CBI South West appoints Princess Yachts' Adrian Bratt as new Chair

Adrian Bratt © Princess Yachts

Princess Yachts are delighted to announce that the CBI's South West Regional Council has named Adrian Bratt as its' Chair for the next two years.

Adrian, who is a Board Director and holds the position of General Counsel with Princess, takes over from Pennon Chief Executive Susan Davy, who has held the role since 2018.

A governance specialist and commercial lawyer by trade, Adrian joined Princess Yachts in 2017 after operating a national private practice specialising in the manufacturing, retail and energy sectors on behalf of national and multinational firms. He is a former Royal Navy officer who has been part of the CBI South West Council since 2017, while also sitting on the Plymouth Growth Board and the Maritime Enterprise Working Group.

Across the UK, the CBI speaks on behalf of 190,000 businesses of all sizes and sectors. The CBI's corporate members together employ nearly 7 million people, about one third of private sector-employees. Regional councils are part of the formal CBI governance process, with meetings bringing together members working within a similar industry, sector, region, or nation to help shape CBI policy.

New CBI South West Chair Adrian Bratt said: "The South West is a region of talent, ingenuity and enterprise which can wield great influence when it speaks with one voice. I look forward to helping to amplify that voice to support a post-Covid recovery and evolve the levelling-up agenda.

"Throughout the Covid crisis, the CBI has led the way in terms of working with business, government and trade unions to support companies. We must continue to act as an agent of positive change as the focus shifts beyond the pandemic towards future investment in skills and sustainability to help the South West lead the way in the race to net zero.

Princess is delighted to support Adrian's appointment. The company is proud to be a key business in the region, and looks forward to growing its role as a leader within the South West business community.

CBI South West (Acting) Director Ben Rhodes said "We are now delighted to have the opportunity to work with Adrian as South West Chair during what will be a vitally important period for the region. As we emerge from the devasting impacts of the pandemic and look to focus on recovery, Adrian's knowledge of business, investors and international markets will be an invaluable asset to the CBI and businesses across the South West."

Recently, Adrian also had the opportunity to work very closely with the fantastic team at Plymouth City Council that led the successful bid to get Freeport status awarded to Plymouth. This was an excellent example of the public and private sector collaborating in a combined effort for the benefit of the city and the wider South West Region as a whole.

Adrian Bratt said "With this successful bid, Plymouth is leading the way for the whole region and is showing that meaningful partnerships can really deliver in the levelling up agenda. Princess Yachts employs over 3,000 staff in the city and exports to over 100 countries, we will continue to work with the City Council and all other stakeholders to maximise the opportunities that Freeport status provides."