Trevor Nuttall
Business leader
TREVOR NUTTALL, who has died aged 78, played an important part in the regeneration of Leeds in the 1980s and 1990s.
Between 1981 and 1985 he was the director of the Yorkshire and Humber Development Agency, which later became Yorkshire Forward. This was the body responsible for the promotion of economic development in Yorkshire and the Humber, financed by the local authorities and the government with some private- sector assistance.
Mr Nuttall had considerable success in launching new marketing initiatives aimed at attracting new investment from the USA, Japan and Hong Kong. His role also involved commenting on the effectiveness of government regional policy as it affected the region.
Between 1985 and 1995 he was head of the UK grants and inward investment practice at accountants Arthur Andersen. He was then the major contributor to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the principal organ of the United Nations dealing with trade, investment and development issues.
In 1996, he became the chief executive of the Leeds Financial Services Initiative helping to co-ordinate the efforts of banks, insurance companies and other institutions, accountants, lawyers and other professionals to put Leeds on the map as a financial services centre of excellence in the UK.
As a board member of the Leeds Initiative, he worked closely with Leeds City Council, playing an important part in the regeneration of Leeds.
Then, from 1999 to 2001, he became chief executive of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce and Industry and oversaw a significant increase in its activities and influence.
Mr Nuttall was born on June 9, 1936. After school in Rossendale he went on to the London School of Economics, gaining a B.Sc (Hons) degree. Further degrees from Leeds University, an MA (Econ) and Graduate Certificate in Education (First Class) followed.
After 10 years in education as economics master and sixth form tutor at Leeds Grammar School, then head of economics at King Edward VII School Sheffield and senior lecturer in economics at Preston University, he joined the Department of Trade and Industry as a Senior Research Officer, working with economists on regional policy issues, both implementation of existing policy and advising on new policy issues.
He then became Deputy Director of the North West Industrial Development Association. In 1973 and 1974 he set up a new Department of Business Studies at Hong Kong Polytechnic before becoming head of industrial development at Derbyshire County Council.
Between 1975 and 1980 he was Director of Economic Development at Strathclyde Regional Council, where his responsibilities included the organisation of all industrial promotion activities and advising existing incoming companies on the availability of funds from the UK and European Union.
He implemented initiatives to stimulate employment and arranged a consultancy service for small firms in conjunction with local universities and colleges. He also undertook work for the Council of Europe on local government and industrial development initiatives in rural areas in Europe.
In 1980 and 1981, Mr Nuttall went to Jordan as senior economist with Dar AlHandasah to assist the Jordanian government to produce its fiveyear development plan.
Among other roles, he was a tutor on the Open University’s MBA course, administrator of the Leeds Trust for Education, an inspector for the Further Education Funding Council for England, an inspector for the MBA course at Leeds Trinity College, a Fellow of the British Institute of Management, a member of the Institute of Business Counsellors and board member of the Midland Enterprise Fund (Yorkshire and Humber region). His nonexecutive directorships included Optometrics Ltd and Yorkshire Fund Managers.
Mr Nuttall was recognised throughout Yorkshire and beyond for his charitable work and sporting interests. He was chairman of the Groundwork Trust and co-founder and Trustee of Emmaus Leeds, the charity providing a home and meaningful work for homeless people.
He was a well-known veteran county tennis player, still winning trophies until a year ago. He played competitively at Wimbledon and other UK tournaments as well as locally at Ilkley, Harrogate and Leeds. He was also chairman of the prestigious Chapel Allerton Lawn Tennis & Squash Club.
In his younger days, he was a good footballer. He recalled playing for Leeds University against the Leeds United second team and marking unsuccessfully a precocious 16-year-old, so he put in a crunching tackle and knocked the youngster into the air. The player was Billy Bremner.
He had an impact on everyone he met. Many speak about his intelligence, honesty and integrity as well as his imagination and energy.
He married Geraldine Kelly in 1961 who survives him with two daughters and a son.