MEET THE MENTORS

David Yeates is a retail, sales and customer service expert with experience in a wide variety of industries.

David has over 35 years retail experience in Australia and New Zealand. He has played a part in growing some well-known brands such as The Athlete’s Foot, Darrell Lea, Solomon’s Flooring, The Reject Shop and Interflora.

David has also been involved in wholesale/ corporate sales with the Brady Group and Tesselaar Flowers , and worked as a Corporate Business Advisor for the NSW Business Chamber.

Currently David is a Business Advisor for BEC Business Advice and owns and operates two small businesses.

Michael Douglass isexperienced in implementing and using a wide range of digital technologies - websites, search engine optimisation, social media… - to improve business performance.

Michael has managed a range of business units including Marketing, Planning and IT departments, in sectors such as agriculture, corporate banking, healthcare, medical societies, not-for-profit, recruitment and the arts.

His own small business experience includes utilising his social media marketing knowledge to start and rapidly grow his own Sydney-based photography studio that delivered training and real world work experiences to student and emerging photographers.

Ann Sutton managed her family owned retail store comprising a supermarket, newsagency and giftware for 18 years in Coolah near the Liverpool Plains. She was elected retail representative on the IGA NSW/ACT State Board, where she held the role of chairman, and also chairman of the Culture Governance and Compliance Committee. She also sat on the IGA National Board.

She has direct management experience in fashion retail and has a background in rural business administration. She has held leadership positions within her business community and won numerous business awards, including runner up most outstanding business in the Orana Region in Western New South Wales. Ann was also an Australian Telstra Business Women’s Award nominee.

Ann is a graduate of the AICD Company Directors Course, has a Graduate Certificate in Business Management, an Associate Diploma and is currently halfway through her MBA studies at Macquarie University.

.Specialty: Business Strategy, Retail Trade, Sales & Service Culture and Administration and Support Services

Avril Douglass has a business degree and until recently worked in marketing and communications roles in Sydney for the last 15 years.

Avril grew up with business all around her, with both parents owning and working in a busy contract manufacturing business.

When she isn’t working for the BEC she is working on her start-up business - plastic free cleaning and personal care products. And sometimes she sleeps.

She is a jack of all trades but events, project management, marketing, communications and social media are her strong points.

Mentor Mondays

Follow this organiser to stay informed on future events

Events you might like

Temora Workshop Round 2: AG.Biz Ready - RiverinaTemora Workshop Round 2: AG.Biz Ready - Riverina

Temora Workshop Round 2: AG.Biz Ready - Riverina