Join us 14 October to explore what devolution and a potential Lancashire Mayor could mean for Lancashire’s businesses and communities.
Devolution and local government are hot topics that feature in every single Preston Partnership panel discussion. Why? Because they are intrinsically linked to Preston’s ability to thrive.
Politics aside, whether or not there is a Lancashire Mayor will have an impact on our businesses and communities.
Our host, Ed Walker will be joined by panellists:
- Henri Murison MBE, CEO Northern Powerhouse Partnership
- Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council
- Jane Dalton, Founder of Groundswell Innovation
Together, they will look at how we can achieve the best outcomes for businesses and residents across Lancashire through devolution.
Join us to find out how and why.
14 October
6pm – 8pm
Cotton Court Business Centre
Meet the Panel
Henri Murison MBE, Chief Executive, Northern Powerhouse Partnership
Since his appointment in 2017 he has established the partnership as the business led organisation which convenes the North together. From having made the case consistently for Northern Powerhouse Rail, to challenging for a better deal for the most disadvantaged from the education system, his team are focused on how government, business and partners can drive the North’s ambitions. Before joining the Partnership, he worked in senior research and policy roles in policing and financial services, and as a former senior local government figure in Newcastle upon Tyne remains a commentator on regional and wider industrial policy.
He is a member of the Royal Society Science, Industry and Translation Committee and the Court of Newcastle University.
Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council
After a working career in the food industry, Phil has been a councillor on Blackburn with Darwen Council since 2011. He became Executive Member for Growth in 2015 and Leader in 2022. Long before it became fashionable, he saw new housing, not just as a vehicle for regeneration in Northern towns with large amounts of Victorian housing stock, but also as a driver for an improvement in public health. He was an original member of the Lancashire Combined County Authority and is clear that Lancashire desperately needs an elected mayor.
Jane Dalton, Founder, Groundswell Innovation
Jane Dalton is an innovation strategist, creative catalyst and design thinker with more than 20 years’ experience helping organisations turn insight and ideas into commercial opportunity.
A Cambridge MBA graduate, Jane founded Groundswell Innovation in 2008 to help businesses and places use new ideas to grow and prosper.
She is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Lancaster University and a member of Lancashire’s Early Stage Investment Board as well as an ambassador for We Are Power, supporting Northern talent and more diverse participation in the workplace.
Jane’s particular focus is place-based innovation – unlocking prosperity in regional economies by making innovation pay its way for SMEs.
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