Leadership Groups

Business Leadership Group

The Business group provides the strategic lead for the key business programmes under the area’s Build Back Better plan and Productivity Strategy. It is one of the key sub-groups of the LEP and details on the group’s membership, terms of reference etc are shown below. The BLG is an advisory group and has no decision-making authority.

The purpose and role of the group is to:

  • Develop a clear understanding for the provision of strategic leadership and expertise for the relevant theme of the Local Industrial Strategy within the HotSW area and knowledge of other local, regional and national provision plans and approaches. This will include commissioning relevant research to develop the LEP’s understanding of the theme, contributing to the LEP’s wider evidence base
  • Work with partners to agree and commission or implement a series of actions to deliver the relevant theme
  • Provide management and oversight of LEP led and influenced programmes and projects related to the theme
  • As required, identify potential projects or programmes for investment as part of any bid for funding
  • As required, provide the Board with specialist advice and guidance for the theme as required, function as Programme Board to provide oversight and monitoring over externally funded Business Support Programmes

Terms of Reference

Download Terms of Reference document here >

Membership list

Download list of members of the Business Leadership Group here >

Queries for this group

Please contact info@heartofswlep.co.uk

Meeting documentation

Agendas and minutes of meetings are published at the links below.

2024 Meetings

2023 Meetings

2022 Meetings

2021 Meetings

2020 Meetings

2019 Meetings

Meeting was cancelled

Pre 2019

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    David Ralph

    Chief Executive

    David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.

    Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.

    David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.