The Board
Hilary Florek
Hilary became Chair of North East Access to Finance in November 2018. She was Chair of the Port of Tyne Authority from 2014 to 2017 and then chaired the Marine Management Organisation until 2024. She is a Director of Advance Northumberland and the Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company. Hilary’s non-executive experience includes previous appointments at North Music Trust in Gateshead, the Community Foundation, Karbon Homes, Project North East and Sunderland Youth Enterprise Trust. She is a strategic communications specialist and former Communications Director of the Vaux Group.
Kay Goodinson (Wilkinson)
Kay became Chief Executive of NEA2F in 2022, having joined as Programme Manager in 2012. As well as overseeing the organisation, she has wide responsibility for the funds held in the NEA2F group, looking to maximise financial returns. She is working extensively with the North East and Tees Valley Combined Authorities and other stakeholders on the development of new funds and initiatives for North East businesses. NEA2F has been able to redeploy the returns from its funds into new initiatives including a Teesside University project and The North East Fund. Previously, Kay worked for 13 years in Government Office North East and One North East, developing and managing ERDF supported funds.
Alastair Conn
Alastair qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse in Newcastle upon Tyne, spending two years on secondment to the National Enterprise Board as an investment executive. In 1988 he co-founded NVM Private Equity, where he was managing director and then financial director until his retirement in 2018. He has 40 years’ experience of managing venture capital funds and has held advisory positions with various venture capital industry bodies and regional funds. He joined the board of North East Access to Finance in 2019 and is also a non-executive director of North East Social Investment Company.
Bill Blair
Bill is a highly experienced investment professional focused on early-stage companies. He is Chair of the Audit Committee of North East Finance and a Non-Executive Director of the North East Technology Fund. He also represents the North East Technology Fund on the board of its portfolio company Iksuda. Bill is also an Adviser to the Pioneer Group Seed Fund and mentors early-stage companies in its venture development programme.
Previously, he was a Partner at Bridge Valley Ventures and established Scottish Widows’ Investment Partnership’s venture capital fund programme where he gained board experience in the UK, Europe and US. Bill was appointed to the board in January 2018.
