Our team of experts take pride in becoming a truly hands-on professional partner for our clients. This enables us to be used as consultants, interim managers or as an outsourced resource, which offers clients a high degree of flexibility without the need for long term commitment or the overheads, responsibilities or fixed costs associated with the development of in-house solutions.
Chris Parkhouse is the founder and Managing Director of Deyton Bell. In 2018 he was honoured to be appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire. He is an expert in business development issues, who has spent over 30 years with high profile organisations, operating both domestically and internationally. In 2005, Chris established Deyton Bell to provide clients in the UK and overseas with bespoke economic and commercial development support delivered via a range of consultancy, in house and outsourced services. The business has developed a blue chip track record since launch and is proud to work with leading public, private and not for profit organisations around the world.
Before assuming his current role, Chris worked for groups such as Provident Mutual, GRE, Aegon, Virgin, Abbey and Santander, in roles such as Corporate Sales Director and Director of Strategic Alliances. Chris has travelled extensively on business and has considerable global experience of international economic and commercial issues. He has managed business units active across over 80 countries. Although his primary focus is always on Deyton Bell, Chris has always been active across the wider community, and this has given him great insight and connectivity across the private, public and not for profit sectors. His activities have included:
Away from the office, Chris is a rowing enthusiast who for over 40 years has trained and competed in all types of boat and crew, and he still enjoys any opportunity to be involved with the sport. He is a British Rowing Umpire and a Vice President of the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association as well as a former Senior Coach of Wolfson College Cambridge and Past President of Rob Roy Boat Club.
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Harriet Fear has over 25 years international experience and was a career Diplomat for over 20 years with the British Foreign Office. She served in over 17 countries, in various roles including Deputy Ambassador 3 times, Head of Press and Public Affairs and Head of Commercial Services. She regularly served in hostile environments, trouble-shooting specific crises including in the Congo, Cambodia and Ethiopia.
Harriet spent half her diplomatic career in the commercial field, helping SME’s trade internationally. For 5 years of her diplomatic career she was the Head of the National Life Sciences and Healthcare Trade Team for UK Trade & Investment (described by the Board as a ‘transformational leader’). From 2009 to 2017 Harriet was Chief Executive of One Nucleus, leading the organization to become the largest life science and healthcare membership body in Europe, and winning a major award as ‘Best Global Life Sciences and Healthcare membership organisation’ in 2016.
Harriet has a strong UK business reputation, not least in her 5 year role as the Prime Minister’s Business Ambassador for Life Sciences. This role has seen her undertake a range of high-profile duties including advising No 10 on the sector, being a critical friend to the Department for International Trade on its life sciences remit, leading trade missions overseas and briefing European governments and businesses on the UK’s sector, business strategies and inward investment opportunities.
Harriet has worked at the heart of the Cambridge business ecosystem since 2003. She has extensive networks regionally, nationally and internationally with particular emphasis on the US, Asia and Europe. Harriet was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List 2016 for her services to Healthcare and Life Sciences. In addition to her role as Director of Deyton Bell, Harriet is Chair of Cambridge Ahead and founder of Harriet Fear Associates Ltd.
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Steve McAteer has over 15 years experience as a director and consultant, with significant expertise of strategic management gained from a wide range of organisations. Before assuming his current role, Steve was a director of the organisation responsible for delivering the Business Link and International Trade Services in the East for England, and was accountable as Executive Director for Inward Investment. The resultant organisation was recognized as the highest performing of its type in the UK, overachieving delivery targets for regional and national government contracts year on year for 7 years.
In 2012, he joined Deyton Bell to provide focus on public sector and European funding consultancy using his extensive practical knowledge in both areas. He has devised, secured funding and project managed several EU funded projects in the past three years, as well as conducting assignments in the Middle East, Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. He has completed several extended interim assignments working for Local Authorities, focusing on transforming their delivery of Economic Development and Inward Investment functions, and has worked for over a dozen other first and second tier councils, analysing their current performance and options, and recommending appropriate commercially focused delivery models. Steve has also worked as Chief Executive Officer at Wenta, the Enterprise Agency based across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Wenta manage and own 7 business centres, help start up over 1000 businesses a year (with 90%+ survival rates) and manage multiple support programmes for both individuals and SME’s. His work with this organisation gave Steve an excellent insight into the establishment and strategic development of incubators, managed workspace and business startup & growth programmes. Away from the office, Steve is an enthusiastic but very amateur skier and snowboarder, plays golf and racketball, and is the proud father of two children and an English Bull Terrier.
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Pat has over 30 years senior management experience in economic development. This experience has been gained working in complex, multiple stakeholder environments across mainland Europe, North London, Greater Essex, and the 6 counties of the East of England. With particular expertise in:
Before assuming his current role, Pat worked for a range of public and not for profit sector organisations including the Manpower Services Commission, Essex Training & Enterprise Council, Essex Learning & Skills Council, Ixion Holdings and Exemplas Holdings. The latter two organisations have been responsible for nationally branded services including Business Link, Enterprise Europe Network, Investors in People, and Department for International Trade export services. Pat is widely known and respected for his ability to get things done in multiple stakeholder situations. His personal skills enable him to work equally well with organisations and people from all walks of life and develop meaningful collaborations for the benefit of new and existing businesses. Outside of work, Pat enjoys walking, swimming, family life, and is a life-time supporter of Lincoln City FC.
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Neil Darwin has over 20 years working in economic development across public, private and government sectors. Neil’s experience has been gained in complex, multiple stakeholder environments across the UK and working with partners across Europe. He has experience of leading projects with partners across all continents. With particular expertise in:
Before joining Deyton Bell, Neil completed a successful period as the Chief Executive of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership. Prior to this Neil has held a number of Economic Development roles across public and private sectors. Neil has a strong reputation across public, private and government sectors and is known for his strategic thinking and ability to convert this into high quality delivery. His is able to work effectively with all sectors and is able to develop meaningful collaborations for the benefit of new and existing clients. Away from the office, Neil can be found watching non-league football, and when he can face it he resumes his lifelong loyalty to Ipswich Town. Neil also enjoys attending obscure music gigs and has an extensive knowledge of the Indie genre. He also spends considerable time ferrying two teenagers around.
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