The CBI Yorkshire and the Humber Council has appointed Jacqui Hall as its new chair.
Jacqui is the managing director of CNG Ltd, the biggest independent shipper of gas in the UK. She succeeds Richard Flint who was the former chief executive and executive chairman of Sky Betting & Gaming.
Giving her taken on the region, she said: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to take the reins following Richard’s successful time as chair of the CBI Yorkshire and The Humber Council. Despite the fact we face a period of uncertainty as a business community, I am confident that we have the expertise, passion and drive to overcome this. Our region is spectacular and is capable of so many amazing things, not least collaboration, innovation and a continued commitment to growth.
“Brexit may be a huge focus for many right now, but I want us to look hard at the opportunities for business stemming from the Government’s ‘net zero’ carbon target. It’s so important we build on work done so far on our region’s global competitiveness, including its infrastructure, transport network, housing stock – including affordable housing – and the important role of digitisation and artificial intelligence. We can compete, we can participate and I think we can even lead the way given everything at our fingertips here.
“I can’t wait to work more closely with my colleagues on the Council and the CBI team to continue the fantastic work and engagement that Richard has led.”
Yorkshire and Humber is home to huge electricity generation assets, with a huge transformation from traditional fossil fuel to green energy. The combination of huge scale offshore wind and carbon capture and storage is positioning the area at the heart of UK-wide Net Zero ambition.
Over the past decade CNG’s revenues have risen from £25 million to just short of £250 million from a base in Harrogate.
Beckie Hart, CBI Yorkshire and the Humber regional director, said: “We are delighted that Jacqui will chair the CBI Yorkshire and the Humber Council and welcome her warmly to the role.
“Jacqui brings with her a wealth of experience and a unique understanding of the business needs of the region.
“Jacqui has a breadth of knowledge in regulation, stakeholder management, policy matters and engagement, having led on this for CNG for a number of years, and will undoubtedly bring this expertise and guidance to the role.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Richard Flint for his leadership and guidance during his tenure, he has consistently spoken up for the region and it’s businesses and highlighted on a national level the exciting opportunities that exist within the region and shone a light on some of the challenges so that they can be addressed.”
