joined BNI Durham and Teesside in 2014 following a successful 15-year teaching career where she left her Assistant Head Teacher role in a large secondary school. She is now the Co-Executive Director of BNI Durham and Teesside alongside her husband, soul mate and business partner Russell. She aspires to have a region helping 1000 businesses passing £50 million of business within her local community.
She has completed a three year term as a member of the Franchise Advisory Council, of which she did two years as President, a role she thoroughly enjoyed She is a massive advocate of BNI U and has been on the top 10 Global Leader board since they were a trial region where she is currently sitting 3rd and the only female.
She is a board member for The Foundation of Women in Enterprise in the North East which raises funds to help and support new business in the region. Gill is now leading the launch of the BNI Foundation UK along with the team of trustees.
For fun, Gill runs, cycles, and open water swims. Following her successful completion of two half ironman’s in 2019, her goal is now set on completing an Ironman.
Gill lives in the south of her region with husband and two boys, Harry, and Edward, who are both as active as she is and dog Coco.
feels very proud to do what he does – helping to develop people and businesses that change lives and enrich communities. He is consistently in awe of the amazing difference made by BNI across the UK and Ireland. His goal is to help BNI members pass over £1bn of referral business per year by 2025.
Charlie is a very Unnatural Networker and has published his first book of the same name. Most networking experts talk about networking as though it is the easiest thing in the world to go up to people and talk to them. Charlie speaks about helping other Unnatural Networkers gain confidence to network effectively by putting it across from the point of view of someone who would rather not be doing it at all.
In any spare time, he does have, Charlie will mainly be found training for triathlons, as well hoping that Spurs finish above Arsenal in the league.
has been involved with BNI for over 20 years, starting off as the office junior packing boxes and making tea. He is now the Co-National Director for BNI in the UK & Ireland and is currently the President of the Executive Council, representing BNI National Directors around the world.
Tim has a passion for understanding numbers and how they can help people to make small tweaks to get big results.
What little life he does have outside of BNI is devoted to his wife Elen and his daughters Beth and Nia. Having two young daughters has helped him appreciate the opportunities that aren’t available to all children and the BNI Foundation is a chance to help more children get a fair opportunity.
Anyone who knows Laura will tell you that her passion, determination, and warmth are infectious. Most importantly, they will tell you that people are at the heart of everything she does – a mantra she lives by in business and away from it.
Early on, she realised the power of relationships in business, and by the age of 21 had founded her successful fashion PR agency in Soho. In 1996, after having a break to start a family, she attended a BNI conference in California. Inspired by the opportunity to bring it across the pond, she became one of BNI’s founding Executive Directors in the UK, opening her first chapter later that year.
Along with a talented team, Laura now runs the Central London region of BNI and is the Co-National Director of BNI in Italy, one of BNI's fastest-growing countries. She is often invited to speak at conferences across the world, and has worked as a Non-Executive Director of an award-winning mortgage brokerage and a digital marketing company. A firm believer in partnership and collaboration, she served on the Founders Circle and was Chairperson of the Franchise Advisory Council for over 7 years. She is now a trustee for the BNI Foundation UK.
Outside of work, Laura is an enthusiastic student of Italian, an animal lover and (according to her son) makes the best beef wellington this side of the M25.
I am forever thankful to my parents who instilled in me the values of hospitality, generosity, sharing and helping others. I value those lessons dearly. When I first came across BNI in late 1999, the “Givers Gain” philosophy in business was the main thing that attracted me. A very refreshing, collaborative way of doing business compared to the normal dog eat dog business mentality!
Sharing everything I have experienced in my BNI journey, with our team & our BNI members has been my all-consuming passion. The result has been in our BNI region that members have shared millions of pounds of new business. It is impossible to put a value on the difference it makes to people’s lives and their local communities.
The BNI Foundation and Business Voices is the next level of giving. I am extremely proud to be on the team of trustees with Gill Sawdon, Laura Hurren, Tim Cook & Charlie Lawson. I know that with all our members efforts combined we are destined to make an even bigger difference to Children and Education in our communities.
Nothing compares to being part of something that makes a difference.
Owner of Elvia Marketing Director Consultant in Herts North and East and Bedfordshire
Managing Director of Studio 44 and Director Consultant in Kent
joined BNI Durham and Teesside in 2014 following a successful 15-year teaching career where she left her Assistant Head Teacher role in a large secondary school. She is now the Co-Executive Director of BNI Durham and Teesside alongside her husband, soul mate and business partner Russell. She aspires to have a region helping 1000 businesses passing £50 million of business within her local community
She has completed a three year term as a member of the Franchise Advisory Council, of which she did two years as President, a role she thoroughly enjoyed She is a massive advocate of BNI U and has been on the top 10 Global Leader board since they were a trial region where she is currently sitting 3rd and the only female.
She is a board member for The Foundation of Women in Enterprise in the North East which raises funds to help and support new business in the region. Gill is now leading the launch of the BNI Foundation UK along with the team of trustees.
For fun, Gill runs, cycles, and open water swims. Following her successful completion of two half ironman’s in 2019, her goal is now set on completing an Ironman.
Gill lives in the south of her region with husband and two boys, Harry, and Edward, who are both as active as she is and dog Coco.
feels very proud to do what he does – helping to develop people and businesses that change lives and enrich communities. He is consistently in awe of the amazing difference made by BNI across the UK and Ireland. His goal is to help BNI members pass over £1bn of referral business per year by 2025.
has been involved with BNI for over 20 years, starting off as the office junior packing boxes and making tea. He is now the Co-National Director for BNI in the UK & Ireland and is currently the President of the Executive Council, representing BNI National Directors around the world.
Anyone who knows Laura will tell you that her passion, determination, and warmth are infectious. Most importantly, they will tell you that people are at the heart of everything she does – a mantra she lives by in business and away from it.
I am forever thankful to my parents who instilled in me the values of hospitality, generosity, sharing and helping others. I value those lessons dearly. When I first came across BNI in late 1999, the “Givers Gain” philosophy in business was the main thing that attracted me. A very refreshing, collaborative way of doing business compared to the normal dog eat dog business mentality!
