CenterState CEO announces keynote speaker for annual Economic Champions event

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — CenterState CEO announced that Ian Bancroft will be the keynote speaker for its 2023 Economic Champions luncheon, which is set for Nov. 16 at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter.

Bancroft serves as the chief executive of Wrexham County Borough Council, which oversees economic and community development for the Welsh city recently made famous when two Hollywood stars purchased the community’s professional football (soccer) club.

Bancroft will join CenterState CEO President Rob Simpson at the Economic Champions luncheon. With a focus on this year’s theme, “Celebrate Every Win,” the annual event recognizes the “momentum and moments of progress across the business community, large and small, that lead to bigger cumulative successes.”

During the event, CenterState CEO will recognize hundreds of regional businesses for “driving the region’s economy forward” through job creation, business expansions, investments in operations, new business openings, commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion, per its Tuesday announcement.

Bancroft’s visit also aims to foster economic, cultural and community connections between Syracuse and Wrexham that will benefit both local economies.

Wrexham and Syracuse

Bancroft — acting as head of paid service for the council — is “committed to maximizing” the investment that has come from Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElheney’s purchase of the Wrexham club to “ensure the impact reaches the entire community,” CenterState CEO said in its announcement.

Bancroft’s message at the Economic Champions Luncheon will highlight how the Wrexham community is “leveraging and embracing this period of growth and strategic investment, much like Syracuse, to drive continuous community progress.”

The cities’ stories mirror one another as both are experiencing an “exceptional period of investment, growth and global recognition” after a time of economic challenge. Both cities’ economies were once anchored by industry. Syracuse had manufacturing, and Wrexham had coal mines and steel mills in the early 20th century.

Despite the years of economic challenge, leaders in both cities recognized the need to develop and advance community-led strategies. “By leaning into their own histories and stacking up strategic wins,” they created the “essential building blocks to land once in a generation investment.”

For Syracuse, that came from Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) choosing to locate its newest megafab facility in Clay. For Wrexham, it’s the global recognition and increased tourism that followed the purchase of its soccer team by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElheney in 2021.