Emma Marmion, Managing Director of Prestige HR, is the new President of Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade, taking over from Paul Convery, Head of BT Business in NI, following an extremely successful two-year tenure.
A native of Newry, Emma is the Founder and Managing Director of Prestige HR. With offices in Newry, Dundalk and Belfast, the company is recognised as one of the top HR and training consultancies in NI by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Emma becomes the third woman in our long history to hold the role of President after Deborah Loughran and Mary Doran.
It is also the first time that two senior businesswomen will be at the helm of the Chamber, with Emma being joined by Julie Gibbons, Managing Director of Prestige Holdings Ltd, parent company of Abbey and Autoline Insurance, who takes over as our new Vice-President.
Emma and Julie will be in their roles until the end of 2021, representing nearly 200 businesses in the Greater Newry Area, employing over 15,000 people.
Commenting on her appointment, Emma said:
“As Newry Chamber is about to enter its 200th year representing the businesses of Newry, I feel honoured and privileged to lead the Chamber as their President. Our members employ more than 15,000 people and I appreciate and value the trust that members have placed in me at a challenging time for the Newry and NI economies.”
“Brexit has been the all-consuming issue for the past three years. But we are now at the crossroads. The UK is leaving the EU at the end of January and we must work hard to ensure the promises that were made about no hard border are delivered and that our region continues to exploit its location on the Dublin – Belfast economic corridor.”
“I am confident that the spirit of entrepreneurship and resilience that Newry businesses are renowned for will ensure we can tackle the challenges and exploit the opportunities that our businesses will face in the coming years.”
“Economically, Newry is in a strong position. As a local economy we have benefited from the development of the All Ireland Economy and free access to European markets. The Greater Newry Area has nearly 9,000 businesses. Six of our businesses are in the Top 50 companies in NI and nine in the Top 100 companies.”
“The Chamber, as the Voice of Local Business in the Greater Newry Area, will work hard to ensure that the area remains the premier destination, for retail, tourism, investment, entrepreneurship and employment. In the next two years, I look forward to working with our members to help them grow their businesses and increase employment opportunities in the region.”
Emma has built her reputation as a pioneer of change and is known nationally as an innovative, passionate and committed entrepreneur helping businesses create a culture of success. In addition to her role as President of Newry Chamber, Emma is also Vice Chair of Women’s Aid Armagh and Down.