How do I take my new business to market? What challenges will I face in reaching the customer? How do I take an existing business to the next level? In this panel, entrepreneurs discuss the challenges involved in launching a new product or service and growing or scaling up a business.

Famously employed for only 11-months, Mark is an entrepreneur steeped in technology and media, with a 25-year history of establishing, running, growing and selling or exiting creative firms, from in-school start-ups to a stock-market listed marketing group. All his work focuses on ‘Shareholder Value’ –from identifying it to delivering it for those who own and run creative firms. He leads Pembridge’s business planning and exit strategy workshops and is the manager of the Pembridge No. 1 Fund, which invests in creative firms. He has been part of the management team or advised on over 30 capital events –from acquisitions, MBOs, sales or listings, and advises up to 20 firms a year on strategy.

Mark acts as NED Chairman for the acquisitive design group, Loewy. Prior to this he chaired Northbank Communications (biotech marketing), Barclay Stratton (PR) and Lexis Public Relations (PR). He has acted as NED for marketing group Poulter, animation film-maker Corsham Entertainment and experiential marketing start-up Morello. He co-founded digital PR firm Text 100 (listed on Ofex in 1997 and on the London Stock Exchange in 1999 as Next Fifteen Communications Group plc, now trading on AIM); programming magazine publisher Process Communications Ltd (sold to Centaur Communications) and media analysis firm Media Report (sold in MBO), among others. Mark is co-founder and Trustee of the charities Citizens Online (deploying internet and mobile technologies to bridge the digital divide) and the Inschool Foundation (promoting enterprise to school students).

James spent 9 years with Hilton and Radisson Hotels, launching 8 new hotels in Australia and Asia. After then spending a year with Lend Lease Ltd, he launched a resort management company based in Malaysia. In 1998 James moved to London where he has co-founded two companies, Impact Media (http://www.impact-media.com) and Stanhope Business Centres (http://www.stanhope.net). In 2007 Stanhope Business Centres was sold to MWB, a publically listed entity. He also completed the EMBA programme at London Business School.