Andy Preston (businessman)

Andy Preston
Born (1966-07-31) 31 July 1966
Middlesbrough, England
Occupation Businessman, charity chairman
Years active 2013–present
Title Chairman:
Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation
CEO Sleepout UK
Tees Valley Multi Academy Trust

Andy Preston (born 31 July 1966) is an English businessman and charity chairman. He runs a number of businesses and charities.[1] He also stood for the role of elected mayor of Middlesbrough in 2015.[2] He was a high-profile City trader and also ran a $5.5bln international hedge fund business.[3]

Charity work

After retiring from fund management,Preston moved back to the North of England.[4] Between 2002 and 2008 Preston was a patron of international children's charity ARK.[5] He was also chairman of charity Fairbridge Teesside from 2005 to 2010.[6] The first charity he founded, in 2011, was Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation which raises and distributes funds to boost communities across the urban area of Teesside. An early supporter and trustee of the charity was public relations executive Mark Bolland The Foundation is supported by a number of local businesses including Middlesbrough Football Club, Steve Gibson's Bulkhaul and Cleveland Cable Company. It has also won support from Olympic long jumper Chris Tomlinson. A couple of years later Preston launched a new charity called CEO Sleepout which holds events across the UK to raise funds to combat homelessness and poverty.[7] In December 2016 Preston launched a charity restaurant, The Fork in the Road, in Middlesbrough with the goal of providing employment opportunities for ex-offenders, recovering addicts and the long term unemployed.[8] Run by CEO Sleepout, the restaurant helps to fund a dry bar, Bar Zero, which primarily serves the recovery community. In September 2017, it was announced that Preston was handing over the reins of Fork in the Road to international athlete Matty Hynes[9] Preston previously chaired Tees Valley Education which is a three school academy trust which operates in some of the UK's most disadvantaged areas.[10]

Business

Andy Preston is involved in numerous businesses in North East England and also invests in commercial property. He and his brother Chris restored the former Kirby College in Middlesbrough, converting it into apartments.[11] In 2013, through a £1 million renovation they also converted a 19th-century Middlesbrough building previously known as the Cleveland Club into office accommodation called Boho Four Gibson House.[12] He has also invested in a number of start-up businesses in the North East of England.[13] Midway through 2017, it was announced that Preston would be chairman of Teesside training start-up business Procenergy[14]

Politics

Andy Preston was historically an active member of Labour Party.[15] In 2013 he spearheaded a successful campaign to retain the role of elected mayor of Middlesbrough when then Mayor Ray Mallon called a referendum on the position.[16] Preston stood for election as an independent in 2015 to become elected mayor of Middlesbrough, narrowly losing out to Labour's Dave Budd.[17] In 2016 Preston took up a voluntary role as Tees Valley business ambassador for the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign ahead of the referendum to decide whether the country should remain or leave the European Union.[18] After being linked as a potential candidate to become the first Tees Valley Mayor, Preston ruled himself out of the race but warned against the election of a "career politician"[19]

References

  1. ↑ "CEO Sleepout UK – An Interview with founder Andy Preston". North West Business Life. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Middlesbrough mayor referendum: Andy Preston 'would stand'". BBC News. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  3. ↑ Rigby, Elizabeth (22 July 2004). "The bankers' new best friends". Financial Times. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  4. ↑ Robert Watts (20 March 2011). "There's hope up north – Midas has come home". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "Absolute Return for Kids". sourcewatch.org. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  6. ↑ McKenzie, Sandy (2 December 2010). "Cash support so vital, says Fairbridge Teesside boss". gazettelive. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  7. ↑ Tingle, Rory (15 February 2016). "St James' Park to host sleepout as part of drive to reduce homelessness in Newcastle". nechronicle. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "New Middlesbrough restaurant to give former offenders and addicts 'a second chance' | Tyne Tees – ITV News". Itv.com. 21 December 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  9. ↑ Brown, Mike (14 September 2017). "Teesside athlete Matty Hynes is taking over at Fork in the Road". Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  10. ↑ "The Board". Tees Valley Education. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  11. ↑ McKenzie, Sandy. "£2.5m to bring Linthorpe college back to life". Gazette Live. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  12. ↑ Journal, The. "Former Cleveland Club reopens as Gibson House at Boho Four". The Journal. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  13. ↑ Administrator, journallive (4 April 2012). "Global backing for Middlesbrough-based Thap". journallive. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  14. ↑ "Six-figure investment sees Teesside industry training company launch". Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  15. ↑ "fmttm |". Fansonline.net. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  16. ↑ Dye, David. ""From Billion-Pound Hedge Funds to the Race for Mayor; BUSINESSMAN Andy Preston Is"very Busy" – and Life Is about to Get a Whole Lot More Hectic. He Talks Morals, Parmos and What's Inspiring Him to Win Next Year's Middlesbrough Mayoral Election with KELLEY PRICE" – Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough, England), March 4, 2014 | Online Research Library". Questia. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  17. ↑ "Dave Budd replaces Ray Mallon as Middlesbrough mayor". BBC News. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  18. ↑ Cain, James (22 April 2016). "Teesside business leaders meet to hear case for Britain remaining in EU". Gazette Live. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  19. ↑ Mike Brown (23 October 2015). "Andy Preston unlikely to stand for Teesside mayor – but warns against 'career politician'". Gazette Live. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
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