Experienced company leader and operations manager, Brent Woods has joined our team here at Sheffield Technology Parks as the Head of Operations 

Brent has nearly 30 years’ experience heading up organisations in the creative and technology sectors. Former CEO of The Media Centre in Huddersfield, he also spent a decade at the helm of Sheffield’s DocFest during which he carved out an international reputation for the festival and its host city.

Sheffield Technology Parks (STP), established more than 35 years ago, sits at the heart of the city’s innovative startup scene. A non-profit organisation, STP combines work and meeting spaces, business incubation, scale-up support,  networking and social events for Sheffield’s innovators.

We currently accommodate 17 startups on The Cooper Project - our business incubator - and STP is home to 35 established businesses including several that have relocated to Sheffield from London.

Brent joins at a pivotal moment, as STP faces increasing demand for its spaces, infrastructure and specialist support services. He will oversee day-to-day management of the building as well as leading on a number of transformational projects to enhance STP’s reach and capabilities.

This includes developing a suite of labs to accommodate growing numbers of life-science and deeptech startup companies. Additionally,  he will help to establish and manage an STP presence at other locations in the city, where the teams’ expertise and connections are keenly sought.

Considering his new role and priorities, Brent comments:

“What’s exciting about joining Sheffield Technology Parks is the opportunity to bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to further enhance our offerings. It’s about ensuring that everyone who visits, works with, or is part of STP has the best possible experience, and I am committed to continuing that focus.

“And to be doing that alongside Tom and the great team at STP, when there's this really exciting expansion happening with lots of big ideas in the making - how lucky am I?”

Brent moved to the UK from Toronto in 1995 and has roots in Sheffield, his family’s heritage in the city dating back to the early 1900s. Whilst he’s lived in Sheffield since emigrating, Brent has worked out of the city since leaving DocFest, making the role at STP an even bigger draw. He explains,

“I really wanted to be working in and contributing to Sheffield and its growth, so I think I've landed in the perfect spot.

“What's so important about STP is that it is a purpose led organisation. We can do things that are generous and supportive to businesses, especially startups. It gives businesses that are based here an advantage and that's great for Sheffield’s economic growth because it creates more employers, producing potentially higher waged job opportunities within the city.”

In the past 12 months, STP has created dedicated roles for a Community Manager and Comms Lead, in addition to the Head of Operations, to better equip the organisation for growth. Tom Wolfenden, STP’s CEO says,

“There is no lack of talent, innovation and ideas in Sheffield, but there is a shortage of suitable space, infrastructure and business support for highly innovative startups and scaleups. Whilst we are in a strong position at STP with full occupancy and a busy, thriving incubator, we are on a mission to create more touchpoints in the city; more spaces to grow and more infrastructure to support businesses at every stage.”

“Having Brent on board is a gamechanger. Our team can now fully execute the ideas and plans that we’ve had for a while, which I believe are going to make a lasting impact on Sheffield’s economy and reputation as the best UK city to start and grow a tech business.”

Pictured: (back l-r) Brent Woods, Head of Operations, Tom Wolfenden, CEO, (front l-r) Rose Tran, Incubation Manager, Claire Fletcher, Comms Lead, Emma Fletcher, Community Manager.