'Captain of Industry' Talks to Local Businesses

12.44.32pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 27th May 2003

Sir Iain Vallance, until recently Chairman on British Telecom, and President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) will address local entrepreneurs, including the Chamber of Commerce, at a business breakfast at the Harlequins Ground on Thursday. He is coming to the Borough as the guest of Vincent Cable MP, and the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.

Vincent Cable MP said that he had go to know Sir Iain quite well after addressing the CBI conference on several occasions: "he is one of the country's most reputed businessman having seen BT through a particularly difficult time when it was being opened up to competition in telecommunications and having helped to make the CBI such an effective body that the Prime Minister is reluctant to move without its approval".