Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Three new members have been appointed to the Industrial Development Advisory Board (IDAB), which advises government on large investment projects. Paul Mullins, Chair of the Board, has also been reappointed.
The Industrial Development Advisory Board gives advice to government on projects that have applied for financial support in Englands Assisted Areas. These are less economically-advantaged areas that are recognised as places where government support could provide a boost to the local economy. The board can also advise ministers on other projects which are relevant to its expertise.
Details of the appointments
Mark Bryant is a senior member of the Business Growth Fund and also brings 30 years of experience in manufacturing and industry roles as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pressurements Ltd, Druck Holdings plc, M and H Plastics Ltd and Commercial Director at General Electric. Mark has also sold a number of companies that he has successfully led as well as integrated bolt-on acquisitions.
Kevin Taylor is Managing Director of BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, the cyber division of BAE Systems plc. He has previously been the Group Strategy Director as well as the Managing Director of the Military Air Business, and of the Submarines Business. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, having graduated from Oxford with a physics degree.
John Drake is Chief Commercial Counsel for Bird and Bird LLP, where he is in charge of several change programmes, having been Chief Operating Officer for 7 years until 2015. A qualified barrister, most of Johns career was in industry both in Asia and the UK mostly as CEO in operational engineering and service provision businesses undertaking major change in telecoms, electronics and transportation sectors.
Paul Mullins has been a mergers and acquisitions adviser for 30 years. He has also been a member of the Independent Advisory Panel of the Regional Growth Fund and served as a Commissioner on the Ownership Commission. He is chair of The Unilink Group and The Education and Training Foundation and an adviser to Bregal Freshstream. He has been a member of IDAB since 2008 and its chair since 2012.
The appointments are part-time and unpaid and for the 3 new members will run initially for 3 years from 31 January 2016. The re-appointment of the chair will run for a year from 1 December 2015.
Find out more about the board, including current membership.