A new-look steering group for the Hartlepool Business Forum is urging the town’s business community to join forces to help the local economy thrive.
Following a selection process, four new members have joined four retained members to form a fresh eight-person board with the intention of driving the forum forward and expanding its membership.
The new group brings a diverse range of skill sets to the table, ensuring strong representation for Hartlepool’s commercial sector. Simon Corbett, founder of Orangebox Training Solutions, has been elected as chair of the steering group for a second two-year term. He is joined by Haani Hasnain, managing director of Harmonised World, who has been elected as vice-chair. Retaining their places on the steering group alongside Simon and Haani are Azalea Wealth Management’s managing director Harrison Smith and Gary Riches, the vice principal of Hartlepool College of Further Education. They are joined by four new faces consisting of Rephrase’s owner Paul Fraser, UKSE’s regional manager Sarah Thorpe, Cicor’s managing director Matthew Pemrick and QRS Precision Engineering owner Paul Lackenby.
Simon, the proud chair of the steering group, said: “Our primary focus is to grow the forum and provide genuine assistance to businesses across the area. The strength of this new steering group lies in its diversity; all eight members bring different skill sets to help advise and add value in different ways. However, it isn’t just about the board – we want everyone who joins the Hartlepool Business Forum to have a voice and be an active part of this next chapter.”
The forum has enjoyed significant momentum over the last two years since its relaunch. The Hartlepool Business Awards has become a huge success story and is expected to be a sell-out once again when this year’s event takes place in October. The steering group aims to build on this with a calendar of various events and meetings throughout the year.
The first of these meetings under the new leadership took place at West Hartlepool Rugby Club, Catcote Road, this week. The event served as an introduction to the new board members and included a brainstorming session to identify what members want to see developed over the next couple of years.
Attendees also heard from Scott Campbell, Hartlepool Borough Council’s service manager for education, skills, and employment. He spoke with the Forum’s vice-chair Haani about the town’s success in securing up to £20m over the next ten years through the Government’s Pride in Place programme. Haani said: “It was vital for the Hartlepool Business Forum to host this event to clearly describe the benefits of the Pride in Place programme to the business community. With our new steering group in place, our ambition is to grow our numbers and become a stronger collective voice. This long-term investment presents a significant opportunity for the community to address their local priorities and create lasting, positive change for residents from April 2026 – and we want the Hartlepool Business Forum to play a significant part.”
*To keep up to date with the Hartlepool Business Forum, follow them on LinkedIn and Facebook, or visit www.hartlepoolbusinessforum.co.uk
