LEP welcomes three new board members

Karen Smart

The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) has announced the appointment of Chas Bishop, Karen Smart and Neil McGhee as new LLEP board members from the private sector.

Chas Bishop is chief executive at the National Space Centre and has been in post since the opening in 2001. He launched the National Space Academy and NSC Creative production company in 2008. Bishop recently helped develop the Government’s Innovation and Growth Strategy for Space.

Karen Smart joined East Midlands Airport as managing director in April 2018. She previously held several senior operational roles at London Stansted Airport.

Neil McGhee is director at Sempervox, a Leicester based small business that uses digital technology to help businesses run their companies from anywhere in the world.

Smart said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to the LLEP board. I’m keen to immerse myself within the local community and play a key role in helping to shape and drive forward strategies that will lead to greater regional prosperity.

“The airport has traditionally had a strong working relationship with the LLEP and I am keen to see this continue. I will bring to the LLEP Board useful insight into a range of regional matters that could help determine the LLEP’s future direction of travel. To achieve our business objectives, East Midlands Airport uniquely straddles both the public and private sectors and we are often the conduit to closer and more productive working between the two. Our skill and expertise in juggling cross-cutting agendas will be of significant benefit to the LLEP region.”

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