Discover Stockport

Paul is the Deputy Chief Executive of Stockport Council and also leads its Place Directorate which includes Stockport’s work on place making, planning, highways, neighbourhoods, economic development, culture and leisure amongst a range of other services.

Prior to that he was the Chief Executive of Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation since its formation in 2019. In that role he led the development of the Corporation’s strategic vision and oversaw the creation of Town Centre West as a new neighbourhood in the heart of the town. During this time he played the leading role in unlocking several major projects including Weir Mill, Stockport Interchange, and Stockport 8. He remains a Strategic Advisor to the MDC Board.

He also served concurrently as Director of Development and Regeneration for Stockport Council, a role which he started in 2017. He was at the forefront of the Council’s interventionist approach to changing its town through their £1 billion transformation programme, delivering schemes across the retail, leisure, office, and light industrial sectors.

Before joining the Council, he previously held senior roles in the private sector having been Property Director for Findel PLC, Homeform Group and Wine Cellar with a background in managing large occupational and investment portfolios and capital works programmes.

Sam has been at pro-manchester for 17 years and has been an integral part of its growth from a small, effective membership network to a sophisticated business development organisation. A firm part of the Manchester business community, Sam is a familiar face to most, constantly and efficiently working to bring businesses together in the city region.

As chief executive, Sam is responsible for the organisation’s corporate engagement as well managing all existing key partnerships and member relationships. Sam manages the day-to-day running and strategic direction of the business alongside Nicola McCormick – COO. They run the organisation together as equal partners with shared responsibility.

Sam also sits on the board of trustees for Forever Manchester, a charity that supports community activity across Greater Manchester. As well as this, Sam also sits on the Greater Manchester Economic Resilience Board, the Greater Manchester Organisational Representatives Group, the Manchester Business Sounding Board, the Bee Net Zero Advisory Board and the Manchester tech hub Board.

In 2019 Sam also became the Regional Deputy Chair of TheCityUK, where she helps to engage the national body on a regional level on behalf of individuals in the financial and professional services industries. In 2022 Sam was featured in the inaugural Top 50 North West tech Transformers list complied by BusinessCloud

Nick Rose MSc is a Sales Leader who specialises in coaching and developing individuals to achieve their full potential at Sharp UK.

Nick is responsible for helping to set and implement the sales strategy to navigate the business through a period of transformation and is passionate about a ‘people first’ approach. Nick considers the creation and delivery of Sharp UK’s successful Sales Academy to be one of his greatest professional achievements.

In addition to his role at Sharp, Nick takes every opportunity that he can to help promote sales as an inclusive profession for all and is also proud to be a board member at pro-Manchester.

Nick holds a master’s degree in Senior Sales Leadership from Middlesex University, has won numerous awards, has helped to raise more than £100,000 for charitable causes, and has held a Guinness World Record for organising and playing in a 72-hour long football match!

Away from work Nick is a proud parent and a keen runner, recently completing his first ultra marathon.

Tracey is an experienced FE professional who has been in the post 16 education for over twenty years. She has built a broad range of experience leading on Business growth, Strategic partnerships, Apprenticeships, Adult education, Careers and Work Experience, and, more recently, meeting skills needs and Ofsted skills nominee. Tracey is passionate about transforming lives through learning. A drive for supporting individuals in technical and vocational education and skills. She is currently Chief Commercial Officer at Trafford and Stockport College Group in Greater Manchester; Tracey has a particular interest in ensuring employers are at the heart of the curriculum and Colleges’ role in the community

Catherine is Managing Director of the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation, a position she has held since June 2025. Catherine came to this role after 9 years working for Network Space Developments, where she was Development Director and led projects including the award-winning Glass Futures R&D Centre in St Helens. Before that, Catherine worked at Homes England, Leeds City Council, and the North West Regional Development Agency – experiences that have shaped her passion for creating places that genuinely benefit communities and are delivered through a partnership approach.

Lizzy is the Director of Marketing at Kao Data and has considerable experience in developing and executing B2B marketing strategies for a wide range of companies within the Technology industry. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Lizzy actively promotes opportunities for Women in Tech and works to inspire young girls to engage with STEM from an early age and has recently launched Critical Careers: A Celebration of Women in Digital Infrastructure – a multi-media campaign that promotes opportunities for women across the industry.

As a key contributor to Kao Data’s ESG agenda, Lizzy has spearheaded several sustainability initiatives including rewilding projects, pollinator support schemes and most recently the development of the Kao SEED Fund Stockport – an initiative that aims to support grassroots, not for profit, projects that are dedicated to sustainable growth, environmental conservation and community engagement