The Shareholder Committee (Cabinet Committee) convened to address key personnel changes at Enterprise Oxfordshire, including the appointment of an interim managing director and adjustments to the board of non-executive directors. Councillor Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, declared an interest and recused himself from the discussion. Ultimately, the committee approved the recommendations outlined in the report.

Enterprise Oxfordshire Leadership Changes

The committee approved recommendations regarding the leadership of Enterprise Oxfordshire, a company limited by guarantee of which the council is the guarantor and sole member. The changes were prompted by the departure of the Chief Executive Officer Nigel Tipple at the end of September.

The committee made the following decisions:

• Removed Kate Reynolds as a Non-Executive Director (NED).
• Appointed Ian Dyson, Director of Financial and Commercial Services, and Kim Sawyer, Programme Director for Devolution, as Non-Executive Directors.
• Noted the intention of the Enterprise Oxfordshire Board to co-opt a member of the Oxfordshire Economy Partnership Board.
• Appointed Nicholas Glover, Head of Future Economy at Oxfordshire County Council, as Interim Managing Director.

Councillor Ben Higgins, Cabinet Member for Future Economy and Innovation, introduced the report, noting that the changes were necessary because the Chief Executive of Enterprise Oxfordshire had left his post.

The appointment of Nicholas Glover as Interim Managing Director is until a permanent appointment is made, expected to be no longer than the end of the financial year in March 2026. It was noted that Nicholas Glover will undertake this role on a part time basis of two days per week, alongside his current role at Oxfordshire County Council which will be reduced to three days per week.

The committee acknowledged the potential for conflicts of interest arising from Nicholas Glover holding positions at both Oxfordshire County Council and Enterprise Oxfordshire. To mitigate this, it was proposed that the post is created on the basis of an interim contract with Enterprise Oxfordshire so that the interim Managing Director holds two distinct contracts of employment. It was agreed that any potential conflicts of interest would be managed in line with the codes of conduct of both Oxfordshire County Council and Enterprise Oxfordshire.

The report noted that the new company board will be a board of at least three non-executive directors appointed by the Shareholder Committee. It was also noted that the Enterprise Oxfordshire Board has the ability to co-opt members of the Oxfordshire Economy Partnership Board as non-voting members.

Other Business

The committee approved the minutes of the previous meeting held on 14 August 2025. Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Neil Fawcett and Kate Gregory. There were no questions from county councillors, and no petitions or public addresses.