Robert brings big credentials to the BIG team

"By sharing my skills and experience in this way, I aim to make a positive difference to the success of Warwickshire businesses and help contribute to their growth and prosperity and that of the region."

Warwickshire County Council's Business Investment Growth (BIG) team, part of the Economy & Skills Group, has even greater knowledge and experience at its disposal after the appointment of Robert Dyer as a Business Growth Advisor.

Robert, who was born and educated in Birmingham, brings vast experience to the role from 40 years in a variety of industry sectors, including technical sales, marketing and operations, in the UK, Europe and Middle East. He has worked in Government security, automotive, manufacturing, oil & gas and import/export manufacturing.

Most recently, Robert worked in the private sector providing Government security solutions and taking over the running of a business in 2015 with two co-directors as part of a management buyout. His previous experience ranges from working in a newly-formed start-up, launching an innovative transport safety device, to working for a leading global tyre manufacturer and multinational oil and petroleum company.

Robert's mission now is to help SMEs take advantage of the vast array of support available from Warwickshire County Council (WCC) and its partners. As a Business Growth Advisor in the BIG team, he will work on a number of programmes and initiatives.

These are the Coventry & Warwickshire (CW) Innovation Programme (part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund) which offers support for developing and testing new to the market products or services, support for acquiring and protecting intellectual property and advice on access to finance with grants of up to £100,000. Robert will also work on the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale programme (part-funded by ERDF) which helps businesses with support and access to finance, including WCC's Small Capital Grants programme as well as other financial support."

He is delighted to be getting to grips with his new role and applying his knowledge and experience to the task of helping others grow their businesses.

"I have always really enjoyed working in a business-to-business and business–to-end user environment, building relationships and developing business opportunities," he said. "While I still retain my interests in my own SME company, I was looking for a new challenge so the role of Business Growth Advisor was of immediate interest to me.

"At this stage in my life and career, I was looking for something new that would draw upon my years of commercial experience and knowledge, whilst allowing me to give something back. In this exciting role, I feel I will be able to make a positive contribution to Warwickshire County Council and help them achieve their objectives of making the county and region an even more business-friendly location.

"By sharing my skills and experience in this way, I aim to make a positive difference to the success of Warwickshire businesses and help contribute to their growth and prosperity and that of the region."

Hardeep Sandhu, WCC's Business Investment Growth Delivery Lead, said: "Robert brings immense experience and value to our team and a real desire to help other businesses achieve the success that he has enjoyed in his career. We are very pleased to have him on board at a very exciting time for the BIG team as we roll out this new strand of support to help businesses be more innovative and grow at such a challenging time."

* Any business in Warwickshire which is seeking support, is invited to get in touch with the Business Investment Growth team at  business@warwickshire.gov.uk or telephone: 01926 412709. For more information on the Innovation Programme please visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/homepage/358/grow-or-adapt-your-business