Board Members

The members of the BDE Board are drawn from the Barking & Dagenham community, and represent local business, education, community groups and other agencies in the borough. The Board meets regularly to drive forward the LEGI programme and further the positive relationship between the borough and business.

Chris Oliver

Chair

BDE’s Chair is Chris Oliver, Managing Director of AJC Wilson Bodyshop, located in Dagenham.

Chris Oliver served an indentured apprenticeship after leaving school, and then worked his way up through the ranks of a number of auto industry companies. In 1999 he and two partners led the management buyout which created AJC Automotive.

Turnover has since more than tripled, generating more than twice the number of jobs there were in 1999. AJC trades under two accident repair brands, AJC Wilson Bodyshop and Fix Auto.

Chris Oliver couples his business career with active involvement in community life, at various times serving as local authority councillor, school governor and member of a housing charity.

BDE’s chairman also seeks to raise standards in his industry, having served on the Sector Skills Council and advised on the first UK national standard for vehicle accident repair.

Tim Heath

Vice Chair

Chief Executive of East London Small Business Centre for the past 11 years, Tim Heath is also a former Chairman of the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies. He is a member of the executive committee of the Community Development Finance Association.

Ian Short

Vice Chair

Ian Short is the Deputy Chief Executive of London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, and a former Senior Vice President of Operations at Lehman Brothers Bank in New York. He has held senior positions with the bank’s European operations in London.

The Board of Barking & Dagenham Enterprise

Private Sector

1. Chris Oliver, AJC Automotive Services – Business Representative (Chair)
2. Sumerah Ahmad, Club Asia – Business Representative
3. Jamie Banks, Barking and Dagenham Chamber of Commerce Representative
4. Steve Drury, Rooff Ltd – Business Representative
5. Paul Ferris, SPX Rail Systems – Business Representative
6. Michael Frempong Taylor, Germinate Business Ltd – Business Representative
7. Tim Heath, East London Small Business Centre – Local Enterprise Agency Representative (Vice Chair)
8. Peter Rosenthal, Barking Power – Business Representative
9. Vacancy
10. Vacancy

Voluntary Sector

1. Carl Blackburn, Barking and Dagenham Council for Voluntary Service Representative
2. Mickey Lincoln, Barking & Dagenham Tenants and Residents Federation – Tenants and Residents Representative
3. Vacancy

Public Sector

1. Ian Short, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Representative (Vice Chair)
2. Cllr Graham Bramley, London Borough of Barking & Dagenham – LBBD representative
3. Nick Drane – Jobcentre Plus
4. London Development Agency (Representative to be confirmed)
5. Jennifer Dearing, Regeneration Department, LBBD – LBBD Representative

Education Sector

1. Ted Parker, Barking College – Further & Higher Education Representative
2. Steve Richardson, Robert Clack Comprehensive School – Local School Representative

Official Observers

1. Alex Anderson, Finance Section, LBBD
2. Alan Lazell, Head of Skills Learning & Enterprise, LBBD
3. Terry Regan, Skills Learning and Enterprise, LBBD
4. Shanaaz Carroll – Government Office for London
5. Ioanna Rossi, London Development Agency