Mike Kapur, founder and director of Leicester based telecoms and IT specialists Signum Corporate Communications, Chairman of the National Space Centre and Deputy Chair of Governors at De Montfort University has been appointed chairman of the CBI’s Small Business Forum.
The forum provides a voice for small and medium sized businesses to feed into CBI policy, particularly to encourage Government to make it easier for such businesses to secure public sector contracts, ensure better access to finance and simplify regulation at a time where small businesses play a vital role in creating UK economic growth and stability.
Mike is taking over the role at a critical time for small and medium sized businesses and will be leading the charge to ensure that businesses of this size have a strong voice in Westminster and Brussels. Some of the key challenges for Mike will be how to improve access to finance for small businesses as well as ensuring that they are able to seize opportunities for export trade.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Kapur said: “I am delighted to have been appointed chairman of the Small Business Forum. I will be working with the CBI’s small business members across all sectors to ascertain how the CBI, as the voice of business in the UK, is best able to represent them and will be ensuring that their views are heard.”
Lucy Haynes, Regional Director for CBI in the East Midlands, said,
“I am delighted that Mike has agreed to take on this role. Mike has been a valued member of the CBI’s East Midlands Regional Council for nearly two years and has championed the needs of small businesses during this time. While this is a national role, I know that it will provide an excellent opportunity to highlight some of the great achievements of businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire and raise their profile across the UK.”
The chairmanship is a two year term and Mike takes over from Lucy Armstrong, Chief Executive of The Alchemists.
