Women's Enterprise Task Force Media

Press Release: 02-Feb-2007

Leading industry experts announced for Women’s Enterprise Task Force

The newly created Women’s Enterprise Task Force announced by Margaret Hodge, Minister of State for Industry and the Regions, will see a top line-up of expertise from a range of sectors including those supporting business growth. The Task Force aims to increase both the quality and quantity of women’s enterprise across the UK over the next three years.

Co-Chairs of the Task Force Pam Alexander, Chief Executive of South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Dr Glenda Stone, Chief Executive of Aurora, have announced the Task Force membership:

• Sumerah Ahmad, co-Founder & MD, Club Asia Radio
• Clare Barclay, Head of Small Business, Microsoft
• Professor Sara Carter, Director, Entrepreneurship Centre, University of Stirling
• Valerie Dwyer, Board Member, East Midlands Development Agency; serial entrepreneur
• Anne Glover, Director, Amadeus Capital
• Rotha Johnston, Vice Chair, Invest Northern Ireland; property entrepreneur
• Allison Ogden-Newton, Chief Executive, Social Enterprise London
• Ken Olisa, Founder & Chairman, Restoration Partners; Non-Executive Director, Reuters
• Amanda Rendle, Head of Business Marketing, HSBC Bank plc
• Erika Watson, Executive Director, Prowess

Observers of the Task Force are:
• Meenakhi Borooah, Enterprise Team, HM Treasury
• Andrew Dobbie, Deputy Director, Women & Work Commission
• Julie Kapsalis, Head of Operations, SEEDA
• Tracy Vegro, Director of Enterprise Strategy, SBS

Pam Alexander commented:

“Our aim is to inspire and harness the talents and skills of potential women entrepreneurs and to do all we can to encourage them to prosper. I am delighted that members of the Task Force include many dynamic, influential and inspirational business leaders from a range of different backgrounds, sectors and experience, including those sectors that will benefit commercially from growth of this dynamic market. The benefits will be many and broad; firstly, realising the untapped potential of women’s enterprise will make a dramatic and positive economic contribution to the UK’s GVA. Secondly, if the UK had the same rate of female start-ups as the US we would have 700,000 more businesses, which would have a major impact on our overall productivity as a nation and have the potential to create over 1.5 million new jobs. Thirdly, since more women come into self-employment and business ownership from a position of economic inactivity, bringing them into the economy brings double benefits.”

Top of the agenda for the new Task Force is assessing the collective impact of the regional economic strategies and the Devolved Administrations in increasing women’s enterprise rates nationally. Women-owned businesses across the UK currently generate between £50 and £70 billion for the economy. All nine English Regional Development Agencies (RDA’s) are now implementing women’s enterprise strategies and delivery plans. SEEDA is the lead RDA for Women’s Enterprise and manages the secretariat of the Women’s Enterprise Task Force.

Co-Chair Dr Glenda Stone commented:

“On average, every new UK VAT registered business generates almost 3 jobs. Therefore if women start more businesses and we can encourage greater growth, the UK economy will experience increased job and wealth creation. The Task Force is keen to focus some of its attention on the range of diverse opportunities for business women in emerging and scalable markets such as the business-to-business marketplace.”

The first Task Force meeting will be held in London on Tuesday 6 February, preceding the 400-strong gathering in Brighton at the 4th Prowess Annual International Conference on 7- 8 February that focuses on women’s enterprise support. Pam Alexander and Glenda Stone are keynote speakers at the conference presenting their views on the prospects for women’s enterprise in 2007 including key challenges and potential solutions.


- ENDS -

For further information, please contact:
- Louise Third, Integra, on tel: 0115 906 1377, mob. 07773 288 342, email louise@integra.gb.com
- Samantha Philpott, SEEDA, Deputy Head of Communications, on tel: (01483) 470177, mob: 07766 442463 or email: samphilpott@seeda.co.uk

Notes for Editors
There will be a photo opportunity before the meeting at 13.45pm at DTI Offices,
1 Victoria Street, SW1H 0ET.

About the Task Force
Leading national representatives from the private, public and academic sectors will work to increase the likelihood that more women will start and grow their own businesses supported by appropriate business and financial advice. Biographies for each of the Task Force members are available at www.womensenterprise.co.uk/members.asp.

• Pam Alexander, Chief Executive, SEEDA
- appointed January 2004 following 30 years in regeneration; Chair of the Peabody Trust; non-executive Director of The Housing Finance Corporation Ltd
• Dr Glenda Stone, CEO, Aurora
- successful Australian entrepreneur with extensive government and private sector experience
• Sumerah Ahmad, co-Founder & MD, Club Asia Radio
- multi award-winning young Asian media entrepreneur
• Professor Sara Carter, Director, Entrepreneurship Centre, University of Stirling
- globally recognised as an academic leader regarding women’s enterprise research
• Valerie Dwyer, Board Member, EMDA
- award-winning serial entrepreneur and business leader from the Midlands
• Anne Glover, Director, Amadeus Capital
- experienced venture capitalist & past chairman of British Venture Capital Association
• Rotha Johnston, Vice Chair, Invest Northern Ireland
- property entrepreneur, Director of Allied Irish Bank UK plc, BBC Trustee
• Allison Ogden-Newton, Chief Executive, Social Enterprise London
- former CEO of voluntary construction trade body Women’s Education in Building that provides incubation, mentoring and access to start-up finance
• Clare Barclay, Head of Small Business, Microsoft
- 14 years in IT, manages Microsoft’s bCentral and SME website
• Ken Olisa, Founder & Chairman, Restoration Partners
- Non-Executive Director of Reuters since 2004, 30+ years in IT sector
• Amanda Rendle, Head of Business Marketing, HSBC Bank plc
- responsible for HSBC UK’s business brand and marketing
• Erika Watson, Executive Director, Prowess
- former Chief Executive of Women’s Employment, Enterprise & Training Unit and previous business owner

About SEEDA
SEEDA is the lead Regional Development Agency for Women’s Enterprise and manages the secretariat of the Task Force. See www.seeda.co.uk.

About Aurora
Founded in 2000 by Glenda Stone, Aurora is an award-winning recruitment advertising and business marketing company based in the City of London serving over 100 corporate clients globally. See www.auroravoice.com

About Prowess
Prowess is the UK network of organisations that supports women to start and grow businesses. Prowess has over 250 members who support 100,000 women in business each year and 10,000 new business start-ups that contribute an additional £1.5 billion to the economy. For Conference information visit www.prowess.org.uk/conference.