Natalie Sykes

The Membership Committee is appointed by the main IoD Board to ensure enhancement of perceptions of the IoD as a professional Institute from members and prospective members. It should ideally be an ideas and lateral thinking group as well as a custodian of customer service. It should also act as a consulting and advisory body to give ideas, guidance and feed-back for marketing, catering and other departmental managers and to advise the Board, on membership issues including:

Strategy for… Show more

The Membership Committee is appointed by the main IoD Board to ensure enhancement of perceptions of the IoD as a professional Institute from members and prospective members. It should ideally be an ideas and lateral thinking group as well as a custodian of customer service. It should also act as a consulting and advisory body to give ideas, guidance and feed-back for marketing, catering and other departmental managers and to advise the Board, on membership issues including:

Strategy for the recruitment and retention of members with due regard to targets;

Quality and range of benefits, services, catering and events provided for members and additional perceived needs of members and the marketing of services to members;

Categories of and qualifications for membership, and statistics on its make-up;

Rules for membership and the level of membership subscriptions and fees set by the Board;

Image of the IoD by members and non-members, including ‘longer term’ and ‘inclusive’ membership issues such as:

Professional reputation
Brand asset protection
Royal Charter objects embedded in the membership proposition
Promotion of high-profile members to raise IoD influence in the public arena through IoD Awards
Trends in the demographics of Membership and addressing shortfalls across the age spectrum
The encouragement of a diverse mix of members, including ethnic, female and young
Maximising the role of IoD Hubs as focal points for members in the Regions Show less

It is a great honour to be returning as a judge for the Levelling Up Leader in support of the incredible Northern Power Women Awards 2023!

The Northern Power Women, a movement founded by the unstoppable Simone Roche OBE, have achieved a tremendous amount in uniting businesses and individuals whilst driving equality and social mobility and in just 7 years.

To put it simply, Northern Power Women POWER BUSINESS FOR GOOD, FOR DIVERSITY, FOR PROSPERITY, FOR THE… Show more

It is a great honour to be returning as a judge for the Levelling Up Leader in support of the incredible Northern Power Women Awards 2023!

The Northern Power Women, a movement founded by the unstoppable Simone Roche OBE, have achieved a tremendous amount in uniting businesses and individuals whilst driving equality and social mobility and in just 7 years.

To put it simply, Northern Power Women POWER BUSINESS FOR GOOD, FOR DIVERSITY, FOR PROSPERITY, FOR THE FUTURE.

Levelling Up Leader is a new category that recognises individuals at any stage in their career playing their part in the Levelling Up Agenda to accelerate gender equality and wider inclusivity.

Here is a small snippet from the UK Government's Levelling Up Executive Summary:

“The Medici model, a twenty-first century recipe for a new Industrial Revolution”:

a. boost productivity, pay, jobs and living standards by growing the private sector, especially in those places where they are lagging;

b. spread opportunities and improve public services, especially in those places where they are weakest;

c. restore a sense of community, local pride and belonging, especially in those places where they have been lost; and

d. empower local leaders and communities, especially in those places lacking local agency.

Together we are stronger.

#WEAREPOWER #NPWAWARDS Show less

After being an active member of IoD North Yorkshire Branch, I was delighted to join IoD Young Directors Forum for Yorkshire and the Humber as Vice Chair, progressing to Chair.

Together, we successfully created the signature IoD event "Behind the Scenes" with events in locations such as Seabrooks Crisps, Ginetta Motors, Yorkshire Water, Haribo, and many more.
We also created the signature "Meet Up" series, a relaxed informal meet up with a message from a key ambassador, IoD official… Show more

After being an active member of IoD North Yorkshire Branch, I was delighted to join IoD Young Directors Forum for Yorkshire and the Humber as Vice Chair, progressing to Chair.

Together, we successfully created the signature IoD event "Behind the Scenes" with events in locations such as Seabrooks Crisps, Ginetta Motors, Yorkshire Water, Haribo, and many more.
We also created the signature "Meet Up" series, a relaxed informal meet up with a message from a key ambassador, IoD official or IoD member to spark of debate and to stimulate knowledge sharing.

But that is not all, we created the inspiring Annual Young Directors Conference, held in North Yorkshire and then in Central Manchester.

In the entrepreneurial spirit of the YDF, we challenged the centralised protocol of not using LinkedIn as a platform for members to connect and successfully integrated LinkedIn into the IoD suite of platforms.

Regionally, we saw our under 42 membership raise from less than 100 members to over 300 members during these six years. All events and activity were funding locally with zero support from IoD HQ. Show less

Acting in an advisory capacity to assist the University in developing its Graduate Employability strategy and activity to optimise its engagement with external organisations, in order to maximise graduate recruitment into regional labour markets.

