CO-FOunders

An experienced business owner, having founded and run three businesses in Leeds over the last two decades. He believes people are what make a business successful, regardless of the product or service. He puts a high value on long-term relationships and has built a significant bank of contacts to call on across a variety of professions and sectors. Sat calls on this ample experience and entrepreneurial nature as co-founder of Leeds based consultancy ByDiffusion. Working with growing organisations Sat's astute and considered approach translates to solid support for businesses leaders and organisations of all sizes to evolve, improve and overcome the challenges holding them back in the business environment.

Mike is a senior business leader spearheading business transformation and enthusing his passion to place people at the heart of strategies for change. Mike supports organisational growth and scale, brought to life with the application and leverage of digital and modern delivery approaches, all whilst fostering a positive culture and empowering business progression. With a career spanning 20 years in this arena, his work has taken him to a wide range of industries such as financial services and manufacturing, in roles stretching from head of change delivery to executive board director.

Mike’s current role; co-founder of byDiffusion, offers to support businesses of all sizes to evolve, improve and overcome the challenges holding them back. With a collaborative work ethic, experience, skill and an eye on market changes and technological advances, his aim is to allow leaders room for thought and change, giving space to develop further in the fast paced working world. In addition Mike is chair for the Leeds Digital Charity Ball, an annual event that raises funds to promote digital inclusion.

Reflecting on his own journey and with the return to his home town of Leeds, this has distilled Mike’s drive to harness and build a more inclusive city. Mike sees, and advocates the value in supporting collaboration between private, public and third sector organisations to promote a more regenerative and redistributive society. From this, the concept of One for the City was born.

Founding Members

Guy is the driving force behind Tall's creative vision. With tremendous passion, knowledge, and expertise, he tirelessly works to deliver above the weight. As Tall entered a new chapter known as a digital brand experience agency, Guy is hard-focused on helping clients communicate their personality online and keep consistency across digital channels.

Always in the back of his mind is that any agency work has to align with the client’s goals and objectives while also meeting the highest standards of quality and innovation.

The region has long been Guy's creative home, a place to channel entrepreneurship and sharpen his craft.  Revelling in the city's dynamic and vibrant digital and creative community there were no doubts when it came to choosing Tall's base in the city, where it has grown and developed into its niche with great success.

Bringing energy into any conversation, Caroline offers a vast understanding of business and the key areas relating to commercial resilience, growth and succession under various structures and in divergent industries. With experience of working in, alongside and advising all kinds of businesses Caroline has played an active role in the regional business support ecosystem for several years, now moving back into an operational role within a Leeds based business and continuing to support initiatives contributing to the wealth of region.

Recognising the importance and being exposed to the growth of the ESG agenda within the business environment, Caroline has a sound understanding of how environmental, social and governance elements apply to business and how crucial enterprise can be in advocating and achieving real change. Caroline has furthered her understanding with qualifications in environmental management and sustainability skills for the workforce.

As a true Yorkshire lass Caroline loves her city of Leeds, which has afforded her opportunities to progress and develop personally, and professionally within a range of high growth industries. Caroline loves spending her time in the outdoors, hiking through Yorkshire soaking up the landscape.

Committee members

Rachel is an experienced finance director, having worked across a range of industries, from retail to financial services to tech consultancy. Qualifying as a chartered accountant with PwC, her career has spanned commercial accounting and financial controller roles, before a foray into operations, looking after Asda’s resource planning for 150,000+ store employees and co-ordinating all the stores cost saving projects.

After 15 years in large complex organisations (and three children….) Rachel took the leap out of the corporate world to work with smaller, growing businesses – and for the past seven years has worked as a portfolio Finance Director, providing strategic financial support to Leeds SMEs across a range of industries.

Rachel loves playing her part in contributing to the growth of the thriving Leeds small business community and relishes the impact that can be made working with small business; from successfully acquiring grant funding, to securing new office space to proudly being part of a successful BCorp accreditation.

Having seen business be a real force for good and wanting to contribute more to the city in which she has spent all her working life, Rachel was excited about the opportunity to work with the inspiring OFTC team, to help them build on their fantastic work so far in building a real movement to help business be part of growinga more inclusive economy.

When not working Rachel spends her time trying to complete a never ending house renovation, taxiing her children to their various and numerous activities, volunteering as a SmartWorks career coach and playing padel.