British Polish Chamber of Commerce
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The British Polish Chamber of Commerce (BPCC) was established in 1992 as the British Chamber of Commerce in Poland. It is a non-profit organization incorporated in the UK as a company limited by guarantee. Its original role was to support British companies investing in the Polish market, shortly after the country's economic transformation. In 1997, the Chamber changed its name and its statute to become a bilateral chamber, supporting two-way trade and investment relations between the United Kingdom and Poland. The Chamber's regular events in Poland include business mixers, conferences, seminars and workshops aimed at the international business community and at Polish exporters interested in the UK market. Shortly before Poland joined the EU on 1 May, 2004, the BPCC began holding regular events in London, looking at various aspects of doing business in Poland. After Poland's EU Accession, the BPCC began organising regular recruitment fairs, matching UK companies and employment agencies with Polish workers seeking to work in the UK. These have been held around Poland and in London. Since February 2007, the BPCC has been holding Polish-language events in London aimed at Polish entrepreneurs that have set up businesses in the UK.
[edit] Officers
The present Chief Executive Officer is Martin Oxley, formerly CEO of Pliva Kraków. Oxley took office as the chamber's first CEO in January 2005. Prior to that, day-to-day running of the chamber was the responsibility of executive director Barbara Stachowiak-Kowalska MBE (from 1993).
Suzy Carter joined the BPCC as Chief Operating Officer in October 2007.
David Thomas was elected chairman of the board in June 2003, replacing David Glasgow CBE.
[edit] Recent activities and achievements
The British Polish Chamber of Commerce has been awarded 'best British chamber in continental Europe' for four years in a row (2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005) by COBCOE, the Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Continental Europe. The BPCC was runner-up for this award in 2004 and 2003.
