Rachael Briggs

Landsmiths Solicitors

Director

Rachael is an owner and Director at Landsmiths Solicitors and, together with Vik Moothia, manages the practice. Rachael has 18 years’ of real estate experience and has acted for a range of clients from private individuals and SMEs to major national retailers and corporates. She deals with all aspects of landlord and tenant work and has a vast amount of experience in dealing with property portfolios for occupiers and landlords across a broad spectrum of sectors. In addition, Rachael deals with freehold sales, purchases and refinances for a range of clients from developers to investors. Landsmiths Solicitors is a boutique property legal practice offering a personal service for commercial and residential clients, the team are experts in their field and trusted advisers to their clients, adding value not just completing transactions.

Steve Boorman

Anthony James Insurance Brokers Limited

Chairman

Steve Boorman, CEO of Anthony James Insurance Brokers, has over 25 years’ experience in commercial insurance. He has driven strong growth through client focus, community values, and long-term partnerships - both within the business and by investing in businesses in other sectors to support their growth. His entrepreneurial vision and commitment to quality have positioned Anthony James as a trusted, high-performing insurance broker with national reach and a strong foundation for the future.

Leanne Bonner-Cooke MBE

LBC Mentoring

Director

is a highly experienced business leader and trusted advisor, with a long-standing connection to the East Midlands Boardroom that dates back to its formation in 2016. Having been closely involved in helping shape the club in its early years, Leanne brings both historical insight and a deep understanding of the values that underpin the community. With a strong background in supporting business owners and leadership teams, Leanne is known for her strategic thinking, commercial awareness, and ability to challenge constructively while remaining supportive and pragmatic. She works closely with founders and senior teams to help them gain clarity, build confidence, and make informed decisions that support long-term success. Leanne is particularly passionate about the power of peer-led discussion and trusted networks in helping leaders navigate growth, change, and complexity. Her approach is grounded, insightful, and relationship-led, making her a valued contributor to high-quality conversations around the boardroom table. As an Associate Partner of East Midlands Boardroom, Leanne continues to play an important role in shaping the direction of the club, supporting its members, and contributing to a collaborative, open, and commercially focused business community.

Daniel Hobson

Graypaul Ferrari Nottingham

Head of Business

Daniel Hobson is an accomplished automotive leader with over 20 years of experience in the industry. As Head of Business at Graypaul Ferrari Nottingham, he brings a strong track record of driving performance, leading high-performing teams, and delivering exceptional customer experiences. With extensive expertise in luxury vehicle retail and brand management, Daniel is dedicated to upholding the prestige and standards of the Ferrari marque while fostering innovation and sustainable growth within the business

David Boorman

Optima UK

Co-Founder & MD

David heads up the recruitment division at Optima UK, leading the delivery of strategic talent solutions that directly impact business performance. With extensive experience across aerospace, automotive, automation, and technology, he is known at board level for shaping leadership teams, advising on organisational capability, and ensuring businesses have the talent required to execute at pace. In addition David works closely with executive teams on business turnaround and transformation. His focus is clear - align people, structure, and strategy to improve performance and drive sustainable profitability. His approach is hands-on and commercially grounded. He partners with leadership teams to build capability, strengthen succession, and embed the operational discipline needed to scale or navigate critical transition points. Working alongside his co-founder on exit preparation, David ensures businesses are operationally and commercially aligned to maximise value. His focus is on performance. Putting the right leadership in place to deliver results, not theory. Under his leadership, Optima UK has built a reputation for delivering integrated recruitment, training, and consultancy solutions that support organisations through growth, transformation, and exit at board level and with precision. David is known for his direct, commercially focused approach. Cutting through complexity and focusing on what drives value.

Scott Charlish

RBC Brewin Dolphin

Wealth Director

Scott is a Wealth Management Director at RBC Brewin Dolphin, specialising in working with business owners and entrepreneurs who have built significant cash reserves but are unsure how to invest it effectively. He helps clients move from uncertainty to clarity, turning idle capital into structured, long term investment strategies that balance growth, risk and liquidity. Scott works closely with business owners at key decision points, particularly after periods of strong trading, pre exit, or following a sale, when the focus shifts from creating value to preserving and growing wealth. Known for his pragmatic and straight talking approach, Scott cuts through complexity and provides clear, actionable advice. His focus is on giving clients the confidence to make informed decisions, ensuring their money is working as hard as they have. As an Associate Partner of the East Midlands Boardroom, Scott brings a practical financial perspective to the community, supporting business leaders in making smarter decisions with their capital and planning for the future.

