Cambridgeshire combined authority boss will also head LEP to 'restore trust of business community'

The Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP has announced its new interim chief executive following a decision made by the board last Tuesday.

Martin Whiteley, chief executive of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, will take on the role of interim chief executive at the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) alongside his current role with immediate effect.

The news follows a letter written to the LEP one month ago by mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough James Palmer to offer an “overhaul” of its set-up.

The letter was sent after it was revealed that the Government is withholding growth funding secured for the region while the National Audit Office undertakes an investigation into the LEP.

Mark Reeve, chairman of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP, said: “We welcome Martin to the LEP team, and are looking forward to working with him to continue to deliver economic growth across the whole of the LEP area. Martin has a strong track record for bringing together a wide range of partners from the public and private sector, a skill that will serve him well here at the LEP.”

Mr Whiteley added: “We are pleased that the LEP board have acted urgently and have accepted our offer of support. It is vital that the hard work and significant progress that has been made this year is not thrown off course, and by making this decision swiftly, we can get to work restoring the trust of the wider business community and central government.”

Martin has a background in commercial organisations, central and local government. He started his career in the civil service, and then moved to Capita where he became managing director of the consulting business. After Capita, he co-founded Blue Marble Group, a strategic consultancy company that focused on created new models of service delivery.