ANNUAL REPORTS
I am pleased to report on another successful year for the CETC. We have had a varied and stimulating program with increasing and record attendances and I am sure that this evening’s event will continue that run of success.
We changed part of our name last year with the ‘E’ in CETC now standing for ‘Enterprise’ and have tried to reflect this in our events. The year started with ‘Doing Business in China’ which, despite another similar China event with the Cambridge Network a few days later, attracted a record number of attendees. This has led us to put on tonight’s India event about doing business in yet another part of the world and I fully expect that we will plan a similar event for next year’s program.
I do not want to go through each of the events of the past year as you can all see the program and that for the rest of this year until June followed by our annual garden party in August, again to be held at Jesus College. This latter event is always well attended and despite the dismal weather this year’s was no exception. Especially pleasing this year was to see the number of our speakers from the previous year’s program that came along. We were also well entertained by the Cambridge Trombone Sound jazz band and hope to have them again this year.
The committee will shortly begin to plan the program for 06/07 and, as ever, your suggestions are welcome and can be made to any member of the committee. In particular any recommendations for both topics and speakers would be appreciated.
Our committee has changed over the past year. Roy Cuthbert stepped down from his role as chairman at the last AGM and we are grateful that he has remained on the committee. Ken Dickson stood down from the Hon Treasurer role due to pressure of work and Nicholas Dennilauler has taken up this role. In addition Tracey Stephens and Simon Kite left and Ke Yang, Jamie Murray and David Gillett have joined. Unfortunately David is now moving on and leaves a space on the committee. We will be returning to the subject of committee membership later in the meeting but at this point I would like to record my thanks to all the committee members for their work during the year. Each of them has organized events and many have taken on other tasks on your behalf such as publicity, the web site and organization of meeting facilities. Although I do not want to single out the contributions of individual committee members I do want to record a particular thanks to our Honorary Secretary, Guy Mulley, for his excellent organization and minuting of committee meetings, his management of badges and attendance lists for our meetings and the general administration of club affairs. Guy has filled this role magnificently for nearly 3 years but is willing to step down if someone else would like to take over, so that he can devote more time to his career and family. Difficult though it will be to fill his shoes we are looking for a new Hon Sec to take over from him at the end of this program year. This also brings me to my last point.
In addition to ensuring that we continue to provide a successful program during my tenure as Chairman I would also like to ensure that we develop a robust strategy for the proper rotation of officers of the club. To that end I will be looking for ways to establish a succession plan for committee members to take over the various roles after the incumbents have served 2 or 3 years in the post. In this way we will continue to bring in new ideas and ensure a dynamic future for the club.
I would like to thank all our members for their support of the club and ask you to pay your 2006 dues as soon as possible! It’s your club, help us to continue to make it relevant to you and build our membership by enlisting new members.
Last, but not of course least, both personally and on behalf of the Club, I would like to record a vote of thanks to our sponsors, NatWest, St John’s Innovation Centre, TWI and Webtec for their continued generous support. Thank you.
John Read, Chairman CETC, 26 January 2006
2005 was a very successful year for the CETC, by any number of measures. For example, average attendance size at our monthly seminars was 45 and on two occasions we had an audience of 60. Moreover, we had a stream of distinguished and expert speakers. The events ran smoothly not least because of the work of Sue and then Paula here at St John’s Innovation Centre and of Val Colwill at TWI and, for the garden party, of the Manciple, Simon Hawkey, and his staff at Jesus College.
It is no coincidence that 2005 was the first year of Dr John Read’s Chairmanship of the Committee. John is a distinguished and experienced businessman, whose knowledge of the technology sector and whose contacts within the enterprise community have been particularly helpful to the CETC.
The Committee members continue to do much unheralded work. On behalf of the Club I thanks them all. I would like to single out two Committee members: Barry Butler, who continues tirelessly to maintain the Club’s website and our new Honorary Treasurer, Monsieur Nicolas Dennilauler – to whom particular best wishes on becoming a father last month. We had three new Committee members elected last year. I would like to congratulate Miss Ke Yang on her successful debut in organising last October’s event and to welcome Mr Jamie Murray. Unfortunately, having just arrived on the Committee, David Gillett is now moving to a job in the West Country and is therefore standing down. The other Committee members to whom the Club remain indebted are: Roy Cuthbert, Martin Livermore and John Batten. I would also like to mention our President, Walter Herriot, for his continued support of the Club and of the Committee.
The Club is fortunate to have such loyal and supportive sponsors. NatWest have once again been financially generous to the Club, the St John’s Innovation Centre and TWI have continued to provide us with seminar venues and hospitality and Webtec Products provide considerable logistical support to the Club. On behalf of the committee and members, I would like to thank our sponsors very much for their continued support.
Lastly, I would like to thank all the members and guests who support the Club and its events and who make the Club was it is. In 2005 members and guests were particularly generous. Back in January we raised over £300 for the Tsunami disaster appeal and in the Summer we raised a further £150 for Addenbrooke’s Hospital. As I suggested at the beginning, 2005 was indeed a very successful year for the CETC, by any number of measures.
Guy Mulley, Hon Secretary, 26 January 2006
The Club is very fortunate in benefiting from the sponsorship of the following organisations:-
There are also other companies who give us generous help with specific meetings and services.
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