The Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce will soon have a new President and CEO.
On Friday, the Board of Directors announced Rory Ring will take over for Gail Hundt on June 17, 2024.
Hundt served as Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce President and CEO for over 28 years and is retiring. Her last day of work will be June 27, 2024.
"We welcome Rory to the position along with the knowledge and experience with Chamber membership, business intellect and community relations that he brings to our Chamber," said Board Chair B.J. Griffiths. "We look forward to his leadership and welcoming him to Chatham-Kent."
Ring joined the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce in 2016 after moving from Sarnia, where he lived for 15 years and ran the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce for three years.
The chamber said he has always been focused on the need for a community to build a sustainable and growing economic base from within, while maintaining strong support for exporting and a global philosophy.
Prior to joining the Chamber of Commerce profession, Ring was a commercial banker and innovation lender with strong roots in cultivating and financing successful business operations in Southwestern Ontario.
He also ran the Business Retention and Expansion program in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, covering Lambton County, while he was the Manager of Business Growth Services for the Sarnia Lambton Economic Development Partnership.
"Rory is a firm believer in the leadership that is provided by the Chamber of Commerce Network and those regarded individuals who have dedicated their professional careers to doing what no other leadership role does in their Chamber community," noted Griffiths.
Ring is also the current Chair of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Ontario, Executive Board Director of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, a current Director of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and a past Director of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Canada.
"Mr. Ring recognizes that diversity and inclusion are multifaceted issues and of the need to tackle these subjects holistically to better engage and support all underrepresented groups within the business community," Griffiths said. "To do this, he believes in the need to address, honestly and head-on, the concerns and needs of diverse employers and employees to ensure welcoming workplaces for all, not only to address current labour market shortages, but to ensure economic prosperity and the future of communities."
Ring said he is honoured to have been selected as the incoming President and CEO of the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce.
"I look forward to contributing to the growth and success of the members, local business community and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent," said Ring.