Our Expertise

Richard is a commercially grounded, values-led leader who combines extensive business experience with a practical commitment to regional economic development. His career spans technology, horticulture and rural industries, bringing an entrepreneurial perspective to Coast to Capital’s work across the public, private and third sectors. He is experienced in leading organisations through change, strengthening culture and building teams where ownership, accountability and pride in delivery are embedded.

Before focusing on horticulture and the rural economy, Richard spent 25 years leading innovative businesses across cloud communications, fintech, SaaS and international business process outsourcing. As Managing Director of Fargro, he grew revenues from £19m to £31m and led a private equity-backed management buyout. Today, he chairs the West Sussex Growers’ Association, representing a sector with £1bn turnover and 10,000 employees. He is also a former board director and Chair of the Crop Protection and Agronomy CEO Group at the Agricultural Industries Confederation.

Through his board and executive roles at Coast to Capital, Richard brings together commercial judgement, strategic thinking and practical execution to support regional growth. His work spans innovation, investment and partnerships across local government, business, education and health, underpinned by experience of public-sector governance and navigating complex organisational and political change. He champions the contribution of horticulture and rural businesses to a resilient regional economy, particularly through technology, skills and data-led innovation.

Sussex born and bred, Richard is also a trustee of the Sussex Archaeological Society and a board director of Sussex Past Trading. These roles bring him into close contact with the heritage and tourism sectors, supporting the long-term sustainability of Sussex’s heritage assets and their contribution to the region’s economy and communities.

Luke is an economic development and project delivery consultant with experience spanning business growth, inward investment, research, infrastructure and regional economic development. He has worked with local authorities, businesses and major institutions, delivering projects that combine detailed research and analysis with practical recommendations and programme delivery.

Luke originally joined Coast to Capital as a Business Growth Executive, where he developed and delivered the organisation’s approach to inward investment and international trade. Working closely with the Department for International Trade, he managed foreign direct investment enquiries, supported UK and international businesses considering investment in the region and developed propositions to promote the area to prospective investors. His work across trade, investment and aviation also led him to act as deputy project lead on the Gatwick Freeport submission to government.

He later moved into a senior project delivery role, managing consultancy assignments for Coast to Capital and its clients. His work has included research into Airport Economic Zones for Gatwick Airport, analysis of the business environment in Epsom & Ewell and transport and infrastructure studies across the wider region.

As Senior Consultant, Luke has continued to work across a broad portfolio of economic development projects. This has included programme management of UK Shared Prosperity Fund delivery on behalf of district and borough councils, managing communications and thought leadership activity, and undertaking economic impact assessment work for The Jockey Club in relation to Epsom Downs Racecourse. He has also supported business case development and financial modelling for clients including Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

Before joining Coast to Capital, Luke worked in economic development at Runnymede Borough Council, close to Heathrow Airport. There he led projects including the development of a new online inward investment and business support platform and supported major employment and infrastructure initiatives including the Longcross Park Enterprise Zone. Luke holds a first-class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

Prior to joining Coast to Capital, Tony was a Director at the global insurance giant AIG and led support services across Europe, Middle East, Africa & India for 5 years. He joined Coast to Capital in 2016 as Chief Operating Officer and took up the post of Chief Executive & Managing Board Director in December 2021 and has led the organisation for the last 4 years, initially as a Local Enterprise Partnership and then through to its current independent status.

Tony has worked on many major infrastructure and property projects during his career and is a Chartered Engineer by background, and is also an experienced non-executive director with his first appointment in 2016. He was a group Board Director of the Lampton Group for just under 7 years, holding non-executive roles as Chair of its Finance, Audit & Risk Committees and also as Chairman of Lampton Homes. He was also a non-executive director of Be First Regeneration for 6 years, appointed by Lord Bob Kerslake, and Chaired its Audit & Risk Committee for this time, as well as a non-executive director and Vice Chair of the BD Group for nearly 3 years before stepping down to focus on his Coast to Capital role.

Professional Qualifications:

Amanda is an experienced senior Director having worked in various roles across the private, public and third sectors for over 30 years. A KPMG-alumni and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, she specialises in corporate governance and is particularly passionate about promoting the role of arts and heritage as central to a thriving economy.

She holds a first-class honours degree in Accounting with Computing from the University of Ulster together with a postgraduate diploma in Professional Accounting from Queen’s University, Belfast and an MSc in Innovation, Leadership & Management from the University of York.

Amanda has particular experience in leading organisational change through extensive modernisation programmes and of delivering major capital redevelopment and regeneration projects. Before moving to Sussex from her native Northern Ireland, Amanda was Director of Finance & Planning at National Museums Northern Ireland where she was Finance Director for the £20m redevelopment of the Ulster Museum, winner of the prestigious Art Fund Prize, and more recently the Project Director for the £32m Royal Pavilion Estate Masterplan in Brighton & Hove during her time as Deputy Chief Executive of Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival.

She is currently the Chair of Sussex Past, a regional heritage organisation responsible for several Sussex landmarks including Fishbourne Roman Palace, Lewes Castle and the Long Man of Wilmington and also Trustee and Treasurer of the Council for British Archaeology. She chairs Good Space, the South East’s volunteering for wellbeing programme for arts, heritage and sports organisations and is currently working with Lady Mary Peters on the development of a dedicated Sports Museum for Northern Ireland.

Richard has a wide career within the lighting industry mainly providing solutions to the Retail sectors, and working for major lighting companies based in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. As LED lighting came to prominence Richard sourced product from China and worked on significant projects such as international airports.

Following 30 years in commercial lighting Richard worked locally for a number of years providing property maintenance services to Estate Agents and Landlords before taking on a role as a Constituency Manager for a local MP.

Alongside his business experience Richard became a local councilor in Horley in 2017 and for the last two years has been Leader of the Council at Reigate and Banstead. He is also a substitute member on the Board of the District Council Network and a Board Member of the United Kingdom Darts Association. He has always been involved in community work, as a Leader in the Scout movement for fifteen years and then becoming an integral part of the Round Table Organisation both locally and Nationally.