Hewitt arranges meeting for Small Business Council
The 20 members of the Small Business Council will meet for the first time on Thursday after recruitment problems delayed its launch for two months.
The 20 members of the Small Business Council will meet for the first time on Thursday after recruitment problems delayed its launch for two months.
Small Business and e-commerce minister Patricia Hewitt has announced the 19 members of the Council to support chairman William Sargent.
It is understood the first meeting will also include SBS chief executive David Irwin, Hewitt and trade and industry secretary, Stephen Byers.
Hewitt, said: ‘I am particularly pleased this is a council of active entrepreneurs. People who are taking risks, making commercial decisions, and who understand from their daily experience the issues facing small businesses today.’ The government has set up the independent body to report to the government on the needs of small businesses.
The SBC has 13 male and seven female members, from sectors including accountancy, manufacturing, retail, IT, TV and consultancy.
Michael Snyder, senior partner for mid-tier firm Kingston Smith, will take up a seat on the Council.
Meanwhile Former Coopers & Lybrand director Walter Herriot, who left the firm in 1990 to join St John’s Innovation Centre as managing director, will also represent the accountancy profession.
Other members include chief executive of HR consultancy Mayday Group, Sarah Anderson, XL Entertainment CEO James Braithwaite, Paul Morgan, the MD of Roseberry Recycling and Reuben Singh, the chairman of the RS Group of Companies. An SBS official, added: ‘We have recruited all the people at the top of our shortlist’.