In October 2024, regional business leaders including Peel X’s very own Managing Director, Jessica Wright along with 12 other business leaders and entrepreneurs from across the region were announced as members of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s newly created Business Board.

Selected to provide valuable knowledge and experience from across the region’s growth and core sectors and following an extensive selection process, the board was recruited to reflect the diversity across York and North Yorkshire.

The business board aims to provide a strong and independent business voice for York and North Yorkshire, advising the Combined Authority and Mayor on strategy and policy to unlock its economic potential and stimulate growth and prosperity.

In response to UK Government’s proposed new National Industrial Strategy, the Business Board will oversee the development of the York and North Yorkshire Growth Plan whilst also aiming to:

Create a co-ordinated voice so that the private sector can inform and influence the shape and future direction of local and national government policy.
Ensure policy and decisions of the YNYCA receive the input and views of key business leaders and take account of the views of the wider business community.
Engage with local, national and international businesses to understand the needs of different sectors and markets.
Engage business, opinion formers and policy makers at a national and international level in promoting economic growth in the region.
Work collaboratively with all partners, including local authorities and other public and third sector bodies to address barriers to growth and to drive efficiency.
Bring together intelligence and expertise to identify priorities and develop solutions to maximise private sector investment in the region and secure sustainable growth.

Jessica, as Managing Director of The Peel X Group where she has worked since the company was first launched in 2011, has specialised in the creation and delivery of award-winning digital (XR) and live projects across heritage, museum, leisure, tourism and education sectors. Her company develops innovative and interactive experiences to engage audiences and enhance user experiences. Clients include Manchester Airports Group (MAG), MAST and OceanMind, Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, Sunderland City Council, Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, Failte Ireland and Smart Dublin

On being appointed to the Business Board, Jessica said: “I am delighted to have been selected as a member of the Mayor’s newly elected board. It is a privilege to be amongst colleagues from such a fascinating and diverse range of businesses in our region.

“Having grown my company, taking it from start up to scale up, I am passionate about the digital creative sector in York and North Yorkshire, and see it as a huge potential growth area given the incredible talent on the doorstep.

“Being a young female entrepreneur from Skipton working in new technology, I would like to use the opportunity, and my voice, to help shine a spotlight on the exciting opportunities available to young people living in York and North Yorkshire- supporting the development of educational pathways, making career progression opportunities more visible, and therefore helping to reduce those leaving the region.”

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire said: “I am delighted to welcome these outstanding individuals to the Business Board. We received a high volume of applications from some exceptional candidates, and it was a difficult decision to choose just 13……

The Business Board will have a key role to scrutinise and provide insight into the Local Growth Plan and how it will support emerging opportunities for growth that we are yet to fully realise. With new and emerging growth, it is important that we have the right plans in place to attract private sector investment in York and North Yorkshire and create more and better opportunities for people who live and do business here.

“My mission is to ensure that devolution delivers healthy and thriving communities across York and North Yorkshire and small businesses are at the heart of that. The Business Board will have a role in ensuring that we are supporting small businesses that are the lifeblood of our communities to be resilient and to thrive.”

The other 12 Business Board Members recruited are as follows:

Jennifer Wood – Chair, Co-Founder of O&3 Limited
Caroline Bell, Joint Managing Director at Shepherds Purse Artisan Cheese
Jane Colthup, Chief Executive at Community First Yorkshire
David Dickson, Chair at St Leonards Hospice
Cherie Federico, Director at Aesthetica
David Hall, VP of Power Systems at Schneider Electric
Andy Hughes, AGH Engineering Limited
David Kerfoot, Chair at Fix Our Food
Nicola Kingswell, Scientific Director at Labskin Limited
Rebecca Layton, Owner of Layton Hill Hotels
Sam Leach, Co-Founder at Spark
Andy Makin, Director at EnviroVent Limited

The Business Board will meet in-person quarterly, with the first meeting due to take place on Friday 22nd November.

Here is a link to the announcement –

https://yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk/governance-and-meetings/business-board/

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