Express & Star

Megan takes on regional role for EEF

EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation has celebrated the New Year with a boost to its Midlands team with the appointment of Megan Ronayne as its new regional manager.

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Megan Ronayne

Megan has joined the membership team and will also be engaging with government agencies and partner organisations to promote the interests of the broader manufacturing sector.

Megan joins EEF from the Advanced Services Group, a centre of excellence at Aston University. As transformation manager on a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) project, Megan supported the service strategy and growth of 50 manufacturing and technology-innovating SMEs.

Her previous role involved the engagement and account management of businesses and the delivery of on-site workshops regarding how manufacturers design, implement and deliver revenue-growing services. She was also responsible for the development of a manufacturing community, by bringing together the companies at regular events, which provided direct networking and sharing of best practice with the adoption of services.

With a strong research background, Megan studied her BA in Geography, her MSc in Enterprise, Environment and Place, and her PhD in Management at the University of Birmingham. Each degree has focused on the competitiveness of the UK manufacturing sector. Over a 10-year period, Megan has researched and published on the current challenges for UK manufacturers concerning skill shortages; ageing workforces; price-based competition; declining supply-chain networks; and the evolution of traditional manufacturing industries, for instance the transformation of the UK textile industry to technical textiles.

Megan said: “Manufacturing plays a fundamental role in the British economy, nowhere more so than here in the Midlands. I am looking forward to working at EEF and supporting its important role of promoting the sector and helping it to continue to grow.”