Stephen King
Associate
Stephen has over 20 years of experience in large sector-leading organisations and has led the strategic governance of organisations across education, tourism, and transport. He is a skilled and experienced commercial director, consultant, mentor, chairman, non-executive director and guest lecturer, and has a strong track record in shaping strategy, commercial growth, enhancing organisational and individual effectiveness, and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
As Commercial Director at Go North East & East Yorkshire Buses he managed corporate and customer strategy, overseeing £130m in commercial revenue and serving 92 million customers. He refocused company strategy to balance customer and business needs and built up a strong reputation for high level stakeholder engagement, communication, innovation and strategic commercial planning and success. As Chair of New College Durham he oversees the executive leadership, financial and strategic performance, and as Trustee of Beamish Museum he has contributed to growth and governance renewal. His work extends to supporting education and community prosperity, including roles as a School Enterprise Advisor with the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and as an SME Business Mentor at Newcastle University Business School, where he offers strategic guidance for sustainable business growth.
As a corporate leader, guest speaker and external associate lecturer at Teesside University Business School, Stephen has engaged diverse audiences on topics such as Business Strategy and Innovation, Authentic and Effective leadership, Stakeholder Relationships, & Strategic Marketing & Communication; Environmental Social Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainable Business Practice and driving sustainable change.
Recent testimonials
- “I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the wonderful session you led. Your expertise and support were invaluable, and I appreciated the insights and knowledge you shared. Your preparation and attention to detail were evident throughout the session.”
- “Stephen is one of those people who lights up a room. He has highly developed people and personal skills that forge purposeful and productive professional relations that benefit every individual and every organisation he works with. His knowledge and experience of running a large commercial operation is proven but he brings so more more to any table than that, including skills in governance, mentoring, strategy development and idea creation. An absolute pleasure to work with because he’s not just a great deliverer, he’s fun to work with too.”
- “I feel like our conversation opened up something I knew was there but couldn’t You are a great thought connector. Thank you.”
- “Stephen is a visionary leader whose expertise and strategic acumen have left a lasting imprint on every project and enterprise he has touched. His approach combines innovative thinking with a solid understanding of market dynamics, making him a beacon of insight in the business community. Anyone partnering with Stephen will benefit from his profound industry knowledge, commitment to excellence, and a relentless pursuit of success.”
Qualifications and memberships
- Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing
- Member of the Institute of Directors
- Member of the Association of Business Mentors
- Association of Business Mentors Foundation in Business Mentoring Certificate ILM L3
- The Institute of Directors Diploma & Certificate in Company Direction
- Sheffield University BA (Hons) Business Management & Organisation
