New appointments to NWDA board
The North West Development Agency has three new directors and one re-appointed director.
Anne Selby, Lord Peter Smith and John Stageman will take up their three-year appointments on 14 December 2008. Brenda Smith has had her appointment extended for one year until 13 December 2009. Regional Development Agency Board Member posts attract a remuneration of £8,538/year for a time commitment of a minimum of 2 days/month.
Leaving the board are Sir Martin Harris, chancellor of Salford University, Cllr Marie Rimmer, Labour member for St Helens, and Prof Maureen Williams of the Merseyside Development Foundation.
The newcomers' biographies are as follows:
Anne Selby. Chief executive officer of the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside. Selby has worked in the voluntary sector for 20 years, and regional politics for eight, mainly as a member of the North West Regional Assembly, now 4NW, the Regional Leaders Forum. She chairs North West Environment Link, a partnership of environmental voluntary sector organisations in the region. She also holds a seat on the Regional Environmental Protection Advisory Committee.
Lord Peter Smith. Leader of Wigan council since 1991, Lord Peter Smith currently chairs both the new Regional Leaders' Forum, 4NW, and the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities. He also chaired the North West Regional Assembly from 2000 -2001 and has been on the board of Manchester Airport since 1986. He lectured in economics and government from 1969 until 2000, and was first elected to Wigan Council in 1978.
John Stageman. Responsible for developing AstraZeneca's competitive biopharmaceutical strategy, leading to the acquisition of Cambridge Antibody Technology and of MedImmune. He has been a member of the North West Science Council since its inception in 2002, and a member of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council since May 2008, and is an Honorary Professor in Life Sciences at the University of Manchester.
Brenda Smith. Latterly European president of Ascent Media Group and formerly deputy chairman of Granada Television until May 2006. Previously she was managing director of Granada Television until May 2004. Smith is also a board member of Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals and has chaired the regional marketing forum since December 2002. Her other roles include: a member of Visitor Economy Forum, a non-executive director of Manchester Airport Group, a member of the board of governors of Manchester University and a board member of the Manchester International Festival.