Mentoring and development expert Graeme Crosbie has been appointed as the new chairman of Somerset Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, with recruitment specialist Emma Warren named as his vice chairman.
The pair were appointed at Somerset Chamber’s online Annual General Meeting last Thursday, which also saw the departure of outgoing chairman, recruitment businesswoman Helen Lacey, who has spent the last year as chairman and six years as a board member.
Helen was presented with ‘thank you’ gifts by Somerset Chamber CEO, Stephen Henagulph, on behalf of the board and Chamber staff.
Helen said: “It’s been an absolute delight to have been involved with the Chamber, not only as a member, but as a director on the board for the last six years, of which my final year was as chairman.
“I have had the pleasure of working with some excellent board directors and the team at the Chamber is absolutely fabulous. I have no doubt that Graeme will do a terrific job in chairing the board and supporting Stephen the CEO and the rest of the board moving forward over the next three years.”
Graeme runs Level Up (South West) Ltd, a mentoring, support and development practice founded in 2006 and based in Hambridge, near Langport in Somerset.
He said he was looking forward to working with the Chamber in the coming years and added: “It’s extraordinary what the Chamber team as done over this last year and it’s vital the Chamber remains as the voice of business for Somerset and the wider region – it’s essential that voice continues to be heard.”
Mr Henagulph said the Chamber had run 128 events online since the first pandemic lockdown, helping businesses with everything from general networking to specialist seminars on tax advice, the economy and COVID-19 grants and schemes.
He said the Chamber continued to work closely with key organisations such as the Bank of England and HMRC and had close links with town and regional chambers, as well as being accredited to the British Chambers of Commerce to ensure members were represented at the very highest levels.
“I would like to thank Helen, the board and the Chamber team for their support and hard work. It’s the most bizarre business landscape we have ever seen and the Chamber is here to help businesses and to act as their voice through these difficult and challenging times,” Mr Henagulph said.
It was the first time the Chamber’s AGM had been held virtually via Zoom and was attended by around Chamber Members as well as staff and board members.
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