Coventry and Warwick Place Board appoint new vice chair
The Coventry and Warwick Place Board (CWPB) has appointed Anna Clarke to vice chair.
Anna is a former Sainsbury’s executive who lives in Kenilworth and was raised locally. She spent 17 years working on the supermarket giant’s TU clothing label.
In that time, she rose to head of design and innovation of clothing and essentials in Sainsbury’s 600 stores, including Argos. She has also set up her own business and now works as a fashion retail consultant, artist and gut health specialist.
She said: “The profile of Coventry and Warwickshire has never been higher, and the Place Board, through Champions and other projects, has worked on a number of initiatives over the last 10 years to ensure our story is heard at all levels.
“I was invited to speak at a Champions event when I was at Tu, situated at Ansty Park and was really struck by the power of the network and how it had buy-in from right across the area and from the private and public sectors.
“I am really invested in the area. My father, a born and bred Coventrian, had a legal family practice in Coventry for many years and he was actively involved in a number of charitable and local groups.
“I have built my career from here, as well as my family life, and have a huge passion to follow in my father’s footsteps in giving back to the local community. It is an area that has so much going for it and the work of Place Board allows that to be shared to a wide audience, especially evident with the numerous City of Culture events held this year.”
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The CWPB sits under the Coventry and Warwick Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). It is responsible for promoting the reputation of the area through a number of initiatives including the recent Champions programme.
The Champions network celebrates its 10th anniversary in September and regularly attracts 150 businesses to its bi-monthly meetings. It has featured a range of speakers with strong local connections, ranging from Oscar winners to leading academics, and from nationally-acclaimed business figures to leading sportspeople.
Clark, who has been on The Place Board for three-and-a-half-years, succeeds Steve Stewart, who is stepping down from the role. The Place Board is chaired by former Jaguar Land Rover executive Les Ratcliffe who is a Deputy Lieutenant of Warwickshire.
He said: “Steve has done a sterling job and really helped to build the Place Board. We have taken the Coventry and Warwickshire story to London and to Birmingham, launched our Next Generation programme, and expanded representation on the board.
“Anna has a fantastic background at the top of her field, and is highly invested in the area and its success. She has made a real impact since joining the board and I know that she will continue to drive our activities forward as we celebrate out 10th anniversary.”
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