A New Year & A New Chief Executive!

Published on: 7th January 2014

As the new Chief Executive of WEAF I wish all our members and visitors to this website a belated Happy New Year and a very prosperous and healthy 2014.  Our members and the wider manufacturing and advanced technology sectors in the region have greatly benefitted from 5 successful years under Barry Warburton’s leadership of WEAF, and I wish him every success and happiness in his retirement.

I feel very privileged to be leading WEAF into 2014 and beyond.  Many of us within the West of England are entering 2014 with a real sense of optimism and excitement with the early signs of economic recovery in the UK, buoyant growth in the commercial aerospace markets, and a real passion within the region’s businesses for innovation, advanced technology, manufacturing and skills development. 

My goal is to ensure that WEAF continues to play the fullest role on behalf of its members and the region in promoting the incredible strengths and capabilities that exist in our advanced technology and manufacturing sectors.  But WEAF is not immune from the uncertainties and pressures that exist in today’s economic and commercial environments.  So we will continue to evolve our core capabilities and events by listening to the needs of our members, working collaboratively with key business partners and UK government departments and agencies, and championing the West of England’s advanced manufacturing and technology businesses.

I look forward to supporting all our members, welcoming new ones, and meeting many of you over the course of this year – our Annual Conference in February and our comprehensive events programme throughout 2014 give me an ideal opportunity to listen to your ideas and requirements for how WEAF can support your business growth.