About Us

Mike Denby

Director of Inward Investment & Place Marketing

Mike Denby plays a key role in the regeneration of commercial development sites across the city and county, attracting investment from outside the area and supporting job creation.

He also plays a part in the external promotion of the city as a leading investment destination. Mike has more than 19 years of marketing experience and a decade working as the lead for inward investment in Wakefield where he led teams which secured up to £44 million of funding to develop commercial sites, and oversaw the building of Wakefield’s first innovation centre.

He also has experience developing policy to stimulate carbon reduction, encourage strategic investment and increase business start-ups. 

Pankaj Mistry

Inward Investment Manager

Pankaj Mistry is an experienced and passionate Inward Investment Manager at Invest in Leicester. He has 20 years’ experience of economic development and inward investment in Leicester & Leicestershire, plus extensive experience advising local, national and international businesses in setting up, relocating and expanding.

He has worked on high profile inward investments including IBM, Octopus Energy & PPL/PRS as well as helping small businesses relocate to the area. Previously, Pankaj has worked as Economic Growth & Investment Manager for the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and helped to successfully gain UK Enterprise Zone status within the transport sector for MIRA Technology Park. While there, he was the sector lead for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering. Pankaj has a BA (Hons) degree and postgraduate diploma in Town Planning, which provides a strong foundation to support property development and regeneration projects within an investment context.

Oliver Whittaker

Inward Investment & Economic Growth Manager

Oliver Whittaker is an experienced Inward Investment and Economic Growth Manager at Invest in Leicester. He is a professional with a strong and demonstrable history of supporting, developing, and attracting business and enterprise, inward investment, jobs, skills and regeneration initiatives across multiple regions in England and working across the public and private sectors.

He has successfully led, secured and account managed multi-million-pound foreign and domestic investments into Leicester and Leicestershire, attracting and retaining businesses and employment

Oliver has experience of devising, implementing and managing projects to improve start-up, survival and growth of businesses and the economy, such as business grants, start-up, mentoring and growth courses, and inward investment and business-to-business activities and opportunities.

He has also Influenced, led on and supported partners and stakeholders with policy development, funding bids, future employment land and growth requirements and bringing forward key regeneration priorities.