An introduction to the Investor Development Programme

The Investor Development Team consists of four experienced Business Account Managers who work alongside existing inward investment companies across the Liverpool City Region. The team aims to build relationships with locally based operations and subsidiaries of national and international companies to give them the support they need to grow and reinvest.

MEET THE TEAM

Laki Singh, Halton

	t: 07770855909 e: Laki.Singh@halton.gov.uk Laki spent 16 years at Rolls-Royce where he joined as an Engineering Apprentice. He worked in both the Aerospace and Energy divisions of the company, based in Coventry, fulfilling Technical, Sales and Marketing roles. He also represented Rolls-Royce overseas on many occasions, spending a year in their New Delhi office, investigating routes to market, acquisitions and alliances as well as maintaining Government relations.
In 2001, Laki relocated to the company's Bootle site in the Liverpool City Region, where his most recent position was Market Manager. He was responsible for Bid Management for the supply of packaged gas turbine generator sets, securing multi-million dollar sales contracts from customers in the oil & gas and power generation industries. Laki lives in South Liverpool and enjoys DIY, reading, travelling and watching football.

Steve McKeown, Knowsley

	t:0151 443 5581 e: steve.mckeown@knowsley.gov.uk Steve graduated in French and Spanish and has a background in Marketing and Business Development (achieving Chartered Marketer status with the Chartered Institute of Marketing).

He has experience in several industries including engineering, telecoms and software.

Steve has experience of selling to the public sector and has developed and managed transnational projects for the European Commission. He has developed training programmes and is the author of several guides on selling to the public sector. Steve has also spent a couple of years teaching outdoor pursuits in the delivery of team building and personal development courses.

Jonne Quint, Liverpool

	t: 07736002252 e: jonne.quint@merseyside.org.uk Jonne graduated from Liverpool John Moores University in 1998 and spent the early years of his career in the financial services industry. He worked for Swiss Life (UK) plc. as an Account Handler on the Corporate Partnerships Team and looked after a portfolio of major corporate partners, including NatWest and sister company Swiss Life Germany.

Between 2002 and 2007, Jonne worked in the travel industry as Reservation Sales Team Leader for US Airways in the airline's European Contact Centre in Liverpool. Using his foreign language skills, he provided leadership and support to a team of around 70 Reservation Sales Agents.
Jonne joined The Mersey Partnership in January 2007, working initially as Customer Service Development Executive within the Tourism Development Team. He supported tourism and hospitality businesses in the Liverpool City Region by discussing their business development needs and identifying ways of meeting those needs. This involved the promotion of TMP-funded tourism business support initiatives and the signposting of support available from key partners such as LSC, Business Link, education providers and others. Jonne joined The Mersey Partnership's Investment Team as Investor Development Manager in October 2008.

Born and raised in The Netherlands, Jonne speaks Dutch & German fluently and also has a basic command of French and Spanish. Jonne lives in Waterloo with his wife and young daughter. He enjoys singing and has been a member of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Choir ever since he arrived in Liverpool in 1993. Jonne also enjoys languages, travelling, reading, watching films and walking (with or without his dog).

Andrew Ruffler, Wirral

	t: 07843632606 e: andrew.ruffler@merseyside.org.uk Following graduation from the University of Sheffield in 1997, Andrew began his career fulfilling sales and marketing roles in the petrochemicals industry with subsidiaries of Shell and BASF, before moving on to an advisory role for the Business Link and Chamber of Commerce in Manchester.

Within this role, Andrew was responsible for the account management of over 100 companies in the finance, professional and creative sectors, assisting them with the development of their business improvement strategies, and helping a number to secure Investor in People status as an accredited advisor.

Andrew moved to MIDAS - Manchester's Inward Investment Agency, in 2006, and was the sector lead for both Food & Drink and Logistics & Supply Chain operations, working closely with major companies such as Heinz, Kellogg's, Kerry Foods and Scottish & Newcastle to promote further investment and growth in the Manchester city region.

Andrew started work with The Mersey Partnership in October 2008. He is a Wirral resident, a lifelong Tranmere Rovers supporter, enjoys travelling, and spends any remaining spare time listening to a wide range of music and attending gigs.

Simon Reid, Sefton & St.Helens

	t:07891495568 e: simon.reid@merseyside.org.uk Simon Reid graduated from North London University with an English Degree before embarking on an early career as a Training Advisor for Sefton Training Agents Consortium (STAC) advising the long term unemployed of Liverpool on training provison.By the time he left in 1993 Simon was the Office Manager managing a team of 15 people across 2 locations.

The next 13 years were spent in Manufacturing and Engineering recruitment specialist Kinetic. Starting in the Bromborough office as a Recruitment Consultant working 12 hour days (and often on call at night as well) Simon was placing production and warehouse workers as well as blue and white collar engineers into client companies, sometimes at an hours notice. Over the intervening years Simon worked as a Branch Manager before success as an Area Manager was rewarded with a seat on the Board as Service Director with the specific remit of customer retention and growth across the UK, a role not dissimilar to his IDM activity at The Mersey Partnership.

In 2006 Simon left Kinetic to work for Beresford Blake Thomas, a £100 million blue chip recruitment company, setting up their Manufacturing and Engineering Division from scratch in Liverpool covering the whole of the UK. The Division quickly grew and achieved the company accolade of fastest growing new business unit and quickest to break even.

When not in work Simon runs his sons Under 10's football team and is an FA qualified coach, enjoys reading, cinema and listening to music and going to gigs.