Now managing director of the Tees Valley CA, Mr Lewis sees himself as a “radical” who is attempting to push the boundaries of public sector working through devolution.
Since Ben Houchen created, in the Conservative candidate’s own words, a “political earthquake” by winning last May’s mayoral election in a historically Labour-dominated area, the Tees Valley has risen from relative obscurity to political prominence – namechecks in the chancellor’s Budget and the business secretary’s industrial strategy are evidence of that.
“I have always worked in areas where there is a high level of complexity and detail, but also where there is also a high level of political interest,” said Mr Lewis, who joined Tees Valley CA in July 2016.
“The focus of my career has been to bring those together and to have a good oversight of the detail that’s required in order to deliver these very technical challenges, but to do that in a way that relates to political leaders and works with them constructively to produce radical ideas.
Twenty-seven years ago Mr Lewis joined the Treasury and rose through the ranks to become a senior economist specialising in tax policy, international economics, financial regulation and employment policy.
Although he left the Treasury in 2004, Mr Lewis believes that experience has stood him, and the combined authority, in good stead.
“It’s always helpful to have people who have a good understanding of both local and central government and can bridge that divide, which can often feel like quite a substantial divide,” he said.
Mr Lewis said negotiating devolution deals epitomised that as the locally developed proposals cannot be an “unachievable wish list”. He said: “The proposals need to be ambitious and pushing the boundaries but you also need to judge tactically what the right proposition is at the right time in order to unblock the Whitehall machine.
In 2016, Centre for Cities described the Tees Valley as the “dark horse of devolution”. Since then it has built on its devolution deal and the prime minister launched the first mayoral development corporation outside of London on the former SSI steelworks site. That subsequently received £123m in the Budget.
Prior to joining the Tees Valley, Mr Lewis was Newcastle City Council’s assistant chief executive.
He said working for a council is “good preparation” for making the step up into a more strategic role but added it is different with a requirement to be “immersed” in forging local partnerships.