Company Directors

Lyndon Bevan

Chair of Visit Great Yarmouth & Chair of Events Group & member of the FMA & Marketing Sub Groups

I am a Director MB's/The Lacon Arms Hemsby and was born in Carmarthen and my first job was as a baker.
We came to Great Yarmouth in 1977 to set up a new business in Hemsby.

Matt Smith

Company Secretary & Member of the FMA Events & Marketing Sub Groups

I was born in Great Yarmouth and have lived in the area for most of my life. My first job was sweeping up and clearing tables at the Pleasure Beach. Later in my teens I worked as the 'Brake Man' on the Wooden Roller Coaster for the summer season. After completing a degree in Marketing at Derby University I spent 10 years in the Motor Retail industry working as a Marketing Manager. In 2011, I returned to Great Yarmouth to join my parents in running the family business, Sara's Tearooms.

James Gray

Director & Chair of Marketing Sub Group & member of Events & FMA Sub Groups

I am the owner/manager of Lost World Golf in Hemsby. I was born in Chelmsford, Essex and came to Norfolk in 1979 - I had family already living here and operating amusement arcades, fairground rides and food outlets.
My first job was bingo caller/cashier at my uncles amusement arcade.

Albert Jones

Director & Chair of the FMA Sub Group & member of Marketing Sub Group

I am Managing Director of the Pleasure Beach.
I was born in Great Yarmouth - it was a good place to grow up. The beach was a must in the summer and many happy hours were spent there.
My first job was a seasonal job the age of12 - making up prize capsules for the Egg Machine and Gift Box Machines.

John Potter

Director

I am the managing director of Potters Resort in Hopton-on-sea, a five star holiday village employing a team of over 550 staff catering for 1/4m full board bed nights per year. I was elected Chairman of The National Association Of Holiday Centres twice. Other tourism related interests include a foreign holiday tour operation, a cruise holiday travel agency and software businesses in Central Reservations and Ship Property Management servicing over 200 cruise ships Worldwide.
I was born in Norfolk and grew up living on site at Potters Resort playing, working and eating with our guests as a way of life. My first job was as a luggage boy and first paid job was emptying the bins & bottling up the bars in the evenings. I served my leisure apprenticeships at Norwich Hotel School and worked Hotels in Italy, Selfridges and Park Lane Hotel London as well as Butlins Bognor Regis and Warner Holidays before eventually returning to my Norfolk roots and joining the family business in my late 20’s.

Ben Jay

Director & Member of the Events FMA & Marketing Sub Groups

I am the general manager for Jays UK Ltd in Great Yarmouth. Running both the Hippodrome Circus and Hollywood golf, and also own Marina Bay Café on Gorleston Seafront.
I have spent my life promoting and delivering very successful events, venues and attractions throughout the area, whilst understanding the difficult demographic and financial hurdles the area presents.

Steve Cozens

Director & Member of the FMA Sub Group

Owner and director of Cozens UK who have been involved within business in Great Yarmouth for many years.

Toni Reeve

Director

I own Seadell Shops & Holiday Chalets Hemsby.
I was born in Kirby Bedon [South of Norwich] Norfolk.
My first job was with Royal Insurance Group Norwich.
I used to visit Gt Yarmouth/Gorleston [Floral Hall] often on weekend summer evenings. Later worked jn Great Yarmouth & surrounding area.

Gregg Haddon

Director & Member of the Events & Marketing Sub Groups

I was born in Leicestershire and worked in the hosiery industry and then engineering as an accountant and production control manager. Me and my wife, Sam bought The Winchester in 2004 and moved to Great Yarmouth with our two sons Gary and Tom. We all love the area and consider it to be home."

Martin Marsh

Director & Member of the FMA Marketing & Events Sub Groups

Being brought up in the Borough within the tourism industry, living in our great town my entire life and working hard from the ground up developing my, so far, 16 year career in the leisure industry on the seafront I have a deep rooted passion for the success and progression of the town and industries within it that brings life, enjoyment and an enormous economy year after year to residents, businesses and visitors alike. Therefore I think this puts me in a prime position to aid the future growth of Greater Yarmouth.

