FORWARD Swindon and Swindon Borough Council have appointed Alan Shepherd as the new chairman of the company’s board.

Alan lives north of Swindon and has previously worked for companies such as Kraft Foods, Sainsbury’s and LloydsTSB, and currently works for the UK Hydrographic Office as director of products, services and strategy.

He knows Swindon well and has a particular interest in the regeneration of the town, and its improvements in the retail sector.

The previous chairman, Robin Bailey, has resigned from the board due to other commitments, and Mark Beard, MD of Beard Construction has also stepped down after being a board member since October 2011.

Forward Swindon thanked them for their hard work and said it expects shareholder Swindon Borough Council will recruit two new board members shortly. All board members act for the company without remuneration.

Alan said: “I am looking forward to leading this enthusiastic team, and I’m confident that the chief executive Ian Piper and his staff at Forward Swindon, are on the right path to achieving their aim to regenerate the town and boost the local economy. My role is to offer support to them.”

Further information can be found at www.forwardswindon .co.uk