The head of the largest business support organisation in Wales is stepping down after 16 years at its helm.
David Russ, the managing director of the parent company behind the Centre for Business and South Wales Chamber of Commerce, is to leave the post on 31 March 2014 as part of a planned succession. He will be replaced by a new group chief executive, who is currently being recruited.
Russ joined what was then the Newport and Gwent Enterprise as managing director in 1997, triggering a period of growth that has seen the organisation expand its operations across south, west and mid Wales.
The organisation has grown from a £300,000 turnover and 11 staff to become the largest business support provider in Wales with a projected turn-over of £6 million in the year to March 2014 and 95 staff in 11 offices. It also now manages 300 industrial and serviced office units and delivers business advice across 14 of Wales’s 22 boroughs.
During this period, the Centre for Business and Chamber have expanded their services to include training, business consultancy, IT consultancy, business-to-business support and test trading opportunities. The last two years have seen the organisation, as part of a consortium, win all three south Wales Business Start-Up contracts and the prestigious Business Wales contract for Welsh Government.
At the same time, Russ has personally become one of the most influential business figures in Wales, serving on a number of key economic and business bodies and helping to shape policies in areas such as entrepreneurship, micro-businesses and international trade.
“It’s been an exciting and fulfilling journey and, having achieved the goals I set myself, I feel this is the right time to hand the baton to someone to build on these foundations and take the organisation to the next stage,” he said.
“The Centre for Business and the South Wales Chamber, as they are now, are a far cry from the organisation I joined in 1997. Newport and Gwent Enterprise was well-respected but it was seen by many as a bit ‘slippers and cardigan’. Today, we’re operating across south, west and mid Wales, supporting and advising thousands of businesses and influencing policy at all levels.
“I am lucky to have been supported throughout by committed, enthusiastic and highly professional staff. We have a robust infrastructure in place, with an excellent team led by a strong senior management group. They will provide continuity and consistency as we find the right person to take what’s been achieved and add their own fresh ideas that will ensure the organisation continues to grow and deliver the kind of support entrepreneurs need to succeed.”
David Russ has been at the heart of efforts to tackle the challenges facing the Welsh business community over the last 16 years and made a major contribution in a number of areas, including:
· Developing the micro fund strategy for Finance Wales.
· Membership of Welsh Government task and finish group on developing micro businesses.
· Chairing Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy for Welsh Government.
· Developing strategic partnerships with all Councils in South and Mid Wales.
· Founder membership of Wales Entrepreneurship Action Plan and drafting Wales’s first Business Birth-rate Strategy.
· Board membership of Newport Unlimited
“I was a founder member of the Entrepreneurship Action Plan in 2000 and played a part in drafting action plans to stimulate entrepreneurship that earned recognition for Wales across Europe as an example of best practice,” he said.
“Business support services have also come a long way over this period. In the past they were too fragmented and there was a lot of duplication, but now there’s a much more integrated approach and that’s creating a better platform to increase awareness and access.
“Of course, there’s still a more to do, and I look forward to seeing a new chief executive come in with a fresh approach to build on the foundations we have created.
“The Welsh economy has inevitably suffered from the deepest and longest recession ever known, but we’re seeing encouraging developments in many sectors and there are many inspiring examples of entrepreneurship and innovation. Our role is to nurture and support the people who want start or build businesses, and I will be continuing to make a contribution as a business adviser.”
The new group chief executive officer position will be advertised in the Sunday Times on 13 October 2013.