2. Biz Network Sept 39-68.qxp_Chamberlink 30/08/2022 11:45 Page 62
FOCUS FEATURE
ENTERPRISING WOMEN
Eileen and Jean are nicknamed Ant & Dec for their double act on stage
A legacy that’s lasted for 25 years This year’s Enterprising Women Awards, taking place on 30 September, will be an extra-special occasion as the Enterprising Women network celebrates its 25th anniversary. Dan Robinson sits down with co-chairs Jean Mountain and Eileen Perry MBE DL to find out how it started, grew and became one of the Chamber’s most important initiatives in connecting people. hen the duo behind Enterprising Women walk on to the stage at the Mattioli Woods Welford Road stadium at the end of this month for the network’s annual awards, a longstanding tradition dictates they will be greeted by Let’s Get Ready to Rhumble. Eileen Perry will stand on the left, from the audience’s perspective, with Jean Mountain on the right, as per their routine for public appearances. If it sounds a bit like a particular famous TV presenting double act that also performed musically as PJ & Duncan, then it’s supposed to. The business leaders have earned the nickname Ant & Dec over many years of hosting networking lunches, inspirational speaker workshops and the Enterprising Women Awards, which continue to be one of the biggest events in the Chamber calendar. “We were at an event a few years ago when someone said to us ‘I absolutely love the double act – this is better than watching Ant & Dec’,” says Eileen, who takes on the Anthony McPartlin persona as the taller of the two. “So at every awards we play their song and stand in the correct line-up to keep the act going. When we’re on stage,
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we’re so excited to be there and just bounce off each other.” It’s often remarked by awards guests that they carry the “warmth” of the Geordie duo, while Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles once told Eileen and Jean they “light up the room” whenever they go on stage. Jean, or Declan Donnelly, adds: “I call her ‘Ant MBE’ and she calls me ‘Dec HRH’. “It’s an affectionate nickname that reflects our personalities and the great relationship we have built over the years.” TODAY’S CHAMBERS OF commerce network represents modern-day Britain, with businesses run by and employing people from all walks of life. But back in 1991, when Jean Mountain first joined what was then known as Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, it was a different story. “I became involved after attending ‘meet the buyer’ events run by the Chamber and I’d often find myself as the only woman there,” says Jean, who at the time ran a factory for Supreme Rubber Stamp Company, in Huthwaite.