Cumbria Economic Summit 2024

The 2024 Cumbria Economic Summit took place on Tuesday 3rd December.

The event was attended by over 250 delegates and provided a platform for the area's business community to ensure their needs are front and centre of Cumbria’s new economic strategy and our future activities.

Download the main conference presentation here. 

Event Agenda

Thematic Workshops 

We will be running workshops in the morning and afternoon delegates will have an opportunity to attend two of the five sessions during the event.

1. Creating an inclusive and productive economy. How do we make sure all our residents and businesses can prosper and achieve their potential? How do we build the talent pipeline for local people and local businesses? How do we deliver higher productivity in all sectors?

2. National security and resilience. Cumbria has existing assets of national importance in areas such as defence, energy and low carbon, water management and food production. What should we do collectively to build around these strengths?

3. A new model of public services. The UK Government is keen that areas like Cumbria can have more control over our own priorities, allowing us to intervene early. How should we structure public services across Cumbria so that we can join up services, reduce waste and deliver better outcomes for our businesses and residents?

4. Supported nature and climate. Cumbria’s landscape is cherished by its people and visitors alike. How do we protect this for future generations while delivering on its economic potential here and now?

5. Place Shaping: Housing, regeneration and infrastructure. How do we build the homes we need both now and, in the future, with the infrastructure around these to keep people moving and enable them to access jobs and leisure opportunities?

Meet the speakers

Phil Laycock, Conference Host  

Phil is a former Director of UKREiiF and Built Environment Networking and has worked in the property and construction sector for over 30 years. He has organised and hosted conferences and events across the UK in many different sectors in his role as MC and is a well-known figure in the sector having chaired panels with many leading stakeholders in the public and private sectors. He currently resides in Cumberland. 

David Beeby, Chair, Enterprising Cumbria Growth Board  

As an influential figure in the Cumbrian business community for more than 30 years, David Beeby has grown to know the county very well. He moved to Cumbria from Nottinghamshire in 1987 to become Managing Director of Smith Brothers (Whitehaven) Ltd, now Amcor Flexibles. His role developed from managing the Whitehaven company to business development across Europe and then becoming part of its global management team. In 2004 he left to join Innovia, in Wigton, as its Chief Executive, only stepping back from his full-time role in 2015. David has been Chair of Cumbria Community Foundation, Cumbria CBI and Cumbria Prince’s Trust and a member of the management committee at Calvert Trust. He was High Sheriff of Cumbria in 2021 and was appointed the inaugural Chair of Enterprising Cumbria earlier this year. David looks forward to playing his part in helping to drive forward Cumbria’s economic performance. 

Councillor Jonathan Brook, Leader, Westmorland and Furness Council 

Jonathan is Leader of Westmorland and Furness Council. He was first elected as a Councillor in 2006 and has had various council roles since then, including as leader of South Lakeland District Council, a Member of the Lake District National Park Authority and former Mayor of Kendal.  

As well as being Leader, Jonathan is Cabinet member for Economy and also a board member of Cumbria Tourism, North West Employers, Borderlands Board and the Brilliant Barrow Board. 

Earlier in his career Jonathan was a Project Manager at AXA Insurance, then took a career change to become CEO of Manna House, a Kendal-based homelessness charity.  

Councillor Mark Fryer, Leader, Cumberland Council 

Mark is the Leader of the new Cumberland Council and has twice been a Councillor for Allerdale Borough Council. On 5 May 2022, he was elected to the Cumberland Council seat of St John’s and Great Clifton ward in Workington. He has been on the political scene in Allerdale for most of his adult life. 

Ben Lucas, Founding Director, Metro Dynamics  

Ben leads major strategy projects for clients across the UK. He is an expert on the political and economic drivers that are needed for growth and how to shape narratives that best reflect these. He advises places on governance, inclusive growth and how best to work with Westminster and Whitehall.  

Before becoming a Founding Director of Metro Dynamics, Ben had a long career in public policy and communications, advising cities, businesses and charities on how best to achieve their public affairs objectives. He has worked with Ministers, Officials and Local Government Leaders on a range of public policy issues, has set up and run a public affairs consultancy and two highly influential Commissions, the 2020 Public Services Commission and the RSA City Growth Commission. He is a Policy Associate at the Future Governance Forum, a member of the Evidence to Impact Committee of Foundations, The What Works Centre for Children and Families, and Founding Director of The Power Test podcast. 

Camille Walker, National Hydrogen & CCUS Inward Investment Specialist, DBT  

Focusing on inward investment and promoting these sectors in the UK, Ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of clean energy innovation through collaboration and connecting research, industry, and government to develop strategic opportunities for the UK to lead in hydrogen and CCUS growth.  

With a background in design, test and development engineering coupled with previous experience in the electrochemical industry, Camille has built a network of relationships with the Hydrogen and CCUS supply chain. Camille blends technical and commercial expertise to her specialist role to drive innovation, investment and economic growth in the UK.  

