Richard Hyde

Richard is a Chartered Accountant. Having qualified with Price Waterhouse in London, where his clients were mainly fast-growing entrepreneurial firms, he went to work for 3i as an investment executive. His role there involved identifying investment opportunities, making investments and managing a portfolio.

For the last 10 years he has been MD of a distribution business, focusing on industrial brands, growing it both organically and through acquisition. Awarded SME of the Year for 2003 by the West Midlands Chartered Accountants. Richard also plays a very active role in Midlands politics and regional development. He is the Warwickshire County Councillor for Stratford South, and holds a wide range of public positions, including:

• Board of Advantage West Midlands (AWM)</strong>, the regional redevelopment agency
• Chairman of the Regional Observatory.</strong> The regional statistical and data gathering body
• Chairman, West Midlands Networking Company. Responsible for the coordinated delivery of broadband services to the education sector in the West Midlands
• London 2012 West Midlands Task Group - body responsible for coordinating the West Midlands response to the London Olympics