New Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce President Simon Gould says he’s excited about the challenges that are ahead for the organisation.
Mr Gould, of Hilary Nathan Media and Orbit Marketing, was elected President at the Chamber’s Annual General Meeting last week.
Mr Gould has been appointed to the role for the next 12 months with Anil Puri as Vice President. He replaces Wayne Willmington, of Vintage FM, who did not re-contest the top job.
With a long history in the small business sector and an educational background in marketing, Mr Gould said he is definitely across what it takes to grow a business.
“On behalf of the new Board, thank you to the members for your confidence and support, we are excited about the challenge that lies ahead,” he said.
“Being involved with the Chamber for some time has given me good insight and has allowed me to meet quite a number of the members and gain a reasonable understanding of what it’s all about.”
As a Commerce graduate from University of New England, majoring in Marketing and Human Resources, Mr Gould continued on to have a very successful career.
Mr Gould has worked in the magazine division at News Corp, was the Sales Director for the Western Weekender and has had extensive experience as a national advertising manager and recruiter. He currently owns two businesses, Orbit Marketing and Hilary Nathan Photography.
He said his desire to make a genuine impact was his motivation to run for President.
“The events that the Chamber run are terrific but I think there’s probably some better ways that we can use technology and social media to help the members, not only connect with one another but with people and businesses outside the Chamber,” Mr Gould said.
“There’s going to be some quantum shifts in what we’ve been doing here, I really want to build on the work that’s already been done but we want to look for a certain view, more contemporary ways of helping Chamber members connect with one another.”
Mr Gould said his vision is to continue strengthening the Chamber and to put a lot of focus into their advocacy program.
The role of the Board now is to set the strategic direction and to decide on what are the best ways to achieve their goals.
A graduate of Western Sydney University, Nicola Barton is a news journalist with the Western Weekender, primarily covering crime and politics.
