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South Wales Chamber appoints councils to spearhead continuous development

Cardiff and Newport councils elected to represent Chamber members

The South Wales Chamber of Commerce has today announced that it has appointed two Chamber councils – one to represent the Chamber’s members in and around Cardiff, and one to stand for businesses in Newport and the former county of Gwent.

The councils will meet on a bi-monthly basis, where they will discuss the main issues affecting businesses throughout the South East Wales region and how these might be tackled through the Chamber’s activities. The councils will provide a channel through which Chamber members can raise any issues, concerns or ideas; helping to shape the Chamber’s policy development and service offering to ensure that it always remains relevant to the needs of the local business community.

James Emery, managing director of COS and chairman of the South Wales Chamber of Commerce’s Cardiff council, says: "I am incredibly honoured to find myself the first Chairman of the Cardiff council for the new South Wales Chamber of Commerce, and hugely excited at the year ahead of me. It is a challenging time for business, and there has never been a greater need for a dynamic Chamber to serve South Wales with meaningful, effective business support, and quality networking opportunities.

“One of my first priorities will be to welcome back former Chamber members from Cardiff and the wider capital region, and help return the membership to its previous level.”

Gillian Whitfield, managing director of Astrum-IP, president of the South Wales Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Chamber’s Newport council, said: “The Chamber represents a diverse range of businesses, from small start-ups to large, established companies; all of whom benefit from the Chamber’s broad range of services.

“Catering to the distinct needs of businesses across all sectors and of all sizes has been possible because of the Chamber’s transparent and open style, guaranteeing that all members have their voices heard. The appointment of these two councils represents the Chamber’s commitment to making sure that its objectives and actions continue to meet the needs of its members. The councils will help ensure that feedback, comments and suggestions from members translate into action, so that businesses in South Wales will continue to benefit from the Chamber’s local, national and international services.”

James continues: “The new council is committed to the creation of a fresh, dynamic, and different Chamber, which aims to help sustain and grow a vibrant economy in Wales, and we are open to suggestions from the Welsh business community as to what type of events they would like to see from us over the forthcoming months.”