Team

Meet the Business Durham team

Operations

The team’s role is to promote enterprise, foster the environment for new businesses to start up, and enable businesses in the County to develop and grow.

The team takes the lead on engaging with businesses through an area-based and sectoral approach, and works closely with partners such as the enterprise agencies, County Durham Engineering and Manufacturing Network, and local, national, and international business networks.

The team helps companies develop new products, services and processes, winning more investment and more contracts, employing more people, and also attracting more companies, raising the aspirations of the County’s people and companies and increasing its wealth. It does this by creating and delivering high profile innovation programmes around societal challenges and embedding innovation opportunity-spotting into business as usual.

Property & Business Services

The team manages a substantial and varied property portfolio across County Durham, providing space for over 300 businesses employing 1,600 people, including offices, factories, the Durham Dales Centre and the region’s only science park, NETPark.

Senior Management

Sarah Slaven
Sarah Slaven
Managing Director
Peter Rippingale
Peter Rippingale
Director of Inward Investment and Opportunities

Marketing Team

Peter Kiernan
Peter Kiernan
Marketing Manager
Andrea Stephenson
Andrea Stephenson
Digital Communications Executive
Abbie Richman
Abbie Richman
Marketing Executive
Catherine Gordon
Catherine Gordon
Marketing Executive
Abigail Broderick
Abigail Broderick
Marketing Assistant

Property & Business Services

David Churchward
David Churchward
NETPark Property Support Officer
Gillian Jewson
Gillian Jewson
NETPark Deputy Manager
Sara Williams
Sara Williams
NETPark Manager
Anna Marley
Anna Marley
Property Support and Facilities Officer
Shirley Hewitt
Shirley Hewitt
NETPark Admin Support Officer
Hilary Currie
Hilary Currie
Business Services Manager
Julie Jennings
Julie Jennings
Property Manager (North)
Katie Bowes
Katie Bowes
NETPark Assistant Property Manager
Kathryn Lowe-Oliver
Kathryn Lowe-Oliver
Durham Dales Centre Supervisor
Julie Crawford
Julie Crawford
Assistant Property Manager (North)
Anne Ellwood
Anne Ellwood
Property Manager (South)
Dawn Reed
Dawn Reed
Assistant Property Manager (Central)
Judith Crow
Judith Crow
Property Manager (Central)
Janet Todd
Janet Todd
NETPark Phase 3 Project Director

Operations

Eve Wilkinson
Eve Wilkinson
DABS Finance and Monitoring Officer
Alex McKie
Alex McKie
DFIB Innovation Engagement Officer
Sarah Johnson
Sarah Johnson
Inward Investment Officer
Leon Howe
Leon Howe
Durham City Incubator Manager
Karen Parkin
Karen Parkin
Finance & Monitoring Officer
Pam Reynolds
Pam Reynolds
DCI Incubation Officer
Stuart Armstrong
Stuart Armstrong
Business Engagement Officer
Lisa Wall
Lisa Wall
Inward Investment Officer
Jenny Halford
Jenny Halford
Enterprise Development Manager
Elaine Scott
Elaine Scott
Business Engagement & Opportunities Manager
Andrea McGuigan
Andrea McGuigan
Business Engagement & Account Manager
Guy Bashford
Guy Bashford
Business Engagement And Account Manager