Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership has appointed Principal and Chief Executive of Furness College Andrew Wren to join its Board.
The LEP, which is responsible for working with businesses and the public and voluntary and community sectors to take forward economic growth in the county, has appointed Mr Wren to further strengthen representation on its Board.
Mr Wren joined Furness College as Principal and Chief Executive in September 2015. During his first year, he led the successful merger of Furness College and Barrow Sixth Form College, securing the breadth of post-16 education in Furness.
His early career was focused on working in hospitality and retail management, before he moved into Further Education as a lecturer at Hull College in 2002. He then took up a senior post at East Riding College where he subsequently became Vice Principal.
“I’m delighted to join the board of Cumbria LEP at this time,” says Andrew. “I’m particularly pleased to be able to contribute to the continued success of my home county, having returned here three years ago.
“Skills development is my real passion and I look forward to playing my part in supporting the future needs of the county.”
Having grown up near Brampton, Andrew graduated from the University of Hull in 1993 with a BA (Joint Honours) in French and Scandinavian Studies. He has also completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at the University of Huddersfield and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management with the Chartered Management Institute. In addition, he is a fellow of the Chartered Institution for Further Education.
Lord Inglewood, Chair of Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, says: “We welcome Andrew to the Board and very much look forward to his strong contribution to the team, especially in our ongoing work on the skills development agenda, on which he is ideally placed to lend his expertise. He has also previously been involved in the Humber LEP so brings very helpful experience of LEP board operations from elsewhere.
“Andrew is committed to providing the highest quality education and training in Cumbria, and skills development will be a crucial aspect in taking forward the new Local Industrial Strategy for the county.”
The LEP is also currently seeking to recruit more female business leaders from Cumbria’s business community to strengthen representation on its Board. For further information, see https://tinyurl.com/y9glvqnt
