John Lewis boss recognised for contribution to region

ANDY STREET was presented with the President’s Award at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce at the organisation’s annual dinner last night.

Mr Street, chair of Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) and managing director of the John Lewis Partnership, received the award from the chambers’ president Greg Lowson.

Mr Lowson said: “We have probably the best LEP in the country, and Andy can take significant credit for that success.  His role there and in everything he does behind the scenes to promote this city and region is the best example I can think of ‘putting something back’ and ‘going the extra mile’.”

Mr Street has spent his career at the John Lewis Partnership and became managing director of the John Lewis Division in 2007. At the GBSLEP, Mr Street leads a body tasked with driving economic growth in the region. He is vice chairman of Performances Birmingham and is a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group.

Mr Lowson also told nearly 1,000 guests at the group’s annual banquet that a total of 73 overseas projects had created 4,800 jobs across the region in the last year, the highest of any LEP area.

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce chief executive Paul Faulkner, who took over at the helm of the business group exactly a year ago, added: “Twelve months on and I feel very proud of what the Chamber team have achieved in a relatively short space of time.

“Membership has grown by eight per cent in the past year to over 2,600 and we’re now looking to build on that and reach 4,000 members by 2019.”