The new-look Black Country Chamber of Commerce board has met to shape the membership organisation’s drive to strengthen and grow in 2025.
Lynn Wyke, senior business development manager at BCRS Business Loans has joined the board, while Amy Brokenshire, partner, training principal and employment law specialist at George Green LLP, has been reappointed.
Lynn has worked for business loan provider BCRS Business Loans since 2018, having previously been employed at NatWest as director for the Black Country, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
With 12 years of leadership experience, Lynn is passionate about growing the local economy having been born and raised in the Black Country. She has credentials in team engagement, having achieved development qualifications along with a chartered banker certificate and a diploma in credit skills.
A partner at Black Country law firm George Green LLP since 2022, Amy has more than 18 years’ experience working in law having practised as a qualified lawyer specialising in employment law and HR matters for 16 years. She draws upon her extensive experience in the legal industry to advise the Chamber board and management on legal issues and is a trusted adviser to local businesses.
New member Lynn said: “I am excited to be joining the board of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce to support its work in playing a leading role in shaping a thriving economy for the region.
“The Chamber and BCRS Business Loans have shared goals in supporting companies to achieve their potential, so I look forward to drawing upon my experience with local businesses. Born and raised in the Black Country, I have always been passionate about promoting the region, its businesses and its workforce, who together make the Black Country the place to be.”
Chamber CEO Sarah Moorhouse said: “The Chamber has a leading role to play as the most established regional business support agency for Black Country firms, so I am delighted to have board members with the calibre of Lynn and Amy as we build an exciting future.
“In the year ahead, we will continue to deliver on our key theme of ‘strengthen and grow’. Our focus as an organisation remains upon developing an aspirational mindset and culture, activating pathways to deliver and executing our plans with excellence.”
The appointments were made at a Chamber AGM which received the report of the directors and the accounts for the year to March. The report summary statement looking back on the year’s performance said: “2023-24 was a year of respond, recover and renew seeing the Chamber focusing on high effort activity, stabilising operations and uniting a new foundation and way forward.
“The 12 months was a reset year building upon the current foundation to make it stronger, focusing on the Chamber people and their talent to help businesses and creating and growing a winning company culture that will launch our business and that of our members onto a path to success.”
Other milestones featured in the statement included exceeding budget “during a year of many changes”, securing 12 months of funding for start-up projects in Walsall and Wolverhampton, as well as maintaining membership retention levels above national standards. The Chamber increased its profit margins on trade documentation and held another successful awards evening. In total, 797,777 individual engagements with businesses were logged, doubling its target for the year.
