A leading business support network has made two key appointments for 2019 as its rapid expansion gathers pace in Bristol.
Inspire is dedicated to supporting and inspiring fast growing and ambitious businesses in Bristol and the wider South West.
Sara Duff has been appointed as Director for the Inspire Elite proposition in Bristol and Somerset to help drive Inspire’s Elite proposition into Bristol and the heart of the South West when Inspire launches through Somerset and down to Exeter later next year.
Starting her career in the IT industry in marketing communications, product and channel marketing, Sara moved into the Telecoms sector where she spent more than 20 years in corporate sales in BT, Vodafone and Level 3 heading up teams across oil and gas, technology and retail sectors. She then moved into the SME market helping companies in the South West with consultancy and implementation of ISO standards.
Sara said: “I hope to bring my passion, perseverance and tenacity to this role and the combined experience I have working in the corporate market place as well as, more recently, in the SME market place in the region, mean that I have the experience needed to help our clients grow.”
Working with Sara in Bristol will be Lucy Paine, who comes to Inspire from the Sussex Innovation Centre where she was Catalyst Programme Manager for a team that were available as a resource for growing companies.
Lucy said: “I’ve been helping growing companies through their growing pains for the last five years and I hope to bring that experience to the Bristol business community and have the same impact.”
Lucy has also previously worked with start-ups, ran her own business, and was also the UK education Manager for Dimension Data.
“I’ve always been someone who has had a tangible impact on organisations and I hope to bring to this role an understanding of the challenge of growing a business, whether that is from a sales, marketing or finance perspective.”
Inspire is committed to helping clients develop and implement a winning strategy, connecting them to over 100 partner experts to provide key areas of business support as and when needed, and enabling them to share knowledge and experience with a local community of like-minded and like-sized businesses. The company has also partnered with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Programme to bring this valuable, fully funded resource to ambitious business leaders in the South West.
CEO of Inspire Rob Perks said: “It’s going to be a hugely exciting year for us as we strive to become the leading support organisation for growing businesses in the region. We are delighted to welcome Sara and Lucy to the team and their drive and expertise will be vital for us as we look to strengthen our support network in Bristol.”
