The board was announced last summer and will aim to drive growth, create jobs and boost investment in the region
10 local leaders have joined Weca’s business board(Image: West of England Mayoral Combined Authority / Phoebe Stephen / Boomsatsuma)
A group of 10 senior leaders from across the West Country have been appointed to a new business board aimed a driving regional growth.
The board was first announced last summer and will be headed up by West of England Combined Authority (Weca) mayor Helen Godwin, while all council leaders, including from North Somerset, are members.
Nick Sturge, co-founder of Bristol’s Engine Shed, and Jo Dally, chief business officer of South West innovation centre NCC, also joined as interim chairs in July.
It is understood the co-chairs will work closely with other business representative organisations in the region, while some of the business leaders will chair groups focused on key specific sectors or clusters set out in Weca’s recently announced Growth Strategy, with members of those groups to be recruited over coming months.
Alongside the co-chairs, the 10 new members of the board include:
- Helen Argo, executive producer for Third Party and Commercials at Aardman – who will also chair the creative industries sector/cluster group;
- Ann Cousins, associate director in climate and sustainability services at Arup – who will also chair the clean energy sector/cluster group;
- Heather Frankham, founder of Lifetime Training, Origin Workspace, and Origin Foundation – who will also chair the everyday economy sector/cluster group;
- Andy Guest, head of strategy and group head of mergers and acquisitions at Mott MacDonald;
- Jon Hunt, executive director of innovation at the University of Bath;
- Sado Jirde, director of Black South West Network (BSWN);
- Imran Khawaja, head of Filton Plant at Airbus – who will also chair the advanced manufacturing sector/cluster group;
- Annabel Thomas MacGregor, chief executive of Raised In CIC;
- Nigel Toon, co-founder and former chief executive of Graphcore and senior non-executive director at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – who will also chair the digital and technologies sector/cluster group;
- And David Withey, chief executive and principal of South Gloucestershire and Stroud (SGS) College and inaugural chair of the Colleges West partnership.
“The new business board, chaired by Jo and Nick, brings the real wealth of experience needed to help create new jobs and grow our £54bn economy,” said Ms Godwin.
“I’m excited to meet with business and council leaders in the coming weeks to step things up a gear and help our region to thrive. Together, we can secure the investment and create the opportunities that will make a real difference that local people can see and feel in our communities.”
The announcement follows the West’s Growth Strategy being taken to government and approved in the autumn. Under the proposals, Weca wants to increase regional growth by 28 per cent over the coming decade and create 72,000 new jobs.
Major growth zones identified in the strategy include the West Innovation Arc, Central Bristol and Bath, the Severn Estuary, the Somer Valley, and North Somerset Growth Gateway.
Ms Dally said: “The breadth of experience and perspectives that business board members collectively bring is testament to our region’s strength and its potential. Our focus now is building on our shared ambition to see our businesses and communities thrive, and to create the conditions that will deliver inclusive growth across our region.”
Mr Sturge added: “In crafting the mix of skills, experience and representation I hope we have the best starting line-up as we set out on delivering our growth strategy.”
