This article appeared in The Press on Monday, 29 October 2007.

New team for Science City

David Dickson, Richard Gregory, Simon Hill, Brian Cantor, Bill Woolley and company secretary Philip Lewis Ogden

A TEAM of top business leaders has been unveiled to lead the new company at Science City York, a month after the previous chief executive resigned after only a month into the job.

Richard Gregory, Yorkshire Bank chairman, has now become executive chairman of the new company limited by guarantee, a joint venture between City of York Council and the University of York.

Mr Gregory is joined by David Dickson, managing director of the York and Leeds-based accountants Garbutt & Elliott, who will chair a new advisory board comprising several of the city's business and community leaders.

Mr Gregory said: "The new company demonstrates the real joint commitment by City of York Council and the University of York and will help focus and drive future expansion. The new advisory board which will be announced shortly will build on the tremendous network of support among business and community leaders which has already served Science City York so well."

Mr Dickson said: "As the company enters its next phase of development, I'm delighted to offer my continued support to the highly professional and committed business development team at Science City York.

"In my new role I want to bring my wide range of interests and experience in business, drawn from across the region and the UK, to contribute to the sustainable economic development of York and North Yorkshire.

We will continue to work extensively with our partners to build a long-term future for businesses across the sub region."
Also joining the board is Simon Hill, executive director for business at Yorkshire Forward, together with the founding partners, Professor Brian Cantor, vice-chancellor of the University of York, and Bill Woolley, director of city strategy at the council.

Mr Gregory said: "Science City York has an excellent team, led by project director Paul Taylor, and I am delighted to be working with them.
"The new board structures create an excellent delivery platform for the expansion of Science City York activities to the benefit of the city and surrounding areas."

Last month, The Press reported how chief executive Richard Hutchins had stood down from the top job for personal reasons, less than a month after he started.

That led to disappointment among board members, but they vowed business would continue as normal.

Welcoming the new appointments, Professor Cantor said: "In Richard Gregory and David Dickson, we have two men of the highest calibre, each with a proven track record, to guide Science City York through this exciting new period in its development."

Mr Woolley said: "Science City York has been a crucially important factor in the success of York's economy over the past nine years and we now have the opportunity to build on that success with the new company."