The Shareholder Committee (Cabinet Committee) of Oxfordshire Council met on Tuesday 16 June 2026 and formally appointed Alexander Reip as the Chair of the Enterprise Oxfordshire Board. Councillor Dan Levy declared an interest and left the meeting for the duration of the discussion on this item.

Appointment of Enterprise Oxfordshire Chair

The committee formally appointed Alexander Reip as the Chair of the Enterprise Oxfordshire Board. This decision was a recommendation from the Director of Economy and Place, and followed an open recruitment process. Initially, two candidates were interviewed in January 2026, but neither was deemed suitable for the role. A revised approach was then taken, inviting a small number of candidates from the former Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) Board to interview.

Alexander Reip was identified as the preferred candidate following interviews on 27 April 2026 with the former Leader of the Council, the Director of Economy and Place, and Enterprise Oxfordshire's Director of Business and Skills. Mr. Reip has confirmed his acceptance of the position in principle.

Alexander Reip's background includes co-founding Oxford nanoSystems, developing the nanoFLUX® surface coating technology, and growing the business before its acquisition in 2025. He now operates a portfolio of strategic and governance roles under his personal brand, Nurvian. He is also the Chief Strategic Technology Advisor at UCR Group, a Trustee at the Royal Society of Chemistry, and a Non-Executive Director at the Net Zero Technology Centre. Additionally, he is a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence at Brunel University London. Within Oxfordshire, Mr. Reip chairs the Oxfordshire Economic Partnership Board and is Chair of Governors at North Kidlington Primary School. He is noted as an active voice on regional growth, devolution, and the conditions required to scale deep tech businesses in the UK. He holds a PhD and is a Chartered Chemist and Fellow of both the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.

The appointment of a Board Chair is considered a reserved matter under Enterprise Oxfordshire's Articles of Association, meaning it must be approved by the Shareholder Committee. Enterprise Oxfordshire is a company limited by guarantee, of which Oxfordshire Council is the guarantor and sole member. The Shareholder Committee was established by Cabinet to manage the Council's responsibilities in this capacity. There are no financial implications associated with this appointment, and Mr. Reip is not an employee of the Council. Enterprise Oxfordshire is committed to considering equalities in its Board and senior management appointments.