Your County needs you: Hertfordshire Futures seeks new business leaders to join its Board

Hertfordshire Futures is a business-led partnership organisation focused on accelerating employment, enterprise and innovation. It is responsible for setting and directing the economic strategy for the area. Its high-calibre Board comprises representatives from business, education, not for profit and local government, all committed to steering Hertfordshire’s future direction to deliver real social impact.

It is now seeking high calibre business leaders to apply to join its Board and is particularly seeking expertise across these key sectors:

• Life Sciences
• Film and TV
• Sustainability/Climate Change
• Digital

Hertfordshire LEP was established in 2011. In 2024, it became fully integrated with Hertfordshire County Council, adopting the new name Hertfordshire Futures to reflect its strengthened status and central role creating an environment that allows the local economy to thrive for the good of local communities, and everyone who lives and works in Hertfordshire.

Over that time, GVA has grown by over £10bn with Hertfordshire now generating over £46bn a year to the national economy. This has put the county on a par with many city regions. Continuing to drive that growth for the benefit of all remains a key priority.

Over the past decade it has secured over £340m funding to support a number of projects to:

• deliver over 10,000 new homes and 11,500 new jobs;
• support around 12,500 businesses and 29,500 learners;
• create over 4,200 apprenticeships with 126 Enterprise Advisors working in schools;
• develop over 216,509 m2 new/refurbished commercial space.

Adrian Hawkins OBE, Chair, Hertfordshire Futures, said: “Our new name Hertfordshire Futures celebrates our recently integrated status with Hertfordshire County Council and how we can build a stronger Hertfordshire together. Now we need your help to steer its future direction and ensure we continue to deliver real positive social impact for our local communities.

“The opportunity to join our Board has come at an exciting time for the county as we develop a new economic strategy for the next 10 years. I am particularly keen that we bring fresh ideas and voices to the table and would welcome anyone who feels they can make a real difference to apply.”

Candidates should possess the necessary skills to support Hertfordshire Futures deliver on the fundamental task of generating local economic growth. This should include the ability to effectively gather and analyse evidence around the economic strengths, weaknesses and barriers to growth of the area; identify the priority areas for investment; and develop an investment plan to secure the necessary funding to take this work forward. To ensure effective and efficient focus on the priorities for local economic growth and to deliver impact, there should be robust monitoring and evaluation of programmes, which is used to inform decisions around awarding, continuing or withdrawing funding. All Board positions are unremunerated.

Hertfordshire Futures welcomes applications from all qualified candidates, and wishes to particularly encourage applications from women and from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, who are underrepresented at this level. If you believe you would add value to our board but don’t meet all the criteria we have laid out in this advert, we would still love to hear from you. Please explain the value you would bring in your application. We positively welcome candidates who have never held a Board or Non-Executive Director post before.

How To Apply

For confidential discussions, contact Sally Stanley at 07771 866498 or email [email protected].

· Link for further information

· Link to apply

Closing date: 25 August 2024

Interview date: week commencing 9 Sep 2024