Rob Whieldon

Operations Director

Rob Whieldon is an experienced designer of award winning learning and development programmes for the SME community, programmes that have delivered tangible commercial and operational results across many business disciplines.

He was the Executive Director of the prestigious Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme in Yorkshire and Humber and is the former Director of Small Business Programmes at Leeds University Business School (LUBS).

In 2012, the 10,000 Small Businesses programme won the EFMD (European Framework for Management Development) Excellence in Practice award. The same year, Rob led the team that that won a Gold Award from the Government Small Business Charter initiative, one of only three Universities in the country to receive Gold status.

Taking early retirement from LUBS in August 2015, he set up his own consultancy business and now provides coaching and support for SME business owners across the north of England.  He is also a mentor for the NatWest Bank Entrepreneur Accelerator programme.

One of Rob’s claims to fame is that he developed, facilitated and ran the world’s largest leadership programme with over 115,000 participants benefiting from the programme.

In his spare time he enjoys walking and fell running.  Over the years, he has completed more than 25 mountain marathons.

Rob Whieldon serves as Operations Director of Nixene Publishing