Julie Kenny CBE, Business Board member Yorkshire Forward

Julie Kenny grew up in Hillsborough Sheffield and currently works and lives in Rotherham with her three children.

She is the Managing Director of Pyronix Ltd which has grown over the past two decades from being a single detector manufacturer to a world leading provider of quality security equipment.

Julie started her career as a secretary and after working at a solicitors she became interested in law and trained as a legal clerk and then a litigation lawyer. Pyronix Ltd was born out of adversity when after just five weeks of marriage her husband lost his job. They choose to see this as an opportunity and Julie sold her house to invest in the new business as her husband wanted to design a detector used in security alarms.

Julie sees being on the Yorkshire Forward Board as a way to make a difference by helping others in the region in creating opportunities she would have benefited from as a child, growing up in disadvantaged single parent household with limited life options.

“It is important to give something back to the community in which you live - be it schools through the PTA or Governors, local charities or hospitals. I have often thought that if everyone gave one hour each week, the impact on our own advancement as well as the community as a whole would be enormous. This would give you a different perspective, as well as developing you into a well-rounded individual”.

“I believe we all make mistakes in life and business but the key is learning from them and not making the same mistakes again. Not many people wake up and have a big dream for life right from the start. I believe in setting small goals and making tiny steps can help accomplish most things” said Julie.

Julie gets pleasure in seeing the results of some of the decisions she has made on the Yorkshire Forward Board - for example the regeneration of Sheffield and Scarborough, witnessing the results of Yorkshire Forward investments.

Being the UK Commissioner for Employment and Skills, and sitting on the Small Business Forum, Julie champions skills in the region and aspires for Yorkshire to be at the forefront of developments in this field along with its business successes.

Her previous appointments include Chair of the South Yorkshire New Deal Employers’ Coalition, Chair of Business Link South Yorkshire and Chair of the Rotherham Partnership. In 2002 Julie was awarded a CBE in recognition of her contribution to the region’s business and industry.

Linda Pollard, Deputy Chair Yorkshire Forward

Linda Pollard, Deputy Chair of Yorkshire Forward, was born in Saltaire, educated at Bingley Grammar School and now lives in Hawksworth, on the edge of Ilkley Moor. She has three children and four grandchildren and in her spare time enjoys gardening, reading and travelling.

Linda started her career in marketing in London where she lived for five years before moving back to Yorkshire on the promise of a job, as this opportunity didn’t materialise she opened up her own fashion store which she expanded and owned for 14 years. She also owned a marketing company for eight years and was a working Director of the family automotive business.

“When I started at 24, I’d never heard of the word entrepreneur – I don’t know if it even existed and I had no life plan. I got on with it, worked hard, had as many ups as I did downs” said Linda.

A successful entrepreneur, Linda exited the last of her businesses eight years ago, devoting her time to the public sector, wanting to make a positive difference to people’s lives.

The Yorkshire Forward Board brings together everything Linda has ever done and gives her complete satisfaction. The region’s success is paramount and she believes if we all had an interest we wouldn’t have to worry. Getting the best for the region is her passion – being part of it and making a difference.

“We’re here to grow this region, providing opportunities for every individual and community, with the overall goal of making Yorkshire and Humber a great place to live, work and invest.

“We all have the ideas, skills and visions to build the future of the region. So to do this we need to include everyone. There are still too many people that aren’t connected to economic success. People for whom barriers still exist, or perceive there to be barriers to their economic inclusion, and it’s these people I want to target” said Linda.

Throughout her career Linda has always bucked the trend. As only the second woman in the UK to be a University Pro-Chancellor (University of Leeds) and a Regional Chair of Coutts Bank, Linda is very passionate about changing the traditional mindset and career path.

“Traditionally women have not taken the top jobs or had that natural career progression men have enjoyed. Most of it, I believe, is down to barriers in the mind – the glass ceiling we always hear about. If I can overcome it, anyone can, you need to believe in yourself”.

Linda has had a number of high profile roles in education and skills in the region including chairing West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority and Regional and North Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council. Linda also served as a magistrate at just 34 years of age.

Her outstanding contribution to the community was recognised in 2004 when she was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list.

Laura Moynahan, Voluntary/Community Board member Yorkshire Forward

Laura Moynahan is a born and bred Yorkshire woman. Her mother went into labour in a pub in Derbyshire and her father made sure she was quickly transported back into Yorkshire in case she had a boy – so he could play cricket for the county. That plan obviously backfired but Laura did inherit a love of the game and the county.

The 51 year old mother of two from Sheffield never had a career plan and has worked in the private, public and third sectors. She is currently Chief Executive of Zest, a leading Development Trust based in Sheffield and has led its growth from a small, grant dependent organisation to one increasingly delivering contracts and with a turnover of almost £2 million. Zest runs a whole range of initiatives to benefit the local community including an award winning Centre dedicated to improving health and wellbeing.

“There is a great deal of misunderstanding about our sector. I am running a business, like any other, but one that has social objectives. I don’t see any problem with our sector being business like - I want Zest to be the best organisation of its kind in order to deliver an excellent service to those who need it” said Laura.

As well as a passion to improve people’s lives, Laura’s other passion is to encourage women to take a more active role in public life and in the boardroom. This contributed to her becoming a Yorkshire Forward Board member, which she says has been a great experience.

“The Board is diverse but that is its strength. We are all committed to improving the region’s economy and so we are able to focus on that and our different views and experiences help us to make robust decisions.”

Laura is also involved in Sheffield’s partnership structures around the economy, is a director of a number of companies relating to regeneration and has advised Ministers on policy. She also takes part in a number of initiatives which support women to become more confident.

“I want to encourage more women to become involved – in their communities, in business and at senior levels in organisations. Women are still under-represented in the boardroom and that is a pity because we can bring different perspectives to the table as well as a different culture.”

Another driving factor for Laura is her natural impatience and her desire to change things.

“It is so easy to sit on the sidelines and blame everyone else for society’s ills. It is harder to get involved and try to change things for the better, but it is ultimately more rewarding and effective. That’s why I support Team Yorkshire and the Humber.”