Hull entrepreneur and Tech Week Humber founder Antonio Tombanane has been welcomed onto Forbes Business Council - a prestigious growth and networking organisation for successful company leaders.
Vetted and selected by a review committee, the depth and diversity of his experience saw him accepted to the invitation-only community linked to the global business and lifestyle magazine.
Mr Tombanane, a digital innovation champion, said: “It is an honour to be part of such a ground-breaking council of entrepreneurs. The Forbes Council community is made up of the world’s leading business experts, and I am proud to be among them.
“I hope to use this opportunity to showcase the Humber region and the innovative technology which is being created here.”
As managing director of GB Recruitment and managing partner of technology and event consultancy GBE Connect, company growth was also considered, as well as impact and personal and professional achievements.
He has previously been named in the 50 most inspiring, prominent, and influential black voices in 海角视频 tech, and sits on the board of the Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology.
Based at C4DI, GB is a frontrunner in introducing a four-day week for staff, and while he only came to the city from London because of love, he quickly fell for Hull too.
Born in Mozambique, his mother had her own retail and hospitality businesses, while his father worked in immigration, going on to become a diplomat. His travel brought them to the 海角视频, and when they returned home he stayed in London, completing his business management degree.
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An early career took him to national retail institutions John Lewis, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, before following his heart.
"I moved to Hull in 2004 and fell in love with it," he said, with friends at the university as well as his partner hailing from the city. "It is all about the people, so hard-working, straight to the point. I feel we should tell the world, and I want to see how many people we can get talking about the Humber. Hopefully this will help."
Of how he got selected, he put it down to being brave and willing to take the initiative. "We don't see boundaries," he said. "We are not scared to ask the questions, like why we aren't there, why there aren't more people from the north. It is about representation. This region doesn't always push itself. It was a very rigorous process, but it is a great opportunity to talk about this region."
He also wants to be able to inspire. "We have a lot of people with little or no aspiration, we really need to push on and help people through, especially now with all that is going on," he added.
As an accepted member, Mr Tombanane will have access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help him reach ‘peak professional influence’.
He will connect and collaborate with other respected leaders in a private forum and at members-only events, while being invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts.
Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Business Council, said: “We are honored to welcome Antonio Tombanane into the community.
“Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world.”