New skills and experience have been added to the Combined Authority’s Business Board with the appointment of three new members.
The Business Board provides a business voice in the work of the Combined Authority to support greater prosperity and reduced inequality in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough economy through sustainable growth.
Private sector members of the Business Board sit in an independent capacity.
The new appointees are:
Dr Araminta Ledger
Araminta is the Managing Director of Cambridge University Health Partners (CUHP), and works with academic, industry, and healthcare providers across the Cambridge life sciences ecosystem to maintain a globally competitive destination for health and life sciences. With responsibility for CUHP strategy and operations, she develops regional, national and international collaborations which accelerate the discovery, proving and scaling of healthcare innovations to improve health and economic outcomes.
Araminta has a PhD in Chemistry, and joined CUHP from the University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine. She previously held an NIHR Research Fellowship at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, initiating a clinical trial in breast cancer risk and developing novel MRI technology.
Tim Jones
Tim is Chairman of the Allia Charitable Group and its FCA-regulated social impact stockbroking subsidiary AlliaC&C. Having joined Allia as CEO in December 2001 when it was a five person operation trading as Citylife in Hooper Street he has seen it grow into the social and environmental impact catalyst it is today. During more than 22 years at Allia he has overseen a range of new solutions enabling small businesses to grow, helping ventures create greater social and environmental innovation and raising nearly £2bn in impact and ESG finance.
Tim also chairs Carr’s Group plc, a listed company with a focus on speciality agriculture feed and a division based near Bury St Edmunds. He chairs the Board of the Oximio Group, an international clinical trials logistics business with its head office in Huntingdon. Previously Tim was Chairman of Bury St Edmunds based Treatt plc.
Tim is a Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments, an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, and was previously an entrepreneur in residence and Honorary Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School and an Associate Fellow at Oxford Said Business School.
Emma Garfield
Emma is a passionate supporter of farming and horticulture in the region.
Emma has over 25 years work experience in leading edge businesses driving the application of science, research and agritech in the food and farming sectors nationally. Most recently as Head of Research Agronomy with G’s Growers, one of the country’s largest farming supply companies based near Ely, supplying quality fresh produce to all UK supermarkets.
Emma currently works at University of Cambridge Enterprise commercialising agritech to help agricultural and horticultural businesses improve their productivity and sustainability. She also runs a consultancy business with clients in industry, agritech, government and science and is based in Peterborough.
Emma represented the UK government in a Women in Agritech delegation to the Netherlands, Chaired the PhD programme for Sustainable Agriculture Innovation, was a member of the Waitrose Agronomy Board and led the British Leafy Salads R&D Committee.
Emma has a Masters degree in horticulture and is a Nuffield scholar (awarded to future leaders in the farming sector).
Chair of the Business Board, Al Kingsley, said: “The Business Board continues to strengthen with these fantastic appointments, giving us more important insight from industry and from a range of perspectives.
“In trying to support local growth in what are very challenging economic times, it has never been more important that we have a Business Board which best represents all aspects of industry in our region. I’m looking forward to working with Araminta, Tim and Emma and welcome them to the Board.”
Business Board members also sit on the Combined Authority’s Transport, Skills and Environment and Sustainable Communities committees, providing and advisory role on the Combined Authority’s key programmes of work.
The Business Board’s responsibilities include the ongoing monitoring of the £146 million Local Growth Fund which has provided funding to support local businesses, improve skills, and support better infrastructure. The Board also supports the delivery of the region’s industrial strategy, called the Economic Growth Strategy.
