Whitecap Consulting, the Leeds-based strategy consultancy, has joined the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) as it continues to expand and grow.

Founded in 2012, Whitecap has recently completed its third year of trading and works with a range of predominately mid sized northern businesses. The consultancy is led by Richard Coates, Managing Director, along with fellow Directors Alex Connolly and Julian Wells.

Recent and current Whitecap clients include Costcutter Supermarkets Group, Ryman Stationery, National Accident Helpline, Nostrum Group, rebuildingsociety.com, Documobi, First Direct Arena, Aldermore Bank and Capita.

As part of its expansion this year, Whitecap announced ex Yorkshire Bank director Gary Lumby MBE as its first non-executive director in April, and has appointed a number of associates with complementary skills and expertise.

downloadThe CBI represents companies of every size, including many in the FTSE 100 and FTSE 350, mid-caps, SMEs, micro businesses, private and family owned businesses, start-ups and trade associations. Its 190,000 members collectively employ 7 million people, equating to about one third of the UK private sector-employed workforce.

Richard Coates, Managing Director of Whitecap Consulting, says:

“The CBI is one of the most respected institutions in UK business. We are delighted to join as members and we are looking forward to actively contributing to their regional initiatives. We have been very impressed with the support and lobbying they provide and from our recent discussions with the CBI team in Yorkshire & The Humber, I’m confident our business will benefit from this relationship on many fronts.”

Lucy Thornycroft, Regional Director of the CBI for Yorkshire and the Humber, says:

“Our mission is to promote the conditions in which businesses of all sizes and sectors in the UK can compete and prosper for the benefit of all. We’re delighted to welcome Whitecap Consulting as a member in our Yorkshire & Humber region. As a northern-focused firm dealing primarily with mid-sized businesses we are confident they will find great value in the influencing, networking and intelligence opportunities that CBI members benefit from.”