New chief for largest business support organisation in Wales

Keith Palmer, 47, from Cardiff, has been appointed as group chief executive of Newport and Gwent Chamber of Enterprise and Industry, the parent body behind the Centre for Business and South Wales Chamber of Commerce.

He replaces David Russ as the outgoing head who will step aside in March 2014, after 16 years at the helm, as part of a planned succession.

Mr Palmer joins from Business in Focus, where he has been national contract manager for Business Wales, with responsibility for delivering the contract that provides business support services to more than 10,000 companies per year in Wales within a £6 million pa budget.

Prior to this, he was a senior account manager for London-based multinational consultancy, PA Consulting Group, where he was responsible for investor development as part of its UK’s Government contract for delivering Foreign Direct Investment projects.

Mr Palmer, who holds an MBA, has a strong track record within the business support arena, both in terms of assisting Welsh SMEs to grow and develop new markets but also in attracting global businesses to invest in Wales. His previous experience includes roles in the Welsh Government as head of business support for the South East Wales Region and head of automotive for International Business Wales (IBW).

While at IBW, he also led its Pathfinder Initiative to seek out emerging markets and train a team of inward investment project managers, and previously worked for the Welsh Development Agency, heading up the agency’s Australia and New Zealand operations. Before this, he worked in industry for 20 years.

Speaking about the new appointment, David Russ said: “We are absolutely delighted that Keith Palmer is coming on board to drive the company forward and build on the legacy that has been achieved to date.

“Keith brings with him an impressive wealth of experience, which has seen him work for organisations in both the public and the private sector, providing him with an extremely rounded perspective.

“Keith’s vision, passion, commitment and understanding of the market place are inspiring, and we’re looking forward to him to take the organisation to its next natural progression.”

Newport and Gwent Chamber of Enterprise and Industry is the largest business support provider in Wales by being the parent company behind the Centre for Business and South Wales Chamber. It has a projected turn-over of £6m in the year to March 2014 and 95 staff in 11 offices. It manages 300 industrial and serviced office units and delivers business advice across 14 of Wales’s 22 boroughs, encompassing training, business consultancy, IT consultancy, business-to-business support and test trading opportunities.

The Centre for Business is a not-for-profit organisation. It celebrated its 30th anniversary this year after helping to create more than 10,000 new businesses and assisting around 25,000 entrepreneurs. Around 83% of new start-ups assisted by the Centre for Business are still operating after three years compared to a national average of just 35%.

The South Wales Chamber has grown from its original roots as the Newport and Gwent Chamber of Commerce to become the voice of SMEs across the southern half of Wales. It now has 1,100 members and a further 2,500 affiliated members.

Talking about his appointment, Keith Palmer said: “I am very excited to be heading up the organisation responsible for Centre for Business and the South Wales Chamber, which are strong brands in the business support arena in Wales.

“I’ve long been an admirer of the work of David and the team, and working closely with the rest of the senior managers, I’m looking forward to building on the legacy that David has created in forging an exemplar organisation.

“I am joining at an especially interesting time. The economy appears to be turning a corner, and I’m looking forward to capitalising on the opportunities that exist as we start to face an upward curve.”

David Russ will continue to act as a business adviser on a part-time basis.