Jane Madeley, the University's Chief Financial Officer, has been named as the next Chair of the CBI's Yorkshire & Humber Regional Council.
Taking up the voluntary role in January, she will bring her extensive knowledge of the region and business to the position, having worked for several businesses in the retail and consumer goods sectors before joining the higher education sector.
The University is a longstanding member of the influential business organisation, and Jane has been part of its regional council on behalf of the University since 2011.
It is a challenging time for businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber, but she nevertheless believes the CBI can play a crucial part in helping the region navigate its way through the continued economic ravages of the pandemic and to build an equitable and prosperous future.
Representing the higher education sector at the heart of the organisation in the region and nationally, she will help ensure its concerns are heard, and will develop even more mutually beneficial relationships.
I can't stress enough the role the University of Leeds – and our fellow higher education institutions across the region – will play in training the next generation of global citizens and leaders and in tackling the huge challenges facing the world.
Jane, who joined the University as Finance Director in 2009, is particularly keen to combine the priorities of her "day" job with the new CBI role, encouraging collaboration between business and the University, and enjoying the mutual benefits of working together to ensure that the skills and expertise provided by the higher education sector are used to help unlock and maximise the innovation potential of the region.
She is also a founding non-executive director of Northern Gritstone, an investment company launched earlier this year by the Universities of Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield to help boost the commercialisation of university spinouts and start-ups in the North of England.
"I can't stress enough the role the University of Leeds – and our fellow higher education institutions across the region – will play in training the next generation of global citizens and leaders and in tackling the huge challenges facing the world," she said.
"I am thrilled to be appointed Chair of the CBI's Yorkshire & Humber Regional Council, and I look forward to working with fellow council members and business leaders across the region to meet the ongoing challenge of building the regional economy in the face of the pandemic.
"This is a region of immense potential, rich in talent and ambition and well positioned to play a significant role in the UK's push to net zero. However action is needed to address long-term challenges around skills, and invest in the necessary infrastructure to enable innovation to flourish – vital issues at the heart of levelling-up ambitions.
"Overcoming these challenges will take partnership between business, education and Government. Business is ready to step up, and I look forward to working with CBI colleagues to be a voice for the region in the critical conversations to come around levelling-up, economic growth and decarbonisation."
Beckie Hart, CBI Yorkshire & the Humber Director, thanked outgoing Chair Jacqui Hall, and said: "Jane will bring a wealth of knowledge of the region and insight into the issues that matter to businesses. Her expertise will be a major asset for businesses and for the CBI as we look to build upon Yorkshire and the Humber's diverse strengths to drive forward the strategies for growth set out in the CBI's Seize The Moment economic vision. I look forward to working with her to achieve these goals."
Working with business and other sectors in the region is an important part of the University of Leeds' ten-year strategy: Universal Values: Global Change, combining its global outlook with a keen awareness of the importance of local, regional and national impact through research and innovation, student education and knowledge exchange.
An embodiment of this approach is Nexus, the innovation hub on the main campus which launched in 2019 to enhance how the University connects its world-leading research and expertise with business.
