When 老九品茶Cloud described me in my Northern Leaders profile as 鈥榓rguably the most connected person in the North East,鈥� I smiled.
It wasn鈥檛 because I think I know everyone (though I do know a fair few), but because that line captures the spirit of the region that I鈥檓 proud to represent.
As the North East correspondent for 老九品茶Cloud, I get to write about some incredible people shaping the future of the North.
And while the Northern Leaders list covers the whole map, from Liverpool to Leeds and Manchester to Hull, it鈥檚 the North East that reminds me time and again why connection really matters.
The strength of the North East is its connections. We may be smaller than some of our neighbours, but what we lack in size, we more than make up for in solidarity.
Our business community doesn鈥檛 work in silos; it works like a network.
People here genuinely show up for each other at events, in boardrooms, on LinkedIn and through all the small gestures that add up to something bigger.
Reading through this year鈥檚 list, I recognised plenty of familiar faces and, I鈥檒l admit, I Googled the few I didn鈥檛 know.
What stood out was how many people from the North East are quietly leading change, building communities and raising the profile of our region in their own ways.
There are too many brilliant names to mention in one column, but here are just a few who really capture the strength and spirit of our region.
The rest, well done – I鈥檒l be sure to feature more of you in future.
- Phil Witcherley, listed alongside Kim McGuinness and Henry Kippin, brings real drive and focus to the North East Combined Authority鈥檚 strategic priorities, helping to shape an inclusive, forward-looking economy that connects business, the public sector and community.
- Alison Dunn, CEO of Society Matters Group, uses her 鈥楾his Is The North鈥� podcast to tell the stories that don鈥檛 always make national headlines but absolutely should.
- Steph Edusei, CEO of St Oswald鈥檚 Hospice and chair of Tyneside Cinema, shows that empathy and leadership aren鈥檛 opposites. Her first book (published earlier this year), 鈥�A Little Book of Leadership Lessons鈥�, was an instant bestseller.
- Paul Blake, owner of the Newcastle Eagles, and his wife Sam are doing great work in women鈥檚 sport while raising the profile of basketball nationally.
- Mads Howard MBE is someone I鈥檝e had the pleasure of getting to know this year. She鈥檚 seriously impressive and was recognised for her contributions to cybersecurity and her advocacy for gender diversity in technology.
- Rachel Lynch MBE, founder of The Urban Factory, has built something special from the ground up, creating a space where young people can move, grow and belong. In 2024, she was awarded an MBE for services to young people and sport in the North East.
These are leaders who connect ideas, people and possibility.
That鈥檚 what gives the North East its edge. Connection is our regional advantage.
One of the things I love about the Northern Leaders list is how it celebrates collaboration over competition. Success feels shared.
When someone here wins, the rest of us cheer them on. When a founder lands a contract, a CEO launches a new project or a charity hits a milestone, the ripple of support is real.
That isn鈥檛 just nice to see; it鈥檚 good business. The more visible our collective success becomes, the stronger our voice grows as a region.
Building bridges across the North, the North East has a big role to play in connecting the wider North too.
We鈥檝e got world-class stories, skills and innovations that deserve to be seen on a national stage, and the more we share them, the more opportunities flow back home.
Connection shouldn鈥檛 stop at county borders. True connection happens when we link strengths across the map: Teesside tech meets Manchester creativity, Newcastle leadership meets Leeds sustainability.
That鈥檚 when the North really starts to move as one.
Being connected isn鈥檛 about collecting contacts; it鈥檚 about who you show up for and how. It鈥檚 about being the one who makes the introduction, shares the post, sends the message or offers encouragement.
The North East is full of those people. It鈥檚 one of the reasons I love this region and why I鈥檓 proud to write each month about the leaders proving that connection, not competition, drives us forward.
Because when the North East connects, the whole North gets stronger.
- The 2025 Northern Leaders awards dinner takes place on November 20th.聽 This year鈥檚 headline sponsor is , alongside law firm聽,听,听, insurance giant聽听补苍诲听.