THE new head of the multi-million-pound-spinning North-East Local Enterprise Partnership took a break from planting cabbages behind his Hexhamshire home in order to meet me.

He‘s a lucky man, he says. Who else do you know with three jobs they love?

To fit it all in, he’s at his desk for the first one each morning by 6 o‘clock. For the following three hours he is heads down as managing director of the delivery centre in North Tyneside belonging to Accenture, the global management and technology services outsourcing company.

By the time the clock strikes nine, he’s on his way to Newcastle and the role of LEP interim chief executive he’s been appointed to for the next six months.

And then, to ensure he really doesn’t waste a single minute of his day, there‘s Hexhamshire Organics, the market garden he and his wife, Ann, are establishing in the six acres behind their house in Juniper.

“I’m planting 400 cabbages today,” he said. “I do some of my best thinking when I’m working in the fields.”

Ashington born and bred, Bob (58) has lived and worked in the North-East his entire life. Having joined the Civil Service as a 16-year-old, he stayed with it for 20 years before moving to Accenture in 1992.

“I‘ve only worked for two organisations in 40 years, but my career’s been split between the public and private sector,” he said. “I like to think I have an understanding of both.”

His CV and the passion for the North-East he wears on his sleeve meant he was best-placed to step into the breach while the LEP searched for a permanent chief executive. I ask if he will be throwing his hat into the ring.

He admits he thinks it‘s the best job going, but only says guardedly, “I‘ve been asked to do it for six months”.

‘It’ is to act as the linchpin between Government and commercial enterprise or, more precisely, the vehicle for devolving the public money that is invested in driving business growth.

Local Enterprise Partnerships were brought in by the Coalition Government four years ago as a replacement for the regional development agencies, including our own One NorthEast.

The North-East LEP covers Northumberland, Durham, North and South Tyneside, Sunderland, Newcastle and Gateshead.

There are now 24 Enterprise Zones nationwide, which come under the umbrella of the Department for Communities and Local Government. Between them, they are responsible for investing the national £730m Growing Places Fund wisely.

The conclusions reached during the independent economic review of the North-East led by Lord Adonis in 2012 laid the foundations for the strategic economic plan the regional LEP now works to.

“It’s called More and Better Jobs,” said Bob. “We try to make sure any funding we get is consistent with that aim.” The aim is to create 100,000 new jobs in the next decade.”

He points to the thriving sectors that will produce them. Information technology and engineering are top of the list, but the tourism, health and service industries are strong, too.

Around 35,000 people currently work in the technology sector, but there are also 2,000 vacancies.

“And don‘t forget the global corporate companies,” he said. “The likes of Nissan, Sage and BT are massively important to the region, but then so to are the start-ups and the medium size enterprises that are ready to expand.”

On September 1 last year, the Accenture delivery centre under Bob’s control housed 360 members of staff. On the day I interviewed him, that number stood at 499. “I expect to end the year with almost 700 people, so the jobs are coming.”

The natural starting point for it all, he believes, is top-class training for the next generation.

Accenture boasts an apprenticeship scheme second to none – “They come out with a foundation degree, no debt and a job” – and Bob himself is vice-chairman of Dynamo, the regional cluster of IT firms that have created the first IT sector-led apprenticeship hub in the country.

“That‘s part of what makes me tick – creating new opportunities for young people,” he said.