Hibs boss to front top team for £1.3bn City Region Deal

A solid line-up of leaders from the private and third sectors have been appointed to advise on the Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal.

Leeann Dempster, CEO of Hibs FC, will chair the council. Picture: John Devlin

Its regional enterprise council (REC) will be chaired by Leeann Dempster, the chief executive of Hibernian Football Club. Claire Pattullo of Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network, who has extensive experience in delivering employability programmes and addressing barriers faced by disadvantaged groups, will serve as vice chair.

The other members are: Ewan Aitken, Cyrenians; David Brown, PwC; Robert Carr, Anderson Strathern; Stephen Drost, CodeBase; Steve Dunlop, Scottish Enterprise; Gavin Hamilton, Taylor Wimpey; Stephen Ingledew, Fintech Scotland; Nile Istephan, Eildon Housing Association; Angela Leitch, East Lothian Council; Polly Purvis, Scotland IS; David Thomson, Food & Drink Federation Scotland; and Damien Yeates, Skills Development Scotland.

They have been chosen to “reflect the diverse economic make-up of the south-east of Scotland”. The REC will advise the Deal’s decision-making body on the delivery of projects across the region.

City of Edinburgh Council leader Adam McVey said: “The transformative City Region Deal will deliver real, tangible opportunities for residents across the region allowing us to build a vibrant economy for our people and businesses to thrive in. I welcome the appointment of this exceptional group of private and third sector leaders and believe Leeann Dempster will make an outstanding chair.”

The City Region Deal is a £1.3 billion investment over the next 15 years designed to accelerate economic, inclusive growth and create opportunities across the entire south-east of Scotland.