New faces for region’s Professional and Business Services Board
Helping businesses across the Liverpool City Region to recover from lockdown will be the top priority for the revamped Professional and Business Services Board (PBS).
Created three years ago by LCR Local Enterprise Partnership, the board focuses on driving forward this vital sector – which is seen as a key enabler to the wider growth of the region.
Liverpool has a long history and wealth of experience in providing high-quality business services and has been trading globally for more than 200 years. PBS has been identified as a sector that has huge potential to benefit the local economy as a whole.
PBS accounts for 23% of total LCR businesses and 13% of total LCR GVA.
The board has brought in 10 new members, with an increase in diversity to better reflect the professional community and highlight to young people the potential of a career in business services.
They represent a wide variety of professions including banking, law, education and finance.
They will be working closely alongside Professional Liverpool and the chambers of commerce across the city region to build ‘one voice’ for the sector to encourage consensus, amplify messaging and increase collaboration.
The focus in the coming months for the board will be supporting the combined authority with the recovery plan working through Growth Platform to ensure businesses get access to support, SME business programmes and government funding to help them survive, adapt and grow, making full use of the professional expertise in the city region.
Steve Stuart, chair of the PBS board, said: “I am very pleased to be welcoming 10 new board members who will all bring ideas, energy and expertise to help us develop the business ecosystem to support more SMEs at this unprecedented time.”
New board member, Jan Peters, managing director at USP Creative, said: “I am excited to join the board and look forward to bringing my experience and insight, alongside the other new and existing members.
“Having sat on the board at Professional Liverpool I am keen to ensure greater collaboration across the sector for the benefit of businesses.”
Asif Hamid, for Liverpool Enterise Partnership, said: “The importance of a strong professional and business services sector to the economic health of the city region cannot be underestimated.
“It provides essential support to all of the city region’s key growth sectors including health and life science, clean growth, digital and creative and advanced manufacturing.
“It is great to see a refreshed board which will bring additional experience and insight to support the recovery plan and the growth of our economy making full use of our many outstanding professional and business services companies.”
The new members are: Alison Lobb, Morecrofts Solicitors; Ann-Marie Atkins, Tilney; Catriona Wolfenden, Weightmans; Damian Waters, CBI; Jan Peters, USP Creative; Jo Whittingham, Hope University; Mark Sykes, BDO; Matt Noon, Hill Dickinson; Sher Galer, Barclays Eagle Lab; Tawhid Islam, Islam & Co.
