The Business Enterprise Fund Team

Chris Luty Fund Administrator

With years of experience running a number of projects within the public sector, Chris Joins BEF as our fund administrator.

Matthew Foote Business Finance Advisor

Matthew joins us from KPMG where he worked in the Transaction Services team conducting due diligence on mergers and acquisitions. Matthew’s primary responsibilities at BEF are sourcing finance for struggling businesses and analysing potential investments for the fund. Matthew is a well traveled individual having spent time in South America, South East Asia and Eastern Europe. He graduated from the London School of Economics with a masters in Law and Accounting. Prior to this Matthew completed a degree in Business Management at King’s College London and studied Quantitative Methods at Harvard University. 

Angela Hellawell Book Keeper

Angela is the fund’s roaving book keeper. She spends her time providing book keeping services for our clients and getting their accounts into order. She has a great deal of experience dealing with sole traders and small businesses and provides an invaluable service to those clients who chose to make the most of it.

Steve Waud Fund Director

Steve, along with Malcolm Swallow, launched the fund back in November 2004 with £360k to lend in the Bradford district. Since then the fund has grown to around £3million and now covers West and North Yorkshire.

Steve’s background is in corporate recovery and has worked in sectors as diverse as Brand Marketing and the Automotive sectors.

He is a non exec director of the CDFA and is a keen advocate for the Community Development Finance Sector.

Brian Hatcher Business Mentor (Legi Leeds)

Brian worked in banking for 34 years as a lending manager, as well as regional manager for the bank’s International Division, and latterly the Factoring and Invoice Discounting Division. Joined West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency in May 2000 to start up and run one of the first Government backed loan schemes, for businesses which couldn’t get funding from the main stream. Joined the Business Enterprise Fund in February 2006, as mentor for the businesses which had obtained funding from this source. Currently director of two Social Enterprises in West Yorkshire

Richard Wharton Business Mentor (Legi Leeds)

Richard comes from a business banking background of over 30 years and has since been involved in assisting smaller businesses through Business Link, Leeds Chamber and EastBank Regeneration Project. He also works closely with businesses based at the Leeds Metropolitan University Business Incubator. Is a director of and works with several companies from engineering to debt management.

John Sims Professional Services Advisor

John has a strong background in start-up businesses and business support. He has wide experience in setting up small businesses. He has worked within the business support network for a number of years and has excellent contacts.

Meg Heath Mentor Manager

Meg has been a consultant for a number of years, which has taken her all over the world. Her speciality is marketing and she has worked with a number of major brands on the development of new products and brought these successfully to the market.

Ray Walker Business Mentor

Ray has a vast amount of experience working at senior levels within some of the UK’s leading PLCs. Most recently, Ray was a special business advisor for BLWY. Prior to joining the fund, Ray had been a consultant working with a number of SMEs at a strategic level. He has an MBA from Durham University.