4 www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com PRESIDENT


Proud of Glasgow and the city’s potential


Jim McHarg, President president@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com


O


n my business travels I’ve been fortunate to enjoy some of the world’s most famous skylines. However, as I looked out south over the River Clyde from the 10th floor of the Capella Building


in York Street, I was filled with a sense of pride about our city’s heritage and the way we do things. We had just finished an open-to-members Chamber


discussion on the impact of Brexit, hosted by Katy Wedderburn, a Partner at the Glasgow law firm MacRoberts and Chamber Director, in their modern offices. Not an easy subject for anyone involved in business these days and Katy, as the chair of the Chamber’s Brexit Watch Policy Forum, was an excellent scene-setter. Two informed speakers, Professor Anton Muscatelli,


the Principal of the University of Glasgow, and Tim Wright, founder of management consultancy firm Twintangibles, were politely taking opposite viewpoints over this endlessly perplexing challenge which has contorted the democratic institutions of our country. After breakfast, Chamber members listened


to the well-made points raised by both Anton and Tim. And the questions from the floor were respectful and measured. This is the kind of Chamber of which I am proud to belong – discussion and debate, based on the available facts, and with respect for another’s point of view. Such Chamber gatherings give us the ability to interrogate our own viewpoints and attempt to see things from another position. After the discussion, I took the


opportunity to look out over Glasgow and see the activity on the south bank of the Clyde where the concrete piles were going in for the Barclays centre of excellence. It is great to see


such a significant investment being made as the IFSD expands across the river and hopefully marking the first of many future developments in the years to come. While we are all proud of our city’s achievements and


heritage, I’m under no illusion that Glasgow is some kind of metropolitan utopia. Like all cities across the world, we also have our challenges and we are all too well aware of the issues which dominate some of our city communities. In order to help address these issues and challenges,


the Chamber welcomes the development of the new Glasgow narrative which provides key messages about Glasgow and how business in Glasgow, combined with our People Make Glasgow brand, really gives us a stronger platform to go and market ourselves to the rest of the world. For example, in my own area of engineering, the shape of industrial manufacturing in the city is being enhanced with the introduction of the National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland and two innovation districts at Strathclyde and Glasgow universities – all within the Glasgow conurbation. Our city, in general, is a friendly place, welcoming people from all nations,


background, ethnicity, sexuality and belief.


Glasgow is a truly great city to live, work and visit. Yes, we are still uncertain about the ramifications of Brexit and whatever transpires, but we can be positive about the city and its place. It is our job as the business leaders of the city to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from its future success and prosperity. I firmly believe that success is based on enterprise and commerce. It’s about Glasgow being successful in the 21st century... whatever that may bring.


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