Chamber chief quits as interim leader throws hat into the ring

Gary Williamson’s resignation was announced yesterday by the chamber. He will be replaced on an interim basis by Len Cruddas, the former chief executive of the York and North Yorkshire chamber, which merged with Leeds in 2008.

Mr Williamson was unavailable for comment and is believed to be on holiday in the Canary Islands.

A friend said he wanted to “take a break”.

“Gary’s done a cracking job since the merger,” added the friend. “It’s been a very challenging environment to run the chamber because all spending is under scrutiny and everyone is looking at which membership organisation to retain and which to let go.

“The chamber has had to run very hard to maintain its level of membership. Gary has worked very hard to keep the chamber moving in the right direction.”

Mr Cruddas told the Yorkshire Post he would be taking the role for at least 12 months and “will very likely apply” for the post on a full-time basis.

He said: “These are difficult times for business.

“These are times when chambers of commerce are needed more than ever.”

The chamber made a pre-tax loss of £161,000 on turnover of £2.14m in the year ending March 2011. Its membership stands at 2,000, according to a chamber spokeswoman.

Mr Williamson’s departure comes after the organisation relaunched itself in November, timed to coincide with the closure of the Government-funded Business Link service.

The chamber hopes to fill the void in business support and has invested more than £250,000 in a modernisation programme to broaden its appeal and make its services more relevant to existing and new members.

Tom Morton, chair of Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber, said: “The board is very grateful for the contribution which Gary has made to the chamber over the last ten years and wish him the best of luck in the fu- ture.

“We look forward to working with Len as the chamber introduces new products and services to help our members grow.

“We will continue to work closely with our local partners to ensure that the businesses of Leeds, York and North Yorkshire have a voice and have access to the support infrastructure to help them succeed in these challenging economic times.”

Mr Williamson, who is in his early 50s, joined the chamber 10 years ago and spent the last five years as chief executive.

Mr Cruddas’ past roles include chief officer in a city council and self-employed management consultant.