Roger Hunter joined last week from Reading IT consortium the Open Group, where he helped with membership renewal and retention.

Roger said: "I am really keen to get stuck into my new role. I want to make sure that my members get full value out of their membership and I am commencing on an initiative to contact all my members to establish how the Chamber can help their respective businesses."

He takes over from Alison Jones, who quit after less than a year.

The £25,000 a year role involves getting new businesses to sign up, and Roger promises expects to add new networking events to the local business calendar.

Roger added: "I want to introduce some events that focus more on the social side of business. While I appreciate it is important to continue the events that are in place and I understand the value of the networking opportunities we provide I am looking to combine this with a more sociable and informal feel. Work can be hard but it can be enjoyable too and I want our events to reflect this."