Home Appointments & Contracts Trio of appointments strengthen LeedsBID board

Trio of appointments strengthen LeedsBID board

Chief Executive of LeedsBID, Andrew Cooper, announcing the board members at last week's Annual Showcase

Leeds Business Improvement District (LeedsBID) has made three appointments to its board of directors bringing in senior executives from the retail, communications and hospitality sectors.

James Prince, head of branch at John Lewis Leeds, Tracey Lancaster, deputy vice chancellor (corporate communications) at Leeds Beckett University and Wayne Topley, regional general manager at QHotels, have all been appointed as non-executive directors.

Tracey and Wayne are wholly new appointments, while James joins after more than two years as a board advisor.

All three appointments will bring greater strength and depth to the board and they will be integral in helping to shape the future for the city centre development organisation.


Chair of LeedsBID board Prew Lumley, and real estate partner at global law firm Squire Patton Boggs, said: “The skill set James, Tracey and Wayne bring is unrivalled and will not only further strengthen oversight and governance, but they will bring new ideas as to how we can take LeedsBID forward.

“I am very much looking forward to working with the new members as we continue to develop LeedsBID and progress in shaping and growing the city centre to be an ever-better place to live, work, have fun and do business.”

Colin Oliver of Futuresound continues in his role as Advisor to the Board.

The new appointments were announced at LeedsBID’s Annual Showcase which took place last week at Leeds College of Music’s contemporary complex in Quarry Hill. Guests at the event heard from Andrew Cooper, Chief Executive of LeedsBID, about the impact and improvement LeedsBID has brought to the city over the past year, as well as the innovative and exciting projects planned for the year ahead.

The new board members join existing members: Diane Cheesebrough, consultant/NED; David Maddison, general manager of Trinity Leeds; Andrew Latchmore, property lawyer with Shulmans; Sam Perry, director of commercial banking at NatWest, Leeds; Sandy Needham, chief executive for West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce; Helen Green, associate director for Town Centre Securities; Sarah Dear, managing director of branding consultancy Elmwood; and Councillor Al Garthwaite, Leeds City Council.

James Prince

James made the move from John Lewis Sheffield to become Head of Branch at the flagship Leeds store upon opening in late 2016, taking charge of the anchor tenant at the prestigious Victoria Gate development.

John Lewis Leeds is one of the retailer’s biggest shops outside of London, and his role sees him lead a team of 550 Partners (staff).

James started his John Lewis career ten years ago as an operations manager at John Lewis Liverpool, and saw him open the first John Lewis at Home outlet in Poole. Before joining the LeedsBID board, he was the chair of the Sheffield BID board.

Tracey Lancaster

Tracey is Deputy Vice Chancellor (Corporate Communications) at Leeds Beckett University with strategic responsibility for external and internal communications, UK and international student recruitment, which comprises c. 75% of the University’s income, widening participation in higher education and the University’s civic engagement.

She joined Leeds Beckett in July 2016 and, prior to that, was Director of Corporate Affairs at Sheffield Hallam University where she reshaped and united its marketing, communications and student recruitment functions.

Tracey started her senior career as a marketing manager for the Royal Shakespeare Company before moving into higher education in 2002 to become the first Director of Marketing at the University of Birmingham.

Tracey is also chair of ‘Go Higher West Yorkshire’, a collaboration between the region’s further education colleges and universities, striving to increase the numbers of young people accessing higher education in West Yorkshire.

Wayne Topley

Wayne Topley is General Manager at The Queens Hotel Leeds and Chair of the Leeds Hotel and Venues Association.

Wayne has spent 30 years in Hotel and Hospitality industry starting in his family run business in the Peak District which has led him to work in a number of the world’s top hotel brands. Over the last 15 years Wayne has had direct accountability for 7 different Hotels in different regions of the UK and overseen a further 21 Hotels during that time, whilst remaining a Yorkshire resident.

Since returning to Leeds as General Manager as the Queens in Leeds in the Summer of 2016, Wayne has worked closely with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure the Iconic Hotel has been at the very heart of the city centre life, culture and events. A true advocate of the City of Leeds and the County of Yorkshire.

The Leeds Hotel and Venues Association represents 32 Hotels and Venues in and around the city with the purpose of adding value to its members through networking, talent development and commercial focus.