Greater Cleveland Partnership names Baiju R. Shah as its next president and CEO

CLEVELAND, March 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP), the nation's largest metropolitan chamber of commerce, announces that Baiju R. Shah has been named President and CEO of the organization, effective April 12, 2021. Shah will succeed Joe Roman, who will retire April 30.

Roman, who announced his retirement in June 2020, has served as President and CEO of GCP since its inception in March 2004. Prior to that he had the same role at Cleveland Tomorrow, one of GCP's predecessor organizations.

"We are grateful to Joe for his decades of impactful leadership and his many accomplishments. He leaves GCP in a very strong position with great momentum," said Eric Schnur, GCP Board Chair and Chairman, President and CEO of Lubrizol. "We are also thrilled to welcome Baiju Shah as GCP's next CEO.  We are certain Baiju's capabilities, experience and relationships will continue to move GCP and Cleveland forward. Baiju is a visionary leader with deep experience in economic development and innovation and a history of strong collaboration."  

Shah comes to GCP from his position as the Steven A. Minter Senior Fellow for Innovation at the Cleveland Foundation, where he develops strategic initiatives and partnerships designed to advance Cleveland's innovation economy. He is the leader of the Cleveland Innovation Project, created by GCP in partnership with the foundation, Fund for Our Economic Future, JumpStart and TeamNEO. CIP aims to establish Cleveland as a leading Midwestern region for technology-led growth and inclusion by 2030. He will continue to lead CIP in his new role with GCP.

From 2012 to 2019, Shah served as CEO of BioMotiv, the Cleveland-based company aligned with the Harrington Project for Discovery & Development, a $380 million U.S. and U.K. initiative geared to accelerate breakthrough discoveries into medicines. From 2002 to 2012, he was the President & CEO and a founding executive of BioEnterprise, a business formation, recruitment and acceleration initiative designed to support growth-stage bioscience companies in Northeast Ohio.

"I am honored to be chosen as the next CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership," said Shah. "As the primary association for our businesses to focus on economic development issues, GCP presents a unique and powerful platform to enhance the prosperity of our region and its residents. I look forward to working with the GCP team and its many business, nonprofit and civic partners to build on the momentum that Joe and GCP have generated over the years."

GCP retained search firm Korn Ferry, which leads the nation in major metro economic development CEO searches. Korn Ferry solicited input from over 125 stakeholder leaders.

Shah is a Director of Invacare and Athersys and serves on the boards of Destination Cleveland and Global Cleveland. He has been named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and recognized as one of Cleveland's most influential leaders. Shah received a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from Yale University.

Contact: Dena Cipriano, [email protected], 216-217-5081

SOURCE Greater Cleveland Partnership

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