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# Freeport East adds three new officers to drive local business growth
- URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/freeport-east-adds-three-new-officers-to-drive-local-business-growth/
- Published: 2025-01-30T08:09:09.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-16T15:23:34.000Z
- Description: Freeport East has appointed three new Project Delivery Officers to strengthen its support for regional economic growth and business engagement.
- Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams
- Tags: News, Business, #article, Freeport East, #Import 2026-03-16 14:45

**Why it matters:** The expansion will help deliver £1m of investment through the Freeport East Clean Growth Fund and Skills and Innovation Fund, supporting high-growth local businesses, universities, and colleges.

![Jonathan Rudd, Laura Mayne, and Sophia Padget with Steve Beel of Freeport East](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/03/1738185368-freeport-east-new-hires-1.jpg)

Freeport East has appointed three new Project Delivery Officers to strengthen its support for regional economic growth and business engagement (Freeport East)

**The details:** Jonathan Rudd, Laura Mayne, and Sophia Padget have joined as Project Delivery Officers to work across Freeport East's programmes, including:

- Driving decarbonisation through initiatives like the Green Corridor Partnership with East Midlands Freeport
- Supporting development of offshore wind sector supply chains
- Unlocking sustainable growth at sites in Harwich, Felixstowe and Gateway 14
- Creating an innovation ecosystem with universities and local partners

**What they're saying:** "We're delighted to welcome Sophia, Laura and Jonathan to the Freeport East team - they all bring deep local knowledge of Essex and Suffolk together with expertise in a range of areas of economic development, inward investment and programme delivery," Steve Beel, Chief Executive of Freeport East, said.

**The big picture:** [Freeport East](https://www.ipswich.co.uk/tag/freeport-east/), one of 12 Freeports in England, aims to create 13,500 new jobs and generate £5.5bn in Gross Value Added over 10 years. The organisation works with local authorities, international investors, businesses and universities to drive investment and productivity in the region.

**The bottom line:** The expanded team will strengthen Freeport East's ability to deliver economic growth and sustainable development across Suffolk and Essex.

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