Newbury Weekly News

New man in the chair for LEP

‘I want Berks to be at the front of fourth industrial revolution’

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BOB Beveridge has been named as the new chairman of Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnershi­p (LEP).

Mr Beveridge has a diverse business career in both large organisati­ons and SMEs within the consumer goods and technology sectors and has lived in Berkshire for 39 years.

He spent 12 years at Mars Chocolate in Slough, in finance and sales roles, ultimately becoming pan-European head of finance.

After five years with United Biscuits, he moved to the technology sector becoming CFO of Cable & Wireless Communicat­ions plc.

After two further roles in the technology sector he returned to consumer goods as CFO of McBride.

Since 2010 he has been a portfolio non-executive director across a range of business sectors.

He said: “The LEP has a crucial role in agreeing the strategy and vision to drive economic growth in Berkshire and undertakes activities to support businesses, local authoritie­s and education partners, which drive job creation and increase productivi­ty.

“I am delighted to take this role at such an important time; our Berkshire Local Industrial Recovery and Renewal Strategy needs to be ambitious and gain the full support of our business community as well as local government and stakeholde­rs.

“We will use compelling evidence of past success as well as our leadership in digital technologi­es to make the case for continued central government support and funding.

“The world is undergoing a data revolution; artificial intelligen­ce is starting to transform the way we live and work, disrupting nearly every sector and creating new opportunit­ies and challenges for people, places and businesses.

“We will harness the strengths of our local business sectors to lead the developmen­t of cuttingedg­e technologi­cal solutions to build a green recovery and integrate our Berkshire business hubs and communitie­s.

“I want Berkshire to be at the forefront of this fourth industrial revolution, building on our existing strengths and position at the heart of the UK.

“Our recent Business Insights Survey has demonstrat­ed that even in the midst of the coronaviru­s pandemic, five per cent of Berkshire businesses have achieved growth, but there is much more to do.”

Berkshire’s business productivi­ty is second only to London, boasting the largest number of internatio­nal businesses in the UK.

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Bob Beveridge
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