A consultancy launched by the former North East leader of the CBI is gearing up for further growth after rapid expansion last year.
Sunderland-based business management consultancy DKS Straightforward Ltd was launched in 2015 by Dianne Sharp to work with SMEs across the North East looking to unlock their potential.
A qualified accountant by trade and with over 30 years experience of running SMEs across a variety of sectors, Mrs Sharp originally set up DKS Straightforward after recognising there was a lack of people development and leadership training in businesses.
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The firm, which delivers consultancy, training and development programmes, last year launched a new learning environment, The Leadership Academy, and it is looking to work with more regional businesses at the academy this year.
Based in Sunderland city centre, the space is designed to provide teams, leaders and course delegates with an area fully equipped for strategy planning and internal training.
The Learning Academy has wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor whiteboards, projection equipment and breakout areas, and is designed to host team away days as well as provide an environment for DKS Straightforward to host its workshops.
Mrs Sharp said: “I’m passionate about improving the quality of businesses here in the North East and through DKS Straightforward we work with leaders of SMEs to recognise where the areas of improvement are for continued success and growth.
“I’ve been working in businesses of all sizes for over 30 years and I wanted to share the experience I’ve gained with the future leaders of tomorrow.
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“It would be fantastic to see more businesses thrive here in the region and to show the rest of the 海角视频 that the North East is a great place to do business. It was important for us to invest in a space that businesses can use to get out of their usual working environment.
“We want to see more businesses succeed and a space like The Leadership Academy is there to encourage a growth mindset for business owners and their teams to step out of the day-to-day and look at their strategy from a different point of view.”