Eamonn O'Brien was appointed leader of Bury Council in May 2020.

Eamonn has represented St Mary’s ward in Prestwich since 2014 and has been cabinet member for finance and housing since 2017.

Eamonn works at the head office of a national charity managing the office administration.

He was educated at St Monica's RC High School in Prestwich and Holy Cross College in Bury. He gained a BA (History and Politics) and MA (History) from University of Manchester. He also set up the country’s first student-led food bank in central Manchester.

Greg French joined AFG LAW’s property department in 2002. He became a partner and head of the department in 2004 and Managing Director in 2016. A property solicitor, Greg advises mainly on the more complex residential transactions and has a base of commercial clients covering developers, businesses with office and industrial premises along with many retailers. Greg launched our Bury office in 2013 and subsequently our third office in Bolton in 2019. In addition to his day-to-day work and managing the business he spends a time networking and building relationships within our community.

A firm believer in giving back, Greg champions AFG’s annual charity night (now planning for the seventh event in 2020) where all proceeds go to three local charities. As a keen sportsman he also raises money for charity by running marathons and is part of AFG LAW’s Race the Sun team in Cumbria this August. So he will have a month to recover before he meets those shortlisted businesses on 4 October! His race consists of a 50 mile cycle, a climb to the summit of Helvellyn (2nd highest mountain in the country) and a 3km row on Lake Thirlmere.

Greg enjoys judging the MIBBA’s as he is always amazed at the calibre of entrants, regardless of which categories he is given to review.

Business Growth Enabler - NatWest

After completing his Business Management degree Adam started his career with Natwest over 10 years ago.

In these years with Natwest, he has worked in a number of key areas including both Personal and Business Banking.

With his passion lying strongly with business banking, Adam spent 5 years in Commercial Banking where he assisted customers grow and achieve their goals by delivering advice and support

His recent move within the Bank has seen him being appointed to Business Growth Enabler covering Greater Manchester and Lancashire. This role fits hand in hand with Adams personality and his passion to drive local business. Recently Adam has assisted a number of local businesses both with funding and guidance in their business journey.

He is well connected in the professional market making it easy for him to assist his customers and their needs. He is a firm believer SMEs are vital to the success of our economy and his goal has always been to be more than a provider of financial services to businesses wherever they operate.

Owner - Nettl of Bury

Driven by creative thinking!

With almost 10 years of experience at this creative agency, Jason can effectively design through digital and print.

Creating awesome results for your brand!

As well as offering a personal insight into E. Anthony Orme's world of art, this popular art gallery - is run by his son, Chris, provides printing, framing and photography services.

 Chris, his wife Vlasta and his father, Anthony all work together within the family business and love what they do, they have a passion for fine art and many of the work displayed in their gallery has a sentiment to Bury.

Alongside stunning portraits, paintings and sketches, the gallery is home to a specialist framing service. You can pop in with memorabilia, photographs or your own paintings and select a luxury frame which will showcase your item beautifully.

Chris is an expert in picture framing, his attention to detail is incredible and his enthusiasm for framing and conservation is infectious.

Bid & Compliance Coordinator - HH Smith & Sons

Diane has worked in the construction industry for over 30 years both in the private and public sectors.

In 2013, Diane was employed by H.H. Smith with the remit to improve the company’s contract award ratio through ensuring good practice in the business was monitored and recorded to enable a more reflective demonstration of capability and capacity to be included in future tenders.

This role was undertaken while still working at the University of Manchester, until March 2016, where she worked for in excess of 13 years specialising in facility management procurement.

At the University of Manchester she spear headed a number of sustainable initiatives whilst working within the procurement department.  These included an internal online furniture store, sub-contractor sustainability evaluations and the recording of environmental impacts all of which supported the implementation by the Sustainability Team of a customised Higher Education Net Positive Tool for suppliers.

This experience has enhanced the value Diane brings to H.H. Smith’s management teams.

Kath Pollard - Performance Solutions Administrator – EMEA

Kath has worked for Milliken & Company since 1978  working at Milliken European Airbag Products in Bury as Planning and Shipping Team Leader, and Industrial Engineering Administrator.  In 2013 Kath was asked to work part time for Performance Solutions by Milliken, and at the end of 2015 was asked to become full time administrator for Europe, still based at the Bury Plant. 

