Our Board
Mike Blackburn OBE
Chair
Jane Boardman
Board Member
Councillor Gerald Cooney
Leader, Tameside Council
Councillor Bev Craig
Leader, Manchester City Council
Chris Gray
Board Member
Vanda Murray OBE
Board Member
Councillor Eamonn O'Brien
Leader, Bury Council
Mandy Parkinson
Board Member
Councillor Liz Patel
Councillor in Sale Moor, Trafford Council
Councillor Nazia Rehman
Councillor in Tyldesley, Wigan Council
Councillor Arooj Shah
Leader, Oldham Council
Elise Wilson
Board MemberAdvisory Board
The Growth Company Board is supported by three Advisory Boards with external membership drawn from or approved by The Growth Company Board. The Advisory Boards cover the three main business areas of the organisation:
Chair – vacant post
Mark Hughes, Group Chief Executive, the Growth Company
Angela Harrington, Director of Inclusive Economy, Manchester City Council
Philip Robinson, Group HR Director, Renold
Marie Gilluley – Former College Principal and CEO
Radka Newton - Senior Teaching Fellow in Strategy and Innovation, Lancaster University Management School
Vanda Murray, OBE (Chair) - Chair, Yorkshire Water Services and Marshalls Plc
Michael Hartig, Managing Director - Head of Specialist Teams, Barclays Corporate Banking
Phil Jones, MBE - Managing Director of Brother UK Limited
Emma Sheldon, MBE - Non-Executive Director and Operating Partner, CEO - Innovestech, CEO - Healthcare World, Group Board Director - UK India Business Council, Chair - Oddarts
Jonathan Lawson - Director of Strategic Partnerships, Faculty of Business, Law and Apprenticeships, Manchester Metropolitan University
Mike Blackburn (Chair), Chair of Marketing Manchester and Manchester’s International Marketing Advisory Board
Adrian Ellis, General Manager, The Lowry Hotel
Ken O’Toole, Deputy Chief Executive, Manchester Airport
Alice Choi, Chief Operating Officer, McCann Health Medical Communications
Shaun Hinds, Chief Executive, Manchester Central
Adrian Ellis, General Manager, The Lowry Hotel
Jennifer Cleary, Arts Council, NW England
Professor Jennifer Watling, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for International, Manchester Metropolitan University
Luke Georghiou, Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at The University of Manchester
Robin Phillips, Head of Siemens Advanta Consulting UK
Joanne Roney, Chief Executive, Manchester City Council
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader, Manchester City Council
Tom Stannard, Chief Executive, Salford City Council
Mark Hughes, Group Chief Executive, the Growth Company
There are four subsidiary Boards which retain legal, compliance and other responsibilities for their respective legal entities:
- The Enterprise Fund Ltd (trading as Business Finance Solutions)
- Chamberlink Ltd (trading as Business Support Solutions)
- Challenge 4 Change
- Recovery Works
In addition, the Group Board has two sub-committees:
- Audit
- Remuneration