RRZ Executive Team

Having initially qualified as a Civil Engineer, Ian has spent most of the past 20 years working in urban and rural regeneration in the West Midlands and South West for the Private Sector, Development Corporations, City Challenge Partnerships and Local Authorities.

In 2004, Ian joined Advantage West Midlands to head up the Rural Partnerships Team responsible for the development and implementation of a number of projects and programmes in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire as well as the regions highly successful Market Towns Initiative. In April 2005, following a period of transition, Ian took on the task of leading the Agency’s Rural Regeneration Zone programme.

Ian chair’s the Steering Group for the Rural Enterprise Grants programme covering all of rural West Midlands and is also responsible for the region’s LEADER programme.

Married with a young family and two cats, Ian lives near Pershore and spends far too much time playing cricket in the summer and watching Rugby in the winter.

Matt joined the Zone team in September 2007 from South Shropshire District Council where he had held the position of Regeneration Team Leader. Prior to that role he had been the Market Town Initiative project officer for Craven Arms, a tier 1 market town in Shropshire. Matt has also worked as a LEADER II Officer for the Clun Valley and North West Herefordshire and on a HE Widening participation project across Rural Herefordshire during his career.

Matt has post graduate qualifications in Rural Social Change as well as Regional and Community Studies. He holds a PRINCE 2 Practitioner qualification and has a wealth of practical project and community development experience.

Matt lives in Ludlow where he grew up and in his spare time is a trustee on a number of local charities.

Kate joined the team as Office Manager in May 2007 when the RRZ Ludlow office opened.

Prior to this role she was the Team Administrator in Tenbury Wells for the Development Team of Advantage West Midlands having transferred across from English Partnerships Hereford office in April 2000, AWM’s inception. Kate has over 20 years of secretarial and administration experience and is the first point of call at the RRZ Ludlow office.

Kate was born and raised in Herefordshire and currently lives in Leominster.