Freeport East expands its team to drive growth and investment

Freeport East has expanded its team to boost engagement with businesses and drive growth. Jonathan Rudd, Laura Mayne, and Sophia Padget have joined as project delivery officers. They will work across various areas of Freeport East's programme of work.

The new team members will contribute to Freeport East's 2025 priorities. These include driving decarbonisation through initiatives such as the Green Corridor Partnership with East Midlands Freeport, increasing clean energy provision, and encouraging investment in greener transport. They will also prioritise sustainable growth at the Freeport development sites in Harwich, Felixstowe, and Gateway 14 by investing in infrastructure and attracting investors and employers.

ADVERTISEMENT The team will collaborate with universities and partners to foster an environment where innovation can flourish, attract inward investment, and bring benefits to the community. They will also contribute to the ongoing rollout of the Freeport East Clean Growth Fund and Skills and Innovation Fund, which are investing one million in high-growth businesses, universities, colleges, and skills providers.

Steve Beel, chief executive of Freeport East, said: "We're delighted to welcome Sophia, Laura and Jonathan to the Freeport East team - they all bring deep local knowledge of Essex and Suffolk together with expertise in a range of areas of economic development, inward investment, and programme delivery.

"With the government looking for growth, and the Industrial Strategy providing enormous opportunities for our region, we're looking forward to the three of them contributing in our mission to attract new investment, create jobs and extend the benefits of growth throughout our local communities."