Kath is married to David and has two grown up children Emma & Chris and beautiful grandsons Milo and Henry.  Kath & David have been members of Bury Parish Church Choir for many years and with the choir have sung at some of the countries top Cathedrals as ‘Choir in Residence’ during holidays. She has taken the junior choristers camping during half term holidays and is extremely proud of the way they champion the Church and the Town.  Kath is on the PCC at Bury Parish Church and is chair of the Worship Committee.

Kath is also secretary of Bury Deanery Synod, a role which means she meets people of faith from Churches in the Bury area.

Kath has lived in Bury all her life, attended Tottington Secondary School, Bury College, and gained a Theology and Sociology Degree, from Liverpool University via Holy Cross College at the age of 52.

Sara Beaumont is a Partner at Woodcocks Haworth & Nuttall Solicitors, specialising in Commercial Dispute Resolution. Woodcocks Haworth & Nuttall employs over 100 specialists across seven locations in Greater Manchester and Lancashire. We have teams of specialist, friendly lawyers committed to delivering outstanding results and service to businesses, individuals and families. 

Sara joined the firm in 2006 as a trainee, qualified as a solicitor in 2008 and became a Partner of the firm on 2015.

She has significant expertise in defending commercial interests, and has acted for a range of clients from sole traders to national PLCs. She provides legal advice on a variety of contractual disputes including those relating to insolvency and intellectual property and also leads the firm’s debt recovery team.

Suzanne Edmonds founded Square Peg Associates back in 2012 after working in the industry for a solid 20 years. As an Accrington born lass, she spent the first 10 years of her career within East Lancashire and then moved to the heart of Manchester City Centre.

Suzanne is an experienced and well-established Recruitment specialist, her determination and passion for networking drives the Square Peg brand for a successful future.

Recruitment is a people based industry and Suzanne simply – gets people.

For her, it’s all about passion, honesty and a lot of hard work. Known for going the extra mile, she eases the recruitment process for her clients whilst maintaining a high standard and reputation.

Suzanne still manages to make time for her family and her young son, she enjoys challenges such as the three peak challenge and socialising. Suzanne loves to travel, having explored Asia and South Africa but would be quite content with a croissant, her family and a bucket and spade in France!

Oscar Majid is the managing director of the family run business ‘Connect Comms’. He started up the telecommunications company in 2013, in a small office at Bury Business Lodge. Oscar has since gone on to open a Head Office in the centre of Bury, plus a second office in Northern Ireland.

Oscar has a wealth of experience in the telecommunications business sector, spanning over 30 years. He has a focused drive for success and a determined approach to readily surpass set goals. Along with his business mentality he’s also very much a family man who is happily married with three children, two of which now currently work alongside him at Connect Comms.

Accolades so far for Connect Comms have been winning Vodafone partner of the year, and partnering with the leading networks in the UK.

Supporting the community of Bury, is something that is close to Oscar’s heart. He has supported many charitable events and sponsored various local youth teams. Oscar and his team have successfully endeavoured to channel company fundraising to directly support local cancer charities.

Jane is an experienced marketer with over 10 years’ experience predominantly in professional services.

As the Marketing Manager at Horsfield & Smith Chartered Accountants and business advisers, Jane is responsible for all online and offline marketing campaigns to include social media management, event management, charity fundraising, PR, networking in the local community, design of newsletters and other marketing collateral, email marketing campaigns and supporting the directors with their business strategy and growth plans.

Jane is passionate about helping the local community, especially when it comes to charity fundraising. She is also dedicated to marketing the services of Horsfield & Smith to business owners in the North West.  Jane believes that people do business with people that they like and trust through getting to know them and building up business relationships.

Liz has been self employed since her early twenties, firstly in retail and then as founder and co-owner of Atlas Consulting Group, an Employee Benefits Consultancy which she sold in 2014 as well as being a founder and co-owner of Oasis Fostering which she also sold in 2014.  Not one for being bored, Liz runs a Luxury Bed and Breakfast with her husband Hervey, owner of The Fisherman’s Retreat, as well as working with James Scott Chartered Accountants and she is also in the early stages of forming a new company to help small to medium businesses to maximise their potential.

Liz lives in Ramsbottom in a home which was a self build project and also has a home in Austria which was also a self build project so she knows the trials and tribulations of getting a project off the ground.  Having been a working mum, she also understands the importance of a good work/ life balance.

She believes in supporting local businesses and buying British whenever possible, as well as giving to the local community with her support to charities close to her heart. 

Liz hopes her intimate experience of different business types will give her insight into the people and businesses vying to win their respective categories.

