before the pandemic…

“In the spirit of going above and beyond, the Beyondce Award was presented to Wave Leisure’s CEO Duncan Kerr, for his contributions to the wider community. The amazing outreach programmes they run help participants to prevent falls, escape from long-term…

“The MDHUB was thrilled to award English sparkling wine producer Ridgeview’s entire workforce with our Eco-Warrior award, for their extraordinary collective effort to minimise their environmental impact while running their business. In interview with Fiona Shafer, the MDHUB’s MD, Ridgeview’s…

“Matt Turner of Creative Pod, a multi-disciplined marketing agency, was awarded with our Lioness award for looking after and rewarding his workforce and developing fantastic working relationships with key clients. His efficient processes mean that his team have autonomy to…

“At the MDHUB, we support MDs at all stages of their professional development. We presented Emma Penn, plastics manufacturer Nordell’s head of HR, with our Rising Star award, for her phenomenal drive and commitment to her job. This award was…

Please see below for 360 HR Ltd.’s Autumn employment update.

Read Kate Bendix’s interview with MDHUB member Timothy Green about being a director at GPsurgery.net, and the journey that led him to this role.

When I think of the Channel Islands, my overarching perceptions are they are a tax haven populated by banks; Sark doesn’t allow motorised vehicles; and Guernsey is widely regarded as a poor relation to Jersey. However, Guernsey, as my new…

Fiona Shafer talks with Luke Mead, CEO of LMS group, about how he has grown his business and his leadership skills.

Find out why Kate Bendix thinks Bailey Solutions’ founder Penny Bailey is ‘…one of the most interesting humans I have ever met’.

Please read the full interview on the Coastal West Sussex Partnership website

Our lovely MDHUB Team member Kerry Kyriacou won the Raffle Prize on the night of a fabulous Gresham Blake suit , worth £2000.Which in Kerry’s typically generous style , he donated back to be re auctioned to raise further funds…

Congratulations to MDHUB Member – Tamara Roberts – CEO of Ridgeview Wine Estate who was the winner of the top award at The DYNAMIC Business awards – The DYNAMIC Award. So richly deserved.

MDHUB were delighted to sponsor The CSR Excellence Award at the DYNAMIC Business Awards and were thrilled to award it to it’s very worthy winner – Julie Kapsalis of Coast To Capital

Congratulations to MDHUB Member Rachel Watkyn – MD of The Tiny Box Company who won Business woman of the Year at the DYNAMIC Business Awards at The Grand Hotel in Brighton on June 29th 2022.

Fascinating article about MDHUB member Dr Alastair Livesay by Kate Bendix

We are delighted to be sharing our brand new MDHUB programme of events and business support services brochure with you all.

What do you think are women’s top pet peeves when it comes to fashion? Find out all about new MDHUB members The Fold Line in an interview by Kate Bendix in the April edition of Platinum magazine.

The Influencers Forum discuss ESG and the importance of corporate social responsibility.

MDHUB members Rachel Watkyn from Tiny Box Company and Danielle Reynolds from DVR Equestrian discuss their new joint venture Aire Activewear with Kate Bendix in the latest edition of Platinum Business Magazine.

Not your average “accidental” entrepreneurial story. Molly, Rosie and Harriet Freshwater in conversation with Fiona Shafer, MD of MDHUB.

Read the interview with our MD of the Year Paul Mason in this months Platinum magazine.

West Sussex-based essential oils and wellbeing products company First Natural Brands is expanding internationally with support from a £6.25m funding package from Santander UK. Read the full article on the Business Money website.

A peer network, or peer learning group, is an excellent way of drawing on the experience of those who share the loneliness of leadership. Find out more from Sarah Willcox in this article published in Platinum magazine.

What do we really mean by the word Respect in 2021? Find out in our MDHUB Respect 2020/21 Leadership Awards article in Platinum magazine.

Winners of the Lumos Award – for casting light in the darkness in 2020 – 21 Catherine Parsons and Liz Kimberley – 360 HR Well, where would we have all been without the brilliantly clear sighted and ongoing demystifying  –…

Lloyd Kane – MD of Rickshaw Travel Lloyd says that he joined Rickshaw Travel in 2011 because they “dared to be different and stood out in a very congested travel market – we believe in our purpose as a meaningful…

For a Leader who has transformed his business for the better in 2020/21 Ryan Page  – Espresso Solutions Entrepreneurship is in Ryan’s DNA, having always thrived on new business ideas, he created his first business at the age of 17….

