NEW Chamber CEO Sarah Moorhouse Speaks to Prosper Magazine

10 Oct 2022

Published in: Black Country Chamber of Commerce News

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'The Chamber is right at the heart of the Black Country’ says Sarah Moorhouse

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'The Chamber is right at the heart of the Black Country’

New Black Country Chamber chief executive Sarah Moorhouse tells Prosper about her excitement at taking the helm at what she sees as the region’s most popular business group.

Former Black Country Chamber of Commerce President Sarah Moorhouse is the new chief executive – and to say she’s excited by the task ahead is a huge understatement.

Sarah has replaced Corin Crane, who has taken on a similar post at Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber after six years at the helm in the Black Country. “I can’t wait to get started,” she says.

“I’ve worked closely with the Chamber since 2018 when I joined the Board and know how hard the team works for its members – and how much it’s appreciated by the business community.

“It’s rare to find any organisation that generates the amount of positivity that the Black Country Chamber manages,” she adds.

“Every time I mention that I’m involved here, people are so enthusiastic. The Chamber is loved by members who see that it’s right at the heart of business life.

“I think businesspeople see in the Chamber a reflection of themselves: hard work, a spot of gumption, a real thirst to succeed and an entrepreneurial spirit – that sums up the Black Country business community, and the Chamber, too.

“I just can’t wait to get stuck in, to meet more of our members and make my contribution to what the Chamber does best: helping businesses respond to the challenges ahead and drive the economic recovery.”

Sarah’s background highlights strong links with SMEs – either through working at them, or on their behalf.

She joins the Chamber following 11 years as operations and marketing director at BCRS Business Loans, and her day-to-day contacts are within the West Midlands SME community with whom she has built strong connections.

“BCRS is a not-for-profit lender that supports the growth of SMEs, so the links between its clients and the membership of the Chamber are strong. I’ve had a wonderful time at BCRS, but I was looking for a fresh challenge. I’m one of those people who’s always looking to get out of their comfort zone, to push myself to the next level.”

Part of the impetus to seek a fresh challenge came – as with many people at the moment, it seems – as a response to the pandemic.

“The past two years have been crazy for BCRS. We were asked to manage the Government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILs) in the region. The workload was intense: from initial contact to starting to deliver the programme, we had a couple of weeks to pull everything together. The pace never let up. It was incredibly busy but I’m really proud of the way the team responded.”

"But the pandemic also “reignited something in me. I felt that I had grown at BCRS but wanted a new challenge and to get my teeth into something different. When Corin announced that he was moving on I jumped at the chance to throw my hat into the ring for the chief executive’s role.”

‘Jumping in’ is something she’s been happy to do throughout her career – from day one.

Her first break after university – Sarah’s an alumni of the University of Wolverhampton, and she’s proud to have stayed close to her Black Country roots – came at Wolves.

“I had a degree in marketing and media and wanted to put it to good use in my local area.

“I drew up a list of all the big employers and Wolves was top of the list. I steeled myself and just walked in, clutching my CV, and asked the receptionist if she knew of any vacancies in marketing, PR or comms. She listened politely but said she didn’t think there were any – only for a lady in the back of the office to suddenly turn around and ask if I fancied coming in tomorrow to shadow her on a match day.

“I said ‘yes’ straight away – I couldn’t believe my luck.” By chance, the lady hovering in the back of the office that day was none other than Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, English cricket legend and a close friend of Wolves’ then owner Sir Jack Hayward. Rachael led the club’s PR and marketing and undertook ambassadorial duties on match days – which she willingly threw Sarah into.

“It was brilliant. I trailled her for the whole day, finishing up exhausted but I loved it. Rachel told me that she’d been impressed with my confidence and for having a bit of gumption to walk in off the street, front up and ask if there were any jobs going.”

Sarah obviously impressed as by the middle of the next week, “I had an interview with the marketing director who offered me a job.”

She stayed at Molineux for 18 months, loving every minute, before moving to Connect PR where one of her key clients was Johnstone’s Paint – at the time, the sponsors of the cup competition for lower league clubs.

“I loved the diversity of the work at Connect: one minute I was helping put on the Johnstone’s Paint final at Wembley, the next I was at Weston Park stately home, then I was extolling the wonders of a new adhesive in a press release for Bostik.”

“It was a fantastic experience. Perhaps crucially, given what was to come, it also drew me closer to SMEs and how they operate.”

From there Sarah took on a change in pace and vision as she worked for a housing association in South Staffs: “I went from working with Richard Branson on a couple of Virgin Galatic PR launches with a huge budget at Connect, to helping tenants tell their stories to local media and promoting the organisation’s new dementia assisted living facility; the contrast was amazing!”

