New appointments strengthen Marches LEP board

Two new directors have been appointed to the board of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, strengthening its top-level team.

Dr Catherine Baxter and Christine Snell’s appointments were confirmed at the latest meeting of the LEP board following a region-wide recruitment process.

Mandy Thorn, Marches LEP chair, said the appointments would bring new skills and expertise to the LEP – the body responsible for driving economic growth across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

Dr Baxter is clerk to the board of governors at Harper Adams University in Newport and has spent more than 30 years in senior university roles in England, Wales and overseas, whilst Mrs Snell is a partner in award-winning Herefordshire food and drink business AJ and CI Snell.

Mrs Thorn said: “Both women bring a huge amount of experience and expertise to the Marches LEP board which will be invaluable in helping us ensure our work benefits all of the communities we serve.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Catherine and Christine will both strengthen the board as a whole and also help us better represent the rich diversity of our region. I very much look forward to working alongside both of them.”

Dr Baxter joins the board as the LEP’s higher education champion. Her experience in senior university roles includes working in strategic planning, corporate governance matters, the management of major strategic projects and change, day to day line-management of a wide range of professional teams and major budgetary responsibility.

She also represents universities on the national body that develops training for higher education governance and has authored or reviewed several governance publications for the HE sector.

She was, until recently, a member of the Shropshire Business Board and continues to be a member of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association Board for the West Midlands.

Mrs Snell will be the LEP’s champion for food and drink and agri-tech. She has a wealth of experience in the food industry that has encompassed research and development, working within large multinationals and most recently, hands-on management in horticulture.

After graduating she joined a part of Allied Lyons as a junior technologist, progressing to Product Development Manager, then moved to the consumer brands division of SmithKline Beecham, working within the Ribena and Lucozade brand portfolios. Over 18 years in these roles, she developed extensive experience in research and development, as well as marketing and project management.

Joining her husband in the fruit growing business in 2000, Christine has been pivotal in human resources management for the large workforce, which is bolstered annually by a seasonal workforce from eastern Europe.

Since 1993 she has been a Justice of the Peace sitting in both adult and family courts. Christine is also an independent governor of Harper Adams University.