Mayor appoints finance and investment lead

Leader of Tameside Council, Cllr Kieran Quinn, will lead on Finance and Investment for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), supporting and investing in local businesses to boost employment, improve people's skills and contribute to the local economy.

Andy Burnham said: “My vision is of a Greater Manchester that supports businesses to succeed and attracts and retains investment in our local economy, where jobs are decently paid and secure. We need to invest in the industries of the future and make Greater Manchester the modern industrial capital of the UK 

“The Combined Authority already provides the tools to allow local businesses to thrive, creating jobs for local people and future generations. I’m looking forward to working with Kieran to continue this journey and make sure we are working with our business community.”

Cllr Kieran Quinn said: “One of the great stories of the GMCA is the investment we make in local businesses and I’m pleased to be working alongside the Mayor to build on this work. We are committed to working with local businesses in our communities, to help them grow and succeed in order to safeguard jobs and create new opportunities.

“Within my portfolio, working with Andy, we can drive that work by not only bringing the best businesses into Greater Manchester but also, importantly, retaining the brilliant businesses already thriving here.”

The GMCA supports local business through its Core Investment Fund which has invested more than £195m in more than 100 companies across Greater Manchester, who are contracted to create over 6,500 jobs.

English Fine Cottons in Tameside is one company who have benefited from the Core Investment Fund. A loan from the GMCA has enabled the company to bring the historic / iconic cotton spinning industry back to Greater Manchester by drawing on a local workforce with the right skills and expertise, and using cutting-edge technology to produce luxury yarn for domestic and global markets.

“English Fine Cottons approached the GMCA with a wonderful plan and great vision for how to transform their business and the local community by bringing cotton spinning back to Greater Manchester. I’m pleased that we’ve been able to help bring that ambition to fruition,” added Cllr Quinn.

Councillor Quinn plays a leading role in a number of regional and national bodies helping to shape national policy and improve the position of Greater Manchester. He has been a member of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) Management Panel since 1997 and has served as its Chair since 2010. Under his leadership, it has grown to £17 billion to be the biggest LGPS in the UK with more than 340,000 members from over 400 employers.

In recent years, Councillor Quinn and the GMPF have played a leading role in directing inward investment from pension funds to finance infrastructure and green energy programmes. Prominent investments in Manchester include £25m to build 244 affordable houses across the city and £10m to build a 270,000 sq feet office development at One St Peter’s Square. The GMPF are also partners in the £800m Airport City scheme, which will create 16,000 jobs over the next 12 years at Manchester Airport.