About the Chairman
Thelma Sorensen
Cornishwoman, Thelma Sorensen was born into a small family horticulture business in South East Cornwall and had a long early career in the insurance industry where she gained extensive commercial experience. She was also closely associated, for many years, with a large, privately owned construction company.
In May 2003, she was elected as the Chairman of the influential Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic Forum, the sub-regional partnership of the SW Regional Development Agency and Cornwall County Council. She was returned, unopposed, for a second two-year term of office in 2005. This post has demanded a considerable amount of commitment, leadership and involvement with all the partners towards supporting the delivery of economic regeneration in the County.
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic Forum has recently revised the economic strategy for Cornwall ‘Strategy and Action'. This strategy has actively informed the economic strategy for the next EU Convergence Funding Programme. Thelma has working closely with partners on the Post 2006 Group, a body which provided a wider strategic context to post 2006 discussions in Cornwall.
Philip Hygate
Philip Hygate is Chief Executive of the Council of the Isles of Scilly, a Unitary Authority which runs all Council functions for the Islands and also provides many utilities as trading operations. He has a long commitment to, and track record of, effective private sector partnership. In addition to being Chief Executive of the Isles, he also is involved in many economic and community activities in Cornwall and the Isles including being Chair of Finance Cornwall Partners Ltd, a Board Member of the West of Cornwall Primary Care Trust and a member of the Objective 1 Monitoring Committee. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.