Small Business Charter: Accreditation & Reaccreditation Workshop

Since the launch of the Small Business Charter in 2013, Joe has been an Assessor, conducting numerous assessments and reassessments, and he previously served as a voting member of the SBC board.

He is a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader with a rich background in management and finance. Previously, Joe was the Managing Director of Halls Bakery Limited, a 90-year-old family business in Lancashire that employed 16 people and achieved an annual turnover of £1 million. With over 30 years of experience in small and medium-sized enterprises, he has excelled as a Finance Director across various sectors, refining his expertise in fund management, budget development, and the creation of effective business plans and KPIs.

Joe has also held several Non-Executive Director positions, notably serving over nine years at Bako Group Ltd, where he concluded his tenure as Chair for six years. This co-operative operates from three regional depots and boasts a turnover of approximately £200 million.

In addition to his business endeavors, Joe is committed to community service as a Trustee for Community Transport, a charity based in Yorkshire, and he serves as Managing Director of CML Ltd, the charity's trading arm.

As a founding Entrepreneur in Residence at Lancaster University Management School and an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, he imparts valuable insights through his undergraduate and postgraduate entrepreneurship classes.