A testing two years but we kept business moving
I may have been an unlucky president for the Chamber but in adversity there is always opportunity
AFTER nearly two years in post as president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce this will be my last Post column. I’ve very much enjoyed writing my thoughts and ideas during this period and I hope that you have enjoyed reading them.
Now would be an appropriate time for reflecting on the last couple of years. I learned quickly that it’s impossible to plan too much in advance for what you want to achieve. The Chamber must at all times be proactive in dealing with events or situations that arise.
My number one priority back in December 2019, was to use my platform as president to lobby our regional and national stakeholders to support our members faced with the consequences of Brexit.
I also wanted to focus on the importance of innovation, with, for example, JLR announcing their plans to become all electric by 2025. I wanted to highlight the need for our regional economy to lead the way on innovation, particularly green-tech.
But then everything changed in March 2020, with the arrival of Covid-19 and our first lockdown. I cannot have been prouder of the instantaneous response of the Chamber team. Within hours of the
announcement the Chamber machine rolled into action, collating information for our members on what government support was available and contacting as many members as we could to analyse what was needed going forward.
For myself, it meant going in front of a camera and through social media providing as much support as I could. We soon learnt that keeping communication going was as vital as anything else and we were able to maintain this throughout the worst of the crisis.
We were able, through consulting with our members, to identify gaps in government support and lobby both national and local stakeholders to fill those gaps. “Keep business moving” was our priority and our mantra.
As president, I was able to chair
online zoom meetings between our members, Birmingham City Council and local MPs, in order that they could put directly to our local leaders the problems being faced by them particularly in the conference and hospitality industries. I could also talk to our members directly through various online platforms.
With the resignation of our outstanding former chief executive Paul Faulkner earlier this year, I must admit to feeling that I may have been an unlucky president for the Chamber. However, in adversity there is always opportunity and I am proud that in the appointment of Henrietta Brierley we have appointed a leader who will drive the Chamber forward and we can look to its future with confidence.
Many people have asked me whether I’m disappointed that I was not able to host at least one annual dinner at the ICC. I would not be honest if I said that I wasn’t. However, even though the president’s medal of office has hardly been out of its box, I don’t think that I could have taken office at a more important time.
I have learned that while these events grab the local headlines, it is the phenomenal Chamber team working hard for our members day in and day out that really counts. In the context of the loss of friends and relatives that many of us all have felt over the last 18 months, being unable to host a dinner at the ICC is entirely trivial.
I’m now looking forward to handing over the baton to Deb Leary at our AGM in November. She will be an amazing president and with the legendary businessman Nasir Awan as her vice-president, the Chamber can look to the future with confidence.
Thank you for reading my columns and all the very best for the future.