Mike Denby

Background

About Mike Denby

I am an innovative and strategic leader with broad-based expertise in economic development, business support, and commercial growth. I am an accomplished and success-driven professional with extensive experience in business support and regeneration, creating sustainable economic projects, managing inward investment activities, and funding bids. I have repeated success in developing and executing growth strategies, securing and leading multi-million pound contracts, and devising investment strategies. I am adept at implementing organisational change and integrating resource strengths to deliver results from profit and loss, sales growth, and cultural change. I have strong leadership and organisational skills skilled in building and directing high performing teams, overseeing large scale projects, creating funds distribution policy, and implementing initiatives to drive results. I am commercially aware with ability to orchestrate and deliver strategic visions, corporate plans, building relationships with cross functional teams, executives, and external agencies. Below are some of my key accomplishment that I have attained: • Led large scale projects, including developing policy for the distribution of a £163M COVID response Fund to maintain the business development and meet changing demands. • Secured £2.5B of inward investment since April 2013 and increased trade opportunities for businesses in Wakefield and Leeds City Region. • Acquired regeneration investment of £8M to build Wakefield’s first research and development facility. • Achieved +9.9% increases in apprenticeships compared to decrease of -1.9% nationally as well as +14% new businesses created compared to 12% for the rest of West Yorkshire. • Increased the private sector jobs by 4.2% and established ‘Step Up’ initiative, resulting in Wakefield ranked as 7th fastest growing city. • Oversaw the budgets, resources, and expenditure as well as performed bidding for European Union, central government, and external funding to maximise income streams. • Received professional recognition as the ‘Best Council to Do Business’ and named the winner of Business Person of the Year at the Sheffield Business Awards as judged by the local business community.