Who are we? The Board

LESLEY ROBINSON – Board Member

Lesley has worked for Cumbria Chamber of Commerce for 17 years and is responsible for the business support arm of the Chamber, Cumbria Business Growth Hub.

Lesley’s role is very varied with direct line manager responsibility for the project team, team of 36 business advisers and 7 mentors, trainer pool and project delivery partners.

As part of her role Lesley oversees all projects including grant funding and business support delivery to both entrepreneurs and existing businesses, designs and implements new activity, manages commercial training alongside sourcing and bidding for new funding opportunities.

One of three members of the Chamber’s Senior Management Team, Lesley is also a qualified APM project manager.

Over 17 years Lesley has developed key contacts within the local area and is committed to ensuring entrepreneurs and businesses prosper, develop and grow. Lesley has also worked on and delivered a number of crisis support programmes including Foot & Mouth, Covid and the Carlisle floods.

Lesley’s role is very varied with direct line manager responsibility for the project team, team of 36 business advisers and 7 mentors, trainer pool and project delivery partners.

KEVIN BEATY – Board member

Kevin has worked in the rural sector for most of his life, as a farmer and more recently in Natural Capital markets across the north of England delivering nature recovery projects to offset carbon for the business community and creating biodiversity net gain units to aid development.

I was leader of neighbouring Eden District Council where a Business Improvement District has brought much needed business led investment to help make Penrith a better place to live and work for the past decade or so.

I have lived in and around Carlisle all my life and its prosperity and future as a place to enjoy my leisure time and also as a viable administrative and commerce centre are hugely important to me.

TRACEY SLAVEN – Board member

Tracey Slaven is the Chief Transformation Officer at the University of Cumbria.  Her role is focused on enabling the University community to make the transformational changes needed to achieve our strategic ambitions, for the University, the region, and our students. 

As CTO, Tracey draws on her initial training as an economist and over 20 years of experience in addressing governance and operational challenges and leading change across higher education, charity, public and private organisations.    This work has included major governance transformations, post-merger integration and the statutory and operational creation of a new public body. 

As well as holding senior level roles at the University of Edinburgh, and most recently as University Secretary and Chief Operating Officer at the University of Aberdeen, Tracey has experience within government, having led the Higher Education policy team in Scotland.   She has been an accountable officer as the Chief Executive of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and as a HESA Board Member, supported the transition of the charity into JISC.