Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has welcomed its newest President, Mark Spragg at its Annual General Meeting.

Past President, Gavin McDonagh has stepped down following this three-year term as ICC President, which was extended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mark, who is the Managing Director of Where Now Consulting, becomes the 130^th President of Inverclyde Chamber following an interview process by the ICC Board in conjunction with Scottish Chambers of Commerce.

With a wealth of experience, Mark has worked in senior leadership positions in the UK and overseas for both large global companies and family-owned SME’s.

Before joining Where Now Consulting, a management consultancy with operations in Scotland, Manchester and Dubai, Mark was Vice President EMEA for Steelcase Inc, a global manufacturer.

A local man, Mark lives in Wemyss Bay with his family and is a keen musician.

Reflecting on his new position, Mark said:

“It is an honour and a pleasure to become the Chamber’s 130^th President, following in the footsteps of many prominent leaders in its proud 208-year history.

“The past year, in particular, has seen great challenges for local businesses including the Chamber, but we are proud of our response and are emerging in good shape as we look towards the future.

“Our membership numbers have grown steadily over the past year, and we continue to welcome new businesses to our membership.

“I can assure our members that we will continue to listen to their feedback and views to ensure we continue to develop the Chamber as the voice for business in Inverclyde. I look forward to meeting with them over the next year.”

After being presented to the membership at the AGM, Mark paid tribute to his predecessor Gavin McDonagh, as well fellow Board members Robert MacDonald, Claire McParland and Andrew Bowman who have also stepped down after many years’ combined service to Inverclyde’s leading business membership.

Reflecting on their dedication and service, Mark said:

“On behalf of my fellow Board members, we would like to thank all of the Directors that are stepping down for their superb contribution and volunteering their time to support local businesses.

“This creates significant opportunities for the Board to make fresh appointments and we expect to make some announcements in the coming months of new Board members.”

ICC Chief Executive, George McKay said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Mark to the President’s role and even in the first few weeks have thoroughly enjoyed working together.

“Inverclyde Chamber continues to go from strength to strength, with growing membership numbers, fresh events and aims to relaunch our Business Awards in early 2022.”