Bob Russell

Beams UK Ltd

Bob is the Managing Director of his family business Beams UK Limited based in Rainham.

He has lived and worked within the Gateway region throughout his life. He is married to Ann; they have a daughter, two sons and two grand daughters. Bob is the chairman of the Dobson Trust; a Gillingham based charity which provides relief for elderly disadvantaged people. In his leisure time, he is a long suffering supporter of Gillingham FC, enjoys good wine and food and driving holidays abroad.  
Beams UK was established in 1997 and the company designs and sells innovative and exciting food and beverage gift products to UK supermarkets and department stores. In 2006 it widened its range to include toiletries and cosmetics gifts. Beams UK recruits from the local area and Bob, attributes the continuing success of the business, to having a highly skilled and enthusiastic team of people who thrive on the "can do" ethos that runs throughout the company. Beams has an associated sourcing company with offices in Hong Kong and China. 

Liz Jordan

Liz Jordan is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. She was appointed a partner in the Sittingbourne office of Kingsford Garlant in April 1982.  This firm merged with Spain Brothers in May 1987. 

Since qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1976, Liz Jordan has provided auditing, accountancy, taxation and related advisory services to a wide variety of clients as a General Practitioner.  She has been based in Sittingbourne since 1979 and has developed a comprehensive network of business contacts during this period of almost thirty years.

Liz was appointed Honorary Treasurer of the North Kent Chamber of Commerce in 2004 and during the three year period of that office introduced new financial reporting procedures.
 
Since retiring as Honorary Treasurer at the 2007 Annual General Meeting, Liz has acted as Vice Chairman of the Thames Gateway (Kent) Chamber and up until recently, chairman of the Swale Council.  The Swale Council was particularly active in its first year of operation with the successful launch of the Swale Business Awards and increasing liaison with the other bodies interested in local regeneration projects.

Graham Lusted

Graham Lusted is currently an Assistant Headteacher at Wilmington Enterprise College, an 11 to 19 school on the outskirts of Dartford. He has been teaching since 1975 and been at Wilmington through its many changes since 1987. The College has been a Business and Enterprise specialist school since September 2006 and my main role is to deliver the specialism and expand our community partnerships with local businesses.

We have been a member of the Chamber since 2005 and I have attended Chamber functions since 2006. I was elected to the Kent Thames-side Council in 2007 and became Chair in 2008, with subsequent election to the Board of Directors.

Chris Davis

Chris Davis has been with the Royal Bank of Scotland Group for 26 years, currently the Director of Commercial Banking in the Thames Gateway. He is married with 2 grown up children and lives with his wife Debbie just outside Dartford. His hobbies include Golf, keep fit and badminton 
 
 

Paul Price

Paul Price founded Insource Marketing Management in 2006 and Zero 2 Creative in 1990. He has over 20 years experience in branding, planning, creating and directing marketing campaigns for clients ranging in size from global brands to SME's.
 
His cross sector clients have included organizations such as; BSKYB, CNBC, Disney Channel, Grant Thornton International, Henderson Global Investors, Dept of Health, Pineapple Performing Arts School, Pantheon Retail Europe and Warner Home Video.
 
Paul currently runs both his companies from his Sittingbourne office whilst also acting as consultant marketing director to three fast growing businesses, including Kent Science Park.

Kamal Aggarwal
Thomson Snell and Passmore

Kamal is a partner with regional law firm, Thomson Snell & Passmore and heads up the firms Thames Gateway Office in the heart of the Thames Gateway region. Having qualified in the City in 1992 Kamal joined TS&P's Dispute Resolution Team and has over the years acted for clients ranging from large multi-nationals to small owner managed businesses. His team cover all areas relevant to businesses including Corporate Finance and Commercial Agreements, Commercial Property and Property Development, Construction, Employment and Dispute Resolution. On opening the Thames Gateway Office Kamal undertook detailed research speaking directly with over 50 businesses in the region to understand the issues affecting them and their understanding of and concerns about the regeneration programme. This has given him an excellent understanding of the issues facing businesses in this region both from a commercial and legal perspective. Having lived in North Kent all his life Kamal is committed to ensuring that the region benefits both socially and economically from the developments taking place.

