Heather has over 25 years’ experience in senior roles within both the private and public sectors. Her roles have included Client Development Consultant, Commercial Bank Manager, Regional Business Development Manager, Account Director, Programme Director, and Investment Executive with organisations such as Capita, CGI, HSBC, QPC Group, Welsh Government and the Development Bank of Wales. Heather’s specialist areas are sales and finance.
In her current role as a Scaleup Director/ Innovation & Growth Specialist for IUK Edge, Heather helps businesses to identify barriers to growth and overcome innovation challenges. She is passionate about supporting SME’s to reach their full potential and has great admiration for the dedication and tenacity inherent in these businesses.
Having assisted many SMEs to access a broad range of funding including Angel, debt, mezzanine and equity investment, Heather also has experience gained working at a senior level in a high growth Welsh SME and understands the business challenges from an both an investor and SME perspective.
In one sentence, what do you do at BIC?
I provide support and guidance to some of the UKs fastest growing companies to overcome the main challenges they encounter along their scaling journey
Tell me how you got started in your career.
Going to University wasn’t an option for me so aged 16 I took a job that would allow me to learn new skills and progress quickly. I started work with CIS Insurance and worked in all the various divisions including underwriting which provided a great foundation of knowledge to build on
What’s a mistake you made early on in your career, and what did you learn from it?
I was keen to progress and pushed for a promotion too soon. When I got it I realised how little I knew and how much I needed good people around me to help me be successful
What do you think the biggest struggle for SMEs is right now?
Disruption to their supply chain seems to be the most common challenge at the moment and it’s impacting their own planning and delivery
What job would you be terrible at?
A phlebotomist!
What are your key skills?
Strategic planning, finance & sales
