"Scaling Without Breaking Your Culture" Helen Wylde-Archibald CEO

From rural Devon to global innovation - and back home to lead the region forward

South West born and bred, Helen Wylde-Archibald has built a remarkable career leading innovation, transformation and growth across some of the UK’s most influential organisations.

At our next BOOST event, Helen will share a refreshingly honest story about careers that don’t follow a straight line, the confidence that comes from knowing what not to do and what it really takes to lead organisations through change - without losing the people along the way.

This is a story of ambition, curiosity, reinvention and coming home.

About Helen’s Story

Growing up in rural West Dorset and East Devon, Helen experienced first-hand the limited opportunities available in the South West at the time. Like many, she left for university expecting a very different future — academia and archaeology were firmly on the horizon.

Instead, by chance, she began her career in marketing at a small company in Newbury called Vodafone, right at the start of the mobile revolution. From there, she went on to work with organisations including O2, Parcelforce, and the Transport Systems Catapult, leading work on connected autonomous vehicles, hydrogen innovation, digital twins and drones.

Her career took her around the world before returning to the UK to set up and run LUMO, the sustainable rail brand, as Managing Director.

In 2021, Helen joined Wildanet as a Non-Executive Director, before stepping into the CEO role in 2022, leading the business through a significant scale-up phase.

Her leadership style blends strategic clarity, cultural change and people-first delivery — creating growth that feels exciting rather than intimidating. In recognition of this, Helen received the Women Business Leaders Award for Technology and Digital in 2019.

In 2025, Helen made a deliberate career pivot, co-founding South West AI Solutions, taking on Non-Executive and Advisory roles, and ultimately becoming CEO of Devon Chamber.

Back home. Back in Devon, and deeply committed to helping the region thrive!

What to Expect

• Vibrant, friendly networking with the South West’s most ambitious business community

• An authentic, no-sales, storytelling-driven talk from a CEO level business leader

• Inspiration to level-up your thinking and your business in 2026

• Refreshments… and the best cookies in town!

• The warmest #BYBNetwork welcome at Exeter Golf & Country Club

Giving Back

As always, £3 from every ticket supports a local South West charity

A huge thank you to our fantastic #BYBNetwork partners,

WPA, Foot Anstey, Commissioning HR, Smart Cookie Virtual Assistant, Hamilton Pullen Financial Planning, Griffin Chartered Accountants, Securious , AIM Financial Solutions, Lemon Tree Digital Marketing, Cosmic, TLB Consulting, Exe Insurance & Business Fest SW.

Like us, they are passionate about supporting businesses across the South West!

Disclaimer

The views expressed at this event are not intended to be and should not be viewed as individual advice or as a recommendation by The Boost Your Business Network.

Photographs will be taken at today's event and may be used across our social media platforms, if you do not wish to be included in these, please inform us.

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Host or Publisher James Court