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John started his career as a 'boy soldier'. At the age of 15 years and 2 months he joined the Royal Signals as a Junior Leader where he qualified academically, technically and militarily. After 12 years of exciting and challenging service he left the Army qualified as an electrical and mechanical engineer. He had been involved in some of that generation's most exciting top secret trials - the early military usage of the Internet. In addition, he was on HMS Ark Royal during the first sea trials of the prototype Sea Harrier.
Moving into fixings and fastening sales within the construction industry, John quickly expanded to establish Foxford Eurofast Ltd, the 4th largest manufacturer of specialist screws in the UK. Following its sale to a multinational several years later, he took a number of successful senior sales and general management positions within several UK PLC's.
In 1995 he headed up the new external business company for Dewsbury College and became re-acquainted with the new Information Super Highway, became Demon Internet's largest corporate customer and created DBMS Internet Solutions, probably the first Internet Solutions company in the North of England. DBMS was very successful and sold to a large yorkshire computer group and ISP in 2000.
John became a senior consultant working with e-government for part of the NHS and large business before moving into an ambassadorial role with the RICS. Discovering he liked this type of work he joined the Institute of Directors as Regional Director - Yorkshire & Humber. Responsible for driving the Institute of Directors forward throughout the Yorkshire & Humber Region, promoting its profile and policies, liaising with key agencies, and increasing the services to members including brand profile, events, seminars and director development programmes.
He also sits on the business advisory committees for Yorkshire Forward, Business Link Yorkshire, Leeds Business School (LMU). Sits on Yorkshire Innovation (the Science and Innovation) council. He is a main board member and Trustee on the Regular Forces Employment Association, national charity. Sits as a member of Pickering Town Team.
John served as a West Yorkshire magistrate for eight years until 1993. Passionate about Yorkshire and born in Leeds he has lived abroad and in many parts of the UK. He now lives in Pickering, North Yorkshire. He is married to Christine, has two married children and five grandchildren.
