Ken has worked for most of his career on the interface between the private and public sectors, and has extensive experience of successful partnership building between the two. His experience of managing such partnerships and marketing ideas and services to domestic and international audiences is reflected in SBD Associates' wide range of clients.

Like many Cornishmen, Ken left Cornwall to pursue his education and career. After reading Economics and Politics at the University of Liverpool, he worked for the Bank of England in London. From there he moved into regional policy and inward investment, working with multinational companies across all sectors.

He lived and worked for nearly ten years in the USA, establishing and running the first English Regional Development Organisation office in the United States, followed by one for Devon & Cornwall. He also has extensive experience of visiting and doing business in Europe and the Far East.

In 1992 he became Chief Executive of Devon and Cornwall Development International - an organisation which he ran for the next 8 years, building up a reputation as one of the UK's most effective regional promotion bodies. In 1995 he also established the first Regional Supply Office in England and served as its Chief Executive. In 1999 he left to start SBD Associates.

Ken is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and is registered nationally with the Small Business Service. He serves on many local regeneration committees, is Chair of Governors at Saltash Community School and is Chair of Cornwall College Saltash.

 

Pip who, together with Ken, founded SBD Associates sadly died recently. Having obtained a First Class Honours degree in English from the University of York, Pip went on to have a varied and diverse career starting with a stint at the Home Civil Service writing ministerial speeches and moving on, via a regional economic development organisation in the North East marketing inward investment and exports, to a market research post with the Australian Trade Commission in Chicago USA, followed by a spell as British Vice Consul at the British Consulate in Boston. Following a period as Product Manager for a US start-up company importing high tech environmental monitoring equipment and launching 4 new products in the US market, Pip returned to the UK, where she operated her own media relations/PR company for three years before joining forces with Ken to found SBD Associates.

Pip was a registered Consultant for the South West RDA Market & Coastal Towns initiative, and had fully SFEDI accreditation as a Business Adviser. She worked mainly with Social Enterprises in Cornwall. Pip was a local Councillor, a local primary school governor and served on a number of local regeneration initiatives. She will be greatly missed not only by her family and friends, but by all those who knew her and worked with her.

 

Born on a farm in North Cornwall, Tess is a cross bred terrier, full of energy and determination. She would never win prizes at Crufts, but when she gets her teeth into something she does not let go. Smart, loyal and hardworking, she also knows how and when to keep quiet.

So when the founding partners of SBD could not agree whose name should go first on the letterhead, it seemed wisest to name the company after Tess…

…who is a Small Brown Dog.