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Welcome from
The Chief Executive
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As the Chamber reflects on the contribution of Ian Smith, I am reminded that for more than 75 years, our organisation has drawn on the finest talent the Thames Valley business community has to offer.
Personally, it is a great privilege to be associated with, let alone mentored by the best regarded in business. Attracting the best to our cause continues to give energy and direction to our work, and I am confident we will do so for the next 75 years.
To bring the gallery of this best representation to life, I would encourage readers to explore the Chambers Thames Valley Assembly, a relatively new development by the Chamber, chaired by Robert Van de Noort, Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading.
By letter Robert and I welcomed Andy Burnham, the nation’ s new Prime Minster, earlier this month with a ten-point plan for the growth and prosperity of the Thames Valley. This is a reminder of the contribution
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to the whole of the UK, and a reminder of the risk in putting our local economy on the back burner. You can read more about this plan on page 7.
During my tenure I have welcomed no less than eight Prime Minister’ s. This points to the purpose of the Thames Valley Assembly as an instrument to deliver a unique cross sector, pan regional view of the region.
We welcome conversations with organisations and leaders looking to contribute.
Together we will continue to drive real change.
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Paul Britton Chief Executive |
WELCOME |
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Opinion from
The Group President
I wish to use this piece to pay tribute to my immediate predecessor as President of the Chamber, Ian Smith, who very sadly died early in August aged 71, after a long battle with cancer. Ian was a chartered accountant with what became PwC and for
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a number of years was the Senior Partner for their Thames Valley Office in Reading. Throughout that time, he was an active member of the Reading Chamber Council having joined the Chamber in 1982. In 2006 Ian was invited to join the Board of the Thames Valley Chamber and in 2010 he was appointed President a role he fulfilled for the next eight years.
After stepping down and becoming Immediate Past President Ian remained an active member of the Board serving on the Audit and Risk committee of the Chamber bringing to bear his sharp mind and deep knowledge of the Chamber’ s affairs and of business generally to help in steering the Chamber through the difficult times following Brexit and COVID.
I knew Ian as a fellow professional for over 30 years but over that period increasingly as a friend. Just as the Chamber has, I have greatly benefitted from his knowledge, wisdom and his guidance and support, his sound judgement and unwavering, forthright advice. As he told me, when he reluctantly decided earlier this year to retire from the board due to his ill-health, the Chamber was in his DNA. He was a most worthy recipient of the coveted Life Honorary Membership of the Chamber awarded to him in March but as he joked to me, probably to be the shortestlived member of that august group.
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Ian touched the lives of many members of the Chamber and he will be remembered by many for his welcoming demeanour, ready wit and his bottomless fund of jokes and anecdotes( usually self-deprecating) as well as for his immaculate turnout. He was genuinely interested in the people he met and had that rare ability to put everyone at their ease.
To the end he remained cheerful and phlegmatic, whilst realistic about his prospects- resigned to his fate if you like- but never complaining or seeking sympathy; full of praise for the medical team that had supported him at Salisbury Hospital over recent years.
The current success of the Chamber can, in no small measure, be attributed to the unstinting devotion to the Chamber and its people over many years of Ian Peter Smith. We are proud to have had him as a colleague and a friend. We shall miss him. May he rest in peace.
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Bill Gornall-King Group President |