Sarah joined the Growth Hub in September 2018 following completion of a master’s degree in legal and constitutional studies. Sarah has interned for various companies in the United States, including those in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Her duties in previous roles included legal and marketing research, dealing with insurance claims and bank loan processing for State Farm Insurance, as well as constituent profiling on a local mayoral campaign and guiding students at Indiana University through a community development course. Outside the office, she enjoys travelling throughout the United States and Europe, following the latest legal and political news, going to the gym and watching American football!

Nic joined the Growth Hub in October 2022 after seven years working for Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, initially as CW Place Manager. Nic leads the team that organises the highly regarded CW Champions, a leading business network of 150 Coventry and Warwickshire based organisations which meets regularly to help raise the profile of the region through its programme of well attended events and media activities. Prior to working at CWLEP, Nic worked in a Strategic Engagement role at the IET and IMechE in London.

In his spare time, Nic is a keen cross-country runner and most weekends he can also be found on the touch line supporting his three football playing sons.

Helen is a Chartered Marketer, with an extensive background in digital marketing.  She is the Growth Hub Group's go-to marketing expert and leads the marketing activities across the business, including the business support programmes delivered through C&W Business Solutions. Helen also leads on our supply chain platform FinditinCW, on behalf of C&W Business Solutions, and is the Data Protection Officer for CW Growth Hub, C&W Business Solutions, and C&W Champions.

Helen has been a senior marketer for over 15 years and has worked in both B2B and B2C marketing roles for the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. In her spare time Helen enjoys reading, gardening and has a passion for writing.

Jim has over 35 years’ experience of building two privately owned manufacturing businesses, one from £500k to £5m turnover the other from £4m to £40m. With a background in sales & marketing, Jim moved through his last business to become MD/Owner and along the way developed a good understanding of: manufacturing, logistics, global sourcing, global sales, B2B sales with major retailers, and the successful completion of 2 management buyouts. Since joining the Growth Hub in 2019, Jim has supported hundreds of SMEs with all aspects of their growth challenges. His support has included all aspects of a business’s lifecycle from inception to growth and also their sale.

Outside of work, Jim enjoys socialising with family and friends, walking, keeping fit, watching sport - mostly football and spending time with his two Grandsons.

Richard joined the Growth Hub as an account manager, managing CW Employment Solutions, and offering recruitment advice to businesses across the region. With a background of over 20 years' in the recruitment sector, including running his own recruitment business, he has covered a wide range of sectors and can offer businesses free advice on their recruitment strategy, as well as advising candidates on their career options.

Outside of work Richard is involved in a wide range of projects, including being Vice Chair of Trustees at Kenilworth Multi Academy Trust and is working on a project to build a new secondary school in Kenilworth.

A seasoned business professional, Paul has been involved with many successful start-up projects some of which have developed into multinational companies, and has formed, owned and managed companies of his own.

His career of over 40 years has been in business development across a variety of sectors working with some of the most iconic brands in the world including Jaguar, Aston Martin, Ford, BMW, Bentley, Volvo in Automotive, He has extensive experience in Body Structure and New Vehicle Development from concept design to product launch. His knowledge of the Automotive sector is recognised within the UK and European sectors. Having worked for OEMs and extensively in the supply chain he has a vast amount of knowledge in car construction processes, senior management, business development and strategic partnerships.

Following on from various successful project placements at the University of Warwick, including the Eutopia Alliance programme, the Teacher Researcher Network, and the Institutional Teaching and Learning Review, Sebastian joined the Growth Hub in August 2023.

With both BA (Hons) and MA degrees in History and Film from the University of Southampton and Warwick respectively, he has balanced his Made Smarter project commitments with his own independent academic endeavours, including authoring various chapters for film-based journals and books and independently starting up his own screencast series on YouTube for audiences.

Along with being a passionate Newcastle United fan, Sebastian is an avid podcast listener, a lover of nature, and can be found making a lot of noise at his local gym.

Andy joined the Growth Hub in October 2022, after two years at Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, as Strategy & Analytics Executive Officer.

Before joining CWLEP Andy held partnership roles at both the University of Warwick and Coventry University. Prior to these the bulk of his career was spent leading the research, insights, and analysis team at Warwickshire County Council, promoting the use of data, insights, and evidence within the council and across local partners in Coventry & Warwickshire.

He is also one of two independent members of the Warwickshire Police & Crime Panel, and is the Treasurer of LARIA, the Local Area Research & Intelligence Association.

Outside of work Andy enjoys cycling around south Warwickshire, running around a badminton court, cooking, and socialising with friends.

