Lancashire County Council’s (LCC) dedicated innovation economic growth programme Innovate Lancashire has appointed two high-profile female figures to its core delivery team.
Trudi Waldram has been appointed innovation engagement manager and Natalie Wilson has been appointed as community manager at LCC-funded coworking hub Fraser House.
Waldram’s role will involve identifying Lancashire companies, including startups and scaleups, which have high growth potential.
Prior to working for Innovate Lancashire, she was senior projects and engagement manager for the Food and Drink Forum (FDF), a national trade organisation for advanced manufacturers working within the food and drink sector.
During her eight years at FDF, Waldram was a member of the senior leadership team responsible for delivering projects looking to build a resilient UK food system.
Wilson on the other hand, has worked as an outdoor practitioner and expedition leader for over two decades – including leading over 35 international expeditions and high-altitude treks in areas including Nepal, Pakistan and Bhutan.
She will oversee all aspects of Fraser House’s operations, including recruiting and supporting Fraser House members, programming high-value events, and ensuring the hub continues to maintain its distinctive inclusive and community-led culture.
The company says both are set to play an important role in the delivery of Innovate Lancashire’s wider strategic objectives, including helping Innovate Lancashire to fulfil its mission to accelerate innovation activity across Lancashire; connect and strengthen the county’s innovation ecosystem; and build Lancashire’s reputation for innovation at a national and global level.
“Over the last 12 months, Innovate Lancashire’s activities have significantly evolved and expanded as we focus on accelerating innovation across Lancashire,” said LCC’s innovation lead Hannah Churchman.
“Projects which we initiated, including the fhunded VC finance programme and the Lancashire Digital Hub digital and tech business community, now operate as standalone initiatives, and the Fraser House tech hub has been widely recognised for its ability to foster economic growth, innovation, and inclusivity.
“Trudi’s role allows us to increase our capacity for more targeted business engagement, helping us to better understand the needs of our business communities and complement our approach of being led by data and insights.
“Similarly, Natalie’s role at Fraser House will have a focus on driving economic growth by supporting new and existing member companies.”
Aidy Riggott, cabinet member for economic development and growth at Lancashire County Council, added: “As demonstrated by the incredible success of fhunded, the Lancashire Digital Hub, and the Fraser House co-working space, our Innovate Lancashire programme continues to go from strength to strength.
“But to ensure we fulfil Lancashire’s potential as a world-leading investor destination for fast-growth sectors such as defence, energy, cyber and cleantech, we need as many Lancashire businesses as possible to be geared up for rapid technology-enabled growth.”
The appointment comes less than a month after LCC partnered with former Mercia Ventures investment manager Kiran Mehta to help boost levels of early-stage investment activity and deal flow in Lancashire.