Carrie Sudbury, Chief Executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, has been awarded one of the most distinguished honours by the British Chamber of Commerce, in recognition of the outstanding leadership and contribution she has made towards shaping South Yorkshire’s business community.

The President’s Award recognises exceptional work and the impact of individuals who have gone ‘above and beyond the call of duty’ in supporting their chamber, the local business community and the wider chamber network.

Since being promoted to Chief Executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber in 2023, Carrie has played a vital role in forging stronger links between South Yorkshire’s business community and public sector partners – working in partnership to pioneer a number of innovative and truly ground-breaking initiatives to stimulate growth within the local economy.

During the past 18 months, Carrie has firmly established herself as a trusted and respected voice for South Yorkshire’s business community, successfully leading and delivering a number of transformational initiatives including business rates, social value and pathways to work.

Examples of this work have included working in partnership with Rotherham Council through its ‘Buy Local’ initiative, which has seen the local authority increase its investment in regional supply chains by 72%, with a staggering £77.2 million reinvested directly into the local economy.

As Chair of Barnsley’s Inclusive Economy Board, Carrie has also been instrumental in bridging the gap between education and employment, where she has worked closely with local education providers to ensure businesses have access to the skilled workforce they need while empowering and inspiring young people to build sustainable careers in South Yorkshire.

Her work with Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber has been rewarded and recognised, with the chamber enjoying one of the highest rates of member retention and growth of any UK Chamber of Commerce.

The award was presented to Carrie by Baroness Martha Lane-Fox CBE, President of the British Chamber of Commerce.

Carrie Sudbury, Chief Executive, Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, said: “When I became Chief Executive, my top priority was to build an environment where every business can realise its full potential. I feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past 12 months and winning the President’s Award helps to highlight the incredible work our amazing team at Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber is delivering.
I am under no illusions that for many businesses, the past year has been challenging. As we look to the future, I feel confident that as a result of the partnerships we have forged and the work we have successfully delivered, businesses from across the region will benefit from our work, which in turn will help to build a stronger local and regional economy.”

Matt Travis, President, Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, said: “The British Chambers of Commerce is an organisation that represents tens of thousands of businesses spanning across the whole of the UK. Carrie is a very worthy winner of the President’s Award, and her success highlights the innovative and unique work Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber is delivering to support and drive business growth in South Yorkshire.

"Behind the strong membership growth and retention levels - some of the highest of any local chamber of commerce in the UK - has been Carrie’s vision. She has firmly established herself as a trusted and respected voice for South Yorkshire’s business community and someone who has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to helping our members realise their ambitions.”