* New Greater Manchester Business Alliance to strengthen partnership between private sector, Mayor and GMCA
* Manchester United New Stadium CEO Collette Roche and Deloitte Senior Partner Jo Ahmed to lead new body as Chair and Deputy Chair
* Senior business leaders invited to apply to join Business Alliance to play their part in driving good growth
Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig has launched a new Business Alliance to strengthen the partnership with the city region's business community.
The new body will meet regularly with the Mayor, council leaders and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) officials to share their ideas, insights and expertise, bringing the voice of the private sector into all of our work to promote local growth.
The Mayor has appointed two experienced executives to lead the Business Alliance, with Collette Roche, Chief Executive Officer, New Stadium Development at Manchester United, to serve as its Chair, alongside Jo Ahmed MBE, Practice Senior Partner for Deloitte in the North West, as Vice-Chair.
The Business Alliance is now open to expressions of interest, with applications sought from people who can share a range of perspectives, experience and sector expertise.
Its members will play a crucial role in mobilising the business community, working alongside local leaders to deliver the city region's long-term economic priorities – by identifying new opportunities and barriers to growth, informing policy and investment decisions, and supporting progress on areas like innovation, skills, net zero, trade and investment.
[Find out more about the Greater Manchester Business Alliance and submit an expression of interest to join.](/what-we-do/economy/greater-manchester-business-alliance/)
**Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig said:**
"Greater Manchester has become the UK’s fastest growing city region and the best place in the country to do business – success which has been built on strong partnerships between the public and private sectors. The new Business Alliance is intended to build on this legacy, creating a forum that puts the voice of business at the heart of local decision-making.
"I look forward to working with Collette and Jo to ensure we have a meaningful and productive dialogue, with a membership that reflects Greater Manchester's business community.
"We'll only deliver on our ambition of good growth if we create the right environment for all businesses to thrive, so they can create new jobs and opportunities for everyone in our city region. The Greater Manchester Business Alliance will play a key role in making that happen."
**Collette Roche, Chief Executive Officer, New Stadium Development at Manchester United and Greater Manchester Business Alliance Chair, said:**
"I’m proud and honoured to be asked to Chair the Greater Manchester Business Alliance, a newly established convening hub for Greater Manchester’s business voice.
"Our city region has been built on and flourished as a result of strong public and private sector partnerships and this alliance will continue to enable this.
"Our shared ambition is for Greater Manchester to be a great place to do business, with clear routes to high-quality jobs. I look forward to working with our Mayor and our businesses to build business insight into policy and decisions and drive the economic growth befitting of our globally connected city region."
**Jo Ahmed MBE, Practice Senior Partner for Deloitte in the North West and Greater Manchester Business Alliance Vice-Chair, said:**
"I am delighted to be appointed Vice-Chair of the Greater Manchester Business Alliance at such an important time for our city region. Greater Manchester has a significant opportunity to build on its strengths, unlock new opportunities for businesses and deliver the next phase of sustainable, inclusive growth.
"I look forward to working with our Chair, Collette Roche, Mayor Bev Craig and the wider business community to ensure that business voices help shape policy, inform the delivery of the Greater Manchester Strategy’s sector plans and translate ambition into meaningful action. Together, we can strengthen collaboration between business and the public sector and deliver good growth for Greater Manchester."
The Business Alliance builds on the work of the previous Greater Manchester Business Board and, before that, the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Its creation reflects Greater Manchester’s ambition to deepen collaboration, broaden representation and create more dynamic, effective mechanisms for working alongside business.
It will sit at the heart of a renewed approach to business engagement, ensuring that the expertise, insight and leadership of businesses are fully embedded in the delivery of the [Greater Manchester Strategy](/what-we-do/greater-manchester-strategy/) and our supporting plans.
Article Published: 30/10/2026 12:16 PM