CIM in the South West’s community board includes ambassadors that represent marketers in specific industry sectors.

The board is delighted to welcome some new faces, and we are introducing Leighton Jones who will represent the Food, Drink and Agriculture sector and Barbara Stopher the Small Business community in this issue.

Maureen Wincott, CIM South West network manager comments, “We are delighted that Leighton and Barbara have kindly agreed to join the South West board.  They both bring with them a wealth of experience which we are hoping to use to help reinvigorate the both small business and the food and drink sectors which are both critical to the South West.”

Leighton has been involved in science for over 30 years. Although, he long-since hung up his lab coat, moving into communications and marketing, he works for Campden BRI which provides technical support to the food and drinks industry – covering agri-food production, analysis and testing, processing and manufacturing, safety, training and technical information services. Leighton says, "Given the importance of food, drink and agriculture to the economy of the South West, I am really excited to be helping the CIM bring together the sector's marketers to share knowledge, experience and ideas that will benefit business."

Barbara is well-recognised in Gloucestershire’s business circles, following her voluntary role as branch chair of the local Institute of Directors for two years and being non-executive director of well-known regional artisan bakers, Hobbs House Bakery. 

Barbara is an accomplished marketing specialist and company director with substantial experience in both the corporate and SME sector. She set-up and ran her own strategic marketing consultancy for thirteen years, which she successfully sold before moving to the area in 2010, and now works as a professional mentor with business owners and directors to help set and implement business strategy. Barbara commented, “I am delighted to be invited to take on the CIM Small Business Ambassador role for the region as I am passionate about marketing and strongly believe that marketing lies at the heart of any successful business strategy.”