First Chair sought for new-look LEP

‘EXCITING OPPORTUNITY’: A Chair is being recruited for the new Hull and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Picture courtesy of Marketing Humber

The new Hull and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is looking for its first Chair.

The high-profile role requires a “dynamic and experienced business leader” to establish and lead a board and help raise the profile of the area, Hull City Council has said.

Applications are being invited from those with “drive, energy and a passion for Hull and East Yorkshire - someone who is an effective advocate and champion for the area”.

The successful applicant will need to move the LEP forward at a pace during challenging times, with the first task to establish a strong, diverse board of local business leaders and representatives from the public and third sectors.

The board’s remit will be to initiate the economic priorities for Hull and East Yorkshire, setting the landscape for economic recovery and securing the resources needed for growth.  

City council leader Steve Brady said: “This is a rare and exciting opportunity for someone with a vested interest in Hull and East Yorkshire to make a real difference.

“The Hull LEP brings together partners from the private, public and third sectors, along with collaborating with a wide range of local partners to act as an informed and independent voice for Hull and East Yorkshire. The person chosen for this role will play a key part in this partnership.

“I’m very much looking forward to seeing some high-calibre applicants in the region come forward.”

Richard Burton, leader of East Riding Council, said: "This is a great time for the new Hull and East Riding LEP to be looking for a new Chair as there are a number of substantial and exciting projects on the horizon which will see the economy of the area really grow.

“It's a great opportunity for someone with a strong energy, passion and vision to bring together partners in local business as well as the public and the third party sector to drive forward the economy and make Hull and the East Riding a place people want to come to and invest in.”

Thomas Martin, Chair of Arco and the Hull and East Yorkshire Business Engagement Board (BEB), said: “The newly formed BEB is supporting both councils’ leaders on the devolution journey and has been invited to contribute to the process of securing the new LEP Chair and the remaining board members.

“Transparency of process, inclusiveness, diversity and governance is expected throughout by the BEB board members and the tens of thousands members of the workforces that we represent.”

The new LEP is a business-led partnership, bringing private and public sectors together with the shared ambition of driving local economic growth.

Hull and East Riding councils are working with central Government to establish a new Mayoral Combined Authority for the area and the LEP will be an integral part of that.

Details on this role can be found here. The closing date for applications is Monday, November 30, with interviews scheduled for the week beginning Monday, December 14. 

For an informal discussion about the role, contact Mark Jones, Director of Regeneration at Hull City Council, on 01482 615128.