Outgoing Manchester City Council chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein will speak about his remarkable career in the first of a series of BusinessCloud ‘Property hotseat’ events held in association with Watch This Space.
Sir Howard, who joined the council as a junior clerk in 1971, has been in the top job since 1998 and has played a pivotal role in the resurgence of Manchester since the 1996 IRA bombing.
He and OBI Property co-founder Will Lewis will be interviewed by editor Chris Maguire at Watch This Space’s co-working facility That Space on Princess Street in Manchester on Monday 20th February.
Maguire said: “One of the chief architects of Manchester’s resurgence as a global city has been Sir Howard Bernstein.
“Business leaders that I speak to are unanimous in their praise for Sir Howard. He’s been involved in all the key projects in the city and beyond but remains resolutely modest about his achievements.
“I’m delighted he’s chosen BusinessCloud as one of his final speaking engagements before he retires.”
Flagship developments including Spinningfields, NOMA, First Street and Airport City during Sir Howard’s time at the top have seen Manchester lay a claim to be known as Britain’s second city.
Joanne Roney, chief executive of Wakefield Metropolitan Borough Council, is set to take Sir Howard’s place when he retires in the spring of 2017.
He will be joined at the event by Lewis, one of the hottest names in Manchester’s property scene.Known for his enviable contacts book and straight-talking, Lewis has turned OBI Property into the one of the city’s most respected and successful names since launching the business in 2010.Spaces are strictly limited so registration is not a guarantee of a place.