Chamber Chief’s Update

NI Chamber Chief’s

UPDATE

As businesses across Northern Ireland find their niche in the post-pandemic world, NI Chamber is providing members with a host of new opportunities to network, learn, export, influence the policy agenda and promote their products and services. Here Chief Executive Ann McGregor discusses the recent NI Chamber activity that has helped firms in every sector across the province to grow.

Over the past couple of months the NI Chamber team has hosted dozens of events across Northern Ireland. We’ve been crisscrossing the province, with in-person sessions in Derry, Cookstown, Templepatrick and Ballynahinch to name a few. We have very much enjoyed the in-person interaction with members and in the next few weeks, we’ll be hosting events in Dungannon, Ballymena and Belfast, as well as lots of opportunities to network and learn online.

One of the highlights of recent weeks was our 5 Leaders; 5 Days pre-election series. I want to thank Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Claire Hanna, Doug Beattie, Naomi Long and Michelle O’Neill for such useful interactions, as well as the many members who brought their perspective on issues like political stability, the cost of living, energy, budgets, cross-border trade, climate and the arts, all themes which came up repeatedly.

We also recently facilitated a session as part of our response to the Independent Review of Invest NI, where a group of member businesses had the opportunity to share their contributions directly with the Review Panel. Again, thank you to all who took the time to do so. I know your input was very valuable indeed.

Behind the scenes, we have been working hard on some exciting developments. As part of our own digital transformation, we have just launched NI Chamber’s new website and refreshed brand, which I am delighted to say will really enhance the member experience and make it easy to engage with our services often. If you have not already done so, I really encourage you to check out the new website and get everyone in your wider team to do the same because there really is something which everyone can get involved in.

As part of our growth plan we are expanding our own team too, so you can expect to meet and hear from some new faces over the next while. I am particularly pleased to welcome Stuart Anderson, our new head of public affairs who has come on board to lead a new public affairs service which will be of enormous benefit to all NI Chamber members.

In more good news, I am thrilled to say that our Annual President’s Lunch will return to Belfast City Hall at the end of June, where our guest speaker will be award-winning actor, director and writer, Adrian Dunbar. That is going to be a fantastic afternoon and I know one lots of you are really looking forward to. This flagship event is in addition to a host of networking and learning events coming up, covering themes like leadership, business growth and employment law, as well as technical topics including Incoterms, Commodity Codes and the British Chambers of Commerce Accredited Foundation Award in International Trade.

In this edition of Ambition, you’ll find more about our growth plans for NI Chamber, as well as what we’ve been doing and saying on your behalf recently. As ever, please continue to get involved and make the absolute most of your membership.

“I am thrilled to say that our Annual President’s Lunch will return to Belfast City Hall at the end of June, where our guest speaker will be award-winning actor, director and writer, Adrian Dunbar.”