Richard Dawson

Richard is an Economic Advisor at Newcastle City Council with responsibility for inward investment, internationalisation and advancing major development opportunities across the city. His role is to strengthen Newcastle's competitiveness and make it a more attractive destination for global business and capital funds. Previously, Richard was Head of Investment Promotion at NewcastleGateshead Initiative, where he led the Invest Newcastle programme, promoting the city internationally and supporting companies to land in the city. Working across the public and private sectors, he helped raise the profile of Newcastle's economic clusters, development opportunities and innovation ecosystem in key global markets. Richard's career spans economic development, investment promotion, place marketing and strategic communications. He holds an MA in International Political Economy from Newcastle University and has extensive experience shaping investment propositions, developing strategic partnerships and delivering engagement programmes that connect places with investors, businesses and talent. He is the principal contact for companies exploring investment opportunities in Newcastle and works closely with partner organisations to support inward investment projects across sectors including digital technology, life sciences, clean energy and financial services.