New senior leadership team takes charge at Enterprise Oxfordshire following chief executive’s departure

A new senior leadership team is set to commence today (2 October) at Enterprise Oxfordshire, after its chief executive left the organisation earlier this week, following 12 years at its helm.

 

Nigel Tipple left Enterprise Oxfordshire – formerly the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) – on Monday (30 September), having been in post with the organisation since June 2013.

 

Following Mr Tipple’s departure, Enterprise Oxfordshire have appointed a new senior leadership team to oversee its delivery of a comprehensive set of business, skills, investment and trade support services, as well as a variety of programmes backing Oxfordshire’s economic potential to be delivered in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

 

From today, Enterprise Oxfordshire will be managed by a new senior leadership team with strategic and operational programmes led by Helen Brind – the organisation’s Head of Business and Skills – alongside Head of Strategic Development and Programmes, Helen Ryan-Wallis.

 

Both have been working alongside the outgoing chief executive in these roles since March 2025 and are supported by two further members in the senior leadership team covering areas of finance and corporate governance.

 

A new managing director will also be recruited by Enterprise Oxfordshire over the coming months.

 

Enterprise Oxfordshire became the new trading name of OxLEP on 1 April this year, marking the completion of a two-year process that saw a new mechanism of delivery agreed between Enterprise Oxfordshire and Oxfordshire County Council.

 

Since becoming Enterprise Oxfordshire in April, Oxfordshire County Council now act as the organisation’s 100% shareholder – this is known as a Teckal company arrangement.

 

Both Helen Brind and Helen Ryan-Wallis have worked within the organisation for a combined total of close to 25 years, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to their latest roles.

 

Since its inception in 2011, Enterprise Oxfordshire has supported the county’s economy to be a standout economy, securing major investment for the area, whilst also being instrumental in creating opportunities for communities across Oxfordshire too.

 

Working with both private and public sector partners, Enterprise Oxfordshire have secured around £3billion-worth of investment across a whole range of infrastructure projects, whilst – between April 2023 and March 2024 alone – the organisation supported over 1,970 businesses in the county, providing over 2,800 hours of expert business support.

 

Also in recent times, Enterprise Oxfordshire have successfully secured over £6million of apprenticeship levy funding from the county’s larger businesses, supporting SMEs to create dozens of new apprenticeship openings – funding that would have otherwise been lost to Oxfordshire.

 

Meanwhile – working with central government – between 2017 and 2023, Enterprise Oxfordshire helped to ensure 6,000 jobs were created or safeguarded, via a total of 295 foreign direct investment projects, impacting various sectors from retail through to life sciences and engineering.

 

Commenting on her recent appointment, Helen Brind said: “For many years, Enterprise Oxfordshire has played a very important and significant role in nurturing a sustainable, collaborative and supportive economy enabling both our business community and indeed, our wider communities too, to be the very best they can be.

 

“There is much to look forward to as we continue to evolve as Enterprise Oxfordshire, with the confidence and legacy of almost 15 years of significant delivery behind us, that has positively impacted thousands of people and businesses, whether directly or indirectly.”

 

Helen Ryan-Wallis added: “Since becoming Enterprise Oxfordshire six months ago, we have worked extremely closely with Oxfordshire County Council, wider stakeholders and our business community to ensure that we continue to be well-positioned, agile and focused on delivering positive impacts for our region.

 

“We are genuinely very excited by the next chapter of our organisation, retaining great relationships with existing partners and stakeholders, as well as developing long-lasting connections with those we have perhaps yet to engage with too.”

 

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “We would also like to thank Nigel for all his hard work over many years in leading the organisation so successfully. The whole county has felt the benefit of his work – he will be a tough act to follow and we wish him well in his next endeavour.”

 

Councillor Ben Higgins, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Future Economy and Innovation, said: “These are exciting times for Enterprise Oxfordshire, and everyone at Oxfordshire County Council would like to wish both Helens the best of luck in their new roles. We look forward to working with them closely to continue to unlock the county’s economic potential.”

 

Enterprise Oxfordshire currently employs around 30 people, offering a diverse range of skills and expertise – from business support specialists and labour market and employability experts, through to several communications, finance, economic development and inward investment professionals.

For more information, head to: www.enterpriseoxfordshire.com.