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Julian takes up the president’s mantle
Connecting great cities should be a priority
By Jeffries Briginshaw, chief executive officer, British American Business Council
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has visited the United States and Canada on his first foreign trip. By choosing to go to Chicago and New York the Mayor has visited two cities which, just like London, have great futures and where we have lively, successful chapters of the British- American Business Council (BABC). We know that part of the Mayor’s agenda is to
help grow business links between London and the US cities and to show that London remains open for business despite Brexit. This is a sentiment echoed by the new
Government of Prime Minister Theresa May. Over the summer the new Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox, visiting our BABC chapter in LA, moved quickly to announce the opening of three new UK offices in Minneapolis, Raleigh and San Diego.
New president (from left): Steve Allen, Professor Julian Beer, Mandy Haque and GBCC director of business services Russell Jeans
British American Business Council Midlands – part of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce – has appointed Professor Julian Beer as its new president. Professor Beer, the deputy vice chancellor of Birmingham City University, succeeds Harry Reilly who will now become honorary chairman of BABC Midlands. In addition, Mandy Haque – business
development manager for tour operations, corporate and travel trade at Birmingham Airport – has been named as vice president. Professor Beer said: “I am delighted to take up
this position in what will be a crucial time post Brexit for transatlantic trade and investment for the Midlands and indeed, for the nation as a whole.
“I would like to personally thank Harry for his
significant and unflinching commitment to BABC. “I am also particularly pleased we are not losing
Harry completely as he takes up his new honorary chairman role and Mandy and I look forward to drawing on his vast experience and network to further the aims of BABC going forward.” Mandy Haque said: “I’m honoured to become
the vice president of BABC Midlands to help to steer the council to continued successs. “Having worked with the team and benefitted
from the council's excellent services for a number of years through Birmingham Airport, I look forward to passing on my knowledge and experience and help strengthen ties across the pond even further."
Something to get Trumped up about
Will Donald trump Hillary? Or will a Clinton once again be in America’s top job? And what will be the likely ramifications for the rest of the world, particularly in economic terms? A keynote speaker will be on hand to
address the last question the day after the first two have been answered, at a special breakfast event organised by the British American Business Council. The 9 November event, which takes place
on the day after the US election, will feature Paul Forrest, a visiting professor of economic analysis at Birmingham City University. He is currently head of research at the West Midlands Economic Forum (WMEF), a neutral,
independent forum designed to bring together the private, public and voluntary sectors to discuss and evaluate local economic performance. The WMEF seeks to foster greater understanding of sustainable trends within the regional economy, placing them in a global context. Mr Forrest will be speaking about the
outcome of the US election and providing an insight into what it might mean for the relationships between America and Britain. Mr Forrest’s address will be followed by a question and answer session. The event is being staged at Birmingham Airport, beginning at 7.30am.
‘We need more UK export activity to the US’
While this was taking place on the west coast, over on the east coast our New York chapter were involved with a meeting with Lord Price, Minister for International Trade. This was followed by the Chicago chapter getting the honour of hosting Sadiq Khan as part of their BABC Chicago Speaker Series. The enhanced prominence given to the UK/US
relationship is welcome. In any scenario the US/UK economy and the cities that make it tick are a source of strength, stability and opportunity – the US is already the destination for 16 per cent of UK exports. We need more UK export activity to the US,
which because of the size of the US economy is a lever and opportunity that can affect UK macro performance. This requires strong marketing, communications and outreach identifying and retelling compelling success stories. Cities are the engines for growth and have a key role to play. Let’s take this one step further and imagine a
future where it might be the connections between cities as well as between countries and trading blocs that are given special status in trade and investment agreements. Why couldn’t we structure negotiations with broad frameworks, and detailed sectoral provisions, but also micro sections that instrumentalise cities as engines for growth and prosperity? The BABC is proud to represent the great cities
of our great nations. They are a great starting place when it comes to building the right future for transatlantic trade and investment.
November 2016 CHAMBERLINK 29
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