Wickland Westcott

Cheshire & Warrington - Building a New Board

Cheshire & Warrington is one of the five sub regions that make up England's Northwest. It has a vibrant economy, with a range of successful businesses operating in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automotive, financial services, manufacturing, professional services and creative industries. In 2009, following local government reorganisation, an imaginative new leadership structure was established, including seven Commissions focused on development priorities. The first of these was the Enterprise Commission, with a remit to develop the area as a premiere place for businesses to thrive. The plan involved the transformation of an existing body, the Cheshire & Warrington Economic Alliance, into the new entity. Mike Spurr, who leads our Board and Non Executive Practice, was retained to build the new Commission's Board.

Crucial to the success of the assignment would be the identification of a private sector Chair with a keen interest in the heritage and development of the region, providing credibility and enhancing the Commission's reputation across the private sector. The ideal partner to this appointment would be a Managing Director drawn from the public sector, who would appreciate the nuances of working with commercial enterprise.

Wickland Westcott was chosen to lead the search for both of these positions. Mike Spurr, who leads our Board and Non Executive Practice, describes the requirement: "A close working relationship between the Chair and Managing Director is critical to ensure the successful operation of the Board. It was essential that the newly appointed Chair would be able to participate in the process for the Managing Director to check that their working styles would be complementary and that the chemistry between them would be very positive. Our job is not just to find people and make sure they turn up for interview on time - successful appointments rely on an understanding of the client's strategy and vision, how the role is positioned within the organisation and the deliverables expected of the new appointee. We identified two excellent candidates; Robert Davis, Group CEO of EA Technology, as Chair, and Aidan Manley, Head of Regeneration, St Helens Council, as Managing Director. Robert and Aidan both scored highly against our benchmark database and each has extensive experience of working at the public/private interface. Their combined experience, regional knowledge and contact networks will provide the driving force behind the new Commission".

Robert Davis, Chair of Cheshire & Warrington Enterprise Commission comments: "We had an ambitious timetable for these appointments and Wickland Westcott successfully delivered against that. I found myself in the position of both candidate and client at different stages during the assignment, which was an unusual experience. The search was professionally conducted throughout and the outcome has equipped us to get the work of the Commission off to a flying start".