Nathan Race

Director

I am the general manager of the Bourne Leisure Seashore Holiday Park. I was born at Northgate Hospital in Great Yarmouth and my first job in tourism was as a lifeguard at Haven Seashore in 1993 at the age of 16. My focus is on looking after my team, it’s the team who look after the guests, if the guests are happy they will spend, recommend and revisit

Nathan Barnett

Director and member of the Events & Marketing Sub Groups

I was born in Staffordshire, I started my career in leisure and tourism at Alton Towers Resort, Part of Merlin Entertainments LTD. I progressed through Merlin moving into the SEA LIFE brand in places such as Birmingham, Hunstanton, Gweek, Manchester & Weymouth before joining Great Yarmouth in the summer of 2021. I am focused on growing tourism in the Resort by attracting new audiences, whilst maintain the existing loyal visitors. I bring a wealth of coastal resort experience with me as well as being able to access extra insights from my parent company, Merlin Entertainments. This will aid the VGY with their purpose maintain and develop a strong and dynamic economy for the benefit of the local resident community as well.

Alex Youngs

Director and member of the Marketing sub group

“I am Chief Executive of the Gorleston Pavilion Trust, Member of the Great Yarmouth Arts, Culture & Tourism Board and Trustee of the East Norfolk Multi Academy Trust and Sixth Form College.

Having been born and raised in Gorleston I am a local boy through and through, leaving the area only for a decade or so to pursue a software engineering career at the BBC and then later with my own music marketing software business in and around London.

I now champion Great Yarmouth and Gorleston as a cultural destination and work tirelessly to find and promote investment not only into the Edwardian Pavilion Theatre & Bandstand which I have been associated with for the last 3 decades, but also into the surrounding areas for the benefit of the entire local economy.

Joining the board of GYTABIA /Visit Great Yarmouth has strengthened my commitment to the cause and to the town which has so much to celebrate and be proud of.”

Herbert Gray

Director and member of the FMA sub group

Owner and director of HJ's Diner

George Jermany

Director & Member of the FMA & Marketing Sub Groups

Owner of Cavalier Chalets in Hemsby and past Mayor and Councillor of the borough of Great Yarmouth

Craig Austin

Director

I was born in Ipswich and moved to Gorleston at the age of 7.
My first job in tourism was as a lifeguard at Caister Holiday Park and am now General Manager at Cherry Tree Holiday Park for Parkdean Resorts.

Oliver Hurren

Director

I am Chairman of the Gorleston Traders Association and Director of Your Move Oliver James Estate Agent.
I was born in Great Yarmouth's Northgate Hospital and my first job was working at McDonalds in Great Yarmouth.
My parents lived in Hemsby; my father was in the Oil Industry. My mother and grandma had a Guest House on Great Yarmouth seafront.

Tony Wright

Director & Borough Councillor

I have lived and worked all my life in Gt Yarmouth. I had many jobs in the tourist industry as a youngster, first as a barrow boy to working in J Vettesse's and Wimpy bar and as a stage hand at the ABC. A borough councillor on and off since 1980 and founder member of the Greater Yarmouth Tourist Authority. Former Member of Parliament.

James Bensly

Vice Chair & Borough Councillor

I own and run a hospitality business in Hemsby and have been passionate about tourism all my life. I am also a councillor for Great Yarmouth Borough Council

Michael Jeal

Director & Borough Councillor

I have lived in Great Yarmouth since 1971 when I came for a two week holiday and it’s been the best two weeks holiday I have ever had! My working history is as follows. I worked at St Nicholas Hospital as a Nursing Assistant for two years. I then joined Norfolk Fire Service as a fire-fighter and served 30 years, 10 years of which was in Gorleston and 20 years in Great Yarmouth. It was a pleasure to do such a worthwhile job. I retired in 2004. I am the project manager at a local charity called First Move Furnishaid. The charity helps the unemployed, unwaged and people on low incomes in Great Yarmouth. Our motto is “A Local Charity for Local People” I became a councillor after a by-election was called following the death of the then councillor Harry Miller, which took place on the 7/8/1986. I have been proud to represent Nelson ward ever since. I have always tried to the best of my ability to represent the people of Nelson ward who have taken the time to go and vote. Over the years I have had the help of all my fellow ward councillors past and present.

Graham Plant

Director Borough Councillor