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File Note
Reference
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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I called on James Chiu (GEC) this morning to discuss a number of issues, one of which was the composition of the Secretariat of the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC). left with Mr Chiu a copy of the letters I received recently from the two Generals regarding possible candidates for the post of Executive Director: also acknowledge receipt of the letters saying more or less what I said (ie that final decisions on the appointment of a senior Executive Director have not yet been taken but that their interests would be kept in mind). I also left with Mr Chiu a copy of the letter which Anthony wood handed over to Mr Needham last week.
I mentioned that Mr Needham was taking a keen interest in British Chamber of Commerce affairs here. He is supportive of the concept of developing a more powerful Chamber but is a little concerned that the Chamber might get itself into a contractual situation with existing staff and thereby pre-empt any possibility of radical change for the next 4 year (the term for the present Directors contract). We also discussed Mr Courtauld's strategy paper.
Mx Chiu said he liked certain aspects of Mr Courtauld's strategy paper. But he was also keen to consider more fully the alternative, which is to build up the secretariat generally over the next year or so and to increase gradually the services on offer to the membership. He had already talked to Paul Cheng about Inchcape's position and been assured that Inchcape do not want to influence the BCC in one direction or the other, but that the offer of financial support would be there if further resources were required ("the hidden hand"). Mx Châu will be meeting John Gray on 14 May and Michael Gale on 17 May and will call on Nigel Rich in the next week of so. Mr Chiu is confidence he will receive similar assurances from all of them. Meanwhile he is going to suggest to the General Committee that the BCC embark on a fund raising campaign; he would expect such an initiative to genexato about unện, 5 2 mallien short of the sum the Chamber would need to do anything very ambitious but a helpful start ie to recruit more staff and to produce market reports (he is personally keen an statistical analyses) for sale. If it then seems clear that a more senior Executive Director should be appointed, the Committee might draw down on the offers made by the five Hongs.
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE