Richard established the first Business Growth Hub, which now has a team of 200 specialists who have helped over 12,000 companies start, grow and scale. As Director of Business Growth at The Growth Company, Richard leads the company’s wide range of business support services which including helping companies raise finance, providing in-depth insights about exploring new markets at home and abroad, supplying expert advice on the latest innovations and digital tech, sustainable growth solutions, and business strategies that shape workforces and leadership development.

He has gone on to develop a range of innovative cohort programmes that help scale ups including Greater Connected, Amplify, Step Into Health, Spark2Scale and the recently launched Global Scale Up programme. He is also leading the delivery of the DCMS backed Creative Scale-Up Programme in Greater Manchester and the Be the Business Mentoring for Growth Programme across the country.

Richard Co-Chairs the Scale Up Institute’s Access to Markets committee, sits as a member of the Advisory Board for the University of Salford’s Business School and chairs the Northern Powerhouse Growth Hub Network. Richard was awarded the Public and Third Sector Director of the Year award in 2018 by the Institute of Directors (North West). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), Associateship of the Textile Institute (CText ATI) and a member of the Institute of Directors (MIoD).