BEF Dig in
BEF help social enterprise
Team BEA
Our team are dedicated professionals who have a vast array of experience and skills. That experience and those skills have been employed time and time again in the support and development of our customers.
Joe Cahill Business Mentor
Joe joined the Business Enterprise Fund in April 2011 after spending the previous two years as a Business Advisor for WYEA.
He has 30 years experience with major retailers and food suppliers in various roles including Marketing, New Store Development and Regional Management.
In addition, he spent seven years with a leading national franchisor in a senior Sales & Marketing role. In this role he worked very closely with new and established franchisees that were looking grow their businesses. Joe states ‘This role was very helpful for my current position as, apart from providing access to finance with BEF, I am also looking to provide guidance and support’. Joe at BEF has special responsibility of working closely with the Goldman Sachs SME programme
Chris Luty ERDF Project Manager
With years of experience running a number of projects within the public sector. Chris has been recently promoted to manage all of our ERDF programmes.
Steve Waud Fund Director
Steve, along with Malcolm Swallow, launched the fund back in November 2004 with £360k to lend in the Bradford district. Since then the fund has grown to around £3million and now covers West and North Yorkshire.
Steve’s background is in corporate recovery and has worked in sectors as diverse as Brand Marketing and the Automotive sectors.
He is a non exec director of the CDFA and is a keen
advocate for the Community Development Finance Sector.
“Without the Business Enterprise Fund 180 businesses would not have started and over 300 jobs would not have been created. That is the real benefit of community finance, that is, finance with a social conscience” Stephen Waud
Brian Hatcher Business Mentor (Legi Leeds)
Brian worked in banking for 34 years as a lending manager, as well as regional manager for the bank’s International Division, and latterly the Factoring and Invoice Discounting Division. Joined West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency in May 2000 to start up and run one of the first Government backed loan schemes, for businesses which couldn’t get funding from the main stream. Joined the Business Enterprise Fund in February 2006, as mentor for the businesses which had obtained funding from this source. Currently director of two Social Enterprises in West Yorkshire
Richard Wharton Business Mentor (Legi Leeds)
Richard comes from a business banking background of over 30 years and has since been involved in assisting smaller businesses through Business Link, Leeds Chamber and EastBank Regeneration Project. He also works closely with businesses based at the Leeds Metropolitan University Business Incubator. Is a director of and works with several companies from engineering to debt management.
Meg Heath Deputy Fund Director
Meg has been a consultant for a number of years, which has taken her all over the world. Her speciality is marketing and she has worked with a number of major brands on the development of new products and brought these successfully to the market.
“We take a bespoke approach to ensure the support that we do provide is of the greatest value to the individual business” Meg Heath