Professor Rachel Granger

De Montfort University

Director, Responsible Business and Social Justice

"Rachel Granger is Professor of Creative Economies and Economic Development at Leicester Castle Business School, De Montfort University. Rachel’s research and teaching interests are directed towards practice-based issues of cities in advanced societies, smart and experimental governance, and inclusive, design-led growth leading to economic and civic sustainability. Rachel is also the director of De Montfort University’s Institute for Responsible Business and Social Justice with its priorities on research in circular practice, technology, sustainable business growth, inclusive international development, and inclusive societies. At the forefront of our work is the idea of empowering through impact. De Montfort University is also the UN SDG Hub for Sustainable Cities. The Institute is especially interested in collaborating in areas of digital health, technology in professional services, CPD, apprenticeships, and leadership areas of economic growth. "

Phil Houlder

Glenfield Electrical

Director

Phil has more than 25 years of experience in the electrical industry. Starting with a domestic audience, he has built Glenfield Electrical to be a full service, electrical contract business. In 2018, Phil was a judge on the BBC series ‘The Best House in Town - Leicester’ and in 2019, he was named one of the 10 finalists for the Screwfix Top Tradesman UK award. Glenfield Electrical is a full scope NICEIC electrical contractors. The firm has a reputation in the Midlands for helping businesses with a wide range of electrical services, stating ‘there’s no job too large or small’. The highly professional team excel in the design, installation, maintenance and repair of electrical works in commercial premises. Providing solutions for warehouses, interiors and fit outs, offices, factories, retail outlets, and facilities management companies. Glenfield Electricals’ services cover sites such as food production, retail outlets and factories across the UK.

Jenny Cross

Vantage Marketing Group

Director

Jenny Cross is a senior marketing strategist, business advisor, and exited founder, with more than 20 years’ experience working alongside founders, leadership teams, and scaling organisations. She is best known for building and exiting Cross Productions, a multi-award-winning marketing agency, and for founding Niche Magazine and the Niche Business Awards, both of which were successfully sold as part of an international asset sale. That journey gives Jenny first-hand experience of what it truly takes to build value in a business, scale with intent, and prepare for exit, not in theory, but in practice. Jenny has worked with start-ups, scale-ups, and established organisations across a wide range of sectors, helping leaders clarify their positioning, sharpen their strategy, and align marketing with commercial and operational reality. Her approach is grounded, pragmatic, and execution-focused, supporting confident decision-making at pivotal stages of growth. Deeply embedded in the regional business ecosystem, Jenny is known for her ability to connect people, ideas, and opportunity in ways that create momentum and unlock progress. She brings a hands-on, commercially minded perspective to everything she delivers, shaped by lived experience of leadership, risk, growth, and transition. She is also a Virgin StartUp Mentor and Pro Chancellor at De Montfort University (DMU). As Founder of East Midlands Boardroom, Jenny created a trusted peer-led environment where business owners and senior leaders can step away from day-to-day noise, engage in meaningful conversation, and focus on what genuinely drives long-term business value.

Alistair Ferris

Duncan & Toplis

Director

After successfully running my own business, I took the opportunity to sell and took the leap to work in accountancy with Torrwaterfield. Worked my way up through the ranks in the firm, completed my ACCA qualification and I am now a proud member of the board of directors. Torrwaterfield are based in Leicester and we have been established as a firm of Accountants since 2000 and today we continue to build on our enviable reputation for providing excellent advice and first class services to our business and personal clients alike. We have many clients in the local community small and large and in varied sectors. With seven directors and a supportive growing team, Torrwaterfield are here for all your accounting needs. Whether it's a Company start up, Annual Accounts or a Tax Return Torrwaterfield can provide a hassle free service.

Adam Burrage

Trident

Managing Director

Adam joined Trident in 2006. With the family business being established in 1988, the core services were mainly in printing and graphic design. In the years since, the business has evolved over time to become full-service, offering a full range of digital marketing services. One thing that has not changed since 1988 is Trident aiming to get the best results for their customers. Adam took over the day to day running of Trident in 2020 and sees the growth of the business coming from web design and SEO and digital marketing where Trident can help businesses of all sizes grow.

Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan

She Inspires

Founder

Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan is the founder of Zinthiya Trust, a charity that aims to end poverty and abuse. She is also the founder of Bear Earth CIC, an organisation that is working to end period poverty in the UK as well as in other deprived communities. She also runs and She inspire (Global) Ltd, which is an organisation that supports grassroots women leaders.

Chris Goodman

Soar Valley Press

Managing Director

Soar Valley Press is an award-winning professional print and graphic design service based in Billesdon, Leicestershire. Chris is a skilled design & print professional with 25 years of experience in this industry. He is highly knowledgeable and able to design very effective solutions for communications requirements. Sourcing high-quality design and print can be a difficult process. Soar Valley Press understands this and reassures clients with clear proposals and demonstrates a willingness to meet tight deadlines with no added stress so their client can grow their business and exceed their marketing goals.

