Chief executive of chamber set to quit after 13-year reign

Nigel Tomlinson, who is moving on after a 13-year tenure, recently called for less red tape and warned the chamber was expected to make a full-year loss.

Last night, a chamber spokesman said he did not know when a replacement would be appointed. The spokesman said the figures for the last financial year were unavailable because they had still to be audited.

In a statement issued yesterday, Sheffield Chamber said Mr Tomlinson had been a leading player in the regeneration of Sheffield.

The statement added: "He has overseen the chamber becoming one of the most innovative in Europe and during his time at the helm has seen substantial membership growth."

Nick Tovey, Sheffield Chamber president, said: "Nigel has led the chamber through a remarkable period in its recent history which has seen its growth and achievements recognised locally,nationally and internationally.

"His passion – recognised by many – to see Sheffield succeed, has contributed to the re-emergence of the city as a force. The chamber looks forward to picking up on this legacy, playing its part in the delivery of a modern, diverse and broad local economy. We wish Nigel all the very best for the future."

Mr Tomlinson, 50, was unavailable for comment yesterday. Speaking in March, Mr Tomlinson confirmed that the chamber would make a loss in the financial year to March 31 2010, but could not say how much it would be.

He added: "It's like a challenge that any business faces, you go to the wall, or you fight for what you believe in ... and take painful measures to take that model forward." In the previous year, the chamber had turnover of around 3.6m.

Around 2.4m of turnover came from the chamber and the rest – 1.2m – from Senta, an enterprise agency which provides advice for business start-ups.

Despite membership reaching an all-time high of 2,700, only 10 per cent of income, around 400,000, came from subscriptions, with the rest coming from training and other business support activities. At the time, Mr Tomlinson said a lot of energy was wasted dealing with changes in policy.

He said: "I am trying to balance the books and trying to deal with what we are providing as a service when things are chopped and changed. At the same time, I could spend every waking moment trying to interpret what is coming out of Whitehall."