A Fond Farewell to the team's Head of Inward Investment Chris Lau

The Invest in Gloucestershire project, now in its 3rd year, has said a fond farewell to its Head of Inward Investment Chris Lau. Joining the team at the project’s 2019 inception and despite the external challenges faced with the backdrop of Brexit & Covid-19, Chris has been the key driver behind the projects ongoing success.

As Chris bows out to take on the noble task of leading the International Markets Team with the upcoming Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Birmingham for The West Midlands Growth Company. Gloucestershire can proudly celebrate its most successful year in the last decade attracting significant investments across the regions key sectors’ Agri-Tech; Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing; Cyber-Tech and Renewables.

Through Chris’s dedication and commitment to Inward Investment he fostered excellent relationships with the initiative’s key partners Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham Borough Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council, Gloucester City Council, Stroud District Council, Forest of Dean District Council and Cotswold District Council and key stakeholders Department of Investment and Trade, Western Gateway, Innovate UK and the wider South West which has resulted in securing key investors into the county, most recently ZeroAvia, the world's first practical zero emission aviation powertrain creating jobs and growth for the local economy.

Chris has also been instrumental in supporting The Golden Valley Development and The Forum development and also launching collaborative overseas trade partnerships. Most recently The Henan-Gloucestershire Virtual Trade event earlier in the year which has ignited various opportunities for some key Gloucestershire businesses. Chris leaves the project in great shape with a robust pipeline and many opportunities for future trade collaborations.

GFirstLEP would like to thank Chris for his dedication to the project and wishes him every success in his new role.

Image: Chris Lau sits in ZeroAvia's HyFlyer II with project partners' Angela Presdee (Gloucestershire County Council) & Paul James (Cotswold District Council) and ZeroAvia's Facilities Manager Mark Ryan.