The Institute of Directors South West regional chairman Nick Sturge has been appointed to the organisation’s national council as it seeks to ensure that a range of voices from across business are heard as Brexit unfolds.
Nick Sturge, pictured, the co-founder and director of Bristol’s Engine Shed innovation hub, is one of a number of new appointments to the council, which acts as the guardian of IoD’s constitution. 
The IoD wants to play a lead role in the debate over the shape of Brexit and make sure businesses have a strong voice when the terms of the UK’s exit from the EU are drawn up.
It said it had refreshed its council by adding experienced directors from across the business spectrum in response to the “seismic shifts in politics following the EU referendum and the arrival of a new regime in Whitehall”.
The council makes sure that the objectives of the organisation’s Royal Charter to “promote for the public benefit high levels of skill, knowledge, professional competence and integrity on the part of directors,” and “foster a climate favourable to entrepreneurial activity” are delivered.
Nick, a former Bristol IoD committee chairman and member for more than 10 years, took over the three-year term as IoD South West regional chairman at the start of this year.
He said: “I am honoured to represent South West IoD members on IoD council and commit to helping the IoD deliver the best value not only to its members but also to our richly diverse economy.
“I see that value as being both direct member benefits such as CPD (continuous professional development), networking and influencing policy but also indirect, helping create a positive environment for entrepreneurship, whether that be in the public, private or third sectors.
“We all need to work hard in the IoD to ensure that everyone in our respective communities gain from the growth opportunities ahead of us, and making the IoD more accessible and increasingly useful, to a broader membership is a high priority for me.”
IoD chairman Lady Barbara Judge CBE added: “I am very pleased to be able to welcome such a broad range of talented individuals to the IoD’s council.
“These are challenging times for the business community and it is the IoD’s duty to support its members to provide the steady business leadership that will get us through the uncertain months and years ahead.
“There is a great wealth of talent in UK companies, and we need to harness it to make sure the economy can adapt to the new reality and make the most of opportunities where they arise.
“Our new council members represent different sectors and parts of their country, and with their guidance, the IoD will continue to be a force for enterprise and integrity in business everywhere.”
Council members were appointed through an open recruitment process, which took place following a review of the IoD’s constitution last year which focused on making the governance of the institute as transparent and accountable as possible.
Engine Shed is a collaboration between Bristol City Council and the University of Bristol.
