A NEW figure has joined Make It York to help attract inward investment to the city.

Alex Green is the new head of business, networking and inward investment for the organisation which promotes York and its surroundings nationally and globally.

One of Make It York's key aims is to promote York as a brilliant place to do business, helping to support growth and innovation across a range of sectors and to stimulate greater inward investment.

Alex joins from the City of London Corporation, where he headed up the promotion of trade opportunities to the Asia Pacific region. His new remit is to showcase opportunities for businesses to develop and grow in York.

He has also spent time at regional development agencies including One North East, Scottish Development International and UK Trade & Investment.

Sean Bullick, managing director of Make It York, said: “We are delighted with Alex’s addition to the Make It York team. His experience of capital markets and the responsibility for Far East trade, most recently with the Corporation of London, will be invaluable as we increase our focus on inward investment and international relationships.

"With York’s genuine world-class economic strengths and huge development opportunities such as York Central coming on stream, it is a really exciting time for the city and I know Alex will play a vital role in ensuring we deliver on the potential.”

Alex said: “I am absolutely delighted to be offered this fantastic opportunity. It is a very exciting time to be joining Make it York, to be part of a brilliant team of people who are hugely driven towards continuing to grow and develop York as both a business and cultural destination.”

It is this international focus that Alex is keen to capitalise on for the benefit of businesses in the city:

“City positioning and profile raising in partnership with network building and a focus towards increased long-term inward investment into York will be a key focus for the team. We are at a potential turning point in how the UK does business with the rest of the world. Whatever the outcome, York can position itself to take advantage of this and the considerable opportunities it will bring.”

Alex attended York Business Week's Future York Conference on Monday to meet members of the business community.