Iqbal Patel
Iqbal Patel
Business Development Manager
Northwest Development Agency
Biography
Iqbal Patel is presently employed as a Business Development Manager at the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). His main role is as the lead on the BME enterprise agenda for the region as well as providing the secretariat support for the regional Ethnic Minority Business Forum (EMBF) NW. This is the key policy advisory and strategic body responsible for the development of sustainable BME businesses in the North West region and has the overarching responsibility for shaping, challenging and informing regional economic and enterprise policy development and practice.
Iqbal’s previous roles include senior positions in a combination of public and private sector positions that include local authority, county council, a specialist business support organisation, and a government training provider.
He also has experience of successfully running 2 small businesses simultaneously.
Iqbal has lived in the Blackburn area for the last 40 years or so and outside of work he is the Company Secretary of a charity organisation and a Community Governor at a State Comprehensive School.