John has led the Liverpool City Region innovation agenda for 9 years. His primary role is to catalyse partnerships, policies, and programmes to maximise the LCR’s distinctive, world-leading innovation assets and capabilities, realise the headline annual target of investing 5% of GVA in R&D by 2030, and drive transformational economic growth. This includes coordinating the LCR Innovation Board (1st in the UK) and wider innovation ecosystem; leading strategic initiatives - e.g. 2 Science & Innovation Audits; Asset-Based Cluster Development; national UKRI Launchpad pilot; supporting development/delivery of £3B projects; driving major collaborations, notably the Partnership & Action Plan with Innovate UK, and innovation twinning with Busan in South Korea. John also led the LCR’s first Digital Strategy & Action Plan, and initial development of the award-winning 214km “LCR Connect” fibre network delivered via a novel Joint Venture and “dig once” approach. Previously, John worked at the Local Enterprise Partnership, Liverpool Vision, and St.Helens Council, where he led successful, pioneering, economic development programmes, e.g. national City Growth Strategy pilot, plus Dream by Jaume Plensa and local miners as part of Channel 4’s Big Art Project. Prior to local government, John spent 2 years working for the European Commission in Brussels. He has also lived and worked in Germany, the USA, and Canada, and speaks French and German. Outside of work, John is a keen traveller and squash player, plus a certified Level 2 hockey coach.