Darren Elsom, the Network Director for Cadent’s Eastern Network, was last month elected to serve on the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) East of England Regional Council. Joining other business leaders from across the East of England, Darren will be working to shape CBI policy at both a regional and national level – helping to ensure that the voice of the UK’s largest gas distribution network is clearly heard across business and government.

Darren explained:

“I am absolutely thrilled that CBI members from across the East of England have put their faith in me and elected me, alongside some other great business leaders, to the regional council. As I explained when I declared my candidacy, one of my main priorities in this role will be building further links between businesses and educational institutions, to make sure that our workforce in the East of England is ready to meet the challenges of the 2020s and beyond. There are opportunities for education and advancement, both for young people and adults who are already in work, across the East of England. I want to make sure we are teaching people the right skills at the right time, thereby supporting both personal growth and the economic success of our region.

“Alongside skills, my other key priority for the Regional Council is infrastructure. As the Director of a Gas Distribution Network, it probably comes as no surprise that I believe the 2020s represent an incredibly important time for infrastructure. The decisions we make on infrastructure in the coming months and years will affect the course of this country for a century or more. At Cadent we are at the cutting edge of developing new green gas technologies, and I want to ensure the East of England plays a key role in the move towards Net Zero.

“I look forward to working with other businesses across the East of England to support the delivery of a more prosperous region.”