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Growth Hub Team members

Jon Brunton – Growth Hub Manager


Jon heads the HEY LEP’s Business Growth Hub, a business support initiative that offers free and impartial information advice & guidance to both pre-start individuals and businesses of any size or sector across the region. He oversees the delivery of the core Growth Hub contract funded by the Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and also the Growth Hub’s £6 million suite of ERDF-funded projects that constitute the Growth Hub’s #GrowMySME Programme.

Jon also manages relations with the Growth Hub’s partners which include the Humber local authorities, trade & industry bodies such as the FSB and the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce, and other funded business support provision in the region such as the DiT, SparkFund, Manufacturing Growth Programme, the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and the Skills Support for the Workforce Programme amongst others.

Jon is also a proactive member of the Northern Powerhouse Growth Hub network, and represents the Growth Hub at quarterly meetings of the network in order to work on cross-Northern Powerhouse initiatives and to share best practice for effective delivery of the Growth Hub service.

More recently, Jon has taken the position as HEY LEP lead for Brexit business engagement, which includes both business intelligence gathering and the commissioning of interventions to help prepare the Humber business community for Brexit.

Jon has worked in the business support field since 2013, and therefore brings to the role an extensive knowledge of the support needs of growth businesses, as well experience in how to deliver relevant and impactful support to SMEs in particular.

Kevin Headley BSC- Growth Hub Programme Officer

Kevin supports the Growth Hub Programme Manager to ensure the effective delivery of the Growth Hub Programme of business support schemes. Working with the delivery partners to collect data on deliverables for programme monitoring returns.

Kevin is responsible for the maintenance, development and content of the HEY Growth Hub webinar, providing up to date information about business support in the Hull and East Yorkshire region. Kevin is also responsible for the Growth Hub social media content Twitter and facebook. He also provides yearly data to BEiS about HEY Growth Hub business support activity as well as providing weekly data to BEiS about HEY Business activity.

Kevin spent over 30 years working in the commercial sector for a Software House in a variety of technical, software development and leadership roles. Kevin worked on developing systems in a range of business sectors including retailing, manufacturing, financial and HR. His last role with the company was as Senior Analyst responsible for the Business Intelligence product used by a number of the leading food retailers.

Prior to joining the LEP Kevin worked on a contract at the Humber NHS Foundation Trust to design, develop and implement a Management Information computer System for the monitoring of the clinical performance of the Community Nursing division.

Kevin also has a BSc in Environmental Science.

Emma Tozer- Growth Hub Programme Officer

Emma is the Programme Officer for the HEY LEP Business Growth Hub’s Business Growth Scheme.

Emma’s role is to monitor and ensure compliance within the programme, supporting the Growth Hub Manager to ensure effective delivery of the scheme.

Prior to joining the LEP Emma worked within Hull City Council’s City Regeneration and Policy for approximately 19 years in similar roles.

Elaine Reed- Growth Hub Programme Officer

Elaine started working for the Hull and East Yorkshire Business Growth Hub on the Business Growth Scheme as a Programme Officer in October 2019, supporting the Growth Hub Manager to ensure accurate and effective scheme delivery.

Elaine has specific responsibility for monitoring and ensuring compliance within the Business Growth Scheme’s Programmes, including the sector specific ‘Humber Social Enterprise Accelerator’ and ‘Scale-Up’ Programmes.

Elaine works with regional delivery partners to collect, collate and report accurate Programme monitoring information for timely progress reporting.

Elaine is an Absolutely Cultured volunteer and has supported a variety of events since first registering for the Hull 2017 City of Culture year.

Geoffrey Bye- Growth Hub Marketing & Events Officer

Deals with all the Growmy SME Workshops events.

Kevin Xu- Administration Officer

Kevin is the Administration Officer for the HEY LEP Business Growth Hub’s Business Growth Scheme.

Kevin’s role is to provide efficient administrative support service to the team.  Working closely with the Programme Officers, the Programme Manager to assist in the development, implementation and monitoring of information systems that capture service activity and contribute to the reporting procedure.

Prior to joining the LEP Kevin had worked in similar roles on multiple ESF programmes for approximately 10 years.

Declan McCarthy- Events and Marketing Administration Officer


Declan is the Events and Marketing Administration Officer. for the HEY LEP Business Growth Hub’s Business Growth Scheme.
Declan’s role involves assisting in the organisation of events and workshops for SME’s registered under the Business Growth Scheme.