MBE for West Midlands automotive expert
Rachel Eade, who works as the automotive sector lead for the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), has been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year 2014 Honours list after helping more than 2,000 suppliers since 1995.
The Birmingham-born expert helped component firms come through two MG Rover crises, the closure of Agco and Peugeot's Ryton factories and, more recently, issues around Coventry-based London Taxi Company.
It is estimated that in her 18-year career, Eade has helped safeguard 10,000 jobs and create in excess of 5000 new positions with expanding manufacturers.
Eade started working in the Black Country in 1995 before moving to supply chain initiative Accelerate, where she administered more than £100 million of European funding to West Midlands firms.
She joined the MAS in 2010, fulfilling a regional role first before being appointed as national automotive lead earlier this year. In this position, she has responsibility for developing the supply chain's capacity and harnessing links with the Automotive Council, BIS, the SMMT and the major car manufacturers.
