Area Focus: Coventry - Mid Warks - North

Sarah will fill big shoes by showcasing regional strengths

The new chair of a business group that serves the north of Warwickshire has vowed to showcase the region’s strengths at every opportunity.

Sarah Windrum, the future mobility cluster lead at HORIBA MIRA – which sits on the A5 on the Warwickshire and Leicestershire border, is the new chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s North Warwickshire Local Business Forum.

The Local Business Forum meets every quarter to discuss issues in the region that firms are facing and to help raise those with key decision makers, as well as sharing updates.

Sarah, who is a Chamber board member and previously chaired the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said she was delighted to be taking on the role and paid tribute to her predecessor.

Sarah said: “I have very big shoes to fill. Tom Mongan, the previous chair of this Local Business Forum and former president of the Chamber, did so much to promote this area and particularly its manufacturing industry.

“We thank him for the many years of service and for everything he has done for businesses in this area and for the Chamber.

“It is clear to me that the north of Warwickshire has so much going for it and I am keen to use this role as a way of really showcasing everything that is great about our region.

“When there are barriers to growth, we will use the Local Business Forum and the Chamber’s voice as a way to make sure the message is heard loud and clear by decision makers at a local, regional and national level.

“But I really do see a very bright economic future for the whole region and particularly this area of it, especially when we look at our capacity for Research & Development and our role in the supply chain when it comes to manufacturing, new technology and net zero.

“Manufacturing is our heritage but it is also very much our future too at a global level and I’ll take every opportunity I can to highlight everything we have to offer.”

Sean Rose, head of policy at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Sarah has been involved with the Chamber for many years and, through her work with the LEP, has played a pivotal role in the region’s economy so we are thrilled that she is the new chair of our Local Business Forum in North Warwickshire.

“They play a key role in giving businesses the opportunity to find out more about what’s happening in their area but also to raise any local issues they might be facing.”