Ipswich Central, the Business Improvement District for the town centre, has welcomed nine new local business champions to its Board of Directors, under new Chair Steve Flory.
Joining the Board are:- Doug Rintoul, Artistic Director at New Wolsey Theatre; Richard Brame, Senior Director at Willis Tower Watson; Professor Jenny Higham, the University of Suffolk’s Vice-Chancellor and Dione Walton, CEO of the University’s Students Union; Rebecca Bird, Manager of The Buttermarket Shopping Centre, and, Josh Wade, Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at facilities services business OCS, whose head office recently relocated to Ipswich.
Also joining the board are local community and independent business representatives Kate Higgs, Director of Income Generation and Marketing at Ormiston Families; Mark Hubert, owner of Ipswich men’s clothing retailer James St Peter and world-renowned portrait photographer John Ferguson.
Ipswich Central’s Board now totals fifteen Ipswich business champions, with Steve Flory (Chair) and five existing board members Alan Pease for Suffolk New College, Lucy Bayliss for DanceEast, Paul Ager for Associated British Ports (ABP), Ellie DeGory for EDRM and Terry Hunt, former newspaper editor and Wolsey 550 project Chair.
Steve Flory, chairing his first meeting as the new Ipswich Central Chair, said: “It is important to start as you mean to go on, so welcoming new members to the Board is a great way to start my first meeting and Ipswich Central’s first of the year.”
"As a stronger than ever board of business professionals, Ipswich Central's priorities for town centre businesses this year will be focused on enhancing street security around the town, hosting more events to bring visitors into the town centre and delivering seasonal campaigns that help businesses see more customers and income."
Ipswich Central’s annual plan for 2025/26 is now being finalised and will be shared before the end of March ahead of the new financial year.
Photos and short biographies of each Ipswich Central Board member are available on request, please contact Melanie Willis, email: melanie@locusms.com or telephone 07718 699917.
