Enterprise Partnership Board interim chair to step down

Mark Roberts will step down as interim chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Board (LEP) at the end of June.

He has been a member of the LEP Board since June 2019, serving as deputy chair from March 2020 until he became interim chair in June 2022.

During his time as interim chair, he has worked with the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, to ensure businesses across the region have been supported through difficult circumstances.

Roberts has championed West Yorkshire to investors at home and abroad by promoting its strengths in health and life sciences, digital technology, financial services, advanced manufacturing, and creative industries.

He will step down following the June meeting of the LEP Board and will work with the incoming mayoral business advisor to ensure a smooth transition.

This new role will chair a revised West Yorkshire Business Board and support the move to strengthen the relationship between the region’s businesses and the Combined Authority.

Brabin said: “I want to thank Mark Roberts for his contribution to West Yorkshire and ensuring our region is a better place to live, work and be in business.

“He can be proud of everything he has achieved over the last year, improving West Yorkshire’s economy and championing our region both nationally and internationally.

“I look forward to working closely with the incoming mayoral business advisor and the new West Yorkshire Business Board to continue our work in driving economic growth, investment and supporting businesses and entrepreneurs.”

Roberts said: “It has been an absolute privilege to be a member of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), and to work alongside the West Yorkshire Combined Authority team since 2017.

“I’m pleased to have been able to chair the LEP on an interim basis for the last 12 months, working closely with the Mayor and our private sector colleagues to promote and support the region.

“I’d like to thank everybody who has worked alongside me on the LEP Board and across all the decision-making committees of the Mayoral Combined Authority.

“We’ve helped ensure that the voices and needs of businesses in our region are heard, and I’m very proud of the accomplishments that we have collectively made across the last six years.”