As well as its monthly guest speakers, Cambridge Network helps with meetings that you don't necessarily hear that much about. These have included, in recent weeks:
- Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg
- Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls (with Labour Party PPC Daniel Zeichner)
- Business Secretary Vince Cable (accompanied by the city's MP Julian Huppert)
- Mary Macleod, PPS to the Rt Hon. Maria Miller MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and Minister for Women and Equalities
- Ed Vaisey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries
- Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton
- Andrew Lansley MP for South Cambridgeshire
- HRH Prince Andrew Duke of York
- Danny Alexander MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury
All have been here and Cambridge Network's CEO Claire Ruskin has been involved in meeting them, sharing her knowledge, introducing Network members to them and in some cases helping to organise their visits. By being so involved in these meetings, Claire and the Network can demonstrate how capable Cambridge is and how much more potential the city has to help support the UK's economic growth.
Last week Network members heard from Paddy Lowe, Technical Director of McLaren's F1, and next month (November 8th), guest speaker is the CEO of Santander UK, Ana Botin. Santander are of course a major sponsor of McLaren; photos of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button can be seen in most of their branches. A successful woman in the traditionally male-dominated world of finance, Ana Botin will be in Cambridge opening Santander's new branch and then talking to Cambridge Network members about her business experiences and why the bank is expanding its presence in the city.
An economics graduate from Brwyn Mawr, Ana has always worked in the financial industry, which is the family business, and she features on Forbes Magazine's list of the world's most powerful women. In 1999 she did step back from this corporate world to set up her own consultancy; a company that she later sold to Indra - an experience many in Cambridge have either had or hope to have! So she appreciates what lots of people and companies in Cambridge are trying to achieve.
Ana became head of Santander UK in December 2010 - a challenging time for the financial services industry in the UK. Ana is the first female chief executive of a major bank and is keen to provide a great working environment for women and to encourage women to develop their entrepreneurship skills - something she has already done in Africa.
Register now to hear from this capable and interesting woman: http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/events/cambridge-network-event-ana-botin-ceo-of-santander/
Image: Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls visiting the Hauser Forum earlier this month
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