Manchester creates advisory panels for GiB

THE bid team driving Manchester’s campaign to host the Green Investment bank is continuing to lay the foundations for the £3bn institution.

In a move to demonstrate that the city’s business community will be able to provide the infrastructure the GiB needs – a key criteria for locations which are bidding – it is assembling four professional advisory panels.

Manchester is one of four locations in the region bidding for the bank. So far it has advanced a list of locations, as well as drafted in pro.manchester’s chief executive John Ashcroft to front the campaign.

Liverpool, Warrington and Chester are also among the 24 locations to have applied to the Department of Business to be the home of the bank, although it appears they  are taking a less high profile approach to their efforts.

The four Manchester advisory panels feature members from the banking and finance sector; the second from the ‘green economy’ – people with technical and engineering skills.

The third is made up of professional experts and advise on legal affairs, contract law, corporate compliance, risk management, accounts, treasury management, HR, facilities management, information technology and communications management.

Panel 4  features professionals from the recruitment sector who will help appoint a team of over 50 specialists and support staff for the Bank,

John Ashcroft. said: “The Government has said the Green Investment Bank will be based in a location that offers close proximity to players in the wider green and financial markets. What could be better than to work with the four key advisory panels already in situ here in Manchester.

“We’ve already made headway in appointing some members of the panels from our rich ecosystem of talent and look forward to announcing key individuals in the near future.”