The operations director of Jaguar Land Rover’s world-class Engine Manufacturing Centre (EMC) in Wolverhampton has been honoured for his contribution to economic regeneration by the city’s University.
Trevor Leeks received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Wolverhampton on Wednesday, 21 September 2016.
The award was presented in recognition of his contribution to development, shaping economic regeneration and up-skilling the local workforce.
He said: “I feel extremely privileged to receive an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Wolverhampton. We employ over 1,000 people at the EMC, directly and through our contractors, many of whom live locally to the facility. This results in a positive impact on the community and the adjacent surrounding areas. Our extremely talented and dedicated workforce have supported the growth, over the last 18 months, of a successful and operationally efficient facility and I’d like to thank them for their continued commitment and contribution and share this award with them.”
Trevor Leeks joined Jaguar Land Rover in July 2012. He took on the role of operations director for the company’s £1 billion Engine Manufacturing Centre (EMC) in Wolverhampton, three years ago and has led a cross-functional team to develop the state-of-the-art, world-class facility, committed to manufacturing Jaguar Land Rover’s first in-house engine for a generation.
During Trevor’s tenure, the EMC has grown from a field to an operational manufacturing facility, producing the 2-litre, 4-cylinder Ingenium Diesel engine for its customers and making a positive impact on the wider economy through employment opportunities and the supply chain of the area.
Prior to joining Jaguar Land Rover, Trevor spent two and a half years as head of manufacturing operations at BAE Systems, where he held operational responsibility for various departments across two sites in Lancashire. He previously worked for Ford Motor Company for 22 years.
Trevor is an alumnus of the University of East London with a 2:1 (Hons) in Manufacturing Systems Engineering.
He is a patron of Compton Hospice in Wolverhampton and in 2016 led his team to success picking up the Manufacturing Champion Award at the Express & Star Business Awards.
Married to Helen with two children, Trevor is a keen social and community philanthropist, committed to inspiring the next generation of young engineers.
The award was presented at a Faculty of Social Sciences graduation ceremony at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.
Honorary degrees are awarded by the University to high-profile figures that make a significant contribution to their field of expertise.