New Chamber Chief Executive Announced
Date published:
North East England Chamber of Commerce has announced its new chief executive will be John McCabe, a former President and the managing director of Fusion PR Creative.
Heading the Chamber from early October he will be responsible for the region’s largest independent business organisation.
He started his career in PR with Northumbrian Water before moving to communications roles with Transco and Newcastle Building Society. After these positions he became Alcan’s corporate affairs director where he led on government affairs in the UK and Europe.
Eight years ago he established his own business with the launch of Fusion and went on to oversee its growth and diversification as well as its work with a substantial client list of major public and private sector organisations.
Commenting on his appointment, John said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed Chamber chief executive and to be joining a great team, doing such important work for our region.
“Our members will always be at the heart of everything the Chamber does and I will be immensely proud to be their advocate and champion at home and internationally. Together, we can build a stronger North East on the foundations of a fairer, more sustainable and inclusive economy.
“The North East has been hard hit by the pandemic and many of our members are continuing to experience great difficulty as a consequence of exiting the European Union. We must do all we can to shape a future that enables our incredible businesses to flourish and achieve their full potential.
“I also hope we can work with government to deliver a levelling up agenda that has a focus on people and opportunity as well as on critical investment in infrastructure.”
“It’s a privilege to succeed James who has worked tirelessly on behalf of Chamber members and has made an immense contribution to the North East. I have the highest admiration for him and I am delighted he will remain in an influential position in the region during his tenure as chair of Newcastle Building Society, which is a great and longstanding Chamber member.”
John Marshall, Chamber chair said: “As expected we had a high level of interest from applicants in our recruitment process. We also had some strong candidates from both inside and outside the region. There was though always one stand out candidate and that was John. He has served the Chamber with distinction as President, as well as being a Council and Board Member. His understanding of, and passionate commitment to, the Chamber, its members and the region shone through.
“I am very much looking forward to working with him, alongside our President Lesley Moody, as we plan for the next chapter for the Chamber championing and supporting our members and the region as an exceptional place to do business.”
Lesley Moody, Chamber president said: “James Ramsbotham has worked tirelessly as chief executive over the last 15 years, helping ensure our Chamber has gone from strength to strength representing our members regionally, nationally and internationally. I think we have all acknowledged since the announcement of his departure that his would be ‘big shoes to fill’.
“As a result of our recruitment process I’m delighted that we are welcoming John McCabe as our new chief executive. He comes to the role with a great knowledge and understanding of the North East business landscape along with a track record of working with large and smaller businesses. He also has first hand experience of what is involved in starting and growing your own business – something which I’m sure will resonate with many members. I look forward to working with John McCabe with our chair John Marshall and the Chamber team as we continue to support, campaign and work for our members’ businesses and the North East region.”
John McCabe said: “It will be a wrench to leave Fusion having launched the business eight and a half years ago. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the business has grown from strength to strength, thanks to an outstanding team effort and the support of many fantastic clients. I am very confident the business has a bright future under new ownership.”
North East England Chamber of Commerce is a member-led organisation and represents businesses from the Scottish Borders to Cumbria in the West and North Yorkshire in the South. It supports its members to grow their businesses by campaigning, offering practical services on everything from customs and exporting to networking and business leads.