Black Country Chamber of Commerce appoints first female chair

The Black Country Chamber of Commerce has appointed Claire Lawton as its first female chair.

Lawton, founder of Acorn Support in Halesowen, replaces Phil Purssey, who has stepped down after four years in the role.

In her new role, she plans to build on initiatives including the Bostin’ Black Country Business campaign and support businesses across sectors including manufacturing, aerospace, construction, life sciences, tourism and professional services.

Lawton said: “This is a very exciting time to be taking the position of Chair, especially with Raj Kandola arriving as our new CEO.

“Sarah Moorhouse and Phil have been a great team and have given the organisation outstanding foundations to grow and deliver more targeted lobbying and business support to the entrepreneurs and firms putting the Black Country on the map.

“My role will be to build on this strong platform and work to take it to the next level, leveraging my experience in HR and culture to build a strong and highly skilled Chamber team committed to giving our members the best possible support.

“There are lots of challenges with rising costs and new legislation, but there are also lots of reasons to be optimistic with emerging markets and a new breed of young professional developing through our specialist Foundry initiative.”

Purssey said: “We have achieved a lot over the last four years and I’m immensely proud of how the team has adapted to overcome economic challenges and keep their focus on delivering for our growing member base.