WILL POPE TO LEAD REGION’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

Leading regional businessman appointed to replace Richard Ellis as the new chair of EEDA.

Professor William Pope will be the new chair of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), it has been announced. Will replaces Richard Ellis, who has been in post for six and a half years.

Will Pope comes to the role highly-regarded amongst business leaders across the East of England. A member of EEDA's board since December 2006, Will is a widely respected leader and director of nationally-significant organisations and has a wealth of experience across a range economic sectors that will be key to the future economic prosperity of this region.

Will brings with him extensive business experience managing companies operating in the low-carbon, environmental and manufacturing sectors and a successful track record of generating wealth through innovation. His appointment was announced today by Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business.

Will Pope welcomed his new appointment:

“I am delighted to accept this appointment and I hope, working closely alongside chief executive, Deborah Cadman and her executive team, to build upon the hard work and dedication of Richard Ellis and develop EEDA's current direction of travel.

“EEDA is a well-respected and valued player in the economic development of this region and in this age of dramatic economic change we must ensure that the East of England region remains at the forefront of the UK and global economy.

“This region is one of only three contributors to the Exchequer and our knowledge-based regional economy is well-placed to lead the UK out of recession and to capitalise on the opportunities presented by a low-carbon future.”

Current EEDA chair, Richard Ellis, commended Will to the region:

“In Will Pope EEDA has a first-rate business leader. His credentials speak for themselves and he is widely regarded as one of the East of England's leading lights.

“I am certain that with this appointment the East of England could not be better-placed to face future challenges and continue to be a global economic powerhouse.”

As current non-executive chairman of the health, safety and environmental businesses IEG Technologies and AAR Environmental based respectively at Cranfield in Bedfordshire and Watford, Hertfordshire, and CEO of Microbial Solutions Ltd (MSL), Will brings the senior management experience and business credibility required to direct EEDA over the coming years.

His impressive business credentials include winning an Engineering Excellence Award from Ford Motor Company and an Innovation Award from BAE Systems in 2008. Will was also Business Innovation Support Person of the Year in 2008 for his work with the SPARC Technology Network.

Will has worked in numerous companies based across the region, from being executive director of environment worldwide at Essex-based Inspectorate plc to chief executive at the Bedford-based Casella Group. While at Casella, he was winner of the Deloitte and Touche Natwest ‘Technology Fast 50' Award for fastest growing businesses in the East of England.

Given Will's environmental credentials, including his former involvement with the DEFRA/DTI Environmental Innovations Advisory Group, he is well suited to take on the mantle as the regional development agencies' (RDA) chair with responsibility for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) lead role, a position which EEDA currently holds.

There will be a two month handover period for Will to shadow Richard with Will Pope taking over on 1 April 2010.