Kelly Evans

Optima UK

Head of Business Development

Kelly Evans is an accomplished commercial leader and trusted advisor to growing businesses, with a strong track record of helping organisations improve performance through people, process, and operational clarity. With extensive experience working alongside founders and senior leadership teams, Kelly brings a pragmatic and people-focused approach to business growth. She is known for cutting through complexity, asking the right questions, and supporting leaders to make confident, commercially sound decisions that drive sustainable results. Kelly is particularly passionate about supporting scale-ups and ambitious business owners as they navigate periods of change, growth, and transformation. Her work centres on aligning strategy with execution, ensuring businesses have the structure, capability, and culture needed to grow successfully. As an Associate Partner of East Midlands Boardroom, Kelly contributes her insight, experience, and collaborative mindset to help foster meaningful peer-to-peer discussions, practical learning, and valuable connections across the region’s business community.

Paul Stephenson

Leasing Made Simple (Midlands)

Director

With over 35 years in the automotive industry and having his own leasing business for the last 12 years, Paul’s knowledge is invaluable to any company or individual looking to lease a car or van. With 25 years as a leader in dealerships across the country with manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi and Ferrari, Paul has a legacy of providing thousands of cars and saving clients thousands of pounds while delivering excellent customer service. Leasing Made Simple, owned by Paul is class leading, offering fleet management, salary sacrifice, maintenance packages and business and personal leasing.

Nora Albaldawi

Skintique/Beautiful Smiles

Principal Dentist

Nora always seeks to develop and learn continuously, she holds postgraduate degrees including membership of the Royal College of Surgeons in England and membership of the faculty of general dental practitioners and a Masters degree in Orthodontics from the University of Warwick in 2015. She is also one of the first UK dentists to obtain a Master Damon Certificate after advanced training with world-renowned orthodontists Dr Perera and Dr Espejo. Nora is a current member of the International Academy of Advanced Facial Aesthetics (IAAFA) and has a strong passion in facial aesthetics at a very advanced level and now can treat faces as a whole from improving wrinkles to improving lips, noses, chins, and even lifting the whole face, helping with skin texture, hair loss and fat dissolving.

Tim Grainger

Weatherwise Services

Director

Tim Grainger is the driving force behind Weatherwise Services Ltd, a business built on reliability, precision, and keeping organisations operational during the most challenging winter conditions. With a strong entrepreneurial mindset and a hands-on leadership style, Tim has grown Weatherwise into a trusted partner for businesses across the region who depend on safety and continuity. Known for his pragmatic approach and commitment to delivering on promises, Tim understands the pressures business owners face when external factors threaten day-to-day operations. His experience in building a service-led business from the ground up gives him a valuable perspective on resilience, scalability, and maintaining high standards under pressure. As an Associate Partner of the East Midlands Boardroom, Tim brings a grounded, real-world voice to the community. He is passionate about supporting fellow business leaders, sharing practical insights, and contributing to an environment where ambitious companies can connect, collaborate, and grow.

Imran Sattar

Aims - UK FD Ltd

Chartered Accountant

As Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Imran trained in practice covering the full spectrum of compliance from record keeping to accounts preparation, tax and audit. He now focuses on helping business owners do what they do best; develop and run their organisations. His personable approach and accessibility ensures clients benefit from his wide-ranging experience. This in turn instils trust in his clients. Regardless of the industry his clients are in, he has the skillset to maximise a business’s potential. Put simply, his goal is to save tax by planning well, improve digital set-up by leaning processes, and cultivate growth by focusing on forward financials.

Ameera Laher

Amedics Clinic

Founder

Dr Ameera Laher has over 10 years combined experience training and working in Medicine and Aesthetics, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and a BSC in Anatomy of the Face and Body. She worked as a qualified Medical Doctor and has experience in acute medical, surgical, psychiatry and emergency medicine specialties. With a passion and skill for aesthetics, Dr Ameera made the decision to change direction and has used her medical expertise to improve the wellbeing of her clients to now become a global talent in the facial aesthetics’ space, founding Amedics Clinic in 2018. She brings a unique perspective to this highly nuanced and competitive field. She now specialises in Advanced Facial Aesthetics where her attention to detail, focus on collagen regeneration and gentle approach helps to restore the youthful definition of the face using only the best non-invasive and evidence-based treatments. She is passionate about Aesthetic Medicine and ensuring it is a regulated industry. Dr Ameera has an eye for detail and combines her knowledge of medicine with her artistic skill, to achieve uniquely beautiful results for her patients. She offers bespoke treatments to accentuate natural features and uses a multi-approach to treatment to slow the ageing process.