One of the region’s most prominent business leaders has joined East Midlands Chamber to help expand its engagement work with key Government decision-makers.
Richard Blackmore, the former Midlands director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), has been appointed head of special projects.
Sitting within the policy team, the newly-created senior role supports its work in lobbying politicians and senior civil servants at a local, regional and national level.
Richard left the CBI earlier this month after seven years in the role and nine years with the organisation, where he had worked closely with the Chamber’s Chief Executive Scott Knowles and director of policy and insight Chris Hobson in presenting a unified business voice for the region.
He said: “I’m delighted to be joining the East Midlands Chamber and working with Scott, Chris and the wider team.
“Now, more than ever, business needs to be a leader in shaping the future economy and, working with our members across the East Midlands, I look forward to helping deliver this.”
A key pillar of the Chamber of Commerce for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire’s remit is to work with Government to develop policies that create a positive trading environment for the local business community – which in turn leads to economic growth and job creation.
Last year, the Chamber launched a regional economic blueprint, titled A Centre of Trading Excellence: A Business Manifesto for Growth in the East Midlands and Beyond, in Westminster.
The 12-page document presented local MPs with the region’s economic priorities and a series of national policy asks to help businesses achieve these.
This work will be expanded upon as the Chamber gathers intelligence from the East Midlands business community ahead of the next General Election and development of the East Midlands devolution programme in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Richard will support this work, as well as the Chamber’s ongoing engagement with the East Midlands Freeport team in developing the region’s unique proposition to foreign investors.
East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “Richard brings a wide breadth of knowledge and great understanding of the East Midlands region and our thriving business community.
“We are very excited to welcome him to the Chamber team in order to support the exciting policy engagement work we have planned as we build towards a General Election, the establishment of a new East Midlands Mayoral Combined County Authority in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and other great economic opportunities.”
