The success of two of Coventry’s largest employers has been underlined to an audience of business leaders.
John Latham, vice chancellor of Coventry University, and Andy Hardy, chief executive officer at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, were the key note speakers at the meeting of the Coventry and Warwickshire Champions .
The meeting, held at the hospital, was attended by more than 120 leading business figures who heard from Roger Harrabin, the BBC’s long-standing environmental analyst, who was raised and educated in the city.
Les Ratcliffe, chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Place Board, which organises the Champions programme, said: “The university recently announced a major expansion with the acquisition of a city centre site which will see it develop, among other things, a new headquarters.
“That and other developments mean it will be investing close to £1 billion over the next five years, which is an astounding figure.
“Likewise, the hospital trust employs more than 9,000 staff across two sites and turns over £550 million a year but, because of the nature of its business, many people are unaware of its scales and the high standing of much of its work.
“Champions is about equipping business people with information and intelligence of what is going on in Coventry and Warwickshire, so they can help spread the message.”
