Tessa Bush

Commercially driven Director with broad experience across business development, sales, commercial partnerships, events & operations. Career includes 9 years as Founder & Director of Kissing Gate Ltd, followed by senior roles across Events, Sales, Commercial Partnerships, & Regional Business Development. Entrepreneurial & hands-on, with a strong understanding of what it takes to work both in a business & on a business, developing opportunities & commercial relationships while managing teams, budgets, clients & suppliers.

Built Kissing Gate

Events into a successful business with consistently five-star client reviews. A natural relationship-builder, skilled at understanding businesses, spotting opportunities & turning conversations into valuable, long-term commercial relationships. Pragmatic & commercially aware, with strong project management skills, calm decision-making & a reputation for finding solutions when things don't quite go to plan.

A strong eye for detail, with practical experience of health & safety, risk management & compliance, identifying issues early to protect people & reduce business exposure.

Regional Business Development & Events Manager at Montserrat Ltd (2026-01 – Present)

Commercially focused role working closely with the Director across business development, sponsorship, commercial partnerships, stakeholder management & risk, with a focus on creating opportunities while reducing commercial, reputational & regulatory exposure.

• Developed new business, sponsorship & commercial partnerships, building & managing relationships with key stakeholders.
• Managed commercial relationships from initial approach & proposal through to negotiation, activation.
• Worked extensively with Event Management Plans (EMPs), risk assessments, licensing conditions & compliance documentation, identifying gaps & potential business exposure.
• Helped secure a contested premises licence, supporting the hearing, addressing objections & working through licensing requirements.
• Managed sensitive risk & compliance matters including an Environmental Health investigation, RIDDOR reporting & a safeguarding complaint, coordinating documentation, communications & required actions.
• Identified & developed new routes to revenue, using commercial insight to improve existing approaches & cost saving opportunities.

Sales & Commercial Partnerships Lead at Isle of Wight Cocktail Co. (2025-01 – 2026-01)

Commercial sales & partnerships role focused on growing revenue, developing key accounts & repositioning the brand from predominantly consumer-led sales towards a scalable trade-focused model.

• Nurtured & developed commercial relationships across hospitality, wholesale & distribution, building long-term partnerships & identifying opportunities for growth.
• Successfully secured listings with major accounts, including large pub groups & national wholesalers, expanding the brand's trade reach & routes to market.
• Worked closely with independent businesses to grow accounts, increase product uptake & build sustainable sales.
• Helped shift the business from a predominantly consumer-focused model to a trade-led proposition, identifying gaps in the market & developing new commercial opportunities.
• Drove revenue while identifying cost savings & efficiencies, constructively challenging decisions & recommending stronger commercial approaches.

Events Director at Powder Monkey Brewing Co. (2024-01 – 2026-01)

Led the events function across a rapidly growing multi-site brand, with responsibility for commercial event strategy, revenue, brand activations & the UK-wide events portfolio.

• Led the UK events portfolio, overseeing strategy, budgets, staffing, suppliers & delivery across company sites & external events.
• Identified, bid for & secured event & trade opportunities, creating new routes to market & increasing trade & consumer reach.
• Managed event P&L, & resources, balancing customer experience, profitability & operational viability.
• Identified new opportunities for brand exposure & commercial growth, including securing a major activation takeover at Cowes Week 2025, a globally recognised sailing event traditionally associated with established drinks brands.
• Contributed beyond the events function to wider commercial strategy; supported the acquisition & restructure of a hospitality business, identifying immediate opportunities for revenue growth & improved commercial performance.

Founder & Director at Kissing Gate Ltd (2016-01 – 2025-01)

Founded & grew Kissing Gate Events into an established events business delivering bespoke weddings, corporate events, charity events & large-scale outdoor experiences. Led the business commercially & operationally, building a recognised brand & maintaining consistently five-star client reviews throughout its operation.

• Led commercial strategy, sales, financial management, operations, teams & supplier relationships throughout nine years of trading.
• Secured government funding & successfully competed for contested commercial opportunities, including significant bids during the challenging post-Covid trading period.
• Worked as a contractor & commercial adviser to hospitality businesses, identifying underused assets & new revenue opportunities through events, weddings, hospitality packages & more effective use of venues & land.
• Built a diverse client portfolio spanning private schools, vineyards, corporate organisations & high-profile clients including Rolls-Royce, providing services from planning & management through to catering, equipment hire & installation.
• Recruited & developed staff & supported apprentices through their professional studies & qualifications, combining practical development with ongoing mentoring.

BA (Hons) in English Language Applied Science – University of Winchester

Postgraduate Study Level 7 (MA) in PGCE Credits – Chichester University