New Tees Valley Business Board aims to drive economic growth
INTERVIEW
Promise - Siobhan McArdle says the new board is accountable to the business community .
We mean business
New Tees Valley Business Board aims to drive economic growth
Tees Business talks to Siobhan McArdle , chair of the recently appointed Tees Valley Business Board , about its aims and focus .
What role does the Tees Valley Business Board play on behalf of the region ’ s business community ? The business board is private sector-led , comprising business leaders who are representative of key sectors of the Tees Valley economy , who have the networks , experience and influence to drive economic growth .
The board works in partnership with the political and senior leaders of both the Tees Valley Combined Authority and our five local authorities to ensure that the needs of business are at the heart of policy making , strategy development and action planning .
How should the business community judge the impact of the board ? We ’ re accountable to the business community , so we should ultimately be judged on how effectively we engage , partner and collaborate with all stakeholders , in particular our SME business community , and how effective we are at delivering improvement and driving economic growth .
Can you tell us about those who are members of the board ? The membership and makeup of the business board reflects our planned key areas of focus . Imran Anwar ( Alt Labs ), Helen Lyne ( Knights ) and Mike Racz ( Racz Group ) will lead on business growth , focusing in particular on SME growth and funding . Matthew Ord ( LV Logistics ), deputy chair , will lead on inward investment and trade missions .
Tania Cooper ( Steel Benders UK ) will lead on education , employment and skills , focusing in the first instance on the disconnect we appear to have between our talent pipeline and employer need .
Gary Briston ( bp ) and David Gardner ( K2 / SeAH Wind ) will lead the charge on clean green growth and net zero , focusing on the visibility of SME opportunities for growth within this important supply chain .
Sophie Walton ( CPI ) and Paul Croney ( Teesside University ) are focusing on driving engagement and leadership in science , innovation and technology and on strengthening our biomanufacturing footprint , given the great developments we have seen in this space .
We then have a number of crosscutting themes we aim to support , with Alison Gwynn ( North East Screen ) leading on culture , media and sport . Alison will champion the creative industry , which is already a key driver of growth across the Tees Valley economy , while Kevin O ’ Hare ( Willis Lease Finance Corporation ) leads on transport and digital infrastructure .
Katrina Morley ( Tees Valley Education ) will take responsibility for diversity and inclusion , ensuring that all stakeholders across our Tees Valley communities are given an equal voice .
How will the board work together ? As all roles on the business board are voluntary and are being done alongside challenging day jobs , we are all of the belief that we are here to get things done , so we plan to spend limited time in meetings and talking shops .
To this end , the board itself will meet quarterly , with our focus being on establishing business-led , time-limited action groups , brought together to leverage the great opportunities we currently have across the Tees Valley , or address some of the implementation challenges we face .
I would encourage anyone who would like to become involved to get in touch , as there is a lot to do !
What is the biggest challenge you face as a business board ? The biggest challenge we face is lack of business data and market intelligence that allows us to tackle the key areas identified . We currently have more than 18,000 businesses registered across the Tees Valley but know not all of the data we hold is correct or up to date , especially post- Covid .
We need to quickly cleanse the data we do have , populate and segment the data we don ’ t have and implement a new CRM system , enabling us to not only run direct marketing and communications campaigns but also create a key account management structure to identify and allow us to actively support those businesses with ambitions to grow .
To get this right will be mammoth task and will need the ownership and support of the business community , which will be our first real test of partnership working .
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