Shannon Chamber CEO promoted to Chambers Ireland board

HELEN Downes, CEO of Shannon Chamber, has been appointed to the board of Chambers Ireland.

Her appointment was ratified at the Chambers Ireland AGM, which was held in Dublin last week.

Congratulating her on her appointment, Kevin Thompstone, president of Shannon Chamber, said, “It’s a great honour for Shannon Chamber via Helen Downes to have input at board level in a national organisation.

Helen’s nomination by the Chambers Ireland CEO Forum for a position on the board and her existing representation as a member of Chambers Ireland Human Resources Policy Council, is both indicative of the high esteem in which she is held by the organisation, and her ability to make a valuable contribution to strategic considerations.

“Membership of the Chambers Ireland board gives Shannon Chamber a forum to make representation on behalf of members and to input their views and commentary on national policy issues being considered by Chambers Ireland for presentation to government and key stakeholders. It will ensure that Shannon’s voice is heard at another key national level.”

As Chief Executive of Shannon Chamber for five years, Ms Downes has spearheaded many new Chamber initiatives to promote business growth and economic development in the Shannon area. These initiatives, which have also led to increased Chamber membership, include a number of EU-focused seminars, a Chamber HR Forum, a CEO Forum, a Business Watch scheme, and linkages with national and international business organisations in both the public and private sectors.

Prior to joining the Chamber she held a Senior HR position with Thomson Financial (Ireland) Ltd, managing day to day HR activities, including health & safety regulations, across multiple sites.

Shannon Chamber has over 250 member companies drawn from a wide cross-section of business sectors, employing around 7,500 people in the Shannon hinterland.