The British Chambers of Commerce has given its first ever President’s Award to East Midlands Chamber’s Chair of the Board of Directors Kevin Harris.
The inaugural award, presented at a prestigious London ceremony on 16th October, recognises special contribution made to a Chamber of Commerce in the UK.
Across more than a decade working with East Midlands Chamber, Kevin’s long list of accomplishments for the region include getting over 15, 000 people into employment, over 18, 000 upskilled to meet the needs of recruiters and overseeing £48 million of support grants to grow businesses.
Kevin Harris first joined East Midlands Chamber’s Board of Directors in 2013, being a former non-executive Director and Chair of the Board of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce. Elected President in 2018, he became Chair of the Board of Directors in 2023. Kevin also sat on the Midlands Engine Executive Board and is a founding member of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (British Business Bank).
Kevin was Chair of Leicester and Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), where the Regional Growth Fund deployment for Leicestershire was recognised by Government as the most successful outside London, with the allocation of around £14 million of funds and the creation and safeguarding of around 1600 jobs in the city and county.
Kevin led the creation and development of two Enterprise Zones for Leicester and Leicestershire (Mira and LUSEP), both of which have attracted new businesses and created numerous jobs for the area, generating economic growth and development.
Notable achievements across Kevin Harris’s decade working voluntarily for East Midlands Chamber:
- 15,876 unemployed individuals into sustained employment
- £48m of business support grants issued to support business growth
- 234,350 exports to 167 countries
- 18,245 individuals upskilled to meet the skills gaps across the East Midlands
Kevin Harris said: “I’m absolutely delighted to receive this award, and it’s great to be its first recipient. It’s nice to win something that was voted for by the Chamber network.
“It’s been a real joy to be involved with the Chamber for the last 15 years or so and seeing it move forward over that time. Being part of East Midlands Chamber since its inception and seeing it grow and develop has been a privilege and this is recognition not just for me but for the whole team. It’s a sign that the whole Chamber has been a success.
“Chambers of Commerce play a very important role in helping the business community and have a key role to play in helping the Government deliver its agenda and work even closer with business.”
East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “Kevin’s work for East Midlands Chamber has been nothing short of exemplary and there are tens of thousands of people in across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire that have benefited from the sheer dedication Kevin has given to impact their lives and the wider economy.
“The Board of Directors, of which Kevin is Chair, give their time, energy and wealth of business experience from a broad range of sectors voluntarily, to champion the East Midlands and grow its economy.
“Kevin not only excels in the depth of skill and insight he has in business, but his passion for the East Midlands and its people is unparalleled. You only have to look at the numbers – tens of millions of pounds into business growth; tens of thousands of people into employment and you see this is someone that’s really impacted the region’s growth.
“Kevin’s put heart and soul into the region with over a decade working for East Midlands Chamber as a director, then as President and now Chair of the Board. I thank him for his continued commitment and congratulate him for this award, which couldn’t be more deserved.”
Notable achievements while a Director of East Midlands Chamber in 2023/24 include:
- 11,899 individual businesses received support to help their growth
- 14,212 exports from the East Midlands to 127 countries globally
- 1,429 unemployed people were supported into sustained employment
- £1.8m of digital transformation grants issued to the East Midlands business community
Finalists for the President’s Award were:
- Louisa Harrison-Walker, CEO, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce
- Stuart Anderson, Head of Public Affairs, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce
- Barbara Uranjek, CEO, British Slovenian Chamber of Commerce
- Catherine Stephens, Head of International Trade Services, Business West
- Dan Fell, CEO, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce
Main photo: Kevin Harris with British Chambers of Commerce Director General Shevaun Haviland
