Creating more opportunities for businesswomen

Nov 20 2009 by Karen Wilson, The Journal

A FORMER cultural chief has been appointed as managing director of new networking membership organisation WIN Ltd in a bid to further extend its support for business women in the North East.

Deborah Anderson, who was Tyne & Wear Museums’ head of communications for a decade, will take on the top role in December.

Deborah brings substantial senior management experience with her, gained through 20 years of working in both the public and private sectors for organisations including Leeds Building Society, the Theatre Royal and English Estates.

During her 10 years at Tyne & Wear Museums, she provided strategic direction and operational management for the communications, design, exhibition, fundraising and retail teams, taking a lead on the re-launch of Newcastle’s Discovery Museum and Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens.

Her appointment comes as creative entrepreneur Di Gates, who recently sold her stake in Newcastle’s bgroup, takes over as chair of the all-new WIN.

Deborah, who was recently awarded a cultural leadership MA from London’s City University, said: “I believe WIN is an organisation with huge potential to help women in business and in the region.

“I am joining at a very exciting time, when the organisation has become more commercially focused and I can fully use my extensive knowledge and experience of the North East to help WIN develop and grow.

“There really is no other organisation like WIN, which helps women regionally, nationally and internationally. I am looking forward to delivering even more support and benefits to our members.”

In August this year, some of the North East’s most successful businesswomen joined forces in a bid to drive former Durham University project Women Into the Network to new heights.

WIN Ltd’s board of directors is made up of Northumberland’s SCM Pharma director and co-owner Fiona Cruickshank and Mailing House Group managing director Jackie Peddie, Newcastle’s Solutions Recruitment managing director Margaret Clare and creative entrepreneur Di Gates, Ann Stonehouse, owner of Accountancy @ Willowbank and Co-Efficient Outsourcing in Teesside, and Dinah Bennett of Durham University’s Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning.

WIN chair Di Gates, who recently set up new communications consultancy Stick Theory, said: “It is tremendous that we have been able to attract someone of Deborah’s calibre and experience to take on the managing director’s role.

“Deborah brings a wealth of experience from the public and private sectors and the board is really looking forward to working alongside her to take WIN to the next level.”

Deborah is a board member of Audiences North East, the region’s audience development agency, and a graduate of the Newcastle Common Purpose programme.