Business 'needs more innovation'

Mr Wright, the former managing director of hi-tech steels company ATI Allvac and recently appointed Sheffield ‘Floods Tsar’ told members attending the organisation’s 150th annual general meeting: “I strongly believe that Sheffield needs to accelerate activity in the area of innovation. It is the introduction of new products and processes that drives the need for new skills, drives productivity and competitiveness and takes you to the pinnacle of your chosen sector.”

Mr Wright has taken over from TUC regional chief turned businessman Paul Jagger.

Hermann Beck, co owner of the Holiday Inn Royal Victoria, was appointed Chamber senior vice president and Nick Tovey, from the Sheffield office of independent engineering and environmental consultancy Wardell Armstrong, was named junior vice president.

Professor Christine Booth, executive dean of the faculty of organisation and management at Sheffield Hallam University, has been named a non-executive director of the Chamber.

Newly elected members of the Chamber’s Council are Jay Bhayani from Watson Esam Solicitors; David Child from Aspire and Transform; Bob Cushing from Wired Workplace; Richard Edwards from G & J Hall; Laurence Gavin from Irwin Mitchell; Paul Hancock from Bright Finance; Alison Hurndall from HR Media; Brandon Jones from First Group; Bernd Klein from Universal Alloys & Metals; Suzanne Liversidge from Halliwells’ Solicitors; Jon Stewart from Siemens VAI; Hakim Wais from Community Learning Academy; Graham Walker from Royal Bank of Scotland and Jill White from Andy Hanselman Consulting.

Julie Readman of Business Link South Yorkshire; Tracy Viner of Tracy Viner and Chamber Council Chairman Nick Williams, of Stainless Finishing Services Limited were all re-elected to the Council.