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www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com PRESIDENT
Proud of our success in accentuating the positive
Neil Amner, President
president@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com
I
t has been an enormous honour and a privilege during the last two years to be the President of an organisation that does so much for Glasgow as well as its members. Facing challenging economic conditions is nothing
new for the Chamber. Doing something positive in the face of adversity is an essential part of the Chamber’s DNA. I am nonetheless very proud of how successful the Chamber has been at gathering and projecting positive messages about the opportunities to do business and invest in Glasgow, and in supporting others to doing so. That is fundamental to opening doors and to addressing misconceptions about our city. There are so many wonderful attributes, success stories and exciting developments that I will not single any out here. To get a taste, search ‘10 Reasons Why’ on the Chamber’s website. The Chamber has re-engaged in the active promotion
of international trade. We took the lead by developing relationships with counterparts in Manhattan and Milan. Those relationships are progressing, with others being developed using the Chamber’s networks here and abroad. Our excellent export documentation service has gone from strength to strength and now services Lanarkshire too. The President’s Club has taken root and is
growing. The “Away Team” members have provided introductions into local markets and visited when in Glasgow. Local based members have supported influencer and stakeholder events. We have many examples of
successful investment and innovation, a highly skilled workforce and great lifestyle options (think of our education, sports, leisure and retail sectors). Taken together, these make Glasgow a great place for businesses to invest and for staff to put down roots. In that sense, our
economy is an organic living thing – with
wider socio-economic health vital to business. The Chamber has been on point in developing the Circular Economy, which has won recognition for its work internationally… and a Chamber branded beer (Hardtack)! Just as important has been the Chamber’s pathfinding role in the Developing the Young Workforce Glasgow project. Engaging the next generation is vital to the health of our economy. I was delighted that the #nowrongpath initiative was so successful – and has since won a social media award. Going forward, I will continue to represent the Chamber as the Immediate Past President. My focus will be on supporting international trade, infrastructure and environmental matters and representing Glasgow Chamber on Scottish Chambers of Commerce’s board (as well as chairing its Economic Advisory Group). I will also continue to develop the Scottish Maritime Cluster, which I helped promote as Chamber President. In returning to my day job, I would like to thank my family and friends, and colleagues at Anderson Strathern for their support and forbearance during my time as President. Thanks too to the Board, Council of Directors and President’s Club members. The greatest thanks though are due to Stuart Patrick, our Chief Executive, and the marvellous team at the Chamber. The very positive results of the recent member survey and our Chamber being the exemplar of member retention across the British Chambers of Commerce network speak for themselves about the quality of our team. I will be passing on the President’s chain to Jim McHarg of Weir Group plc, our Deputy President, at the end of January. I hope Jim gets as much satisfaction out of this rewarding role as I have. In parting, and to return to the question of challenges, I would encourage you to read Kipling’s “If” – save for the last line which I would not dare to suggest applies to Jim succeeding me!
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