The Business Village Barnsley announces new chief executive

The Board of BBIC Ltd trading as The Business Village is pleased to announce that Martin Beasley (pictured left) will assume the role of chief executive from April 16th, 2024.

Martin is currently the group leader for Enterprising Barnsley, the award-winning economic development arm of Barnsley Council, and has been involved in significant initiatives over his 15 years at the Council, including the ‘Future-Ready Net Zero Accelerator project, which aimed to help businesses reduce their carbon emissions and work towards Net Zero, and which was delivered by a partnership headed by the Business Village. He brings a wealth of experience and a proven track-record of success in the industry, which will be invaluable in his new role.

He will be replacing Adrian Waite, who retired at the end of December after nine years in the role. The Board would like to express its deepest gratitude to Adrian whose exceptional leadership and commitment have been instrumental in The Business Village’s success since 2015, particularly its resilience over the Covid-19 pandemic. We wish him all the best in his retirement.

Martin commented: “I am deeply honoured to step into the role and look forward to building on the strong foundation laid by Adrian and his management team to drive our mission forward.”

In the interim period from January to April, one of the BBIC board members, Thom Webb, will serve as the interim chief executive. Thom is Northern director at Newable Ltd, who co-own The Business Village with Barnsley Council. Thom’s local knowledge and understanding of the company will ensure a smooth transition during this period.