As an Anchor institution, Leeds Beckett aims to support the economic recovery of our region by providing “human capital” in the form of employment-ready graduates, who fulfil the skills requirements of our economy. With a strong focus on social… Show more

Acting in an advisory capacity to assist the University in developing its Graduate Employability strategy and activity to optimise its engagement with external organisations, in order to maximise graduate recruitment into regional labour markets.

As an Anchor institution, Leeds Beckett aims to support the economic recovery of our region by providing “human capital” in the form of employment-ready graduates, who fulfil the skills requirements of our economy. With a strong focus on social mobility, Leeds Beckett will contribute to the growth of an increasingly diverse work-force, and the promotion of equal opportunities.

We will harness our internal resources to help local businesses and organisations recruit graduate talent, focusing on jobs and sectors that will be critical to stimulating re-growth.

Our University will develop courses and interventions that support the efforts of regional agencies and businesses to “build back better”, and we will be an active partner in re-growth activities. Show less

Founding Board Member of Yorkshire's first and only think tank.

Aims and Objectives of Policy Yorkshire

Providing an analysis of Yorkshire across a wide spectrum of policy areas such as business, productivity, employment, education and skills, health, housing, the rural economy and the arts. This will be done by:

Identifying the challenges that policymakers need to address, and assess what level they are best dealt with - local, region, pan northern or from central… Show more

Founding Board Member of Yorkshire's first and only think tank.

Aims and Objectives of Policy Yorkshire

Providing an analysis of Yorkshire across a wide spectrum of policy areas such as business, productivity, employment, education and skills, health, housing, the rural economy and the arts. This will be done by:

Identifying the challenges that policymakers need to address, and assess what level they are best dealt with - local, region, pan northern or from central government.

Providing practical and evidence based ideas and solutions to these challenges using expertise from the region’s academic, business, trade union, civic society, third sector and other communities.

Providing objective analysis with a Yorkshire perspective on policy issues, while informing and complementing the APPG for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire as well as policy development with other bodies.

Establishing how best Yorkshire can be part of a stronger northern voice and can integrate within a Northern Powerhouse. Show less

The Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) is a group of employers whose main aim is to spearhead the drive to engage new employers to commit to apprenticeship delivery in England.

An important part of my work was the creation and implementation of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Apprentice Student Membership, actively supporting businesses with their Apprentices in being a part of the IoD:

Business Secretary welcomes IoD support for apprentices 07/03/2014

In a speech to… Show more

The Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) is a group of employers whose main aim is to spearhead the drive to engage new employers to commit to apprenticeship delivery in England.

An important part of my work was the creation and implementation of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Apprentice Student Membership, actively supporting businesses with their Apprentices in being a part of the IoD:

Business Secretary welcomes IoD support for apprentices 07/03/2014

In a speech to members of the IoD in York on the final day of Apprenticeship Week, the Rt. Hon. Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, welcomed the announcement that the IoD is backing apprentices to be the business leaders of the future. Starting with a pilot scheme in Yorkshire, the IoD will extend its student membership scheme to include anyone working towards a Higher Apprenticeship. The IoD firmly believes in the benefits of vocational education and, through membership, aims to help apprentices gain valuable skills, contacts and commercial awareness that will help them build a successful career.

The Rt. Hon. Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, said: “The initiative from the Institute of Directors during National Apprenticeship Week to pilot membership for Higher level apprenticeships is creative. It demonstrates the commitment from the IoD nationally to ensure the talent pipeline, by supporting skills through apprenticeships on to board level.

Simon Walker, Director General of the Institute of Directors, said: “Many companies report problems in finding staff with the right skills, so apprenticeships can be an excellent way for young people to develop in those areas and set themselves up for a successful career. We’re very pleased to be able to open up IoD membership to apprentices so that so they can continue to broaden their skills, improving their own opportunities and bringing new ideas to their employers. Show less

Judge for the National Apprenticeship Awards

The National Apprenticeship Awards challenge top apprenticeship employers, apprentices and those who champion apprenticeships across England to come forward and show how apprenticeships have made a real difference to their organisation and careers.

Apprenticeships help to shape successful lives and build businesses across a large and diverse range of sectors.

The awards give both individuals and businesses the chance to… Show more

Judge for the National Apprenticeship Awards

The National Apprenticeship Awards challenge top apprenticeship employers, apprentices and those who champion apprenticeships across England to come forward and show how apprenticeships have made a real difference to their organisation and careers.

Apprenticeships help to shape successful lives and build businesses across a large and diverse range of sectors.

The awards give both individuals and businesses the chance to showcase the very best in practice across the country. Show less