Jeremy brings over 40 years of expertise in the commercial sector, primarily in sales and marketing. He's adept at crafting innovative sales strategies and carving out unique market routes. While his focus is on business finance, he's also left his mark in golf and advertising. He played a pivotal role in scaling a startup to a £15 million turnover in four years. Beyond corporate ventures, he showcases his entrepreneurial spirit, having founded, owned, and sold a successful financial business. He's also a qualified business mentor. Returning to the Growth Hub for a second term, his journey with the organization began at its inception in 2014 until 2019 as Account Manager, later becoming a Commercial Manager. He closely collaborated with the CEO, shaping CW Business Solutions, leading the CW Business Festival launch, and contributing to CWConnect (now FinditinCW) and Employment Solutions.

Outside work, Jeremy enjoys sports, particularly Rugby, Football, and golf, though now mostly as a spectator.

Jana joined the CW Growth Hub in January 2024, after graduating from MA Global Journalism and Public Relations at Coventry University. Originally from the Czech Republic, she has arrived in Coventry in 2019 to study BA in English.

Jana has had a passion for art and design from an early age. Not only does she support the Growth Hub in administrative tasks, but she also supports the design, production and distribution of marketing material. She also regularly updates the CW Growth Hub’s website and social media with new content.

In her free time, Jana likes to play games on her Nintendo Switch, visit local historical sites and museums, watch Netflix and do all kinds of arts and crafts.

Shilpa joined the team as a Data Executive in November 2023. She completed her graduation in Computer Science and Engineering and started her career as a Quality Analyst, accumulating around 2 years of expertise. Later, she completed an apprenticeship in Customer Service, achieving level 2 proficiency. Along with her apprenticeship, she worked as a Data Quality Apprentice for the NHS.

Outside of work, Shilpa likes to spend time with her friends and family. Being passionate in cooking, she treats her kitchen as a canvas where she unleashes her culinary creativity.

Kat joined the Growth Hub in September 2023 after working at a well-established PR company in Coventry, where she completed her level 2 and 3 in Business and Administration. In 2019, Kat won the Coventry and Warwickshire First, Young Professional Award for Apprentice of the Year in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Kat has been event coordinator for Coventry and Warwickshire Champions since September 2020 where she helped lead the events from online back to face-to-face meetings, following lockdowns and has helped the membership grow and reach a wider audience within the region.

Kat supports on marketing and events for CW Champions and C&W Business Solutions.

Outside the office, Kat enjoys playing video games, watching Japanese animation, spending time with her nieces and nephews and going for long walks with her husband.

Kelly started work as Legal Assistant in the late ‘90’s for law firms in both Coventry and Birmingham, concentrating mostly on family law. In 2011, she moved to an Executive Recruitment firm who were based in London but were opening a Coventry office, where she was based and initially took on the role of PA to the Managing Director and Director, and also assisted several Consultants based both in London and Coventry, being the first point of contact for both internal and external colleagues, dealing mostly with the Public Sector.

Outside of work she enjoys socialising with friends, spending time with her sister, teenage niece and other family members, attending venues and listening to live bands/music and she attends a Bootcamp two or three times a week. 

Yunus joined the Growth Hub as a DTS on the Made Smarter Programme in April 2024. With over 9 years of experience in the automotive sector specialising in wiring harness production and supply for customers like JLR and INEOS, He has honed his skills as a key customer account manager. Additionally, has diverse experience in Travel & Tourism and the food industry, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of end-to-end business production and exceptional customer service.

Yunus graduated in 2011 with BEng in Motorsport Engineering from Coventry University and is dedicated to drive digital advancement in the Coventry and Warwickshire SME sector. Leveraging his extensive knowledge working with large OEMs, he is committed to contributing positively to the region's development. Outside of work he is passionate about playing football and cricket for his local community teams and relishes any opportunity spending quality time with his 2 young children, exploring local events and activities in Coventry.

Starting in May 2024, Connor is one of the Growth Hub Group, and quickly growing Marketing team, newest members. Connor is a recent graduate from Coventry University, where he studied Advertising and Marketing for three years after studying digital communication at college. Connor has decided to stay in the busy city after moving from Hertfordshire after starting University. He is keen to build experience, pursue his passion and learning in the marketing industry and get involved with all the events and projects that the C&W Growth Hub accommodate and attend.    

In his free time, Connor enjoys all things sports, playing golf and watching Crystal Palace FC, Formula 1 and any other seasonal sports throughout the year. He is also an avid cook and has fun experimenting with ingredients and flavours and loves the pressure in the kitchen. To de-stress, Connor is a cat lover, so he visits his partners' Siamese and Tabby when he can.