Kate Willard OBE is Chair of the Growth Board and the Government appointed Thames Estuary Envoy. She is the driving force behind our ambitious plans to transform the area.

Kate is an independent consultant working on a diverse portfolio of infrastructure and growth projects. She has lived and worked in Hungary, France and Belgium as an expert with the European Commission. Kate has led a number of major transnational projects in employment, social cohesion and regional development. She established the first UK-Hungarian cultural partnership trust and was CEO of the UK's first rural regeneration company.

Kate is on Arts Council England National Council and Chairs the Board of Teesside International Airport. She is a Churchill Fellow and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), and a Commissioner for the National Infrastructure Commission.