Paul Ormerod (Chair), Partner, Volterra

Paul was born and brought up in Rochdale. He is an economist and is currently a Visiting Professor in the Computer Science department at University College London and a partner of Volterra Partners LLP. Paul is also the Chair of Atom Valley.

He started his career as an academic,but has spent most of it in the private sector as a consultant.

He has written four best-selling books on economics, Death of Economics, Butterfly Economics, Why Most Things Fail and Positive Linking.  The first sold over 1 million copies worldwide and Why Most Things Fail was a Business Week “US Business Book of the Year”.

He read economics at Cambridge and took the MPhil in economics at Oxford.  in 2009 he was awarded a DSc honoris causa by the University of Durham for “the distinction of your contributions to the discipline of economics”

Julia Heap, Principal and Chief Executive, Hopwood Hall College & University Centre

Julia started her career as an apprentice, studying at a local further education college. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants and has worked in management and leadership roles across a number of large public sector organisations within Greater Manchester. 

As a resident of Rochdale, Julia Heap and her family are strongly rooted in both her surrounding community and the college itself. A trustee of Your Trust and Springhill Hospice, Julia is a passionate advocate for positively supporting both the borough and the Greater Manchester community as a whole.

 

Paul Simkiss, Owner, Simkiss Controls Limited

Paul grew up in Rochdale and started his career on a YTS scheme with Rochdale Training Association, he undertook an ONC in electrical engineering and went on to do HNC. He set up Simkiss Control Systems in his back bedroom in the 1990s.

The company designs, manufactures and installs electrical switchgear and control systems for industrial and utility businesses.  The business became incorporated in 1999. Paul is committed to the Rochdale area and bringing high quality, skilled manufacturing jobs back to the borough. The moto of his business is ‘Excellence in Engineering’.

The company has gone from strength to strength including achieving major partnership with Siemens and more than doubling the company’s turnover in the past decade.
The company is based at Stakehill, Middleton.

Steve Kuncewicz, Partner, Glaisyers

Steve has been a resident of Rochdale all his life. He attended Bury Grammar School, completed his undergraduate legal studies at the University of Sheffield and his postgraduate Legal Practice Course at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Steve is a practising solicitor, and leads Glaisyers’ Creative, Digital and Marketing Sector Group. He specialises in Intellectual Property, Media, Social Media, Marketing and Privacy Law with a nationally-recognised niche specialism in social media matters. He works mainly in the Media, Digital, Creative, Film, Television, Publishing, Advertising and PR sectors, and is regularly listed as a “Recommended Lawyer” in the Legal 500. He is also the head of our Creative, Digital & Marketing Department, co-founding the Bulletproof Agency Network to help businesses within the sector thrive against a changing commercial and regulatory landscape.

Steve Rumbelow, Chief Executive Officer, Rochdale Borough Council

Steve Rumbelow is the Chief Executive of Rochdale Council and Accountable Officer of the Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Steve has been at the helm with Rochdale Council since the end of 2014 and took on the CCG role in 2018. He is also the lead Chief Executive on Housing, Planning, Infrastructure and Homelessness for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Steve was previously the Chief Executive of Burnley Council where he raised the East Lancashire town’s profile and economic performance with a particular focus on advanced manufacturing and aerospace. He has worked in local government around the north of England for his entire career with a spell as Director of Housing in Manchester.

John Holden, Associate Vice-President Major Special Projects, University of Manchester

John is Associate Vice-President for Major Special Projects at the University of Manchester, with responsibility for developing new partnerships with public, private, and charitable organisations to attract national and international activities to the University and city region.

Prior to joining the University in 2020, John spent over 15 years working in economic and social policy in Greater Manchester. His career includes a significant period of time in senior strategy and research roles at the New Economy think tank, where his work included numerous projects promoting regional growth and prosperity.

He has worked as a special advisor on regional economic development to the UK’s Department for Business Innovation & Skills, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Commission.

 

Councillor Stephen Anstee

Steve was born in South Manchester and began his political career in 2015 in Trafford, where he represented Broadheath Ward and served as the Executive Member for Adult Social Care for two of his four years. In 2018, he moved to Heywood with his wife and family, her birthplace.

In May 2021, he was elected to the Rochdale Borough Council, representing the Bamford Ward. He is the Leader of the Conservative Group and Shadow Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Environment. Alongside his political role, he works as a Change Manager at a national bank, overseeing large-scale projects.

He is dedicated to local governance and actively addressing community needs through various council committee positions; recent achievements include infrastructure improvements and supporting local businesses. Looking forward, he aims to enhance the quality of council services whilst strengthening the Conservative presence across the Borough of Rochdale.