The CEO of Bath’s oldest charity, St John's Foundation, is to step down after six years in the role. David Hobdey, pictured, who retires later this month, joined the community organisation, which 850th anniversary this year, in 2016 as finance director. He became CEO two years later and in 2020 was instrumental in launching...
The CEO of iconic Somerset-based fashion business Mulberry quit the group last week after nine years in the role – with the firm naming the former CEO of Danish womenswear label Ganni as his successor. Andrea Baldo, who has more than 20 years' experience leading brands in the global fashion industry, replaces Thierry Andretta, who...
Specialist UK semiconductor maker Graphcore, which has its roots in Bath, is poised to take on the global giants of the industry after being acquired by Japanese investment group SoftBank. The idea for Graphcore was born in 2012 when co-founder Nigel Toon and Simon Knowles met in Bath's Marlborough Tavern to discuss their next...
Bath’s top tech talent was again among the winners at the West of England’s most prestigious awards scheme for the sector. Three firms from the city triumphed in The SPARKies, the annual awards that champion the best of the region’s tech and digital community. The awards were handed out at a ceremony at the...
Purpose-driven comms consultancy Second Mountain is supporting a leadership development business with its ambitious expansion as it looks to build on a reputation for excellence achieved over nearly 25 years. Resilient Leaders Elements (RLE) believes everyone can be a leader and is deserving of world-class leadership development. It directly supports individuals at all levels of...
A pilot scheme to test a next-generation 5G mobile network in Bath city centre is to start later this summer. The government-funded scheme aims to address the mobile network connectivity and capacity issues that often affect phones in the area. According to surveys carried out by Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES), many...
The new government’s pledge to devolve more powers from Whitehall to the West of England offers “a really exciting opportunity” for the region, according to the organisation behind Bath Chamber of Commerce. Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, said the move could trigger more jobs, homes and infrastructure as well as better transport...
More than 6,000 jobs were created across the South West last year as investment by overseas firms in the region recovered to its strongest for six years. The South West attracted 43 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects in 2023 – a 23% increase on the previous year and the highest total since 2017. According...
An historic pub near Bath has been named as the best in the UK in a major industry awards scheme. The George Inn at the village of Norton St Philip landed the prestigious Pub of the Year title at the National Pub & Bar Awards, which were staged in London last week. The awards...
Nearly half of South West businesses believe the General Election will lead to significant economic expansion in the region over the next six months, a new survey has revealed. Research commissioned by accountancy firm Monahans, which has seven offices in the region, including in Bath, shows 47% of business owners are confident that market...
