The Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce has a new President. Jonathan Thornton, the managing director of PC Consultants, was formally sworn into the role at the Chamber’s AGM on Friday 7th October 2022 at the New Holmwood Hotel in Cowes.
Jonathan succeeds John Allen in the voluntary position. John steps down after completing his three years as President and continues to remain on the Chamber’s board.
Jonathan Thornton said:
“The Chamber of Commerce has been supporting Island businesses for well over a hundred years. I hope that during my Presidency I will be able to continue the good work that the Chamber does to drive the Island’s economy and represent the views and needs of the business community. I’d like to echo the words of another IW Chamber President, from 1995, noting that ‘we live in a changeable world, where change is the only constant.’ That’s just as relevant today, as we continue to live in unpredictable times. I’d also like to thank John Allen for his support and leadership during the previous three years and helping us to negotiate the challenges that we all faced.”
Jonathan is the former Vice President of the Isle of Wight Chamber. A high-profile member of the Island’s business community, he joined Ryde based technology firm PC Consultants more than twenty years ago. He became managing director of the business in 2010, also serving on the Chamber’s Economic Development Board.
John Allen said:
“It’s been a great privilege for me to have been the President of the Chamber. I took on the role in October 2019 and the last three years have been unpredictable and in many ways unprecedented. I’m looking forward to continuing on the Chamber’s board for another three years and doing what I can to keep the business community moving forward.”
At the Chamber’s Annual General Meeting a new Chairman of the Board was appointed, with Lifeline Alarm Systems’ Mark Lee succeeding Steve Porter in the role.
The Chamber’s Chief Executive Steven Holbrook thanked John Allen for his commitment and welcomed Jonathan Thornton as President. Steven also reflected on the last financial year for the Chamber, with more events and increased emphasis on the value of membership.
“We’ve all been living through extraordinary times, requiring substantial resilience from everyone. The Chamber has been central in representing the needs of Island businesses, bringing the views and challenges of our community to the British Chambers of Commerce, in turn helping to influence government policy.
“The Chamber hasn’t been immune either from the impact of an uncertain few years, but looking back on the last financial year we are in a good position with healthy membership numbers. The return of significant events like our Expo, our highly prestigious Chamber Business Awards and our regular networking meetings have helped us move forward and – post Covid – we continue to lobby and lead the Island’s business agenda, supported by hundreds of member businesses.
“I’d also like to welcome Mark Lee to his position as Chairman of the Chamber’s Board. We also wish a fond farewell to Steve Porter who retires from the board after almost two decades of service. Steve was appointed Chairman in 2015 and he has been a consistent support to the Chamber and we thank him for his dedication, knowledge and advice.”
The IW Chamber of Commerce Board is now:
Steven Holbrook, Chief Executive, IW Chamber
Jonathan Thornton, President, PC Consultants
Mark Lee, Chairman, Lifeline Alarm Systems
John Allen, Past President, Ventnor Self Catering
Sarah Chatwin, ERMC
Alison Colley, Real Employment Law
Fran Collins, Red Funnel
Alistair Dickinson, MyCRM
Helen Farrant, Liz Earle Beauty Co.
Keith Greenfield, Wightlink
Rob Holgate, AJ Wells
John Irvine, WightFibre
Sandra Knowles, Hillbans Pest Control
Karen Lucas, Vikoma
Tracy Osborn, Quarr Abbey
