News and Views

Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) is looking to recruit local business leaders to join its Board and two young leaders aged 18-35 to join its Futures Forum.

Board membership provides a great opportunity to help shape Cumbria’s economic recovery and move forward the ambitious growth plans identified in “Restart, Reboot, Rethink – A Plan for Cumbria’s Economic Recovery.”

Board applicants will have significant experience and a successful track record as an owner or senior executive of a business operating in the Cumbria LEP area.

They will demonstrate the necessary strategic leadership and corporate governance skills to operate effectively at Board level and have passion and commitment to work collaboratively in the best interests of Cumbria and its economy.

CLEP is also looking for two younger leaders to join its Futures Forum, which is responsible for influencing CLEP’s Board and wider governance structure on the issues that matter to younger people.

The new members of the Futures Forum will receive developmental support, including mentoring, to equip them to operate at Board level.

CLEP is committed to equality of opportunity and would particularly welcome applications from female business leaders and those with protected characteristics.

Cumbria LEP Chair Lord Inglewood said: “The CLEP Board continues to evolve and we are now looking for business leaders interested in Board membership. It is essential that we reflect the communities and businesses that we serve, geographically, sectorally and size-wise, and we are therefore very interested to hear from business leaders who feel that they can add something to our Board.

“We are committed to improving gender equality on our Board, as well as securing representation from people with other protected characteristics.”

Laura Kay, Co-Chair of Cumbria LEP’s Futures Forum, said: “It is vitally important that those with the longest-term stake in Cumbria are influencing the LEP’s decisions and taking forward those issues most important to younger people.

“The Futures Forum really brings the views of Cumbria’s younger leaders forward and we strongly encourage applications from young people from diverse backgrounds, including the Black Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, and also any young people with experience in the rural sector.”

The roles are likely to require a time commitment of 1-2 days per month. Board appointments are for a three-year term, with the option for re-appointment for a further three-year period, and Futures Forum appointments for a period of two years.

All Board and Futures Forum members sign up to a Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy to demonstrate their commitment to the highest standard of governance and propriety.

Applicants wishing to put themselves forward as a private sector Board member or Futures Forum member should provide a current CV with a covering letter setting out what they see as the key challenges and opportunities for Cumbria’s economy, the skills and qualities that they can bring to the LEP and why they are interested in joining the Board or Futures Forum.

Applicants need to live or work in Cumbria. Applications, should be marked ‘Confidential – Governance Appointments’ and emailed to info@thecumbrialep.co.uk

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday, April 30, 2021.