After a remarkable tenure, Di De Garis & James Ede-Golightly are stepping down from their roles as President and Vice-President.
We sat them down on the sofa to quiz them about their time at the Chamber.
Gains from Chamber Experience
There’s been both professional and personal gains for Di.
” I’ve always been really passionate about creating environments for small businesses to thrive. I work with businesses daily in my role as an accountancy firm owner, and there’s a lot of crossover with the Chamber membership in terms of the challenges they face – in particular the issues with accessing business banking. I feel like I really understand the issues they encounter,” she said.
Di emphasized how fulfilling it has been to play a role in addressing these challenges. It’s been incredibly rewarding to have access to the right people to try and remove those barriers. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re on the way,” she added.
Chamber’s Strengths
When asked about the strengths of the Chamber, Di was quick to praise the organization’s sense of community. “I think the Chamber does so much so well, but first and foremost, it is a really good community,” she noted.
She highlighted the Chamber’s effectiveness in connecting people and facilitating growth. “We’re much better at signposting our members to the right organisations so they get the support they need and knowing our niche – what we do well, and what other organisations can do better”
“Chamber’s strength is the diversity and commitment of the members — working together to fix problems, lobbying for important changes, and building relationships so members can help or do business together’
Continued Support
Despite stepping down from her leadership role, both Di and James are not leaving Chamber! They remain on the board, and staunch supporters of Chamber’s mission. Their dedication to the business community and her insights gained from their presidency will continue to benefit Chamber and our members.