For the Leader best committed to their future sustainability in 2020/21 Tamara Roberts  – CEO of Ridgeview Wine Estate Tamara is CEO of Ridgeview Wine Estate and a former winner of our MDHUB CEO of the Year and Sussex Business…

Simon Brookes – BOX HARRY Simon is MD of BOX HARRY and  has led his digital development agency based in Brighton that builds websites and web applications for the best part of 20 years. Simon’s top skill is that he’s…

Sarah Dennis – Temple Group   Sarah is Group Executive PA to the Founder and Chair of Temple group- Mark Southwood. Temple are one of the UK’s leading independent infrastructure and property consultancies, specialising in environment, planning and sustainability. They…

Chris Pegrum of LMS Group This is what Chris’s Boss Luke Mead wrote about him: On October 12th 2019, Chris became the proud father of naturally conceived triplets –  Violet, William and Frank. Not only is it challenging enough being…

Paul Mason – MD of Nordell Plastics Paul is MD of Nordell Plastics , one of the UK’s leading and independent Plastics manufacturing and design refinement companies based in Littlehampton. We first met Paul through the Escalator programme in 2019…

We are proud to have sponsored and judged the Brighton and Hove Business Awards, our involvement goes back for many years but the innovative approach by The Platinum Media Group this year took the awards out to 50,000 people. Our…

Eco-entrepreneur and MDHUB member Rachel Watkyn reveals how she built a £10m business empire out of cardboard. Read the full article in the Daily Mail

So, what exactly does a quote from an ancient Greek philosopher have to do with Peer Networks? Quite a lot as it happens. The Socratic method is a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering…

The best books and films tell the story of a character overcoming an impossible obstacle despite all the odds. The truth of a character is revealed in the choices they make. Duncan Kerr’s story encapsulates this sentiment, a leader who…

MDHUB surveyed leaders about the impact of the pandemic and lockdown on their businesses over the past 3 months… Here are the results:

Sung so memorably by The Clash, an anthem for some of us then and possibly a dilemma for you and your business right now. By MDHUB Director, Phil Green

Has Plato come into his own in this pandemic? This is how our members proved him right.

Contrary to what, at times, seemed like apocalyptic economic news throughout most of 2020, the MDHUB are delighted to report on business growth. Whilst the areas of growth might surprise you – do they really, given our very human need…

Earlier this year, as we all found ourselves frantically readjusting to the global pandemic, Fiona Shafer found herself unconsciously saying to a fellow MDHUB Member that they might be minded to “be their own Sherpa”.

Rachel Watkyn Rachel is owner and MD of Tiny Box Company Like many of our members, this year has provided fantastic opportunities for growth but her nomination for the HERA award specifically recognises her success in a business that has…

In April this year, Dani Weaver, an Organisational Psychologist and Helen Bailey, MD of Aviatrix, a strategic market research consultancy, (also a Coach, Facilitator and Advisory Board Member for MDHUB), decided to venture on a research project to explore what…

As we write this, Boris has just decreed that we have new lockdown restrictions in place for up to 6 months. If we are very honest, this is not a real surprise. We knew that a second wave was highly…

The Wonder of Wallpaper “And so, I find myself at 52, mother of a 7 year old, married to a very supportive husband and finally running my own business. It took courage to put my own name above the door,…

Co-founded by Brighton based Nikki Gatenby and acupuncturist Jo Darling, with Menopoised we’re on a mission to change the lives of menopausal women the world over – by supporting all women to have a positive menopause, naturally, with acupuncture inspired…

Marketing, Culture and Engagement Specialist Nikki is an engaging, energised, strategic leader, having spent the last 25 years experimenting with entrepreneurial ways of working across international teams in London, Paris and now Brighton. She has worked with brands from Marks…

This week, Ridgeview’s CEO Tamara Roberts was awarded ‘Sussex Business Person of the Year’ at a ceremony hosted by the Sussex Business Awards at the Grand Hotel in Brighton. Celebrating 31 years in 2019, the Sussex Business Awards are one…

Extech Cloud have won Business Innovation of the Year Award at the Sussex Business Awards 2019 Over the last two years, Extech Cloud have developed the Extech Cloud Methodology. The service digitally transforms organisations by transitioning them to the public…

On the special 50th anniversary of the annual International Wine & Spirit Competition Awards in London, Tamara Roberts, CEO of Ridgeview, was announced as the IWSC President for 2020.  This is the first time that an English wine producer has been selected…

