David Blake

Background

About David Blake

With fifteen years' experience working all over the world in the manufacturing sector and a further thirty years in the public sector, my passion is economic development and regeneration - or should I say helping to improve the lives of the people that live in the communities where I work and the competitiveness of businesses that are located in these areas. Having worked in chief executive, executive and non-executive director roles, I have project managed some of the largest and most successful multi-agency infrastructure, innovation, business support and skills projects and programmes in the West Midlands. Ranging from i54 (the new site for the Jaguar Land Rover engine plant near Wolverhampton) and the automotive R&D centre developed by Warwick Manufacturing Group through to the West Midlands-wide £30m Modernisation & Diversification programme along with more local developments such as new college campuses in Walsall and Sandwell, I have been lucky enough to work with some great people and achieve significant success. I was also fortunate enough to spend two years evaluating the economic impact of the work of Advantage West Midlands - a study that culminated in the findings being endorsed and published by PwC. Marston’s Disc Index of behavioural style indicates that I am a person with a determined, enthusiastic, outgoing and systematic approach to business. I am passionate about continuous improvement and measureable, target-driven performance management. I like to focus on outcomes by building strong relationships and the achievement of results through the development of a strong team ethos and clear individual roles and responsibilities. Specialties: Project management from development and appraisal through to delivery and evaluation in accordance with Treasury Green Book. Performance improvement and quality management. Impact evaluation. Audit, corporate governance and risk management (Treasury Orange Book)