INTERNATIONAL

Former British diplomat joins Chamber International

A former British diplomat who has held a series of positions with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has joined Chamber International. Peter Bainbridge who was most recently a technology risk consultant with global business services company, KPMG, strengthens Chamber International’s team of export advisers to help Britain expand its global trade after leaving the EU. Peter Bainbridge’s 15-year diplomatic career included roles such as commercial counsellor at the British Embassy in Bogota; head of the South America regional climate change network at the British Embassy in Brasilia; and deputy director for the Western Balkans. His career started as an export adviser at what is now the Department for International Trade. Peter said: “The UK is at the start of an export revival that will see trade routes extend and deepen with the fastestgrowing economies in the world. This is a very exciting time to join Chamber International and I’m looking forward to using my overseas business and government networks and market experience to help companies access these high-growth trading countries.”

CHAMBER INTERNATIONAL

Recent expansion of ChamberCustoms team to support UK-EU exporters

Customs broker Jay Grant has joined overseas trade specialist, Chamber International, to strengthen its work helping UK companies export to the EU after Brexit. Jay Grant, 24, who has supported international trade with East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, Nottingham, and Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, has joined ChamberCustoms which helps UK exporters complete customs declarations, now needed for UK trade with EU countries. He said: “I’ve heard a lot of great things about Chamber International and am excited to be here and able to add value to such an important service.” Jay Grant was previously a semi-professional footballer, playing as a winger, or striker, for Grantham Town FC and Harrowby United FC in the United Counties League, before joining the chamber network. Since Brexit, 202,081 UK businesses must now complete customs declarations and understand tariff classification numbers, customs valuation, and customs procedures if they previously exported only to the EU when UK membership meant the declarations were not needed. Chamber International Director, Tim Bailey, said: “Britain’s departure from the EU has created some short-term challenges, as well as global opportunities, and we are delighted to welcome Jay to our Chamber Customs team so UK businesses can continue to benefit from relatively seamless trading with the EU.”

Research appointment as Chamber International relaunches intern scheme

A former president of international student organisation, the Erasmus Society, Gilan Heshmat Papaekonomou, has joined Chamber International as an intern. Gilan Heshmat Papaekonomou, who was president of the Erasmus Society in 2018-19 while studying law at East Anglia University, joins Chamber International as a researcher and first intern since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Fluent in English, Italian, Greek and Spanish and brought up in Milan, Italy; Gilan Heshmat Papaekonomou eventually wants to become a maritime lawyer. She said: “Working at Chamber International is a perfect fit as my upbringing means I have a very international outlook. It is also important psychologically to be in a work environment and feel that there is a return to normality after the Covid-19 lockdowns.” Chamber International Director, Tim Bailey, said: “We’re very proud of our placement programme and it’s very rewarding to hear how past interns have fared in their careers. We’ve hosted almost 60 from all parts of the world and seen many go on to pursue successful careers in export, politics, law and education and we are delighted to have Gilan with us. After such a difficult 18 months.”