Member Article

Thames Valley Berkshire LEP add to Board

The Thames Valley Berkshire LEP have announced three new board members to bolster its work.

Emma Gibson, Partner at Shoosmith LLP; John Weaver, BT Regional Director for the South East and David Knowles-Leak, Regional Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses will join the TVB LEP’s current board.

David Knowles-Leak has been appointed to the board in his role as Chair of the LEP’s Education, Skills and Employment Group for a six month period.

The group is working on a number of initiatives in the Thames Valley Berkshire area, including improving engagement with educational institutions and local employers to increase the number of young people in the region with ‘work-ready’ skills.

He commented: “Education, skills and employment is one of the TVB LEP’s three key priorities, and this appointment recognises the importance of that agenda.”

Emma Gibson’s experience across teaching, business and law gives her a breadth commercial acumen, particularly in understanding the specific needs of SMEs.

She commented: “I am delighted to be joining the board of the Thames Valley Berkshire LEP at this exciting time in its development.

“The Thames Valley is a growth area for Shoosmiths and we have invested significantly in the region over the past decade.

“As someone directly interested in progress in our local area I am committed to working with the TVB LEP to represent the business community in our region.”

With 27 years experience in the ICT industry, working for BT within the UK and European markets, John Weaver is also a member of the CBI Regional Council and a Board Director for the Hastings and St Leonard’s Academies.

He said: “As a Berkshire resident I wholeheartedly support the LEP’s goals for Thames Valley Berkshire. I am very pleased to join the Board and I am looking forward to working with the team to promote and develop the economic prosperity of the region.

“Having worked with local government to improve IT infrastructure, I am committed to finding ways of extending superfast broadband coverage in the South East, which is such an important attractor for business.”

Steve Lamb, chair of the TVB LEP comments: “The Thames Valley Berkshire LEP has been created to harness the collaborative might of business throughout Berkshire by fostering relationships between businesses, the employment and education sector, the public sector and the voluntary and community sector.

“Both Emma and John bring considerable expertise, skills and knowledge to the team to forward the goals of the Thames Valley Berkshire LEP.

“John’s experience in the technology industry will be an important voice in our drive to improve broadband and telecoms infrastructure in the region.

“Similarly, Emma’s expertise in law and her experience of running her own company means she will be invaluable in supporting the LEP’s aims for business engagement in Thames Valley Berkshire.”

The TVB LEP was awarded £10.8m from the government’s Growing Places Fund in February 2012 and is working in collaboration with the business, community and voluntary sectors to secure the competitiveness of the region.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .