Birmingham Airport boss Kehoe joins Coventry LEP board
IN what may be viewed as a surprise move, Birmingham Airport chief executive officer Paul Kehoe has joined the board of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CW LEP).
He is one of three new appointments to the board alongside Grant Thornton partner Karl Eddy and Dr Richard Hutchins of Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG).
Kehoe, who joined Birmingham International Airport as CEO in 2008, has been vocal in his support for the HS2 high-speed rail initiative – not universally popular in Coventry and Warwickshire – and has become a high-profile figure on the Birmingham business scene.
He has called for the Government to look at utilising the spare capacity available at regional airports such as Birmingham rather than focusing on expanding London airports.
Kehoe is also chairman of the public/private sector strategic marketing partnership Marketing Birmingham.
Eddy is head of accountancy firm Grant Thornton’s Government Infrastructure Advisory team where he leads a team of 110 professional staff specialising in financing large capital projects focusing on urban regeneration and infrastructure.
He is the sponsoring partner for the delivery of the GrowthAccelerator and the Manufacturing Advisory Service programmes, two of the Government’s major national business support programmes.
Hutchins is director of Jaguar Land Rover Programmes at WMG, supporting JLR’s partnership WMG and other public bodies. He is also leading the development of the WMG Academy for Young Engineers and is a board member of the West Midlands Manufacturing Consortium which runs the Manufacturing Advisory Service.
Previously, he was deputy chief executive at regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.
CW LEP chair Sir Peter Rigby, who owns Coventry Airport, said: “The three directors are not only experts in their field but are also outstanding business people who have a real interest in helping Coventry and Warwickshire thrive.
“Their appointment will significantly strengthen what is already an excellent board of directors who are now driving the LEP forward very successfully.”