Paul started his Self-Storage adventure in 2012 with NorthWest based storage experts BiG Storage in a group sales manager role and immediately set about revolutionising the industry using his previous experiences, through better working practise and conditions for both his teams and his customers. Paul’s abilities to raise standards and in particular revenues led to a national operator acquiring the business in early 2015.

After being the only member of the senior management team to be retained by the Big Yellow Group, Paul assisted with integration of the two businesses before being asked to join another regional operator Smart Storage in late 2015. After implementing radical changes to the business as well as new technology and a sixth site, Paul assisted the other shareholders and directors in preparing the business for sale, finally achieving a sixfold return for the investment group in under three years.

Paul and the other directors now had investors and capitol in place to realise the dream of creating SureStore, developing multi-purpose facilities which not only cater for domestic and commercial storage requirements, but offering office space, drive up units, retail spaces and trade counters all in purpose-built brand new, high specification, environmentally conscious and technologically advances sites.  

Bolton was the first site to open in April 2018 and six more sites including the Bury facility (which opened in September 2019) have since been added, with Wigan due to open in November 2020. A further 7 sites due to open in 2021 with investment partners Seneca and Legal & General providing the capital for this growth.

Paul has four amazing children aged between 6 and 20 so is always busy and, in his spare time, was a disco dancing European champion so enjoys shaking it on the dance floor.

Having worked within financial services for some 15 plus years, during which time I have achieved the prestigious Chartered Financial Planner and Fellowship of the Chartered Insurance Institute standards, showing my commitment to my profession and our clients.

I am responsible for the overall strategy and direction of Consilium Wealth Management Ltd. I also work with companies and their Directors, supporting them in offering workplace solutions to their employees.

Out of work, my time is largely spent with my young daughter, which usually involves being at the stables or dancing - my daughter, not me!

Mark Turnbull has been a volunteer with the Joshua Wilson charity for over 5 years.

Along with others he has supported them at events such as Pride of Bury & taken on his own fundraising challenges.

In his ‘own’ time he has worked in the property sector for over 20 years & is now the Chief Executive of a small charity in Manchester.

Dami Patel – Barclays Branch Manager of Bury Branch

I lead a highly motivated multi-tasking team dealing with a broad range of customers with over 30 years of experience within the Banking Industry.  I have extensive experience and passion of identifying the needs of all customers and of delivering exceptional customer service standards. I enjoy working with colleagues with the  ability to influence, engage, motive & inspire them. Possessing a significant proven record of achievement in managing Branches and Area teams and able to quickly understand the mission, vision and purpose & values of our organisation.  When I am not in work I like to spend time with my 2 children, a very supportive husband and extended family whom I value very much.  I have had the pleasure of travelling to various areas of the world, and in my spare time spending time at the gym.

Having worked for a number of years in various industries, such as traction, telecoms and alongside the ministry of defence; Mike felt it was time to set up the business and separate it from its sister company.

He wanted to build a company whose main goal was delivering quality products at a competitive cost all whilst providing excellent customer service. He has over 20 years’ experience in electronics, dealing with projects within aerospace, military, traction, housing and hospitals.

All his hard work has shown in more recent years with the expansion of the company as well as receiving awards for the innovation & design of the products and service awards.

Tracy is an Account Manager with the GC Business Growth Hub

Tracy has worked for the Business Growth Hub for the past 7 years, more recently as an experienced Account Manager with a track record delivering client centred business advice to many sectors although she has significant experience in Engineering and Manufacturing Sectors. 

Over the last 20 years Tracy has helped companies access business support and funding whilst helping to run a family engineering company. She acts as a critical friend to business customers, building trust and long-lasting sustained relationships. 

Her primary skills include Marketing, Customer Service and Tendering / Bid writing.

Liam Gately is CEO of Platinum Care

After completing his Quantity Surveying degree Liam took the logical step and worked in IT for Argos. After five years at Argos in 2002 Liam took the plunge and formed his own Telecoms company. It became apparent Liam caught the entrepreneurial spirit over the next few years running start ups, acquisitions and turnarounds at a number of companies before finally settling at Platinum Care in 2012.

Liam was born in Stockport but has lived in the Bury area most of his life. Obviously Liam has a love of business but has a passion for psychology.  

Liam is married with three children and loves to spend time on the family hobby of Geocaching, often spending weekends knee deep in mud searching for “treasure”.

A Bury girl through and through!

Retired Superintendent of Greater Manchester Police, Superintendent of the communications branch for 4 and a half years, with responsibility for emergency calls and dispatch of responders, then achieving; Divisional Commander of her home town of Bury for the last 3 years of her service.

