The Team | Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce

We are a small business too!

Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce is the small business with a big voice. The leading organisation representing the business community across the whole of Ayrshire, our objective is to promote and facilitate business between our members to encourage commercial growth and local prosperity.

We are the voice of the business community in Ayrshire and pride ourselves in providing strong representation of your interests in the corridors of power at Holyrood and Westminster.

Serving the business community for over 70 years, we aim to support every type of business, from sole traders to large corporations. Our members cover a vast range of sectors including textiles, industrial, tourism, retail and manufacturing.

By listening to our membership, tailoring our services to suit, we’ve developed a valuable portfolio of services and networking opportunities to help give your business the best possible platform to succeed. As an Ayrshire Chamber member, you can enjoy a range of exclusive deals and benefits, including:

Access to a vibrant business network · Invitations to business events and networking opportunities
Fully funded Chamber Legal services including legal cover and 24/7 legal advice line
Fully funded Chamber HR services, including professional HR documents and 24/7 HR helpline
Exclusive offers on Health Plans

Val Russell

CEO

Leads a hard-working team of 18 employees across several projects and initiatives. As a small business my role is varied and includes working in partnership with private & public sector, education & social enterprise. Continuously striving to enable the Ayrshire economy.

Helen McBride

Development Manager

Responsible for an Award-winning Membership team with a focus on recruitment and retention of members along with promotion of the services available. Contact for becoming an Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce Partner for Business.

Adrienne Howard

Finance Officer

Deals with all accounts admin including maintenance of Sage, customers, suppliers, banking, invoicing etc. Prepares Quarterly and Statutory Annual Accounts. A member of the International Trade Team.

Yvonne Munro

Events Co-ordinator

Responsible for creating a calendar of events and training to our membership to grow their business and develop new skills. Provides sponsorship opportunities for organisations looking to increase their brand awareness.

Alison Clayton

Communications Officer

Main contact for the Chamber’s quarterly magazine, Your Business. Produces content for the website, social media and local media to promote the work of Ayrshire Chamber. Contact to become our Business Spotlight on Social Media and for all media enquiries. Part of the International Trade team.

Julie Coulter

Admin Officer

Provides admin support to the Chamber office and Membership Team. Deals with all aspects of documentation as part of the International Trade team.

Lisa Stewart

Business Development Officer

Part of the Membership team, actively out and about encouraging you to join Ayrshire’s Ultimate Business Network. Responsible for the Business Excellence Award and main contact for advertising in the Chamber magazine.

Kate Armstrong

Administrator

Provides admin support to the Chamber office and Membership Team. Responsible for Chamber Social Media Channels.

Alexander Sharp

International Trade Officer

Deals with all aspects of documentation as part of the International Trade team.

Joan McMurdo

Business Development Officer

Part of the Membership team, actively out and about encouraging you to join Ayrshire’s Ultimate Business Network.

Claire Baird

DYW Team - Project Executive

Responsible for the DYW team whose role is to engage employers in education and highlight the benefits of employing a young person. We ensure young people get access to employers through education to prepare them for the world of work and experience high quality work placements.

Gillian Longmuir

DYW Team - Employer Engagement Officer

Regularly out and about visiting businesses of all sizes to spread the DYW Ayrshire word. Keen to hear from employers on experiences of working with young people, encouraging others to consider taking on a young person and to engage with education.

Danielle McPherson

DYW Team - Marketing, Communications & Administration Officer

Part of Marketing and Communications team. Responsible for Facebook, Twitter, content encouraging employers to engage with education and champion benefits of employing a young person. Provides event support.

Emma McClymont

DYW Team - Business Liaison Officer

Works with Ayrshire schools and businesses to enhance the current curriculum through employer engagement. Provides the necessary support for schools in recruiting representatives for careers events, mock interviews and departmental links.

Steven McBlain

DYW Team - Business Liaison Officer

Deals with Work Experience for schools in North and South Ayrshire. This includes carrying out all relevant Health & Safety Assessments prior to any pupil attending.

Christina MacDonald

DYW Team - Business Liaison Team

Tasked to create links between businesses and schools to enhance the curriculum and increase employability in our young people. Work with schools on careers events, mock interviews, and with individual departments on subject-specific projects.