Ex-bank chief named as new LEP chairman
THE Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership has appointed the former head of Sainsbury’s Bank as its new chairman.
Tim Pile takes over the reins from Steve Hollis who stepped into the role after Andy Street quit last year to fight the West Midlands mayoral election which he subsequently won in May.
Mr Pile was also the chairman and chief executive of Meriden-based creative communications agency Cogent.
He is a non-executive director at building firm Marshalls, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Northfield.
His previous roles in the corporate world include chief executive of Sainsbury’s Bank and marketing director at both Alliance & Leicester and Lloyds TSB.
Mr Pile said: “The LEP has gone from strength to strength since it was formed in 2010 and is on track to meet or exceed its key targets.
“Both Steve and Andy have helped to transform Greater Birmingham and Solihull into a more confident and collab- orative region and I am proud to be taking the reins from them at this exciting time.
“The LEP is uniquely placed to make a real difference and has always worked closely with a range of partners to help the local economy realise its full potential.
“We still have more work to do to build on our track record of success but I am confident the LEP is in a strong position to help our city region achieve that.” Speaking to the
earlier this year as recruitment for the role started, Mr Hollis said the LEP required a “passionate person with the power of persuasion” to take over the chairman’s seat.
He said: “Tim is a addition to our board.
“He is well positioned to steer Greater Birmingham forward, using his expertise to help promote the region as a place where people and businesses can thrive.
“His deep understanding of Greater Birmingham, combined with his time working outside of the region, gives Tim a valuable perspective on how GBSLEP can deliver even stronger conditions for growth.” great