North East LEP appoints new chair and board member to Investment Board

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has appointed Andrew Moffat as chair of its Investment Board.

Having served as a member of the board for the last four years, Andrew takes over as chair following the departure of David Land.

The LEP’s Investment Board has also welcomed Mark Thompson, managing partner of Ryder Architecture.

The role of the Investment Board is to help drive growth within the North East economy by overseeing the delivery of grant and loan funding programmes including the Local Growth Fund, Enterprise Zone investment and the North East Investment Fund.

Both Andrew and Mark also sit on the LEP’s main strategic board, which is currently looking for a new chair following Andrew Hodgson’s decision to step down.

Helen Golightly, chief executive of the North East LEP, said: “The Investment Board is made up of five public and private sector members, plus three non-voting specialist advisers.

“The appointment of Andrew as chair and Mark as a board member further strengthens the expertise, which oversees the delivery of vital investment into strategic projects across our region.”

Andrew Moffat has extensive experience in financial, commercial and strategic roles in a range of international companies.

He joined the Port of Tyne as the finance and commercial director in 2007 before being appointed one year later to chief executive, a position he held until 2018 and was named a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year’s Honours List 2016 for services to the North East economy and UK ports.

As managing director of Ryder Architecture, Mark Thompson is responsible for the strategic development of the successful design practice, with offices across the UK and a growing international portfolio from office in Hong Kong and Vancouver.

The funding overseen by the Investment Board enables the delivery of significant capital and infrastructure projects.

These include the regeneration of Sunderland’s former Vaux Brewery site, which will result in high quality office space, leisure facilities, hotel and residential accommodation, the development of a new conference and exhibition centre at Gateshead Quays and the International Advanced Manufacturing Park in Sunderland.

Andrew Moffat said: “As our region looks to the future following the impact of COVID-19, projects like these will help shape our recovery, bringing more and better jobs to the North East.

“The region continues to be an attractive place for investors and the expertise of the Investment Board members, in ensuring that funding is allocated in a way which benefits people in the region, is vital.”

The five members of the North East LEP Investment Board are Andrew Moffat CBE (chair); Gillian Hall (vice chair); Mark Thompson (managing director, Ryder Architecture); Councillor Iain Malcolm (leader, South Tyneside Council) and Councillor Bruce Pickard (deputy elected Mayor, North Tyneside Council).

The special advisers are Jason Hobbs (CEO of the North East Fund Ltd); David Furness (senior director, BNP Paribas) and Ian Richards (director, Northstar Ventures).