AGMA picks advisers for first Business Leadership Council
The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities has appointed 14 business leaders from across the region including Bruntwood chief Chris Oglesby and Chill Factore boss David Burns to the new advisory panel.
Chaired by former Amec chairman and Genr8 founder John Early, the council will advise AGMA's executive board on policy, to "help ensure the future well-being of the city region and, where necessary, make recommendations to the executive board."
More than 170 applications were received and 26 candidates shortlisted. Members of the council will serve for a mixture of terms from two to four years to ensure a level of continuity.
The 14 members of the council are:
- Ian Austin, managing partner, Halliwells Landau, law
- Chris Oglesby, chief executive, Bruntwood, property
- Stephen Corcoran, chief executive, Speedy Hire, plant hire
- Martin Douglas, general manager, UK and Ireland, Cargill, food
- Prof Alan Gilbert, president and vice chancellor, University of Manchester
- Sharon O'Kane, co-founder, Renovo, medical treatments
- Lynda Shillaw, director of property, Co-Operative Group
- Alan White, managing director, N Brown, retail
- Peter Greenhalgh, managing director, DCT Civil Engineering
- Paul Latham, UK president, Live Nation, music concert search engine
- William Lees-Jones, chief executive, JW Lees, brewing
- Neil Smith, managing director, Kinetic, recruitment
- David Burns, chief executive, Chill Factore, indoor snow centre
- Ken Collett, manufacturing director, Money Controls, coin sorter manufacturer
The Business Leadership Council's main aims include securing economic growth in key sectors, influencing investment in infrastructure and transport and promoting environmental responsibility and resource efficiency.
Lord Peter Smith, leader of AGMA, said: "The search process was extremely comprehensive and extensively advertised which provided some very strong candidates, giving the panel a difficult task in choosing the right team. But under the chairmanship of John Early, AGMA leaders are confident that they will get firm independent advice to benefit everyone."
Early added: "The objective was to recruit a group of Greater Manchester's most senior and able business people, who have the ability to contribute to policy in an objective and balanced fashion. With these 14 people who come from all walks of life, within our business community, I think we have achieved that. Through the group we will have first hand experience from both the sectors identified as the growth drivers of the city region's economy and those needed to put in place the physical and social infrastructure necessary to deliver that growth."