Seminars

Wakefield Enterprise Partnership Summit - Board Panel Q&A

1045 - 1130

A Superb Opportunity to Engage with the Wakefield Enterprise Partnership Board

This Enterprise Partnership Summit will bring together key business leaders to create a live forum where Wakefield businesses can openly debate with the Enterprise Partnership Board how to make Wakefield an even better place in which to run a business.

This will run as a panel Question and Answer session, like BBC’s 'Question Time' enabling audience interaction with key members of the Wakefield Enterprise Partnership Board.

Here are the Panellists:

Joanne Roney OBE - Chief Executive, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

Joanne Roney OBE is Chief Executive of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. She took up her post in July 2008. Wakefield is one of the five metropolitan districts in West Yorkshire and the Council was rated as four star ‘excellent’ by the Audit Commission in 2009.

She is a member of Wakefield Together, the local services board and Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership. A passionate advocate for the importance of skills for local and regional economic development she is the lead Chief Executive in the Leeds City Region’s Employment and Skills Board.

During her time at Wakefield, Joanne has made progress with the regeneration of the district despite the economic recession and saved £30m over 3 years from Council through major service changes and efficiencies. However, the Council still faces further significant financial challenges in the years ahead.

Prior to joining Wakefield Joanne was Executive Director of Neighbourhoods and Community Care at Sheffield City Council (1999 – 2008) and was Director of Housing at Kirklees MBC. Joanne grew up in Birmingham where she started a career in local government in Birmingham City Council working her way from commencing work as an apprentice.

Joanne holds an MBA from the University of Birmingham, and is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Housing, as well as a member of Regional Council for the Princes Trust.

In 2009 Joanne Roney was awarded an OBE for her services to local government.

Councillor Peter Box CBE - Leader of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

Councillor Box became Leader of Wakefield Council in August 1998, having been elected in 1982. He has led the transformation of Wakefield MDC into a modern and efficient authority. The Council is now a 4 star “Excellent” authority and in 2006 was voted Britain’s “Best Small City for Business”. In 2010 Peter was awarded a CBE for Services to Local Government.

Councillor Box’s political career has also seen him Chair the Employment & Economic Development Committee from 1987–1990. In 2005 Peter retired from a professional career as a Probate and Trust lawyer.

Peter was Chair of the Regional Assembly for Yorkshire and the Humber from 2002-until its abolition in 2009 and Chair of the English Regions Network from 2008-2009. He is a former member of the Government’s Northern way Steering Group. He is a Chair of the Local Government Association’s Economic and Transport Board and of the Leeds City Region Leaders’ Board. He sits on the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and also serves on the Young Person’s Learning Agency.

Having been raised in Castleford Peter is an especially strong and keen supporter of two of its key cultural symbols: Castleford Tigers rugby league football team and Henry Moore. Peter’s passion for the district’s cultural offer has seen him champion and lead the development of The Hepworth, dedicated to Wakefield’s other international giant of modern sculpture: Barbara Hepworth. He is also a Trustee for the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the National Coal Mining Museum, two of the District’s most iconic attractions.

Ian Taylor - Managing Director and owner of Media Displays Ltd

Ian left school at 16 to join the Royal Air Force. After serving 5 years he embarked on a career in Sales and Marketing. With a passion for sales and marketing, Ian worked his way in to a senior executive role as Vice President of Convergys Corporation, working internationally. In 2002, Ian joined a business process outsourcing company as Managing Director, with a team of 30. He subsequently led a business expansion programme, where within two years he created 620 new jobs and generated profits of £3.2 million per annum. In 2004, Ian embarked on a new venture, starting a media company from his base at Wakefield, designing, building and deploying mobile digital out of high vehicles.

In 2010 he was approached by the BBC and asked if he would like to apply for Dragon’s Den, from 4800 applicants Ian became one of 120 successful Entrepreneurs, who entered the Den. In May the filming commenced and 2 hours 5 minutes later, he walked away with an “offer” from James Caan, not realising just how much this would change his life and business. In September 2010 the BBC broadcast the programme and the rest is history.

"I went in to the Den with my eyes wide open, realising that this was going to be one of the toughest fights of my life and I’ve had some tough times, but grit, determination and pure 'Yorkshire' straight talking 'honesty' made a tremendous difference".

In May 2011, Ian was appointed to the Board of the Wakefield Enterprise Partnership.

More Panellists to be added shortly......

Back to Seminars Page

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A SEAT IN THIS SEMINAR