Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the area’s longest-established, locally rooted Chamber. For well over a century, we have existed for one reason: to stand up for businesses in this part of Yorkshire and to help them thrive.

With a new leadership team now in place — Chief Executive Officer Neil Kendall, Chair Jason McCartney, and a newly extended Leadership Board — the Chamber is entering its next chapter with renewed focus, clarity and ambition.

That purpose has not changed.  What has changed is the context in which businesses operate — and the leadership shaping how the Chamber responds.

Rooted here, focused on business

Mid Yorkshire is not just where we operate; it is who we are. Our members span manufacturing, logistics, professional services, retail, creative and digital industries — businesses that together form the productive backbone of our local economy.

We exist to support the whole business community:

• from idea and design,
• through making and delivery,
• to routes to market and the places where business meets people.

Our renewed focus is firmly on real businesses, real challenges, and real outcomes. That means practical support, purposeful connections, and representation that reflects what is actually happening on the ground across Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees.

Proudly independent and business-led

The Mid Yorkshire Chamber is independent by design.

We are not a public body, a delivery arm of government, or a lobbying vehicle for any single interest. Our legitimacy comes from our members and from the businesses we represent every day.

That independence allows us to:

• speak honestly about the challenges facing business
• work constructively with partners while retaining our voice
• challenge policy where it falls short
• stay focused on long-term economic strength rather than short-term agendas

We collaborate widely — with councils, partners, and policymakers — but we remain business-led and business-accountable. This balance is central to who we are and how we operate.

Leadership, not just activity

Chambers of Commerce have an illustrious history of influence going back over 200 years.  But like any business, to stay relevant, a modern chamber must do more than convene. It must lead.

Under the direction of the new leadership team and an expanded Leadership Board, the Chamber is sharpening its role as a connector, champion and system-builder for the regional economy.

That means:

• focusing on the problems that matter most to the productive economy
• helping to join up fragmented systems across sectors and places
• translating business insight into real influence
• and staying with complex challenges until progress is made

We will continue to bring businesses together — but always with intent. Conversations must lead somewhere. Activity must deliver value.

A connected, outward-looking Chamber

We are deeply rooted in Yorkshire’s industrial heartland, but we are also outward-facing. We recognise that our members operate in national and international markets, global supply chains, and fast-moving industries – and that business doesn’t start and end with West Yorkshire.

Our working message — “Globally connected. Locally rooted. At the heart of Yorkshire.” — reflects that dual role.

It captures what we are building:

• a Chamber of Commerce and Industry embedded in its place
• confident in its identity
• and open to the world

You will begin to see this reflected in how we present ourselves, how we communicate, and how we engage with members and partners.

Resetting with purpose

This moment is not about reinvention for its own sake, it’s about focus.

Our chamber has strong foundations and a proud history dating back to 1852, but relevance must be earned continuously.  We are taking the opportunity to be clearer about our purpose, more disciplined in our activity, and more visible as a business voice.

Over the coming months, members will see:

• refreshed engagement and communications
• purposeful events and connections
• clearer articulation of our role and priorities
• and a stronger, more confident presence across the region

These are early steps in a longer-term strategy to ensure the chamber remains a trusted, influential and effective force for business.

Building the next chapter together

The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry Limited belongs to its members. It belongs to all of us.  The role of our leadership — CEO, Chair and Board — is to serve that business community with clarity, independence and confidence.

We are here, we are focussed and we are committed to strengthening Yorkshire’s business community for the long term.

The next chapter is underway — and we look forward to shaping it together.