Richard Stubbs is to be the new Chairman of South Yorkshire LEP, taking over from Lucy Nickson, who has Interim Chair since January last year.
Richard Stubbs is CEO of the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN (Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network), an organisation that supports the NHS to develop and adopt innovation that improves patient care. He grew up and still lives in South Yorkshire and holds a number of local roles that allow him to contribute to the region’s economic success including chairing the Strategic Advisory Board for the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, being a Director of the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, and as a Board Trustee of Maltby Learning Trust, a muti-academy trust in Rotherham and Doncaster. In 2021 he was named as Business Leader of the Year in the Yorkshire Post’s prestigious Excellence in Business Awards.
He said: “It’s a great honour to be appointed as Chair of South Yorkshire LEP. I am looking forward to continuing the work we’ve already been doing to make a positive impact in the local economy and community. At this time of many economic challenges, the LEP has an important role in supporting our businesses and people and I’m committed to looking at innovative ways in which we can work even more closely with partners to transform our region for the benefit of all.”
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “Richard is a highly valued member of the LEP board and we are delighted to see him taking up the position as Chair. I’d like to thank Lucy Nickson for being an excellent Interim Chair and, prior to that, Vice Chair of the LEP, during what was a challenging time for businesses. Richard has been an active LEP board member for many years and brings with him a huge amount of passion for helping us boost economic growth in the region. We look forward to him taking up his new role.”
The LEP is responsible for representing private-sector businesses and setting the strategic direction for economic growth in South Yorkshire.