Following an extensive recruitment and selection process the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has announced that Steve Fogg, Managing Director of Corporate Shared Services and a Member of the UK Management Board of BAE Systems, has been appointed as the new LEP Chair with immediate effect.
He takes over from Edwin Booth, the LEP’s first Chair, who stepped down at the end of 2018 after a seven-year tenure which saw the county secure more than £1bn of investment.
David Taylor, who has since been acting Chair of the LEP, commenting on the appointment said: “I look forward to welcoming Steve to the role of Chair of the LEP and supporting him in my role as Deputy Chair. I am confident that the LEP will go from strength to strength under his stewardship.”
Steve Fogg has a wealth of experience from a career forged at BAE Systems, from apprentice to engineering, then moving through operations and programme management to his current role as Managing Director of Corporate Shared Services and a Member of the UK Management Board. He also holds various executive and non-executive Board membership roles, including Blackpool Pride of Place Partnership, Chair of the Fylde Coast Responsible Business Network, Member of the Worldskills Advisory Group on Social Mobility, Diversity and Inclusion and is a Member of the National Apprentice Ambassador network.
Steve, commenting on his new role, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to work with a great team from the public and private sector to make a difference for Lancashire and I am honoured to have been selected.”
The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is a strategic collaboration between business, universities and local councils which directs economic growth and drives job creation. It was formed in 2011 to make Lancashire the location for business growth and inward investment. Since then the LEP has played a crucial role in coordinating the county’s economic priorities, has secured a £1billion growth plan and brought forward over 50 major growth initiatives. The LEP is now developing a new Local Industrial Strategy (LIS) which will have the county’s people and places at its core, with the focus on improvement and performance of Lancashire’s key towns and cities. It will support all future investment activity and position Lancashire’s key sectors and supply chain strengths and opportunities – driven by productivity, innovation and internationalisation.
County Councillor Geoff Driver CBE, Leader of Lancashire County Council and LEP board member, added: “It’s an exciting time for the county, with the public and private sector coming together to attract investment, grow our economy and bring highly-skilled jobs to the county. We’re proud to be working closely with the other members of the Enterprise Partnership, as well as other organisations.
“We warmly welcome Steve to his new role, and look forward to continuing our work with the LEP. It’s vital that the public sector listens to the private sector to understand their requirements and look at how we can support them.”