Karan has worked with charities throughout her adult life and It was no surprise that, when she retired, she took up the voluntary position of Chairing the Bury Mayors charity committee, which she is continuing to do for the 2nd year for our current Mayor.

Karan and her husband have a shared desire to see of much of the world as possible, so whenever possible they will be found jetting off to another pin on their map.

Head of HR - Sambro

Kelly Bushell joined Sambro International in 2016 as Head of HR following a long career in the hospitality and leisure sector working for Intercontinental Hotels and Hertz Rent A Car

Kelly is responsible for global HR operations looking after 170+ employees across 6 countries including Holland, Hong Kong, Germany and more recently China. Kelly is focussed on people engagement and development and has increased the workforce by almost 30% over the last two years to bring the biggest and best talent to work at Sambro.

A keen supporter of charity, Sambro are proud to partner with the Seashell Trust to provide work experience placements to the students at the School and are also delighted to be supporting Bury Hospice as its chosen charity this year

Working at Sambro and making toys makes her very popular with her son and all his school mates who think she is the Willy Wonker of the Toy World and let’s face it what’s not to like about being surrounded by toys all day?

A local to the area, living in Ramsbottom, Kelly is keen to support up and coming local businesses and being a foodie, the multitude of restaurants in Rammy is absolute dream!!

Debbie Pomfret- Founder and Managing Director of Digs for Dogs Pet Services Ltd.

Debbie Pomfret first launched the business in Bury, Greater Manchester in April 2012 after working many years in a career of sales and marketing. A dog lover all her life, Debbie totally understands how important it is to have reassurance and peace of mind that your four-legged friend is being cared for if you’re not around.

In the early days, I was kept busy building my own Dog Walking service alongside growing a network of dog loving, Home Boarding families. Being so passionate about animals, it was such a pleasure to be meeting with so many new customers and their dogs and to be able to provide a professional, friendly service offering dog owners peace of mind when they can’t be there.

As more and more enquiries were received for both Dog Walking and Home Boarding, I soon realised that I had the business model and the expertise to expand further afield and help dog-loving people find the change of career they were looking for. The very first Dog Walking franchise was sold in 2014 and within the following years, a total of 35 Digs for Dogs franchises were sold across Lancashire and Yorkshire.

At Digs for Dogs we are passionate about the service we offer to dog owners, as well as the support we provide to our franchisees and strive to help develop the growth of their businesses.

We are confident that this proven, successful business model, means that Digs for Dogs can really cement their status as one of the UK’s leading providers of pet services across the UK.

Oliver Caunt is the Managing Director of family business, John Caunt Scientific Ltd, who specialise in nuclear instrumentation design and manufacture. Oliver relocated the business to the Bury in 2005 and has since overseen stable growth from £1m turnover to just under £2m.

With roots firmly established in the SME landscape, Oliver is a strong champion of entrepreurship and positive collaboration. He is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme; has led a successful £1m grant application in collaboration with the University of Liverpool to develop world-class nuclear reactor safeguards and operations technology; is a member of a pan-European academic/commercial collaborative project- FINCODA - setup to establish a global standard tool to define and identify innovative competencies in people for the benefit of post graduates and employers; is a participant in the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's SME mentor programme; was nominated as one of the North West Insider Magazine's 42 under 42 (faces of the future) in 2012; was the best in class for Technology in the Made in Bury Business Awards 2013; a member of the IoD99 (Institute of Directors 99 select entrepreneurs) and is now a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers in London.

Oliver lives in Ramsbottom with his family. He spends as much time as possible out in the countryside with the kids, the dog, running and on his mountain bike, as well as enjoying the many excellent local restaurants and pubs in the area!

Jenny Aspray is the HR Manager at Cranswick Continental Foods in Bury part of Cranswick PLC which is one of the leading food processors in the UK, they have a proud history of investment in people and facilities. Jenny joined the business at the beginning of 2020 with a project to develop their people team and to deliver an engaging employee experience for the 550 colleagues on site.

She started her career in Operations Management for big branded Hospitality companies such as Pizza Express and Zizzi and moved into a training role within these brands when she realised her passion was developing people to enhance the operation of the business. 15 years later she is still as passionate about people development and is a bit of a HR rebel ripping up the tried and tested for solutions that work in different industries.

Born in Bury but with experience working UK wide and internationally Jenny recently returned to work in her in home town to engage the local population into working in food manufacturing and help to develop local peoples’ careers in this sector.