CenterState CEO Welcomes Wrexham Council CEO to Syracuse for its 2023 Economic Champions Event

Ian Bancroft to Share How the Welsh City is Leveraging Investment in its Storied Football Club for the Benefit of the Entire Community

Nov. 16 Luncheon will Celebrate Every Win of the Central New York Business Community

SYRACUSE, NY—CenterState CEO announces Ian Bancroft will be the keynote speaker for its 2023 Economic Champions Luncheon event, Nov. 16, 2023. Bancroft serves as the chief executive of Wrexham County Borough Council, which oversees economic and community development for the Welsh city made recently famous when two Hollywood stars purchased the community’s storied football club. Bancroft, acting as Head of Paid Service for the Council, is committed to maximizing the investment that has come from Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElheney’s purchase of the club to ensure the impact reaches the entire community.

Bancroft took up his post as Chief Executive of Wrexham Council in August 2018. Prior to that, he spent the previous 14 years working at a senior leadership level within large public service organizations in Greater Manchester, Merseyside and North East Wales. In his role, Bancroft is committed to public service delivery and aims to work with partners, local communities and residents to build and deliver a clear vision that achieves outstanding results. As a Wrexham resident for the last 20 years, Bancroft is passionate about the current positive opportunities Wrexham and Wales provides and the potential for the future. Bancroft’s message at the Economic Champions Luncheon will highlight how the Wrexham community is leveraging and embracing this period of growth and strategic investment, much like Syracuse, to drive continuous community progress.  

The cities’ stories mirror one another as both are experiencing an exceptional period of investment, growth and global recognition after a time of economic challenge. Both cities’ economies were once anchored by industry: where Syracuse had manufacturing, Wrexham had coal mines and steel mills in the early 20th century. Despite the years of economic challenge, leaders in both cities recognized the need to develop and advance community-led strategies. By leaning into their own histories and stacking up strategic wins, they created the essential building blocks to land once in a generation investment. For Syracuse, that came from Micron Technology choosing to locate its newest megafab facility in Central New York. For Wrexham, it’s the global recognition and increased tourism that came with their soccer team being purchased by Hollywood’s Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElheney in 2021.

Bancroft will join CenterState CEO President Rob Simpson at the Economic Champions Luncheon Nov. 16 at the Oncenter. With a focus on this year’s theme, Celebrate Every Win, the annual event recognizes the momentum and moments of progress across the business community, large and small, that lead to bigger cumulative successes. Bancroft’s visit also aims to foster economic, cultural and community connections between Syracuse and Wrexham that will benefit both local economies.

During the event, CenterState CEO will recognize hundreds of regional businesses for driving the region’s economy forward through job creation, business expansions, investments in operations, new business openings, commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion, and more.

CenterState CEO will also present its Community Visionary Award, sponsored by Wegmans Food Markets, to National Grid. The award is presented to an organization that embodies a vision of economic opportunity and is creating a significant impact on community prosperity.

Learn more and register for this event.

CenterState CEO’s Economic Champion’s Luncheon is presented by FustCharles. Speaker Sponsor is VIP Structures. Community Visionary Award sponsor is Wegmans Food Markets, Inc Media sponsor is the Central New York Business Journal.