C & W September issue 61_C&W master Layout 05/09/2017 08:39 Page 44
President & People
Red Marlin ‘hooks’ two new account managers Leamington Spa public relations agency Red Marlin has appointed two new account managers to further enhance its reputation as one of the UK’s leading automotive specialists.
Sensing a way forward
Dear member,
I was delighted, recently, to welcome David Penn as the vice-president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. David has contributed a great deal of time and energy to the Chamber for many years and I am very pleased to be able to count on his support before handing over the presidential chain to him in 2018. It’s been another very busy couple of months and the air of confidence continues across the region – despite some of the uncertainty surrounding Brexit. My feeling is that the Government is beginning to set out a plan for exiting the EU and, while we won’t have genuine stability until everything is finalised, at least we are starting to get a sense that there is a way forward. As I say, there seems to be no stopping Coventry and Warwickshire at the moment and we are all very much looking forward to the Chamber’s Business & Trade Expo on September 15 followed by the Annual Economic Conference on November 2. The Expo, at Stoneleigh Park, is a truly fantastic opportunity to meet and network with fellow businesses from across the region and to build relationships that can lead to new deals and contracts. The Conference, this year at the Crowne Plaza in Stratford, also offers a chance to network but it’s against a backdrop of information and opinion from key figures in business and politics at local, regional, national and even international levels. One issue that should be at the forefront of all of our minds in business is cyber security. It’s a topic I have mentioned before (just prior to the NHS debacle) and I have had good feedback from IT companies for raising this issue, but it appears that micro businesses that generally work from home aren’t dealing with this, thinking that they will be safer as they won’t be targeted. However, they are easier to target, as the “internet of things” means that hackers can get access through CCTV cameras, games consoles and even lightbulbs. I would like to get people thinking about Industry 4.0 and how they can adopt technology into their business, but they do need to focus on security before they begin. I am hearing people say that Industry 4.0 is for manufacturing companies like mine, but I am seeing it being successfully adopted in a variety of sectors. After all, collecting data about the market, your products, your customers and a variety of other information is helping businesses make informed decisions, obviously reducing the risk for their business, particularly in future investments. Warwick University are currently running some great projects for businesses nationwide and as local businesses, we should use the support which is right on our doorstep. Again, it’s an area where I believe this region can lead the way and by networking and tapping into the support and expertise available, Coventry and Warwickshire businesses will be stronger for it.
David Campbell and Chris Box will manage some of Red Marlin’s most high-profile clients who benefit from the agency’s expertise in digital PR such as social media management, as well as more traditional marketing, PR and media relations. David spent his early years in the specialist motoring press before moving into PR. Chris has a wealth of automotive public relations knowledge having worked for a number of major car manufacturers.
Red Marlin team, left to right, Jas Ghata-Aura (digital executive), Chris Box (new account manager), Lucy Burman (account executive), Danny Rughoobeer (managing director) and David Campbell (new account manager).
Margaret Casely-Hayford named new Chancellor The first black woman in the UK to be made a partner at a City law firm has become Coventry University’s first female Chancellor. Margaret Casely-Hayford is Chair of international development charity Action Aid UK, a Co-op board member and co-manages rap artist Kelvyn Colt. She takes over the ambassadorial role at Coventry University from Sir John Egan, former BAA and Jaguar Land Rover CEO, who held the post for ten years. Ms Casely-Hayford studied Law at Somerville College, Oxford University,
and was called to the Bar in 1983. She joined Denton Hall Law Firm (now SNR Denton) four years later to specialise in planning law, and in 1998 was made partner, becoming the first black woman to hold the role at any City law firm. Margaret champions the representation of young people, women and ethnic minority groups on boards of directors and is Chair of the advisory board of Ultra Education, working to develop young entrepreneurs.
Band Hatton Button look to the future
A growing law firm has made significant changes to its board so it can continue developing in the post-Brexit business landscape. The board of Coventry-based Band Hatton Button has converted to become an Alternative Business Structure, which allows the firm to attract inward investment from external sources and appoint external expertise on to the board. The move comes as Band Hatton Button continues to increase turnover year-onyear and appointed 20 members of staff spanning across corporate, commercial, litigation and private client teams.
The law firm now employs 84 people, and services in excess of 30,000 clients spanning Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond.
Mark Moseley, managing director at Band Hatton Button, said: “There are no immediate plans to change any parts of the business, but this does now give us the flexibility to invite people on to the board outside of the law sector so that, should we ever need to assess potential growth opportunities in other sectors, we will be able to.”
John Nollett
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