Dr Marilyn Comrie OBE is an award winning serial social entrepreneur, green tech innovator, STEM ambassador and board member of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership.  

Marilyn is the director of business development, with responsibility for PR and sponsorship. She is a former BBC TV series producer and an accomplished media & strategic communications specialist. A game changer who enjoys a good challenge, Marilyn is a champion for girls in motorsport and a member of the British Womens Racing Drivers Club.

Marilyn developed and honed leadership skills managing large scale, high profile operations within the media sector. This progressive seventeen year career included several senior management roles within major plc organisations where she earned a reputation for transforming multi million pound projects, from underachievement into unquestionable success stories.

In addition, Marilyn is the principal founder of the Black United Representation Network (BURN) which exists to tackle racial inequalities in Greater Manchester through wealth generation, and international trade with Africa and the Caribbean, and the CEO of the new £4 million Manchester Innovation Activities Hub (MIAH). Opening in April 2022 within Manchester Science Park, MIAH will specialise in employer-led rapid upskilling, reskilling and retraining of homegrown talent to fill key skills gaps and provide industrial grade equipment and workshop space to help innovative firms to prototype clean tech solutions.

Opening in April 2022 within Manchester Science Park, the new £ 4 million MIAH centre will de-risk green tech innovations to accelerate clean growth through the upskilling, reskilling and retraining of local residents and fast tracking them into hard-too-fill occupations requiring specialist technical skills. MIAH will also provide access to industrial grade equipment and technical expertise to support innovative SMEs to repivot, prototype and manufacture new clean growth products.

Marilyn believes in deeds not words. Her determination, persistence and Northern grit, have earned me a growing reputation as a transformational leader, influencer and powerhouse for change. Her goal is to inspire other women and people of colour to assume She is the first person of African heritage to be appointed to the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership. Her intention is that not to be the last.

A chemistry graduate, Marilyn was honoured by HRH The Queen with an OBE for services to woman’s enterprise in 2009, and awarded the prestigious Kofi Annan African Leadership Excellence Award as well as an honorary doctorate by Birmingham University in 2018.