Innovation SuperNetwork strengthens board with recruitment of ‘industry leaders’

Investment specialist Yvonne Gale and economic development specialist Jenny Taylor will join the Innovation SuperNetwork as Board Directors, strengthening the innovation expertise of the organisation at a governance level.

The announcement comes following the success of the Innovation SuperNetwork in securing several new high-profile innovation programmes for public and private sector clients across the North East and Tees Valley.

The activities all support Innovation SuperNetwork’s wider mission to impartially enable inclusive and sustainable economic growth that transforms and increases opportunities and prosperity for businesses and people.

Director & CEO, Estelle Blanks, commented: “Since our formation in 2016, Innovation SuperNetwork has been at the coalface of driving economic growth through innovation for the North East. Now is the right time for us to grow the expertise in our governance structure and I’m thrilled to welcome Yvonne Gale and Jenny Taylor as Directors to the Board.”

Yvonne Gale has a portfolio career that includes local, national and international governance and advisory roles that brings together a wealth of experience of investing in high growth entrepreneurial businesses, improving access to finance and driving business innovation.

Locally, she is a non-executive director for the North East England Chamber of Commerce and an investment committee member on the North of Tyne Creative and Cultural Investment Partnership. Yvonne is a non-executive director for NEL Fund Managers, having formerly been CEO.

Yvonne said: “Having been an ‘investor in the room’ at many SuperNetwork access to finance conferences, I’m pleased to be working with the team at this strategic level, helping them shape the future direction of business investment for the region”

Jenny Taylor is the Executive Director for Research and Innovation Services at Northumbria University responsible for developing and delivering strategic place-based projects, connecting academic expertise with business needs and supporting the region’s economy to grow.

She previously worked at Durham University as Head of Economic Development implementing the University Enterprise Zone and playing a critical part in the development of a series of collaborative innovation programmes operating across the region.

Jenny added: “Innovation SuperNetwork’s role in connecting research and academia with the rest of the business and innovation landscape makes it an invaluable anchor-point for regional innovation and I’m delighted to be part of the team.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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