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The Alternative Board

Leeds North

Experience the power of peer support in Leeds.

Get the results you deserve by thriving with other business owners.

Dave McCartney has facilitated over 500 advisory board meetings in the Leeds area and knows first-hand the difference peer support makes.

If this sounds interesting, why not contact Dave McCartney?

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Your Leeds North Facilitator

Dave is the owner of The Alternative Board in the Leeds North & Centre region. He is a seasoned and successful executive with a broad range of experience gained over the last 26 years operating at a senior level for public, family owned and venture capital backed businesses.

His particular expertise lies in sales and marketing, operations and strategic planning. He has specialist knowledge of the B2B distribution sector, and the food and chemical industries in particular. He managed his first business at the age of 23 and fast tracked through the corporate environment holding a range of sales, operations, project management and senior business roles before ultimately becoming Managing Director of Fiske Food Ingredients, the UK’s leading food ingredient distributor at the age of 40.

He moved into the private sector and has been a Director/Managing Director of two privately owned family businesses and CEO of a VC backed technology business. It was in this role that he experienced the full benefits and value of a Board of talented Non Executive Directors that assisted him in signing a major licensing contract with a €5bn European dairy business.

Having originally graduated in Chemical Engineering, Dave received further business training at the University of California and Ashridge Management College. He has a passion to help business owners focus on the key strategic issues, plan the way ahead and deliver on their targets to drive even greater value and success. His role at The Alternative Boards allows him to do just that.

Our members


We work with 25 business leaders spread across 4 ‘alternative’ boards in the greater Leeds area. Our members’ combined turnover is in excess of £100m and they collectively employ over 1000 people.

Discover the benefits of advice from others like you

Start with you

Focus on what you want in life and how your business can help get you there.

Increase profitability

Be held accountable to meet your business targets.

Improve decisions

Take control of your decisions through peer support and proven planning tools

Make better time choices

Spend your time well by utilising the experience of others.

Become a better leader

Motivate your people with the guidance of peers and an expert coach.

Plan a successful exit

Get the best result for you with tailored, hands-on support.

Our members are stronger together

Dave has been a great mentor and advisor over the years, helping me navigate many tricky business hurdles and being on hand to give sound business advice and personal mentoring. I guess what stands Dave apart from other advisors is he really cares. I don't think he could take you on as a client if he didn't and that means he goes the extra mile. He has a wealth of knowledge and a huge black book of other trusted experts he can point you if he can't help.

Neil Adams, Powerhouse

I recommend TAB to any business. I can’t see a scenario why you don’t think you would need to join unless you’re the kind of individual that thinks you know it all. I would suggest that those individuals bottleneck their own businesses. If you’re looking for a path to growth, you have to be open-minded and take on the advice and views of a wide variety of people and TAB gives you access to those views.

Mike Hodge, CIM Logic

Dave is a pleasure to deal with and a fantastic professional. With the help of Dave and one of the advisory peer board’s that he set up, our business has gone from strength to strength. Can’t recommend him highly enough. I wish I hadn’t been so stubborn and would have joined years before I did. Everything is easier with good support and guidance!

Craig Arnott, Dene Healthcare

Many thanks to Dave, for the time invested with CimLogic via TAB. Being part of a ‘relevant’ network has made an extreme difference to the way we do business. I have saved money, paid less tax, received better service from existing suppliers, and been able to us a wide range of new business services which I didn’t even know existed. Well done Dave & TAB – much appreciated.

Mike Hodge, CIM Logic

TAB is a challenging environment and it pushes you to keep on with your plans, gives you clarification that what you're doing is right. The support from like-minded people, that challenge it keeps you going, keeps you pushing forward, gives you the sense that you're doing the right things. And being able to give your advice to other people to help them is a rewarding thing. It's a two-way street and hopefully everybody gets something out of that. I certainly do!

Paul MacDonald, P. Waite Associates
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Member successes and celebrations

Amy Sherwen

Bluesmith Information System

James Sykes

CIM Logic

Bridget Petty

JPS Print

Oliver Bell-Syer

Santander Bank

James Hennigan

Meson Electrical Services

Andy Moseley

Andy Moseley Associates

James Sykes

Cimlogic / ITI

Rob Minto

The Onlii

James Patchett

Patchett Joinery & Homes

Thomas Bray

MPCC (UK)

Bridget Petty

JPS Limited

Thomas Bray

MPCC (UK)

James Patchett

Patchett Joinery

Andrew Moseley

Andrew Moseley Associates Transport and Development Planning

Mark Cowgill

Exa Networks

Mark Swindells

Geo2 Remediation

Ann Brown

BHP Accountants

Tom Bray

MPCC

End of Year 2021 - Leeds Board 410

End of Year 2021 – Leeds Board 320

Helen Rhodes

Ideal Extraction

James Patchett

Patchett Joinery and Homes

Stephen Kelly

Gough & Kelly

Sonya Whitworth

BTL Group

Sonya Whitworth

BTL Group

Richard Kempner

Kempner & Partners

Oliver Bell-Syer

Santander Corporate Banking

Nick Dyson

Blacks Solicitors

Mike Lodge

Cimlogic

Matt Thornfield

Virtual Pair Programmers

Mark Swindells

Geo2 Remediation

Mark Frankland

Motor Marque

Laura Watts

Marton Mills

Laura Watts

Marton Mills

Karen Tinkler and Monica Green

The Partners Group

Karen Tinkler

Partners PR

Karen Tinkler

Partners Group

Karen Tinkler

The Partners Group

Julie Tumilty

Feature Media

John Story

Stephenson Group

James Sykes

Cimlogic

Carol Leo

Kpaca Ltd

Bridget Petty

JPS Print Management

Start your TAB journey

Get in touch with Dave.

He will contact you to arrange an introductory meeting.

During which, you’ll chat about whether TAB is right for you and your business.

Attend your first TAB board meeting and experience the power of peer support.

There’s no obligation, only an opportunity to find out more.

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There's more with TAB Leeds North & Centre. 

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Our proven business transformation program, designed for management teams.

 

Enable your team to work better together through DiSC behavioural workshops. Dave works in partnership with DiSC to help you better understand yourself and your team.

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