City Region LEP board appoints interim chair

THE Liverpool City Region LEP board has agreed to appoint vice-chair Asif Hamid as interim chair from July while the board look to recruit a successor for the outgoing incumbent Robert Hough, who announced he was stepping down earlier this year.

Hough first became involved with the shadow LEP in the second half of 2011 and became the LEP’s first Chair in March 2012.

Hamid said: “As the founding chair of the LEP we have benefited from Robert’s wisdom, dedication and leadership.

“Fundamentally, it has been Robert’s partnership working not only with our Members and partners across the City Region but with other LEPs and Government that have enabled the LEP to achieve what we have so far.”
 
 “We are entering new and exciting times with the Devolution Deal agreed with Government which will see the LEP play a pivotal and central role as the voice of business for the City Region.

“Our focus now is on the recruitment process to appoint the right Chair to lead the LEP. In the meantime I am honoured to take the role as Interim Chair to continue the great work we do here at the LEP.”

Hough said: “I have taken great satisfaction and pride from my time as Chair of the LEP and feel that together we have delivered considerable success for the City Region.
 
“The legacy I hope to leave behind is a strong private and public partnership built on dynamic growth sectors and where the LEP has played an important and cohesive role.  I have great confidence in this continuing under Asif until my successor is found.

“I would like to take this opportunity to wish the LEP continued success in driving economic growth across the Liverpool City Region.”

Asif was one of the founding Members of the LEP and sat on the shadow board from 2010. He founded The Contact Company (TCC) in 2006, starting with 15 staff; the company now employs more than 1,500 people and is one of the most significant employers in the Wirral with a turnover of £20m.