The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has appointed two new private sector directors to its board.

They are Louise Rowe, who is finance director of South West Water, and John Acornley, an experienced non-executive director.

LEP chairman Mark Duddridge said: “I’m delighted to welcome Louise and John to the Board as non-executive directors. They bring a wealth of business experience to the LEP that will be important to delivering our economic strategy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

Louise Rowe is a physics graduate from the University of Exeter and trained and qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG in Plymouth where she worked for five years before joining South West Water as accounting and reporting manager in 2008. She has been finance director since 2015, responsible for all financial-related activities across South West Water, including a £1 billion capital programme.

Louise said: “I am delighted to be the joining the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP. As finance director for South West Water, I recognise the key role business has to play in shaping a positive and sustainable economic future for the benefit of our region, its people, communities and environment. I am a strong supporter of development and training and am looking forward to helping the LEP drive forward with its ambitious growth agenda.”

John Acornley has held a number of non-executive and chairman roles across quoted and unquoted companies and public sector organisations. A PwC qualified chartered accountant, his current non-executive director roles include Cornwall Care Services Limited, Cornwall’s largest care provider, and Plymouth Science Park Limited.

John said: “I am very much looking forward to joining the LEP Board so that I can use my experience to play my part in ensuring that the LEP continues to provide strategic leadership to drive sustainable private sector growth and job creation in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

Louise and John’s appointments follow a recruitment drive by the LEP for new non-executive directors with finance and accountancy experience after former board director Robert Davey of accountancy firm Bishop Fleming stepped down earlier this year.

The 16-strong LEP board includes 12 representatives from the world of business and four local authority members drawn from Cornwall Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly. Over the next 18 months four more private sector LEP directors will reach the end of their second three-year terms and the LEP will start recruiting for their replacements in the coming months.

The LEP’s role is to shape and influence economic growth in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to help businesses grow and create quality jobs so people realise their potential. Since 2011 the LEP has helped secure over £400 million of public and private investment in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.