About Us

TheBusinessDesk.com is the market leader for regional digital business news. Completely free to all readers, we provide 2.5 million emails per month generating around 1 million page impressions. 
 
Our client services include: business development, digital advertising, content and thought leadership, and events whether that be large awards dinners through to targeted roundtable discussions. 
 
We operate across five regions: Yorkshire; North West; West Midlands; East Midlands and South West. 

Our Team

Lee-J Walker
Joint Managing Director

Lee-J Walker is an experienced manager who has worked across the UK and the Middle East within the world of on-line advertising and recruitment. Prior to joining TheBusinessDesk.com, Lee-J was based in Dubai working for the $22bn turnover global recruitment company Manpower Inc as the regional group sales manager for the Gulf.

Catherine Godsland
COO

Catherine joined TheBusinessDesk.com in November 2020. With nearly two decades experience working on b2b events, Catherine brings a wealth of knowledge to the team having worked with clients including Twitter, Puma, Autotrader & ITV. Catherine enjoys spending time with her family in her spare time.

Alex Turner
Joint Managing Director

Alex Turner is the joint managing director of regional business news and events company, TheBusinessDesk.com.

He joined TheBusinessDesk.com in 2014, originally as Yorkshire editor then moved to Birmingham as group editor before being part of a management buyout in December 2017.

Amrita Varadkar
Finance Coordinator

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Editorial

Sam Metcalf
Editor - Midlands

Sam Metcalf joined TheBusinessDesk.com in January 2016 as editor of our East Midlands service.

Previously he was editor of East Midlands Business Link and before that editor at Midlands Business Insider.

Andrew Staples
Editor - Yorkshire

Andrew Staples joined TheBusinessDesk.com as Yorkshire Editor in September 2022. He's a Leeds lad, who started his journalism career as a cub reporter on the now-defunct Leeds Skyrack Express about 30 years ago. From 2005 to 2020 he lived with his family in Dubai. He was chief business reporter and head of copy desk for the English-language daily newspaper Gulf News before becoming an associate director with international consultancy APCO Worldwide, working in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Outside work you can find him rambling along Dales footpaths, trying to get the perfect picture of a curlew, or exploring ruined abbeys and castles.

Michael Taylor
Editor - North West

Michael Taylor is the Editor TheBusinessDesk.com in the North West. He is an experienced journalist and broadcaster having been editorial director of Insider Media after a decade covering the television business. Most recently he held a senior role at Manchester Metropolitan University and completed an academic thesis on regional devolution, later working for a member of Andy Burnham's cabinet in a communications and strategy role. He also plays music on the radio and has written a novel set in Cheshire against the backdrop of the financial crisis of 2008.

Anna Cooper
Assistant Editor - West Midlands

Anna joined The Business Desk in November 2021 following her English degree at Loughborough University and Broadcast Journalism masters at The University of Salford.

She is our West Midlands reporter based in Birmingham and has experienced a variety of broadcast and print news, working at The Observer and Global Radio.

Mike Ribbeck
Editor - South West

Mike has returned to TheBusinessDesk.com to launch our website in the South West. He has been a journalist and communications professional for more than three decades and has spent the largest part of his career covering business, property and the financial markets. Originally from the North West Mike has spent most of his career covering business and news in the South West. He also spent some time working in Manchester and Liverpool for TheBusinessDesk.com. He has worked as business editor on the Western Daily Press, the Bristol Post and more recently South West Insider. His experience and track-record means Mike has a deep knowledge and understanding of the business in the region and a large network of contacts. Mike has interviewed many of the region’s leading businessmen and women and written countless articles on companies from all sectors from tourism to advanced engineering.

Journalists

Miran Rahman
Journalist - Yorkshire

Miran Rahman joined
TheBusinessDesk.com as its reporter for the Yorkshire and Humber region in June 2019. He began his career in media as a broadcast journalist at BBC Radio Guernsey in September 2001, remaining there for nearly three years to read the early morning bulletins and produce news programmes.

Neil Hodgson
Journalist - North West

Neil Hodgson has 35 years’ experience as a journalist.

He has worked for the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo and the Manchester Evening News. Having started his career as a news reporter and sub-editor, he also worked in the sport and features departments, before becoming a business reporter 30 years ago.

Commercial

Jack Hickey
Head of Region - East Midlands

Jack joined TheBusinessDesk.com from brand agency Champions UK, where he was head of corporate development, and is a specialist in long-term strategic planning, business development and marketing strategies.

Upon graduating from University with a first class degree, Jack was selected as one of De Montfort University’s ‘Inspirational People 2015’.

Abi Hanson
Commercial Manager West Midlands

Abi rejoined TheBusinessDesk.com in May 2023 after a few months out. Abi is a proud born & bred Brummie with a keen interest in supporting businesses around the West Midlands in achieving their goals and growth objectives. Abi is well experienced in working with a wide range of businesses, creating cross platform solutions for professional & non professional services clients as part of their regional and national marketing plans.

Jamey Hollingshead
Commercial Manager Yorkshire

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James Clarke
Commercial Manager Yorkshire

James joined TheBusinessDesk.com on the 1st November 2022. Having started work in his home country of South Africa, he then worked and lived in the UK for 12 years before moving to the Middle East for 15 years. James believes that the key to success is building strong mutually beneficial relationships.

Sarah Walsh
Commercial Manager North West

Sarah joined the business desk in September 2023. Sarah is originally from Birmingham but now lives in Liverpool and will be working across the North West region. Sarah's background is in financial services after working at Lloyds Banking group for 20 years. Since leaving Lloyds she moved into sponsorship and media sales and has been doing this for the past 4 years. Sarah has a keen interest in supporting businesses and has a lot of experience in supporting businesses in achieving their goals and growth objectives. In her spare time, Sarah likes to spend time with her family, walks down the beach or countryside with her dog Buddy! Sarah loves to read and her favourite genres are crime (fiction and non-fiction) and thrillers.

Gareth Raven
Client Relations Manager

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Events

Holly Hand
Digital Marketing Manager

Holly joined TheBusinessDesk.com in December 2021, as a Marketing and Design Coordinator. After graduating from The University of Hull with a degree in Digital Design, Holly wanted to pursue her interest in marketing so undertook a Digital Marketing apprenticeship. Holly loves to travel, and enjoys spending time with friends in her spare time.

Rebecca Wilson
Events Manager

As an experienced events professional, Rebecca has planned and executed a wide range of corporate events to meet the needs of various occasions. With years of experience in the event industry Rebecca has managed events of all sizes, from intimate gatherings to large-scale conferences and exhibitions. In her spare time she enjoys seeing live music and spending time with her friends.

Beth Cox
Events Coordinator

Beth joined TheBusinessDesk.com in September 2022 as Events Coordinator. After she finished studying Events Management at Leeds Beckett University she wanted to join the world of events. In her spare time Beth enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

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