Jane Reynolds has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to industry and the Tees Valley economy in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2019.
The Queen’s Honour acknowledges the outstanding achievement of individuals across the UK and Commonwealth and Jane has been recognised for both her leadership as the voluntary chair of the Tees Valley Business Club (TVBC) and her years of business development for investment funding across the North East, most recently with Northstar Ventures Ltd (NSV).
This honour is an affirmation of the important contribution the club and the regional development funds have made to the growth of the local economy. As such, Jane has great pleasure in accepting this award and gratefully acknowledges the essential support she has received.
“Everyone associated with TVBC is passionate about the Tees Valley and has a desire to raise the profile of businesses within the region. The club provides a platform for businesses of all sizes to engage, learn and collaborate, but it is the members and the regional funding that has made it happen”.
Originally from Lancashire, Jane settled in the Tees Valley after a career that took her from London, to the US and The Netherlands. She immediately saw the potential of what she describes as a resilient, innovative but undervalued region: “People in our region are genuine and honest. They work hard to solve problems and share those solutions with the rest of the world. The profile of the Tees Valley is increasing and I am passionate about supporting that.”
Under Jane’s voluntary leadership, TVBC has achieved many successes and brought inspirational speakers to the events which are over-subscribed each month. She is however, most proud of the ongoing progression of the region: “It has been great to see the Club grow in the twelve years that I have been involved and in particular to watch the demographics of the membership evolve. We are seeing so many young people set up businesses and without doubt the experience of the more established members has helped them develop; it’s great to see that knowledge transfer take place.”
Of receiving the honour Jane said: “I am excited to be awarded an MBE on behalf of the Tees Valley Business Club, its members and Northstar Ventures. This is a wonderful region, with wonderful people doing extraordinary things. To be recognised in this way is a privilege which I hope to use as an ongoing platform to support the place that makes me feel so proud”.
By accepting this honour, Jane gratefully acknowledges the hard work and consistent support of the Tees Valley Business Club board (Emily Bentley, Angeline Stewart, Lisa Holt), the wider TVBC support team and Northstar Ventures Ltd.