Chief Executive Tracey Manley

Tracey Manley has worked for the Chamber for over 20 years, the last eight as Chief Executive.  She is kept very busy with representing the Chamber at many local, regional and national committees, all alongside the demanding day to day business of running the chamber.

Paul Clark MP for Gillingham

Paul Clark was elected as MP for Gillingham in 1997. Since 2007 he has been Private Parliamentary Secretary (PPS) to Ed Balls, Secretary of State for DCSF and previously PPS to John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister (2005- 2007) and Assistant Government Whip (2003-2005).

Paul was the first honorary president of the newly formed Thames Gateway Chamber of Commerce and is now Immediate Past President.

He is Secretary of the Thames Gateway All Party Parliamentary Group and is heavily involved in the progression of the Thames Gateway project as a board member of the Thames Gateway Kent Partnership. He is also a trustee of Thames Gateway Groundwork.

Paul was born in Gillingham and educated locally and at Keele University. He now lives in the constituency with his wife and children.

Alan Cherry

ALAN H CHERRY CBE DL FRICS Hon MRTPI is chairman of Countryside Properties PLC, one of the UK's leading housing and property development companies.  Countryside Properties is a developer specialising in the creation of sustaiAlan nable communities, and urban regeneration.

Mr Cherry is also chairman of the Kent Thameside Economic Board and Medway Economic Partnership; Board Member of Kent Thameside Delivery Board; member of Thames Gateway Parklands High Level Strategy Group; member of the Manchester Salford Pathfinder Board; member of the Medway Renaissance Board, and board member of MEPC Limited

Amongst the many posts held, Mr Cherry was a member of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh's Inquiry into British Housing and a member of the Inner City Commission.   He is a Past National President of The Home Builders Federation.
He was chairman of the New Homes Marketing Board and The House Builders Federation Housing Policy Committee; a member of the New Homes Environmental Study Group, and a member of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Inquiry into Planning for Housing.

He has been a board member of the Thames Gateway Strategic Partnership and of the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership. 

Alan Cherry was a Founder Partner of the Estate Agency Firm of Bairstow Eves and for some years was its Managing Director.

He was awarded an MBE in the 1984 New Year's Honours List, and awarded a CBE in 2003 in The Queen's Birthday Honours List. 

Adrian Clarke

Adrian joined Baker Tilly from BDO Stoy Hayward in November 2007 to strengthen their Real Estate & Construction team in the southern region, which he now leads.  With a number of clients in this sector he is able to utilise his experience to provide timely and commercial advice on property matters.
As a director within the audit and advisory team of Baker Tilly's Bromley office, Adrian acts as the main point of contact for his clients on a day to basis throughout the year.  Adrian works closely with his clients, allowing him to develop a clear understanding of their business and develop strong relationships with the key individuals within their organisations.

Steve Jeffrey

Steve Jeffrey is the Chamber's Membership Manager and lives locally in Walderslade, Chatham. He previously worked in banking for 25 years. Hobbies include cooking (I make a mean curry - he tells us !!) and golf. Joanna, his wife, would probably add D.I.Y. to that list, although he bega to differ.
 
Steve attends all the Chamber networking events and invites prospective and existing members to  feel free to contact him if they require any help or information regarding any of the Chambers services, events or membership.
 
Steve is based at the Chamber offices and his contact details are Steve Jeffrey. Telephone 01634 311411, email sjeffrey@tgcoc.co.uk  

PA to CEO and Secretary of the Board

Clare Osman
cosman@tgcoc.co.uk

Telephone 01634 311411

or email

Steve Jeffrey

sjeffrey@tgcoc.co.uk

      or

Paula Weeks 

pweeks@tgcoc.co.uk  

Export Documentation

Jenny Holt

Events and Room Hire

Clare Osman

Tel: 01634 311433
cosman@tgcoc.co.uk