This was followed by a short spell with Poundland as it looked to expand operations into Ireland. From there the next move was to BCRS, and eleven happy years – and her first hands-on contact with Black Country Chamber.

“I was intrigued by the Chamber from the start,” she says.

“I couldn’t get away from the positivity around it and how members feel it is on their side.”

She joined the board in 2018 “to get closer to how it operates and support the team. I could see from the start what it could achieve for members; it has such a strong message and membership offer.”

The strength of that offer is going to be crucial if the Black Country’s economy is to withstand current shockwaves.

“Businesses have never needed a strong Chamber working on their behalf as much as they do today,” Sarah says.

“Our support and services have never been more necessary. It’s our job to help drive the economic recovery as we emerge from the triple challenges of Brexit, the pandemic and now the Ukraine crisis.

“I see our role as being to inspire, to drive the recovery and make a difference in all our touchpoints with members – whether that’s in training, helping with technical matters such as exports, professional development events or networking.

"There’s a real passion in this organisation, a fire in the bellies of the team, and they want to have a positive impact on the business community, the economy and the region. That’s a testimony to the work Corin and his team have put in during his years as chief executive.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the incredibly talented team to accelerate innovation and create value and impact for our members.”

The Chamber has many strengths, but what can be improved? “I think we are guilty of doing too much on occasions. We’re so keen to help that over the years, we’ve taken on more and more tasks and increased our reach – but possibly at the cost of spreading ourselves too thin. It’s a consequence of always wanting to help and deliver answers.”

So, moving forward, where does she see her priorities? “There are four main strings to our bow – lobbying, campaigns, support services and networking – and all four have to be focused on the economic recovery. We’re here to support businesses, whether they are struggling, flourishing, starting up, looking to export for the first time, or to grow. Whichever description matches your current position, we have people with the expertise to help.”

But Sarah’s the first to acknowledge that it isn’t going to be easy. “We’ve come through some tough times, haven’t we,” she says ruefully.

“I think if you’d have said a few years ago that we’re going to shift our focus away from the EU, have a global pandemic and then a war in Europe, people would have assumed that we would have a total economic collapse. But that hasn’t happened. Businesses have worked incredibly hard to keep going. They’ve brought in dynamic new methods of operating and diversified in ways that they would never have considered before. We’re working harder, and smarter, than ever.

“The way companies responded to the work-from-home directives is a case in point; overnight new systems and programmes were put in place so businesses could keep going. We’ve a real ‘can-do’ attitude in the Black Country that lets nothing get in our way. We roll up our sleeves, get down, get dirty and get the job done.”

But it will be hard going, and “sadly, we’ll lose good businesses along the way. The disruption to supply chains, rising costs and the skills shortage will take their toll, but I know the vast majority won’t give up the fight.

“I know it’s an old cliché but the thing I always say about the Black Country is that we take strength out of adversity. Nothing phases us.”

The lessons learned from the pandemic will surely help businesses overcome today’s challenges, but what did Sarah learn about herself during the pandemic?

“The biggest thing I took from it was a better awareness of my limitations. I’ve always been resilient and that stood me in good stead, but I think I pushed myself too hard. It’s too strong to use the phrase ‘burn-out’ but I felt jaded for a time once we’d got back to normal. I realised I needed to build some ‘me’ time into my life.”

Some of that ‘me’ time now includes a lively Doberman. “I admit it, I was one of those people who bought a ‘pandemic pup’,” she laughs. “I grew up in a ‘doggie house’ so always wanted one of my own and decided to take the plunge during the first lockdown.

“She demands long walks as she’s a bundle of energy and needs an abundance of mental stimulation, but looking after her gives me the release I need. We go on long meandering walks near where I live on the edge of the city. I do my best thinking while I’m with her.”

Other than that, it’s always been holidays and a good book that helps her unwind – with a spot of adrenaline-junkie fun thrown in. “I said earlier I like to push myself out of my comfort zone… well, I’m not great with heights but I’ve tried paragliding, done parachute jumps, anything to give me a bit of a buzz and release some energy.

“I’ve always loved travelling and that’s been my treat to myself after all the hard work, so not being allowed to travel for a couple of years since March 2020 was miserable. I love immersing myself in different cultures, foods and lifestyles; it’s the one thing I’ve loved getting back to, since airspace and countries opened up again.”

“I can’t wait to get started, get to know the team better and understand more about our services. As a board member I thought I knew a lot about the Chamber, but I’m starting to appreciate there’s lots more to what we do, and the people we serve, that I need to get to grips with.

“It will be a huge challenge, but it’s one I’m excited to take on.”

Prosper Magazine 

https://www.blackcountrychamber.co.uk/news/prosper-magazine/