Professor Rachel McLean to chair city Digital and Creative

Professor Rachel McLean is to chair a new Digital and Creative advisory board for the city-region.

Rachel, Director of the LJMU Liverpool Screen School, will sit alongside industry leaders from Sound City, FACT, Make CIC and others after the Combined Authority prioritised D&C as one of three key growth clusters alongside Advanced Manufacturing and Health and Life Sciences.

Made up of leading figures from their sectors, each board’s remit is to influence policy, stimulate economic growth, productivity and competitiveness and support the city region in its ambitions for inclusivity and sustainability.

As chair, Rachel will also sit on the LCR Business and Enterprise Board alongside LJMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Power.

Professor McLean said: “I’m thrilled to be chairing the Digital & Creative cluster board with a view to driving growth and job creation in this really strong sector for the city-region. I am looking forward to working with companies, freelancers and education and training organisations across the region to achieve a better future in partnership.”

David Meyerowitz, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Business and Enterprise Board, said: “Our mission is to help shape the strategic planning to deliver economic growth and prosperity for all in the Liverpool City Region. It is really very exciting today to see the Cluster Boards announced, they will help to accelerate growth in the economic sectors where we already have world-class strengths.

“I’m sure that they will make a strong and important contribution to further stimulate economic growth, productivity and competitiveness across the Liverpool City Region.”

The chairs of the three new cluster boards are:

Advanced Manufacturing – Trevor Leeks, Jaguar Land Rover
Digital and Creative – Rachel McLean, LJMU
Health and Life Sciences – Lindsay Sharples, Health Innovation North West Coast

Made up of 14 to 16 members, the boards consist of leading figures from their respective sectors appointed following an extensive eight-week recruitment process.

Digital & Creative Cluster Board