Bev Hurley CBE

Director and past Chair | IED

CEO | YTKO Group

Bev is CEO of the YTKO Group, and brings 30 years of first hand business expertise to the IED board. Prior to leading YTKO to a 100+ employee business, she built three successful small companies. Alongside its commercial work, the Group delivers a significant amount of public sector start-up, growth and access to finance projects for local authorities and LEPs across the UK. These have enabled the growth of over 20,000 businesses and the creation of over 10,000 new jobs for the UK economy.

In addition to her direct experience, this wealth of successful practitioner delivery, coupled with a deep understanding of local, regional and national economic development challenges, enables Bev to provide a range of perspectives to the board and its membership.

She has also grown two very successful membership networks, Norfolk Network and Enterprising Women, and is one of the UK experts on gender entrepreneurship. A UK Female Enterprise Ambassador, speaker, and angel investor, Bev has a number of private and public sector non-executive directorships, joining the IED Board in 2011. She holds the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion, and was awarded a CBE in 2014.

After serving two years as Vice Chair of the IED, Bev became Chair of the IED in November 2016, standing down at the end of her term in December 2022. Bev remains on the Board as a Director for a further term of office.

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