Friday High Five – in the news this week
It may not have been greeted with the same levels of excitement as the election of a new Pope, but the news that Alice Webb will be running Landsec’s interests at MediaCity is a great appointment.
I’ve always felt that many different business spaces in the North West could benefit from a bit of creativity, leadership and vision.
The former BBC executive was one of the early adopters of the corporation’s move to Salford Quays and knows her way around the changing media and tech world.
However, MediaCity still feels cold and uninviting. I wish it wasn’t so, but it stands in contrast to the buzz around St John’s site in Manchester, which Mike Ingall’s Allied London has carefully composed over time.
The arrival of Soho House and Mollie’s Hotel and Diner would be a real pivotal moment in October 2025.
Similarly, Liverpool City Region has placed their trust in Colin Sinclair, chief executive of Knowledge Quarter Liverpool and Sciontec Developments to create a joined-up approach to attracting, securing and delivering inward investment.
The cut in interest rates and a US trade deal will no doubt be welcomed by the relieved business leaders of the region who were in panic mode last year after the Budget. No one will have been doing cartwheels at the National Insurance rise, but the calculation that it could be absorbed may have been made easier to justify as borrowing costs fall further.
Elsewhere, there are a few stories bubbling along that we keep an eye on – Salford Red Devils Rugby League Club lost its CEO this week, the administrator of 79th Group said it was a complex case, while the cyber attacks on the Co-op Group were a reminder of the lurking dangers of security.
Finally, I received a commendation from the judges of the prestigious Wincott Awards this week. Their chair, Lionel Barber, the former editor of the Financial Times, was generous with his words of support and encouragement for the battles I fought last year.
Thanks to everyone who has spent time trusting me to tell their stories and to share wisdom and insight. And to TheBusinessDesk.com for supporting me to take risks.
