The organisation has also announced the addition of three new Board members as it moves into 2021.
The North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT) has bolstered its Board with three new members, and has announced that Jonathan Murphy, CEO of British property business, Assura PLC, is taking over as its new Chair, as it continues its mission to make the North West the UK’s best region in which to do business, work and live.
Before joining Assura, Jonathan was Finance Director for the fund management business of Brooks Macdonald Group plc and for Braemar Group plc, as well as Managing Director for the property management business of Brooks Macdonald. His earlier career included commercial and strategic roles at Spirit Group and Vodafone, having qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, holding management roles in both the UK and Asia. Jonathan holds an MBA from IESE, the leading European Business School in Barcelona.
Jonathan said:
“I am thrilled to be taking over as NWBLT Chair. I am very much looking forward to working with the Board and all our members for the benefit of the North West at what is such an important time for our region, harnessing its innovation to rise to the challenges yet to come. I would also like to say thank you to our previous Chair – Richard Carter – for his commitment and dedication over the last two years.”
Sandy Lindsay MBE (Founder and Chair of Tangerine and the Juice Academy) remains on the Board as Vice Chair alongside Joelle Warren (Founder and Executive Chair, Warren Partners) and Richard Topliss (Regional Managing Director, Natwest).
In addition to these original members, the NWBLT has taken this opportunity to strengthen its Board to include:
Adrian Curry, Managing Director at Encirc
Simone Peppi, Founder & Chief Operating Officer at the Pilot Group
Mike Wilton, Director at Arup
Emma Degg, NWBLT Chief Executive, welcomed the new appointments. She said:
“We are delighted to welcome Jonathan as our new Chair and our three new Board members and I very much look forward to working with them over the coming years. Never has there been a more important time for business leaders to come together and work collaboratively across the North West. This group of dynamic individuals will help forge our strategy and help develop our partnerships not just in the North West, but also nationally and internationally.”
