8 business matters
Nick Handley Executive Chairman at Sussex Enterprise
New Board Line-Up At County’s Chamber Of Commerce The largest business organisation in Sussex has announced its new line-up of board members to serve the large membership base and help create a more successful Sussex. Sussex Enterprise, with its headquarters conveniently located in Burgess Hill, is the accredited Chamber of Commerce for the whole county, supporting and representing businesses across Sussex. Newly appointed to the Sussex Enterprise board are: Rob Clare, Natwest’s regional director of commercial banking for Surrey, Sussex and SW London; Paul Hills, the managing director of EDO MBM; Sharon Phillips, previously head of business and enterprise at the University of Sussex, and responsible for initiating a strategic approach to business; David Sheppard, business owner and former chief operating officer of Ricardo plc, the global defence and automotive engineering company.
business edge december/january 2013/14
Nick Handley, the executive chairman of Sussex Enterprise, said: “These individuals bring a wealth of experience and talent which will be vital to the continued success of the chamber. When I took over as chairman my view was that to grow Sussex Enterprise we needed some of the most senior business people in the county to help us. We are therefore delighted to have these entrepreneurs on our board.” David Shore of Time 24 and Farid Ahmed of Wolf Unique continue to serve as board members. Sussex Enterprise strives to improve the economic environment in which its members operate and provides a range of commercial services to support members, including practical business support, HR, training, information and advice to help businesses develop, grow and profit.
In this special issue on Infrastructure, Transport and Logistics, it is important to review the biggest likely infrastructure project for years to come – HS2. The British Chambers of Commerce have lobbied the Government hard following feedback from chambers of commerce across the country (including Sussex Enterprise). The BCC said – ‘HS2 is the only scheme that can transform capacity on Britain’s overstretched railways. Cancelling HS2 in favour of upgrades to the existing railway infrastructure would cost a fortune, disrupt business, and deliver just a fraction of the capacity we need for the future’. By the time you read this, a decision will hopefully have been agreed by government and the opposition to press ahead with this important contributor to economic growth. Major infrastructure projects similar to HS2 have always suffered from opposition and naysayers in Britain. Bemoaning the approach of the railways to his beloved Lake District, William Wordsworth said – ‘Is then no nook of ground secure from rash assault?. In their day, the M25 motorway, the Jubilee Line Extension, High Speed One and the Channel Tunnel were heavily opposed. Yet each one today is part of Britain’s core economic infrastructure, and have brought economic benefit to businesses across the UK. HS2 is no different. A new highspeed rail network, as part of a wider infrastructure investment strategy, will allow for more commuter services into key cities, and for more freight trains to take cargo off our roads. As you read this, we will also have held our special members meeting with Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport. As part of our strategy to grow the local economy, we strongly support the expansion of Gatwick too. Watch this space or should I say look out for some green light for some exciting new projects. Nick Handley Executive Chairman