Business Leadership Council

The Business Leadership Council was established in September 2008 and meets monthly.  The role of the Council is:
•  to advise the AGMA Executive Board on its ongoing policies and priorities  
• conduct its own reviews on the areas it believes will determine the future well-being of the Manchester City Region
• make recommendations directly to the Executive Board on issues of particular importance.

The agenda of the Council is to focus on securing economic growth in key sectors, influence investment, infrastructure and transport, promote environmental responsibility and resource efficiency and skills and training for work.   The terms of reference sets out the BLC's purpose. structure, scope and operation.

Purpose

The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) established the Business Leadership Council (BLC) in September 2008.

The role of the BLC, as set out in the AGMA Constitution, is to:

• Advise the Executive Board on its ongoing policies and priorities
• Conduct its own review on the areas it believes will determine the future well being of the Manchester city region and
• Where issues are particularly important, have the power to make recommendations directly to the Executive Board.

The BLC is to set its own agenda, focussed on:

• Securing economic growth in key sectors
• Influencing investment in infrastructure and transport
• Promoting environmental responsibility and resource efficiency
• Skills and training for work

Structure
BLC members are senior and experienced members of the business community in the Manchester City Region, drawn from a broad range of industries. BLC members sit on the council as individuals and do not represent the views of their company or of their industry. Members are appointed following an independent search and selection process. Council members, including the chair, hold their places for a term of three years and can serve up to two terms.
So that the BLC does not need to completely renew its membership every 3 (or 6) years, after the first year of its operation, members of the council are asked to volunteer for a further one, two or three years with the aim of allocating five to each category. If this aim cannot be achieved voluntarily, the council can decide terms by ballot.
The chair is appointed under the independent search and selection process. The chair can appoint two deputies

Scope and operation
The BLC produces a rolling six-month work plan. This work plan is informed by the timescales of the activities and the production of strategies by the AGMA Executive Board and the thematic Commissions.

The work plan also allows space for the BLC to consider any other issues that members decide are a priority for the city region.

In general terms, the BLC operates by asking a representative from a relevant Commission to present to the Council, making the case for a particular course of action, strategy etc, which the Council then comments on.
 
The Council may ask the Commissions to undertake further work to assist them in coming to a clear view, and the Council can also ask  experts in associated fields to advise the council of alternative views or to discuss issues which the Commissions are not currently pursuing.

The BLC is not a scrutiny body, nor does it operate as a select committee and it does not have the authority to ‘sign off’ AGMA’s strategies or plans. Nevertheless, the Executive and the Commissions must give proper regard to the views of the BLC, if necessary clearly explaining why the BLC’s views have not been taken forward.

In order to understand what happens as a result of its deliberations, every six months the Council holds a review meeting. At this meeting the Chair and Deputy Chair/s of the Executive and others as appropriate, attend to feedback to the BLC and report what actions have been taken, or altered as a result of the BLC’s intervention.

Sub-groups

From time to time the BLC may choose to set up sub-groups to carry out more in depth work. These groups can ask others from beyond the BLC’s membership to join them and can ask the Commissions for help in carrying out research. Sub-groups are time limited, bringing a recommended position statement back to the full BLC for discussion within 3 months.

How does the BLC communicate its views?

1. The BLC communicates as above, by giving direct feedback to a Commission on its plans.
2. One of the AGMA Chief Executives attends each meeting of the BLC (unless the BLC decides to meet in private) and feeds views directly to the AGMA Chief Executives Group
3. The chair of the BLC, with other members, will attend AGMA Executive and present members’ views.
4. The BLC may decide, from time to time, to produce a report of its views for AGMA Executive.

Administration

The BLC receives policy and secretariat support from the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, with additional policy support being drawn from AGMA members and the AGMA policy unit as appropriate.

Prejudicial interests
A member has a prejudicial interest in a matter if the interest is one which a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice the member's judgment of the public interest.
A member with a prejudicial interest in any matter must:
• withdraw from the room or chamber where a meeting is being held whenever it becomes apparent that the matter is being considered at that meeting, unless he or she has obtained a dispensation
• not seek improperly to influence a decision about that matter

Quorum
The Business Leadership Council has 15 members (including the chair). The quorum for the council is eight members. If members need to take a decision on a view, or recommendation then at least eight of the members present  need to be in agreement.

Replacement of members
If members resign, or otherwise leave the Council before their three year term elapses, during the first 18 months of its operation, the chair can appoint further members from the original shortlist of candidates produced by an independent search and selection exercise. Beyond the first 18 months the search and selection exercise is to be repeated with the aim of producing a shortlist which can be drawn from during the following 18 months, should the need arise.

Members of the Business Leadership Council are:

Chairman: John Early, partner Gener8 Developments LLP
Alan White, Chief Executive Manchester home shopping giant N Brown
Steve Corcoran, Chief Executive Newton le Willows-based Speedy Hire.
Professor Alan Gilbert, Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester,
Lynda Shilaw, Director of property at the Co-operative Group
Dr Sharon O’Kane, Co-founder and director of hi-tech listed company Renovo
Ian Austin, Managing partner of Manchester law firm Halliwells
Chris Oglesby, Chief Executive of property company Bruntwood
Martin Douglas, General manager (UK and Ireland), Cargill
Peter Greenhalgh, Managing Director, DCT Civil Engineering
Paul Latham, UK president of events management group Live Nation
William Lees-Jones, Chief Executive of Manchester brewer JW Lees
Neil Smith, Managing Director, Kinetic
Ken Collett, Manufacturing Director of Money Controls
Ken Knott, Chief Executive, Ask Developments

For further information contact:

Anoop Seera
Business Leadership Council

Tel:      0161 237 4073
Fax:     0161 237 3277

E-mail: Anoop.Seera@gmchamber.co.uk