Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has welcomed two new influential business leaders to its Board of Directors.
Following a selection process conducted earlier in the year, Dorset LEP is pleased to have appointed Nicola Newman and Arabella Lewis-Smith to its board. The new board members begin their roles with immediate effect.
Nicola Newman is the Chief Executive of Ansbury Guidance, an organisation providing careers, employability and mentoring services across the whole of Dorset to young people, families and adults. Nicola has Director level experience in communications and marketing for multinationals, small and medium enterprises, national governing bodies and government. Most of her career has been in the education and sport sectors. She has previously owned her own executive search consultancy and a public relations and events business. Nicola is currently a Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry Council Member, a Governor of The Swanage School and a Non-Executive Director of British Shooting.
Arabella Lewis-Smith founded the award-winning branding and digital studio, Salad, more than 18 years ago and has worked for major consumer brands including Panasonic, Sunseeker and Salomon and the Clipper Round the 
World Yacht Race She is also founder and managing director of Pasture Naturals, a luxury skincare retailer offering bathroom and washroom products for the corporate washroom sector.
Arabella studied fashion at the London College of Fashion and Ravensbourne University London. She is a guest lecturer in business at Bournemouth University, Arts University Bournemouth and Bath Spa University. She is also a member of Enterprising Women and was a mentor for Young Enterprise.
Chair of Dorset LEP Board Jim Stewart said: “We are delighted to welcome Nicola Newman and Arabella Lewis-Smith to the Dorset LEP board and look forward to drawing on their business acumen, new ideas and thinking when making critical decisions in relation to boosting Dorset’s economy. This is an exciting time to be joining Dorset LEP as we look forward to releasing new ambitious plans for increasing productivity across the region as part of our development of a Local Industrial Strategy for Dorset. “
Dorset LEP now has [20] board members including business leaders from different sectors, local authority representatives, and higher and further education sector representatives. The board members are not remunerated