Thursday was a momentous day for pro-manchester as Sean Williams, head of professional sector at Together, was voted in as Chair at the company’s AGM. Sean takes over the position from Anthony Morrow, founder of OpenMoney who has been in post for the past 18th months. Anthony will stay on the board as immediate past chair.
Reflecting on his own term as chair the Anthony Morrow said “Being involved with an organisation that has worked so hard over the last few years in pretty trying circumstances and to see it today with a growing, loyal membership and very robust finances, makes me very proud. It’s in really good hands and I’m sure that the incoming chair Sean Williams and vice-chair Danny Simpson FIOD will help the team take it even further.
Sean has always been a huge ambassador for pro-manchester and is excited for the opportunity to work with the Board and membership to continue to further the ambitions, aspirations and potential of this great organisation.
Sean joined Together in January 2020. Prior to this he was Head of Customer Banking at Yorkshire Bank in Manchester, responsible for leading customer-facing staff as well as the strategic direction of the banking operation and relationship management team.
When talking about his reasons for putting himself forward for the Chair position Sean said: “I’m a passionate believer in investing in people and investing in your network – I really enjoy the diversity of the people, teams and clients that I work with on a day to day basis. And for me pro manchester emulates that.”
In his first address as pro-manchester chair, Sean outlined his plans for the year ahead.
“As members of pro-manchester you are supported by an excellent team, with boundless positive energy and I’ve had first hand experience of seeing how they have worked so creatively through a turbulent couple of years to further pro-manchester’s mission of bringing new opportunities to Manchester businesses.
I’m looking forward to working with all our members and continuing to champion the important role that pro-manchester plays in Greater Manchester, both locally, within the wider region and on the national and international stage.
pro-manchester is an organisation built around enabling people to connect and network. Collaboration – between us, between businesses and across the city and the wider region is the key to driving success – it is what makes Manchester a great place to live, work, and do business.
In support of his commitment to communities Sean has also appointed Forever Manchester, a charity that solely raises money to fund community activity across GM, as his charity of the year.
Of Sean’s appointment, pro-manchester CEO, Sam Booth said: “We’re delighted that Sean is taking up the role of pro-manchester Chair for the next year. Sean brings with him a wealth of experience in the Manchester business community and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together over the next 12 months.”
Nicola McCormick – pro-manchester COO said “Sean, is so passionate about Manchester and that enthusiasm rubs off on everyone he meets. We are really excited to be working with him over the coming year and ensuring pro-manchester delivers the best service possible for its members”
Amna Khan from Manchester Metropolitan University, Zoe Wallace from Agent Academy and Stephen Hughes from Five Wealth were also voted in as board members and will further strengthen the existing board of directors.
Image: Sean Williams
