New President takes office at Chamber AGM

Neil Smith MBE has been appointed President of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

Neil Smith MBE has been appointed President of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Smith, who is Managing Director of Kinetic PLC, formally took over from outgoing president Phil Cusack at the Chamber’s AGM and Assembly Meeting at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday (17 October).

Looking back over his term in office Phil Cusack said: “It is has been a period of more than remarkable change. Not many organisations nationally have experienced such a change in such a short space of time.

“It is a very different organisation to the one I became President of two years ago. This is an exciting time with our move to Elliot House and I really think this move will be a step change in how we are seen in the city.”

In his speech he highlighted the work that had been achieved with British Chambers of Commerce, the Quarterly Economic Survey and the Construction sector.

He added: “The Chamber’s Construction Summit is now recognised as the leading event of its type in the country and we’ve only had one! The Chamber has established itself as a leader in the Construction Sector very quickly.

“The Patrons scheme is a significant move forward in making the Chamber the lead business voice, not only in Greater Manchester, but in the North of the country.

“I will remain an active member of the Presidential team and will give the new president all the support I can.”

Neil Smith MBE was then confirmed as President, along with Vice Presidents Wayne Jones of MAN Diesel and Steve Burne or AEW Architects.

Paying tribute to his predecessor, Mr Smith said: “Phil has been a superb president and has done some fantastic work, in particular in his championing of the Construction Sector and the Construction Summit.”

He added: “It is a great honour to become the president of the biggest, largest and most influential Chamber of Commerce in the UK. “My company joined the Chamber 10 years ago as we wanted to get more involved. This led to me joining the Chamber’s Local Council in Trafford and then becoming Trafford President.”

Setting out his key themes as President, Mr Smith said the nature of Kinetic’s business meant he would be paying particular attention to the issue of Employment and Skills. And, as the first President for some time to come from an SME, he would be focusing on the value SMEs get from membership, as well as health and well-being in the workplace.