Alex Gardiner, Director, Metro Dynamic 

Alex designs bespoke solutions to grow the local economy for everyone, drawing upon her broad knowledge of inclusive economic growth and reform.  

As a local Government specialist who works with combined and local authorities on devolution and inclusive growth, Alex applies a wide knowledge of what works in local government to her work, developing projects with places from idea through to investment. She is an expert in shaping new narratives and navigating complex stakeholder environments to find consensus, applying creative thinking and fresh approaches to deliver impact. A significant part of this has been interrogating and redesigning local growth plans, ensuring that they will deliver greater prosperity for local people, are collaborative across public and private partnerships, and that they are both ambitious and achievable. This includes using data and analysis to challenge current thinking and introduce new ideas to address a place’s key issues.   

Isobel Brown, Programme Director, Enterprising Cumbria 

Isobel has worked at board and investment group level within the public and private sectors and has supported several Cabinet Office advisory groups. She was responsible for the annual procurement of over £150m of Scottish Skills and Learning programmes and over her career has been involved in the procurement and deployment of a range of global IT systems. 

She has provided strategic advice and mobilised teams for the Midlands Engine, the British Business Bank’s Startup Loans Company, Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership and a DWP £100m programme encouraging those furthest away from the labour market back to work. She also led the delivery of a £50m Investment Loan Fund proposal for Herefordshire Council as part of a covid-recovery initiative.   

Isobel sits on two boards on a voluntary basis; The Mungo Foundation and Action for Children Boycott Your Bed, raising considerable funds for the latter through sleeping rough to support vulnerable families across the UK. 

Mark Cropper, Chair, Kendal Futures 

Mark Cropper is a sixth generation paper-maker, environmentalist and renewable energy entrepreneur. 

Based in the ancient mill village of Burneside in the Lake District, Mark is Chair of family business James Cropper, makers of advanced materials and specialist papers and active in markets ranging from aerospace and defence to carbon capture and luxury packaging. Nearby he leads Ellergreen, which has led a renaissance in hydro power in the area and is now turning its attention (at a very local level) to community energy, zero carbon homes and bio-abundant farming. In 2022 he commenced the UK’s largest wildflower meadow restoration project and is creating large areas of wood pasture and orchards around Burneside. He has also helped catalyse the Penrith to Kendal wildlife corridor project. 

Mark is dedicated to making places better and more resilient in holistic ways. He has led the Vision for Burneside and the Kendal Vision with Kendal Futures, the private/public sector partnership he chairs. 

One local initiative on its way is the Paper Foundation (www.paper.foundation), a new home for hand-made paper and paper and book arts. 

James Harrison, Shadow Board Chair, Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster  

James joined the Shadow Board of Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster in March 2022 and became Chair in November 2024. He is currently a Procurement Officer at Altrad Babcock working as part of the Programme and Project Partners (PPP) which is currently leading the UK’s infrastructure projects. 

He has previously been involved in structures such as student councils through sixth form where he was head boy. James is currently a member of the Dream Placement alumni which he takes great pride in as they helped him secure work experience with Doosan Babcock where he is now employed. He is also a member of the Cumbria Future Leaders network where he helps to promote being ambitious, taking opportunities and the benefits of apprenticeships. 

Mark Goldstone, Policy Manager - UK Competitiveness, CBI     

Mark leads the CBI’s policy team covering UK Competitiveness, focusing on the levers that can unlock economic growth across English regions including planning reform, infrastructure delivery, industrial strategy and devolution. Mark has over 20 years’ experience working on economic policy. 

David Levene, Director, The NP11   

David is the Director of the NP11 group of Northern Local Enterprise Partnerships, joining in its early days to shape its approach and programme, starting with the landmark Manifesto for the North. This followed a run of successful projects across and between the public and private sectors, from the adoption of Transport for the North’s Strategic Transport Plan; to the establishment of Social Enterprise Yorkshire & the Humber’s member network; and high-profile major waste, housing, and transport schemes. David’s focus is on how local business and civic leaders can use transport, housing, skills, and infrastructure to drive sustainable, inclusive growth. 

Andrew Seekings, Chief Executive, Cumberland Council 

Andrew Seekings has worked as Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service at Cumberland Council since its inception in April 2023. His role is to set the standard of Leadership and Management throughout the council, orchestrating the cultural and transformational change required of bringing four councils together and to ensure the Council Plan priorities are delivered through an agreed new operating model. 

Sam Plum, Chief Executive, Westmorland & Furness Council   

Sam has more than 30 years’ local government experience and has been Chief Executive at Westmorland and Furness since its inception. Since arriving in Cumbria five years ago, Sam has led a range of place shaping and transformational initiatives to deliver real and lasting change, particularly focused in what was Barrow Borough Council’s area where she was Chief Executive. 

As the inaugural CEO of Westmorland and Furness Council, she is committed to establishing the new council as an ambitious new unitary with a clear vison and a strong focus on putting residents at the heart of all it does. 

If you've not booked onto the event, you can do so here.