Membership focus key for new GM Chamber boss

GROWING membership and supporting existing members during these tough economic times are the core of Clive Memmott’s vision for the country’s largest chamber of commerce.

Mr Memmott, 56, who is six weeks in to his new job at the helm of the 5,200 member organisation, says Greater Manchester Chamber must not forget that it is funded by its members and must put them first.

“We have got to be utterly and ruthlessly focused on it,” he told TheBusinessDesk.com.

“We have 5,200 members, and a retention rate of 78-80%, which means that in a given year we are dealing with around 7,000 companies. I want to drive it north of 7,000 in the next few years – I’m not putting any limit on it.”

While enjoying the public profile that his position will bring, Mr Memmott, who is a published business author, says it is his and the Chamber’s duty to give members a voice.

“We’ve got to make sure that the people who make up the Chamber are heard too, that’s very important to me. Our role is to articulate the views and needs of businesses, of all sizes and across all sectors, across Manchester. We then have to work with key partners to make sure that these needs are met.”

Engaging with the new Local Enterprise Partnership for Greater Manchester, the combined local authority for the area, and of course with British Chambers of Commerce, are also key goals.

Mr Memmott, who commutes to Manchester daily from Derbyshire – where his family home is – is also planning to renew the Chamber’s key policy areas – to ensure that it remains relevant.

“There is a good platform on which to build – the Chamber produced its Action for Business last year, which determined five or six key policy areas and I want to refresh this.”

From an economic point of view, he says the Coalition Government was left with little alternative but to address the deficit and acknowledges that as the impact of the cuts in next week’s Comprehensive Spending Review filter through to the regions. there will be ‘very painful consequences.’.

“We are in a period where the economy is being rebalanced, and it is up to us to support our members, be they small businesses needing finance to grow or large international businesses, and help them increase their sales, profits and employee numbers.”  

He says he wants to foster a culture of partnership and collaboration within the organisation and externally, adding: “I am a great believer in communication and knowledge transfer and sharing best practice.”

As a business leader he says his values are: “Absolute open-ness, a no-blame culture where people are empowered to achieve, but also held accountable.”

Mr Memmott will attend his first AGM at the Midland Hotel today, where he will introduce Martin Douglas, general manager of Trafford Park-based food products manufacturer Cargills, as the Chamber’s new President.

Mr Douglas’ focus for his year in the role is international trade. He will tell members that the major stumbling block to an export-led, private sector recovery will be “if we fail to export good and services to global markets.”

Greater Manchester should be true to its heritage as a great merchant city and: “Go out into the world and trade.”