BCC Advisory Council

Martyn Pellew
President, British Chambers of Commerce

Martyn has been involved with the Chamber movement for over ten years as non-executive director of the North East Chamber of Commerce, where he was President from 2009 to 2011. He served as Vice President between July 2010 and July 2011.

Mr Pellew started his career in engineering, later working in the chemicals and leisure sectors in both the UK and the continent. His previous industrial and private sector experience includes working as a director for Unipart in rail and automotive logistics, for NFC and Exel (now DHL) in logistics and Ladbroke/Hilton hotels as sales and marketing then development director. He also worked both in UK and Germany in engineering (Morgan Crucible), construction (Wimpey), office equipment and chemicals/paints sectors (Hoechst). Martyn holds a portfolio of non-executive roles with a variety of public and private sector businesses.

Nigel Brewster
Managing Director of Sewell Moorhouse

Nigel Brewster is 36 years old and lives in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. He was elected President of Doncaster Chamber of Commerce in January 2008 and has subsequently been re-elected to serve a further term. His focus as President has been to place the skills agenda as one of the top priorities for Doncaster Chamber and it continues to develop innovative approaches with local and regional partnerships addressing the issues of skills gaps, worklessness and social inclusion through economic engagement.

His current role as Managing Director of the recruitment group Sewell Moorhouse sees him manage all operations in the office network across Yorkshire and the North West whilst managing the business' Accountancy, Engineering and Executive Search disciplines. He joined Sewell Moorhouse in 1997 as a Trainee and after successive promotions was promoted to his current role in 2008. In his spare time, he is a keen supporter of Doncaster Rovers Football Club and amongst other charitable commitments he is a Trustee of the club's Community Foundation which works with children across the area promoting health, fitness and the development of aspiration and social skills through sporting activities.

Derek Chartres
Managing Director of Business Services Group

Derek is Managing Director of The Business Services Group, providing Business Services and Facilities, Logistical Support and Print Solutions to businesses across the south for 20 years.

A Director of Portsmouth and South East Hants Chamber, and of the South East Regional Chambers of Commerce, Derek has some 18 years experience serving on Chamber Boards, including the roles of Chairman and President. He is a former Enterprise Agency Chairman, founding non-executive director of Young Chamber, and immediate past Chairman of the British Chambers of Commerce, Accreditation Board.

His career includes service as a RAF Provost Officer, Local government officer and in Sales and Regional sales management.

Mick Mayor
Managing Director of Team Leyland International Ltd

Managing Director of Team Leyland International Ltd a company he set up 14 years ago and he is also the current Chairman of Chambers of Commerce North West.

Kath Boullen
Chief Executive of St Helens Chamber

St Helens Chamber provides services to improve the economic prosperity of businesses and people in the area. Activities include representing 1,250 Member companies, Business Support, Training, Enterprise Development and supporting new business starts. The Chamber has 175 staff and an annual turnover of £11m.

Kath is a member of the Programme Monitoring Committees for the North West European Programmes, the North West Learning & Skills Council and the Regional Skills & Employment Board.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Kath worked for the Government Departments at area, regional and Head Office level on a range of training and enterprise initiatives.

She has also worked for a Regional Tourist Board on various business development initiatives.

Robert Collier
Chief Executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce

Robert Collier joined Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce as Chief Executive after six years as Managing Director of Tourism South East based in Hampshire, commuting there each week from his home in Aberdeenshire.

Prior to that he held a number of part-time posts in Aberdeen while studying for his MBA at Durham University Business School. He was previously managing director of RGIT in Aberdeen and held a number of tourism-related posts throughout England.

Andy Rayner
Past President of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce

My career has seen me work for the Co-operative Movement for over 30 years in various positions and.most recent as a Store Manager of a flagship Department Store in Ipswich  I have a good understanding of modern day retailing, customer loyalty/membership which has many synergies with the chamber movement.

Andy hasrepresented the retail sector within Suffolk Chamber for a number of years and I am  also a current Board Director, and past President.

Michael Salter
Chairman of Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Mike Salter has a long history of top level leadership in the oil and gas industry both in Scotland and internationally. He served as Vice President/General Manager for all UK and European operations for Bawden Drilling (UK) Ltd in the 1980s. From 1990 to 1995, he was Chief Executive in the UK for Smedvig Limited before joining Abbot Group plc, initially as Development Director, but was later appointed Chief Operating Officer in 1997.

After retiring as a Director and Main Board member of Abbot Group at the end of July 2007 he remained on board in a part time capacity as Chairman of Bentec - the Group's land rig building company based in Germany until the end of March this year. He is Non-Executive Chairman of the ASCo Group Ltd. He also holds a number of other non executive and advisory roles including Chairman of Ferguson Modular Ltd, Red Spider Technology Ltd and CQS Rig Finance Fund. Mike is the immediate past President of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

Chris Slocock
Chairman of South West Chambers of Commerce

Qualifying first as a Zoologist and then training as a Surveyor Chris started his own development and construction company in the UK and Australia he is now chairman of a group of companies that range from Printing and Publishing to Residential and Commercial property with considerable experience in the SME sector of business. Chris is a Past President of Dorset Business (the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Dorset), and is currently a non executive director on the Dorset Business board and Council.

He serves on the advisory Council of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), as the BCC Business Representative for the South West.

Chris is also past Chairman of South West Chambers of Commerce where he is focused on regional issues and developing a focused voice for the South West to help develop and build a Culture of Enterprise and Success with particular emphasis on the knowledge economy and a joined up Chamber movement at the heart of that process.

Chris has a pragmatic approach that is passionate about what he calls “The One Voice Agenda” and a “Fair Deal For Business” specifically focusing on what he calls a “Community Economic Strategy”, a sustainable scale and way of doing business that represents the right balance between Government, Commercial and Social interests at Community levels, locally and Regionally, with particular reference to the SME group of businesses.