In addition to being noted as one of the UK’s One to Watch in the European Business Awards, Espresso Solutions have just been shortlisted for the Sustainable Business Practice Award by the British Business Awards! Espresso Solutions have been supplying…

Esther Dawson of Ridgeview Wine Estate also scoops award for Best External PA Network with colleague Emily Darnell of PVL UK Ltd at the Manchester PA Awards In their own words Emily and Esther take over the story… As you…

The MDHUB held its first ever Awards ceremony  at the new MDHUB Leaders Lunch on October 23rd 2019 at the glorious venue of Hendall Manor Barns  at Herons Ghyll in East Sussex. MDHUB Directors Phil Green and Fiona Shafer luckily…

Daniel Cook of Ambiental – Recipient of MDHUB Director Most Committed to Future Sustainability – Read more on the Ambiental website The next MDHUB Futurehub programmes commences in January 2020 – to find out more: Download Futurehub Programme

A celebration of the Coast to Capital Escalator Pilot Programme delivered by MDHub

Source: Press Release from our partners at Coast to Capital An Evening of Entrepreneurship took place last week to celebrate the completion of the Coast to Capital Escalator Programme at the Ricardo Centenary Innovation Centre in Shoreham. The Programme helped…

Extech Cloud, an IT Support and Cloud technology company, with its headquarters based in Burgess Hill in Mid Sussex, has been crowned one of the winners in the Southern Region heats of the Chamber Business Awards 2019. Now in their…

By invitation only In celebration of the completion of the Pilot Coast To Capital Escalator programme which has been delivered by the MDHUB Team to 34 Sussex High Growth businesses during 2019 , we would like to invite you to…

The Coast to Capital Growth Hub is holding a Brexit Week where there will be scheduled 1 to 1 clinics for businesses to come and discuss Brexit concerns with Coast to Capital Account Managers. In addition, outside specialists will be…

We are delighted to share that MDHUB Member, Emma Cleary, has launched a new kind of recruitment agency in Sussex.  As the name suggests, Flexibility Matters, promises to help businesses reap the rewards of a flexible staffing strategy by resourcing…

Prime minister I’m pleased to speak on behalf of the Southern LEPS – all powerful economies and major net contributors to the UK. I will seek to give a bright, brief flavour of our achievements and will focus initially on…

Businesses in the Coast to Capital area that have the potential and ambition to grow, are being invited to apply to Coast to Capital’s innovative Growth Hub Escalator Programme which starts in January 2019. The six-month pilot, is being delivered…

Alongside its core operations, MDHUB Member, Extech Cloud (formerly Extech) is launching a new dedicated IT service specifically designed to modernise law firm’s technology. After extensive research and by working with Legal 500 firms, Extech Cloud is applying their specialist knowledge…

We are delighted to report that MDHUB member, Ridgeview, have been awarded the coveted trophy of Winemaker of the Year in the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition 2018. This is the first time in the IWSC’s 49-year history that…

The MDHUB has continued to grow during the past 12 months and has seen its highest level of activity amongst its members since its inception.  Find out what the key achievements have been amongst our membership and for us as…

Delegates from across Sussex were challenged to think about the role of humans in an increasingly automated world at the MDHUB’s annual event for business leaders – Brave New World – which was held on Thursday 18th October at the…

In an automated world do YOU become the killer app This annual inspirational event brings over 120 business leaders and their colleagues from Sussex and the surrounding area together to share and challenge ideas and assumptions about what the future…

Five finalists pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges from the local business community at The Santander University of Brighton Ideas Competition Final 2018 on 10 May 2018…

Discover why this award-winning software development company has clients returning again and again…

Groups that focus on managing millennials, juggling caring responsibilities whilst running a business, and the effects of mid-life changes on the workforce and how to manage them.

After a series of strenuous interviews Extech have selected Joe Morecroft to lead its innovation project

DVR galloping to success since appearing in the University of Brighton’s Annual startup contest.

VW Heritage in the spotlight Shoreham based VW & Porsche parts supplier VW Heritage put themselves in the spotlight of the Sunday Times Top 100

Are you prepared for GDPR? You will have seen a lot of publicity about GDPR, and about the Euro 20m fines that can be imposed for non-compliance.

This event in partnership with The University of Chichester Business School challenges ideas and assumptions about what the future holds for businesses and their leaders.