NWBLT strengthens board with new appointment

The North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT) has appointed Chris Woodroofe to its board.

Chris Woodroofe, managing director of Manchester Airport, has led record passenger growth and the £1.3 billion transformation of Terminal 2 since joining in 2022. 

Chris said: “My membership of the NWBLT has been invaluable to me as a leader and to Manchester Airport as a business, and I’m delighted to deepen this relationship by joining the board.

“At Manchester Airport we often talk about how proud we are to connect the North to the world, because connectivity is at the heart of everything we do. 

“The same is true of the NWBLT.  

“As a connected business community, we can achieve so much more for this region than we can in isolation.

“That’s why I look forward to working alongside the other members of the board to strengthen our collective impact, driving growth and enabling our mission to make the North West the best place to live, to work and to do good business.”

Meanwhile, Hilary Heap of EY and Professor Richard Jones have joined the NWBLT as representatives.

Hilary, EY’s North market leader, oversees a team of 2,000 across the region, while Professor Jones, vice president at the University of Manchester, advises on innovation and economic growth.

Hilary added: “I am thrilled to join the NWBLT as EY’s representative and continue supporting our shared objectives around regional development. 

“EY has a long history of membership of the NWBLT and I am personally looking forward to collaborating with fellow leaders to champion the region and help shape a stronger, brighter future for the North West.”

Professor Jones added: “It is a great privilege to become the University of Manchester’s representative for the NWBLT. 

“Universities play a vital role in shaping the future of our region, and the NWBLT provides us with a unique opportunity to collaborate across the region to drive innovation, skills development, and economic growth.”

The new appointments bring extensive leadership experience to NWBLT, supporting its mission to drive regional prosperity.

NWBLT chair Simone Peppi added: “We are very pleased to welcome Chris to our board. 

“The success of Manchester Airport underpins so much of the prosperity of our region and Chris brings tremendous insight, expertise and commitment to our region and the NWBLT. 

“We are looking forward to his contribution to the board.  

“We’re also pleased to welcome Hilary and Richard as new representatives to the NWBLT from EY and University of Manchester. 

“We’re looking forward to benefiting from their perspectives as we continue to drive innovation, collaboration, and prosperity across the North West.”

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →