Championing positive change for businesses in the North East
UMi is thrilled to announce the appointment of Suzanne McCreedy, UMi’s Chief Commercial Officer, as co-chair of B Local North East, the B Corp community group dedicated to connecting and empowering B Corp businesses in the North East. This appointment highlights UMi’s commitment to the B Corp movement, with Suzanne bringing her energy, experience, and drive to this role.
With numbers now at 30 certified B Corps in the North East and over 2,300 in the UK, the UK B Corp movement is growing faster than ever.
Since its certification in 2022, UMi has remained passionate about harnessing business as a force for good, working to help transform the UK’s funding and business support landscape. By becoming a Certified B Corporation with a rating of 121, UMi has demonstrated its strong commitment to ethical practices and leadership, with the business exceeding the standard benchmark of 80 in areas like governance, environment, and community impact.
B Local North East, one of 18 B Local groups across the UK, is built on the vision of uniting purpose-driven businesses to create positive change across their local communities. It provides a unique opportunity for B Corps to collaborate and make an impact that reaches far beyond their individual goals.
UMi’s track record in empowering over 600,000 businesses across the UK with access to funding and support makes them a natural fit to further B Local North East’s initiatives, which range from community events to strategic development efforts for the region.
Reflecting on her new role, Suzanne McCreedy said:
“It’s a privilege to step into this role with B Local North East at such an exciting time for the B Corp movement in our region.
“It’s inspiring to collaborate with businesses that share UMi’s commitment to responsibility and adventure. Together, we’re creating a community focused on progress, positive change, and real-world impact.
“Both myself and the entire team at UMi are passionate about the idea that business can be a force for good, and I’m thrilled to be supporting the North East in a way that amplifies that message. I can’t wait to get started."
Suzanne will be co-chairing alongside other committed B Corp employees; Gemma Graham, head of marketing at Robson Laidler Accountants, Mandy Barker founder of Sail Creative and Jessica Williams – MBA founder of Just Williams.
For UMi, B Local North East isn’t just about furthering its own commitment to B Corp values but also about offering its expertise in supporting other businesses. Since its founding in 2007, UMi has defrayed more than £300 million in grants and loans, leveraged over £650 million in private sector investment, and created or safeguarded more than 40,000 jobs.
Being an employee-owned company means the values of accountability and unity run deep at UMi, making the business particularly well-placed to help lead a B Corp group dedicated to inclusive and sustainable growth.
As co-chairs, Suzanne and the team will be integral in fostering new partnerships, supporting local economic strategies, and encouraging more businesses to join the movement. They will be helping to coordinate events and discussions that bring businesses, social enterprises, and stakeholders together to tackle common challenges in creative ways.
B Local North East is also working toward deeper engagement with the region’s economic development plans and voluntary organisations, helping businesses build meaningful, lasting impact through collaboration.
The entire UMi team congratulates Suzanne on this exciting appointment.