Dr Trevor Higgins – Chief Executive Officer
I am Bradford born, bred and educated. I was brought up in a happy, family of nine in a three -bedroom council semi on the edge of an estate. I left school with just enough qualifications to land me an apprenticeship with GPO Telephones (now BT).
It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I realised the value of education and started studying at night school at Bradford College. Five years later, I had passed an Ordinary National Certificate (ONC) and a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Telecommunications Engineering. This enabled me to go on and study for a Certificate of Management Studies and then Diploma of Management studies which I passed with distinction.
Many years and many promotions later, I ended up in my dream job as the Regional Partnership Director for BT. During my latter years at BT, I got involved in many external organisations and took on many non-executive roles, including Chairman of Bradford Council’s Employment and Skills Board; Deputy Chair and then Acting Chair of Bradford Teaching Hospital’s Foundation Trust; Lay Member of the Board of the University of Bradford; Executive Chair of the Digital Health Enterprise Zone and Member of Bradford Chamber of Commerce Board. When I left BT in 2016, I took on my current role as Chief Executive of Bradford Breakthrough.
In 2011 I was honoured to be made a Doctor of Bradford University in recognition of my services to communities and businesses across the region.
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Sectors worked in and routes taken: |
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Private sector |
Regional Partnership Director BT; Executive Chair Digital Health Enterprise Zone Ltd; Board member of Bradford Chamber of Commerce Leaders Group |
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Academia |
Lay Member of the University of Bradford Council |
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NHS |
Deputy Chair then Acting Chair of Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust |
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Public Sector |
Board Member Airedale Partnership; Chair Bradford Employment and Skills Board |