B4 Appoint Non-Executive Chairman

Frank, Director of Corporate Affairs at Unipart for the past 22 years, will be working alongside B4’s senior management to guide strategy. He has worked in ‘blue chip’ companies such as Barclays and IBM, as well as with a wide range of SMEs, in establishing strong reputations, clear value propositions and effective marketing programmes.

In line with B4’s focus on responsible business, promoting responsible business behaviours has been at the heart of much of his work. As a result, in 2014, he was named as HRH the Prince of Wales’s Responsible Business Ambassador for the South East, a role he currently maintains. He also chairs the South East Leadership Team of Business in the Community.

Frank began his career as a journalist, first in New York then in the UK. After several roles in marketing and communications, he was appointed to his current role as Unipart’s first Director of Corporate Affairs focusing his expertise on a company at the leading edge of values-based business transformation in Britain.

A writer, editor and broadcaster, Frank continues to contribute to B4’s growing library of business video content. Within Unipart, Frank also previously established a learning and development consultancy implementing corporate universities in large, complex organisations, and turned a loss-making restaurant and conference centre into a profit centre providing Unipart with a showcase facility with outstanding customer satisfaction results.

Frank is also Chairman of Oxfordshire Business First, the innovation business network for which he edited a book on Oxfordshire entrepreneurs. He is a member of the Oxford Strategic Partnership board and previously chaired Oxfordshire’s Economic Partnership, as well as chair of the county’s Employment and Skills Board. He is a founder member of the Ideas Network 2030, and was a founder of Oxfordshire Digital First, the campaigning network. He is also a founding member of Oxfordshire Voice and a frequent guest lecturer at Oxford Brookes University. Through his work in China, Frank has been recognised as an expert foreign lecturer by the educational authorities in the Chaoyang district in Beijing.

Frank is currently focused on digital transformation strategies in large enterprises and SMEs and leads an innovation project with SMEs in Oxfordshire. He is married with two daughters, both of whom are doctors.

“After many years as a B4 member and an active supporter, I’m delighted to have this opportunity to help our network grow and to continue to work closely with our business leaders, many of whom have become great friends.”

Regarding his appointment, Frank commented: “After many years as a B4 member and an active supporter, I’m delighted to have this opportunity to help our network grow and to continue to work closely with our business leaders, many of whom have become great friends.

“Oxfordshire-based businesses continue to be strong contributors to the economic growth and prosperity of our community. Business networks like B4 are increasingly important to companies managing unprecedented levels of change and uncertainty. In these challenging times, we can be better together.”

“We are delighted to welcome Frank to the team. We’re getting blue chip advice at a time when we’re expanding nationally, the timing couldn’t be better.”

B4’s CEO, Richard Rosser, added. “We are delighted to welcome Frank to the team. We’re getting blue chip advice at a time when we’re expanding nationally, the timing couldn’t be better. Frank has been a huge supporter of B4 (and me personally) and we’re very lucky to have his vast wealth of experience and genuine support for everything we’re doing.”

Notes to Editors:
For more information, comment or images, please contact: Lorna Waterfield at lorna@b4-business.com or call 01865 742211.

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About Unipart
Unipart is one of the largest private companies in its sector and works with the best companies in the world. It is one of Britain’s largest employee-owned companies, with the majority of shares held by employees. When the group formed nearly three decades ago, it was ideas rather than size that shaped the company’s fortunes.
www.unipart.com

About B4
We are one of Oxfordshire’s leading B2B networks with over 300 members in our network enjoying a wide range of benefits on line including connections, learning, inspirational speakers and profile. We are a trusted business community which believes in the value of long-term relationships and which works hard to help business and personal development. B4 is now national with communities launched in 34 towns and cities across the UK.
www.b4-business.com