We welcome the announcement today that our Chair, Roger Marsh OBE DL, has received a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Roger, who has been Chair of the NP11 group of northern local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) since its creation in 2018, has been knighted for his services to business, the economy and communities of the North. Roger is also Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) – a position he has held since 2013.
Speaking on behalf of the NP11 Board, David Levene, NP11 Director said:
“The Board and everyone in the extended NP11 family is delighted by this hugely well-deserved honour for our Chair, Roger Marsh. A true Northerner through-and-through, Roger has devoted over 40 years of his life to championing the North’s interests – from his early career in the Teesside steel industry, to his tenure as Senior Managing Partner at PwC in Leeds, to his more recent leadership of the Leeds City Region LEP and NP11. There is no-one more committed than Roger to transforming the North’s economic prospects for national benefit and it’s fitting that his dedication and achievements have been recognised with a knighthood at last.
“Everyone who knows Roger will be familiar with his firm belief that the North is not the problem but the solution to sustained national prosperity. Without doubt, his efforts have played a key role in driving investment to the North and making northern success a UK government priority. Under Roger’s continued leadership of the NP11, we look forward to ensuring that the Government’s Levelling Up commitments realise the full potential of our Northern Powerhouse, creating opportunities for everyone who lives, works and does business here.”
Under Roger’s leadership, the NP11 has put in place a set of clear priorities that will best enable the North to level up and becoming a leading driver of UK growth and competitiveness as the UK looks to economic recovery from the pandemic. Key achievements include the Convention of the North with NP11 Summit in September 2019, at which Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a series of commitments to transform the North, and the Manifesto for the North, developed by the NP11 in partnership with northern metro mayors and council leaders, which set out a clear blueprint for northern success.
As Chair of The Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Roger secured the largest Local Growth Deal of any LEP in the country and played a pivotal role in bringing Channel 4’s national HQ to Leeds in 2019. He is committed to ensuring that all places feel the benefits of economic growth, and though his role as Chair of The Piece Hall Trust has stewarded the landmark cultural asset for the North, which has generated at least £26 million for the economy of Halifax and Calderdale since its reopening in 2017.
Nicky Chance-Thompson DL, Chief Executive of The Piece Hall Trust said:
“On behalf of all at The Piece Hall Trust, we are so proud that our Chair, Roger Marsh DL, OBE has been made a knight in the Queens Birthday Honours 2021. It is richly deserved; his influence, passion and expertise has stewarded the organisation so brilliantly, since he became our Chair in 2017. Roger is an amazing advocate, not only for business, but for culture, the arts, and heritage – and has successfully articulated to Government that Historic assets like The Piece Hall aren’t just a ‘nice-to-have’ but are important cultural and economic assets that can be used as currency for the future. With a new board of trustees in place, I look forward to working with them and Sir Roger Marsh in the coming months and years, to continue to put The Piece Hall on the national and international map and achieve the recognition it so richly deserves.”