Chief Executive's Statement

Jeff MooreJeff Moore became Chief Executive in February 2005, having previously served as emda's Director of Corporate Services and Deputy Chief Executive.

Having lived and worked in the East Midlands all my life I welcome the opportunity to work with our public and private sector partners to deliver economic prosperity for everyone in the region.

emda's mission is to increase the economic growth of the region and reduce disparities between the East Midlands and other regions. Our primary role to deliver our mission is to be the strategic driver of economic development in the East Midlands, working with partners to deliver the goals of the Regional Economic Strategy, which emda produces on behalf of the region.

The region's first Regional Economic Strategy published in 1999 set out the ambition for the East Midlands to become one of Europe's Top 20 Regions by 2010. By the time the second Regional Economic Strategy, Destination 2010, was published in 2003, the East Midlands was ranked 35 out of 77 regions in Europe. In 2005, the region's ranking had risen to 28.

Since our formation, emda has worked hard to contribute toward this achievement, and as a result we have built up considerable knowledge and experience in how to drive economic development in the East Midlands.

My task as emda's second Chief Executive is to build on our achievements to date and apply our experience as we continue to fulfil our primary role as the strategic driver of regional economic development in the East Midlands.

emda's immediate priorities are set out in our 2005 - 2008 Corporate Plan which shows how we will use the funding we were allocated in the Government's 2004 Spending Review to play our part in achieving the RES Ambition and make our agreed contribution to Government Targets.

We have also had the task of producing the third Regional Economic Strategy - 'A flourishing region' for the East Midlands, which sets out a vision for the East Midlands to be a flourishing region by 2020.

The new Regional Economic Strategy -'A flourishing region' sets out three strategic priorities: raising productivity, ensuring sustainability and achieving equality. I am committed to ensuring that these strategic priorities act as guiding principles for emda as we work with our partners in the region and beyond to achieve the region's ambition to be a Top 20 Region by 2010 and a flourishing region by 2020.

Jeff Moore

February 2012