Following a comprehensive governance review, the Chamber of Commerce has ended a 120-year-old tradition of appointing a President from the board and aims to widen the pool of potential candidates across its membership.
The new president, which is a non-executive role, will also act as an ambassador for the Chamber with regional, national and international leaders and stakeholders.
A full description for the role is now available here with an applications deadline of October 8.
Inviting applications for president of the Chamber is a new way of filling the position, which was previously handed on from the current incumbent to the vice president.
Corin Crane, chief executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “For the first time in 120 years, we have separated the role of Chair and President in order to recruit first class candidates that have the distinct skills to make each role a success.
“Our new President must be a current Chamber Member and have the energy, business experience and connections to make the role a success. We want someone who personifies the entrepreneurial spirit of Coventry and Warwickshire and we’ll support them at every step to make the term unforgettable.
"We are so grateful to Steve for everything he has done over the past two years. He’s thrown himself into the role and, despite having a day job running a regional accountancy business, he has been a fantastic advocate and ambassador for the Chamber and the business community.
"He’s been out to meet businesses of all sizes and sectors to find out their issues, hear about new initiatives and see how they are looking to grow.
“We are now at the point where Steve will step down having served his maximum of two years and we have decided to do it differently by asking business leaders to apply for the role rather than simply handing on the chain to the ‘next in line’.
“It’s a great way to bring in some fresh new ideas and we look forward to seeing a really strong list of applicants. Steve has also said that he’d happily meet applicants to discuss the role to give them a flavour of the kind of opportunities and responsibilities it brings.”
Steve, a director at Prime Accountants Group, said: “I’ve loved every minute of my time as president.
“I’ve had great support from the team at the Chamber and also fantastic backing from everyone at Prime.
“The role is such a wonderful opportunity to get out and meet businesses across the region and to better understand what a diverse, innovative and outstanding range of companies we are home to in Coventry and Warwickshire.
“I am proud to have served the business community of the region, and I would encourage anyone who wants to help represent those firms and play an active role in growing and supporting the regional economy to put themselves forward.”
