Lancashire Ambassadors appoints first chair

Michael Conlon, executive chairman of Conlon Construction, has been named as the inaugural chair of Lancashire Ambassador.

Michael began work with the family firm as a site engineer before rising through the ranked until he was appointed executive chairman in 2013. His company is currently undertaking the Harris, Your Place scheme which will see the full refurbishment of the Grade I Listed Harris building in the centre of Preston.

In addition to his role at the construction firm, Michael sits on the board of Creative Lancashire and the Dean’s Council of The Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise. He is also trustee of the homeless charity Emmaus Preston.

Michael joined the Lancashire Ambassador group in 2019 to help further promote everything Lancashire has to offer, and is looking forward to heading the group as the first chair.

During his year as chair, he will be championing the built environment and heritage of Lancashire. One of the first events Michael is attending following his appointment as chair is the world’s leading real estate conference MIPIM.

Michael said: "I am proud to be an ambassador for the county, which is a fantastic location from which to do business, and not just because of our transport connections and communication infrastructure.

"The highly skilled workforce and top class universities that continuously polish and add to those skills, plus the wonderful coastline and the fells on our doorstep. It’s not difficult to see that Lancashire makes for a great place, not just to work, but for families to live life to the full. People just need to be more aware of everything it has to offer."

Rachel McQueen, chief executive of Marketing Lancashire, added: "Michael has been a fantastic asset to the Lancashire Ambassador group since he joined in 2019, and we can always rely on him to shout from the rooftops about how great the county is. His passion for the built environment and preserving the heritage of buildings which can be found across Lancashire radiates, and we are so pleased to have him flying the flag for Lancashire and our Ambassador programme."