1284 Communications’ Managing Director has been invited to join the new Leicestershire Innovation Advisory Board.

George Oliver will accompany business, higher education, and local authority leaders at next week’s inaugural meeting of the IAB.

The IAB, a sub-group of the Leicester and Leicestershire Business Board, has been established to provide strategic advice, challenge, and guidance on use of innovation to drive economic growth in Leicester and Leicestershire. It will help to align local priorities with national and global innovation agendas.

George said: “The IAB shares a common purpose with 1284 in terms of championing regional economic strengths and positioning Leicester and Leicestershire as an investable innovation hub.

“I’m grateful to East Midlands Chamber for supporting my appointment to the IAB; I’ll be using the role to talk about ways to build opportunities for small business innovation in Leicester and Leicestershire.”

George has been a non-executive director at East Midlands Chamber since 2023. He is also Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Leicester Business School and the Chair of Leicester-based Charity Link.

George founded 1284 Communications in 2020 after spending four years as Editor of the Leicester Mercury and co-founding the Leicestershire Innovation Awards. 1284 specialises in East Midlands small business innovation.

The IAB will be chaired by Professor Katie Normington, Vice-Chancellor of De Montfort University, and will be tasked with providing evidence-based strategic advice to the Business Board.

It will also identify and promote opportunities that boost productivity and competitiveness, ways to inform local and national innovation policy and investment, and foster cross-sector collaboration between business, academia, and public bodies.

The IAB will meet quarterly, report to the Business Board, and be supported by officers from the Leicester and Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership (LLBSP).

IAB board members include:

• George Oliver, MD, 1284 Communications, and non-executive director, East Midlands Chamber
• Sarah Windrum, Head of Cluster Development, MIRA Technology Park
• Dr Nick Owen, CEO, The Mighty Creatives
• James Silverward, East Midlands Regional Manager, Innovate UK
• Gosia Khrais, Commercial and Marketing Director, Charnwood Campus
• Jimmy Cockerton, CEO, The Impact Advantage
• Dr Kate Broadhurst, Senior Lecturer in Innovation and Strategy, Loughborough University
• Rachel Tidmarsh, CEO, Bluesky International
• Andrew Shilliam, Director of Corporate Services, Leicester City Council
• Phoebe Dawson, Director of Business and Skills, LLBSP
• Stuart Hetherington, CEO, Holovis
• Professor Mike Kagioglou, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, De Montfort University
• Zafar Saleem, Assistant Chief Executive, Leicestershire County Council