NEW EEDA CHIEF READY TO FIGHT THE FIGHT FOR NORWICH

Deborah Cadman OBE

If Deborah Cadman rues the fact that she took on the mantle of East of England Development Agency (EEDA) Chief Executive as the economic downturn began to bite, she is not showing it. She came in fighting and is ready for the challenge.

Her first aim is to help the region’s business world through the recession but her eyes remain on the horizon and how the rich potential of the region, and of Norwich, can ultimately be fulfilled.

She knows the city is better positioned than many for the battle and that our financial services sector is less vulnerable to recession when compared to other major centres. It is not just fortuitous. EEDA added to that security at the time it committed £750,000 towards the National Skills Academy for Financial Services in Norwich to nurture and extend the talents of the industry. Now the immediate target is to protect jobs, help industry through the downturn and prepare them for better days ahead.

So what makes Deborah Cadman tick? Her personal motivation is to lead and to influence. One change will be to persuade business to shake off the habit of ‘doing what it has always done’. Instead she wants to see people and organisations keen to effect change to create new goals.

Hopefully it means that those companies which ride out today’s troubled waters will be much better prepared for the upturn when it comes.

That will fulfill her main ambition in the new role. The second will be to make EEDA the best performing regional development agency in the country.

“Best for efficiency, best for inspiring people, best for helping the economy,” she said. “To deliver that, EEDA will be inspiring, progressive, open, creative and flexible.”

She is convinced the East of England can deliver long-term growth through its Regional Economic Strategy and create opportunities and prosperity for those who live, work and invest in the region.

Norwich and its financial services industry will play a vital role. Mrs Cadman recognises the sector’s major contribution to wealth creation in the country and increasingly to UK exports. That’s how EEDA wants to keep it.

“We can focus on the long-term business needs of the region as a location for financial services - and continue to highlight the high level of customer service, highly skilled employees and highly efficient operations,” she said. “We can also continue to work with partners and organisations such as East of England International and UKTI to promote the region and secure and exploit opportunities.

“For example, East of England International recently worked with Fig to host eight visitors from overseas embassies for a day, highlighting the opportunities in Norwich. And EEI is working with Fig Director Marjorie Eade at a national and international level to ensure that what the region offers is highlighted in the national context.”

Mrs Cadman is also determined that EEDA will help make Norwich even more attractive to business. “It is important to keep businesses here – we have many global companies. We need to help the businesses grow, let them know we really want them here and ensure the region is the location of choice in a global economy.”

Improved rail links with London and a transport policy to ease congestion and help productivity - both key issues for the financial industry – are also paramount.

Mrs Cadman was very enthusiastic about the new Fig website which will identify the unique selling points of Norfolk such as the skilled workforce, low office accommodation costs and the benefits of belonging to a financial industry cluster.

Deborah Cadman biography