Eight new business leaders join local enterprise partnership board

Eight business leaders have today been appointed to the West of England’s Local Enterprise Partnership’s Board to help drive its growth ambitions.

The appointments include five new representatives from important industries including aerospace, shipping, housing, construction, the creative sector and small business.

They join Robert Sinclair, Kalpna Woolf and James Durie, who have been reappointed as business representatives on the newly formed LEP Board which meets for the first time on 17 June.

Colin Skellett has been reappointed as chairman of the Board to build on the progress made by the LEP since it was set up by the Government in 2011.

Joe McGeehan will be taking on the role of special advisor on technology.

The new representatives on the Board are:

• Simon Bird, Chief Executive of The Bristol Port Company, which employs around 550 people and provides work for a further 9,500 people across the area

• Nick Horne, Chief Executive of Knightstone Housing Group.

• Esther McMorris, Chief Executive and founder of Bath-based management consultancy Nine Feet Tall.

• John Pritchard, European chief executive of GKN Aerospace’s Aerostructures division, which employs more than 1,700 engineers and assembly staff at its base in Filton, South Gloucestershire.

• Neil Way, managing director of family-run Jeff Way Electrical Services, which has grown by around 800% in the last seven years.

The business representatives on the Board will work alongside the leaders of three of West of England’s local authorities and Bristol’s elected mayor to attract investment, support infrastructure development and put conditions in place to enable businesses to move to the area and expand.

“These appointments demonstrate the level of ambition and vision for the future of the West of England as the home of knowledge, innovation and quality of life,” said LEP chairman Colin Skellett.

“The business representatives lead successful organisations, who work across all parts of the West of England in sectors that are vitally important components of our plans for sustainable economic growth.

“Their experience in aerospace, logistics, housing, infrastructure and small and medium enterprise gives businesses in the West of England real and powerful influence in the future direction of our economy.

“I welcome their representation on the Board and look forward to working with them on the next phase of our plans for growth.”