January 2013 For immediate release

Banking Chief to talk at Leeds Metropolitan Tom Vosa - Yorkshire Banks Chief Economist is to give a guest lecture at Leeds Metropolitan University about current developments influencing the UK and regional economy.

The annual event, which is open to the public will be held on Tuesday 15 January from 9-10am in Lecture Theatre A at the Universitys Rose Bowl and will address topics including the future challenges ahead for businesses and the economic prospects facing society. Mr Vosa commented: The UK recovery from the global financial crisis has been much weaker than originally anticipated despite an unprecedented monetary stimulus and other unorthodox policy from the Bank of England. After a small post-Olympics boost, the economy likely contracted in the fourth quarter of 2012, which will raise the spectre of a return to a triple-dip recession. With quarterly growth rates pushed and pulled by special events the underlying pace of growth is probably flat, but the outlook for 2013 remains modest. We believe that the Yorkshire economy will broadly follow that in the UK, but could suffer from weaker consumption due to a weaker housing market. Support from monetary policy and a rise in bank lending should provide a modest boost but any real upside surprises will depend on the global economy. An end to uncertainty in the Eurozone and a fiscal deal in the US could unlock UK business investment.

As well as Chief Economist at Yorkshire Bank, Mr Vosa is also Director and Head of Markets Economics, Europe for National Australia Bank. He joined National Australia Bank in 2001 from the Bank of England and his role involves keeping the bank abreast of relevant economic and financial market developments and to have extensive interaction with clients.

Paul Houghton, Principle Lecturer in Accounting and Finance at Leeds Met, said: This is an annual fixture in the business calendar at Leeds Metropolitan and we are delighted to welcome Tom Vosa back to deliver this guest lecture. It will be of particular interest to professionals working in sectors such as banking, financial services, accounting and economics, as well as to academic staff and students specialising in those areas.

The hour-long lecture begins at 9am and will conclude with an opportunity to ask questions. Refreshments will be available from 8.30am. The event is free, but places will be available on a first come, first served basis. To book your place at this event please email guestspeaker@leedsmet.ac.uk

Ends

For further details please contact Julia Williams in the Communications team at Leeds Met on 0113 812 5978 or email j.t.williams@leedsmet.ac.uk

Notes for editors:

Leeds Metropolitan University has more than 27,000 students and around 3,000 staff. The Vice Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University is Professor Susan Price and the Chair of the Board is Lord Woolmer of Leeds. Leeds Metropolitans four faculties are: Arts, Environment and Technology, Business & Law, Health and Social Sciences, and Carnegie.

Leeds Metropolitans heritage can be traced back to the founding of the Mechanics Institute in Leeds in 1824. The Destination of Leavers in Higher Education (DLHE) showed that the proportion of Leeds Metropolitan 2010/11 graduates in work, further study or both six months after leaving university was 91.87%.

Libraries and Learning Innovation at Leeds Metropolitan was awarded the CSE standard for the tenth year running in 2012. In 2012, Leeds Metropolitan was awarded a First in the People & Planet Green League, a league table of environmentally friendly universities, for the sixth consecutive year.