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Leading businesswomen bring greater diversity to EM3 LEP board

Last updated 03 March 2020
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The Enterprise M3 LEP is delighted to welcome two new high-profile women leaders as members of its Board of Directors. Julie Baker and Virginia Barrett were officially appointed at the LEP’s January meeting following a recent recruitment drive.

Leading businesswomen were encouraged to apply to join the EM3 Board to bring greater diversity to the LEP’s strategic decision-making around delivering economic benefits for the people and businesses in its region.

Julie (pictured right) is Head of Enterprise and Community Finance at NatWest. With more than 30 years’ experience in banking, Julie has been involved in the Rose Review, commissioned by the Treasury to break down barriers for women becoming entrepreneurs. She has delivered a number of transformational change programmes and in her present role is responsible for the Bank’s Enterprise Agenda, including the multi award winning Women in Business programme.

Upon her appointment to the Board, Julie said: 

I am excited about joining the Enterprise M3 Board because it gives me that opportunity to work with partners across the public and private sectors to help make this area an attractive place to do business, encouraging creativity, innovation and diversity of thought in order to keep up with the rapidly changing world around us.

My recent work on the Rose Review which spotlights the enormous unrealised opportunity for female entrepreneurs and the impact this could have on the UK economy was instrumental in the introduction of Experts in Residence in all LEPs, encouraging collaboration and delivering positive actions in supporting diversity in business to improve prosperity and quality of life for those living in our area.

Julie is an ardent supporter of business expansion, job creation and economic growth and is seen as an external influencer having chaired the British Bankers’ Association Diversity and Inclusion Council, the Access to Finance Group at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Women in Enterprise and was Business Lead on the Rose Review research.

She is an international speaker, acts as an Enterprise Ambassador and is an inspirational role model who is passionate about supporting those from less privileged backgrounds. Last year Julie was recognised for all the work she does on the Women in Business and Social Enterprise Agenda, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Financial Alliance for Women Annual Summit.

Virginia Barrett (pictured left) has been Principal CEO of Farnborough College of Technology since 2016. A graduate in Business and Finance, she also holds an MBA in Educational Leadership and is a powerful voice in the Further Education sector, influencing industry and learner centric technical and vocational education.

After accepting her position on EM3’s Board of Directors, Virginia said:

I have spent the last four years as Principal at Farnborough embedding the College in the local community and felt the time was right for me to join the LEP board as an extension of that work.

I am passionate about what can be done to support the Further Education sector as a whole to better meet business’ needs. EM3 LEP is an empowering institution which is shaping the future of our region and I am looking to make a positive impact through supporting the Further Education sector in the development of the local talent and skills which will underpin the LEP’s ambitions for our area.

Julie and Virginia are the latest women leaders to join the EM3 board, alongside deputy chair Dr Deborah Allen, chief executive Kathy Slack, Stacey King, Linda Cheung and Cllr Caroline Reeves.

EM3 chair Dave Axam said:

“I am delighted to welcome Julie and Virginia to our board. They are both outstandingly capable leaders whose wealth of experience and knowledge adds significant value to the board.

“We have been extremely fortunate at EM3 to attract a wide diversity of board members, who provide a range of different perspectives, ensuring we make balanced, strategic decisions. There is no doubt that greater diversity of thinking leads to better business decisions. I know that Julie and Virginia’s leadership abilities will make a major contribution to our drive to deliver increased prosperity and an improved quality of life for the people and businesses who live and work in our region.”

Read EM3 deputy chair Dr Deborah Allen's blog on the value of Board diversity here.

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