New faces join the board at the LEP

New private sector members include Prof Bob Cryan, vice-chancellor of the University of Huddersfield, Stephen Harris, area director at Lloyds Banking Group, Rashik Parmar, president at IBM Academy of Technology, and Simon Spencer, MD at BorgWarner UK.

Former Yorkshire Bank director Gary Lumby, Brian Cantor, vice-chancellor of the University of York, Stephen Kennedy, former chief operating officer of CPP Group, and Gary Jones, chairman of MSA Engineering Systems and Heights Group, have left the board, the LEP confirmed yesterday.

The departure of Neil McLean, chair of DLA Piper, from the board had been previously announced.

Existing private sector members with renewed membership include John Parkin, CEO at Leeds Bradford Airport, Mark Ridgway, MD of Group Rhodes, Wakefield, Stephanie Burras, CEO at Ahead Partnership, and Paul Hamer, CEO at WYG, Leeds.

Roger Marsh, senior partner at PwC, the new chair designate, who replaced Mr McLean, said: “We have appointed four talented business leaders from different sectors of our economy across the city region to help us deliver our coherent plan for sustainable economic growth across the whole region.”