Our Board

Mark was appointed Chair of the LEP Network in September 2019. Mark is an independent business consultant with corporate experience spanning 35 years. Most recently he was a Managing Director in the operations business of leading global professional services company Accenture. He joined the Board as Business Representative and Chair Designate in January 2016 and took over as Chair of the LEP Board in June 2016. 

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Adrian is the Chairman of Weldability Sif based in Letchworth Garden City. He is the Chairman and Co-Founder of biz4Biz, an organisation established to support business owners and like-minded business people in and around Hertfordshire.

Adrian is Deputy Chair of the LEP Board and is also Chair of the Skills and Employment Programme Board.

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Tina Barnard is Chief Executive of Watford Community Housing, a community based housing organisation delivering homes and services to people in South West Hertfordshire. She is a qualified accountant, and has worked in housing for over 26 years. Tina was previously Deputy Chief Executive/Resources Director at CHP, Resources Director at Worthing Homes and Finance Director at New Era Housing Association. Tina is working to ensure that Watford Community Housing achieves its growth aspirations to deliver 1,000 new homes across Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Tina also chairs Hertfordshire LEP's Strategic Infrastructure Programme Board. 

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John’s career originally began as an electronic engineer in the hi-tech manufacturing industry (GEC Plessey and Siemens AG); he then worked for Deloitte & Touche in their Technology, Media and Telecommunications sector before joining BT in 2002. Since then, he has held multiple finance director roles within the company.

Before taking up his current position as CFO for Technology in June 2016, John held a number of CFO roles within BT Group. These included periods as CFO for BT Innovate & Design and CFO for Group finance services, covering all of BT’s global finance shared service activities across the globe, as well as leading on the integration of EE into BT Group.

John studied BSc (Hons) in Electronics at University of Durham, becoming a Chartered Engineer with the IET, then going on to qualify as a Chartered Accountant (FCA in ICAEW).

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David Conway is the Chief Financial and Operations Officer at ITN. He plays a key strategic role in the evolution of ITN as an international news and content producer, whose current clients include ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, BBC, Sky, Netflix, Discovery and CBS. He previously held leadership positions at the BBC Studioworks Ltd, BBC, Bacardi and PwC.

David joined the LEP Board in March 2018 as a business representative.  

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Nitin Dahad has over 30 years’ global experience in the technology industry as a journalist, tech evangelist and entrepreneur.

Nitin is Director at TechSpark Ltd, a marketing strategy and advisory firm for established and high growth technology companies, and Co-founder of The Next Silicon Valley, an online magazine which explores the impact of technology on global expansion, trade, inward investment, economic development and innovation ecosystems based on the knowledge-based economy.

Nitin joined the LEP Board in March 2018 as SME representative and is Chair of the Enterprise and Innovation Board and the LEP's SME champion. 

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Kit is CEO of Hart Learning Group and Principal of North Hertfordshire College, an occupationally-focused further education college with campuses in Stevenage, Hitchin and Letchworth.

Kit has a degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics at King’s College London. He is a member of the Public Sector Chief Executive Group and sits on the SEND Executive Board and Hertfordshire Schools Forum. Kit joined the LEP board in April 2019 and also sits on the Skills and Employment Board and Programme Management Committee.

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Dr Sally Ann Forsyth is the CEO of Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst; the UK's first open innovation biomedical catalyst providing fast growing biotech, pharma and medtech businesses with access to world-leading academic support, networks and scientific facilities. 

Sally Ann has a wealth of experience establishing and developing leading science parks, having previously served as CEO for Norwich Research Park and Director of both Harwell in Oxfordshire and Colworth Science Park in Bedfordshire. She joined the LEP Board on 21 June 2018. 

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Cllr Haysey has been the Leader of East Herts District Council since 2015. She is a member of the Transport East Forum, which reviews the region’s infrastructure requirements, and the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Board, which is developing a new garden town area to meet local housing and economic needs. Cllr Haysey also sits on the Programme Management Committee which oversees the delivery of the LEP funding programmes.

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Quintin is the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Hertfordshire. Quintin graduated in Veterinary Medicine in 1981 and gained a PhD in Veterinary Parasitology in 1984 from the University of Glasgow. He previously worked as Director of the Moredun Research Institute and Principal of the Royal Veterinary College, University of London. 

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Neil Rutledge is Head of Advisory and Business Development at Amberside Advisors Ltd. 

Neil is part of the LEP's Envoy Programme and chairs the Programme Management Committee (PMC) board which monitors financial spend. Neil is also a Business Representative on the LEP Board.

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Peter Taylor is the Mayor of Watford and was elected to the role in May 2018. As Mayor, Peter has made improving the town’s transport infrastructure a big priority, having introduced a new Bike Hire Scheme and On Demand Bus Service.

Peter was raised in Sheffield and attended Notre Dame High School. He then attended the University of Edinburgh before moving to Watford to work as a teacher. He continued to work in the education sector as Assistant Director to the Catholic Education Service, representing over 2000 Catholic schools in England and Wales.

Peter joined the LEP Board in September 2019 as a Local Authority representative.

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Cllr Sharon Taylor is leader of Stevenage Borough Council, a position she has held since 2006. She is Deputy Chair of the Local Government Association and is Deputy Leader of the Local Government Association Labour Group (since 2008). Cllr Taylor is District Council Representative for the A1(M) Growth Area on the LEP Board.

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Richard Whitehead is Managing Director, Buildings and Places, at AECOM, a multinational engineering firm that provides design, consulting, construction, and management services across 150 countries. Richard is also a Director of Perfect Circle, a joint venture company formed by Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM, which looks to make a significant and positive contribution towards shaping the built environment and to exert a positive influence on the issues affecting the public sector. Richard also chairs the Enterprise Zone Board.

Richard joined the LEP Board in March 2018 as a business representative and is the LEP's diversity champion. 

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Cllr David Williams was elected to Hertfordshire County Council in 2013 and elected Leader of the Council on 21 November 2017. David is the Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Education & Skills and sits on the Enterprise, Education & Skills Cabinet Panel (Chairman), and the Pensions Committee (Vice-Chairman).

David represents the County Council on the LEP Board and sits on the Programme Management Committee Board.

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