Forth Green Freeport appoints first chief executive

Forth Green Freeport has appointed Sarah Murray as its first chief executive. She is currently the director of Local London, a sub-regional economic growth partnership of nine London boroughs, and was previously head of regulation for the City of London Corporation. Murray spent 16 years working in Brussels in various senior roles, including leading the East of England Brussels Office, Lancashire Brussels Office and as deputy director at the Channel Islands Brussels Office.

She has also been an executive director of the Thames Estuary Growth Board. Murray will take up her new role on 27 August. Dame Susan Rice, chair of freeport, said: “We conducted a robust recruitment process to ensure that we got the right person for the job and we’re thrilled to have appointed Sarah.

“She brings with her a host of qualities and professional experience which are vital for the role as CEO of the Forth Green Freeport and we’re looking forward to working with her to deliver this exciting long-term programme for Scotland.” Murray said: “This is an exciting opportunity for me personally and for Scotland to deliver significant economic and environmental benefits, both nationally and for local communities. “Throughout my career I have gained a wealth of experience of working with multilayered partnerships and I understand the importance of good, transparent stakeholder engagement.”

The Forth Green Freeport opened for business on 12 June [1], following approval from the Scottish and UK governments of its Outline Business Case and the designation of its three tax sites, located in Grangemouth, Rosyth, Mid-Forth (Leith and Burntisland). The public/private consortium is aiming to attract new businesses and new jobs into the area, aided by a suite of financial incentives to deliver economic and net zero benefits for Scotland as a whole and for the local communities in Fife, Falkirk and Leith. Focusing on the key target sectors of offshore wind, hydrogen, sustainable fuels, modular manufacturing and logistics, the freeport is planned to support the re-industrialisation of central Scotland and large-scale economic regeneration over the next decade.

The consortium is currently developing its Final Business Case, which will be submitted to the Scottish and UK governments later in the summer.

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References

^ opened for business on 12 June (www.insider.co.uk)
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