Bristol has appointed three international ambassadors to increase the city’s cultural and economic presence worldwide.
Marti Burgess, Fuad Mahamed and Clare Reddington will support Bristol City Council with its ambition to become a global city, the local authority said.
Marvin Rees, the mayor of Bristol, and the city’s International Strategy Board selected the trio for the roles.
The council said the ambassadors were chosen for their "strong and active" international connections, which it hoped would be used to share Bristol’s story and develop new opportunities with other cities globally.
The appointments are part of Bristol's international strategy, which was developed in 2016.
"We are very proud of the work we’ve done so far," said Mr Rees. "Our international work is not just about trade and investment but also about leadership on global issues that affect cities, such as climate change, and working in partnership with those who have international connections to open up opportunities for culture, education and business."
The three new international ambassadors started their voluntary posts in January. The posts will initially be for one year, but with the intention they continue on a yearly basis to build a wider network of international ambassadors for Bristol, the local authority said.
Who are Bristol's international ambassadors?
Ms Burgess is a partner at national law firm Bevan Brittan, with a focus of advice and support to SMEs. She has been active in building links across the African Diaspora, but particularly with Jamaica and the Caribbean. She is also chair of Black South West Network, sits on the Bristol Ideas board, and has director roles with several key social enterprises in the city.
In January, she was presented with the Outstanding Contribution To Bristol Award at the BristolLive and BusinessLive Business Awards.
Mr Mahamed came to the UK as a refugee from Somalia with no English. He went on to obtain a first-class degree in engineering from the University of Bath followed by an MSc in management from Lancaster Business School.
He set up Ashley Community Housing (ACH) in 2008 to support the resettlement of refugees like himself, and has built the organisation into one of the leading providers of integration support for excluded and marginalised people.
ACH now spans across three cities, employs 80 people and works with 3,500 individuals a year. As well as working with diasporic communities living in UK, Mr Mahamed is often invited to present his work on integration and resettlement to international audiences. He hopes to use these extensive networks for the benefit of Bristol, according to the city council.
Ms Reddington joined Bristol’s Watershed, the film culture and digital media centres, in 2004, establishing its creative technology programmes including Pervasive Media Studio. She became chief executive in 2018.
She works with industry, academic and creative partners from around the world to champion inclusion, support talent and develop new ideas. She is a trustee of the British Council and as part of Watershed’s Playable City Programme is collaborating with creative communities in Lagos, Seoul, Tokyo and Durban.
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