Leeds and Partners chief exec to step down

LEADING Yorkshire business figures have praised the work of the Leeds and Partners boss, after it was announced she is to step down.

It was revealed yesterday that chief executive, Lurene Joseph, will be leaving Leeds and Partners in spring next year.

In a statement, chairman of the inward investment agency, Asda chief executive and president Andy Clarke said under the leadership of Joseph, the organisation has transformed the way that the city and wider region approaches inward investment and driving growth in the visitor economy.

He said the organisation has undergone a significant period of transition and transformation to reach its current phase of focusing on development and delivery. 

“Lurene’s stewardship has delivered, among other things; the creation of over 1,200 jobs, £10m incremental spend in the visitor economy and the development of a mature investment pipeline; all of which is well over the target set and ahead of the timescale for delivery,” he said.

Leeds and Partners said Joseph believes that against this backdrop, the time is right for her to pursue new challenges in the private sector and to continue her work on private sector boards.

Clarke said: “I would like to thank Lurene personally for her achievements during her tenure. She will leave a lasting legacy for future delivery. On behalf of the board of Leeds and Partners, I would like to express our appreciation for her outstanding contribution and support, and to wish her well for the future.”

Roger Marsh, chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) added: “In the past two years, the Leeds City Region has made significant progress in positioning itself nationally and internationally as a magnet for investment, creating jobs and sustainable, good growth. Leeds and Partners under Lurene’s leadership has played a key role in unlocking this growth by delivering a new, strategic approach to attracting inward investment, and developing a strong set of propositions for investors in key growth sectors.

“The foundations are now in place for us to deliver, through collective effort, the above-trend growth that is at the heart of our plans to transform the region into a net contributor to national prosperity.”

Chief executive of Leeds City Council Tom Riordan said he is grateful to Lurene for overseeing the transformation of Leeds and Partners, bringing a “fresh” and “successful” approach to inward investment in Leeds and across the region.

“In particular, Lurene has helped Leeds look outwardly as a city at how we compete in a global economy, and that has accelerated our ability to work together and “hunt as a pack” of councils to attract investment and jobs,” Riordan said.  “We must continue this work and find ways to enhance our ability to collaborate across sectors and geographic boundaries to compete even more effectively for jobs.”

Leeds City Council executive member for transport and the economy Councillor Richard Lewis, who is also a board member of Leeds and Partners, added: “I would like to thank Lurene for her commitment and unstinting efforts in revamping Leeds and Partners so it is now on a robust and bold footing to drive inward investment, job creation and growth in the city and wider region.

“With the expectation that the coming months and years will see the city and region being given unprecedented devolved powers and financial control to shape our own destiny, the need to maximise our combined resources, knowledge and expertise will be essential and Leeds and Partners has a major role to play in ensuring that process is a success.”
 
Earlier this week, Leeds and Partners, which was formerly known as Marketing Leeds, announced that 1,000 jobs have been created 18 months ahead of schedule through inward investment. The investment organisation, which is responsible for driving sustainable economic growth, creating jobs and raising the profile of Leeds as a leading visitor destination, also said 200 additional jobs have been created in the visitor economy.