CBI role for commercial finance boss

Finance company boss Alex Beardsley has been elected to serve on the CBI’s Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Council.

Alex is Joint Managing Director of ABL Business, commercial finance brokers in Cleckheaton. She was elected in a ballot of CBI members across the region and will serve on the Council for the next three years.

The role enables council members to share their expertise and to input ideas and opinions from the business communities they represent, helping to steer the influential organisation’s policies and campaigns.

The 12 Regional and National Councils of the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) meet quarterly to discuss key issues of the day affecting businesses across the country. They then feed back to the CBI Chairs’ Committee which steers and sets the organisation’s policies. Information and data gathered by the Regional Councils is used to calibrate the CBI’s work and messaging to ensure it represents the views of businesses across the whole of the UK.

Alex said: “I’m really thrilled to have been elected to this rewarding role. The work of the CBI empowers business owners to directly affect those major decisions that impact on us all – this year we are committed to making sure The North’s voice is heard throughout the corridors of power.

“I’ve personally experienced the struggles that women can face when starting out in business and I’m keen to give a voice to female entrepreneurs as well as to Northern businesses as a whole.

“One of the most rewarding elements of working in the finance sector is seeing clients’ companies go on to thrive and grow. Now, by working within an influential organisation like the CBI, I’ll be in a position to build on this and hopefully make an even more meaningful contribution to the prosperity of our region.”

CBI Regional Director Beckie Hart said: “We’re delighted to welcome Alex onto the Regional Council and we warmly welcome her to the role. Her experience, of both leading an SME business and working with them, will help the CBI continue to represent the views of these businesses to policy makers on a wide range of issues

“The contributions of our CBI Council members have a real impact on our work, enabling businesses to play a leading role in influencing the policy landscape at a local and national level, alongside over 500 senior business executives from around 400 member companies.”

Alex is pictured with fellow joint managing director Andy Redman.