Phil Smith - Managing Director, Business West
Phil was educated in Caerphilly and the University of Exeter and began his career with Halliburton Inc as an offshore engineer in the oil industry. After graduating with an MBA from London Business School and the University of California in the mid 1980’s, he moved on to mergers and acquisitions in the corporate finance department of an investment bank based in the City of London.
In 1995 Phil moved to Bristol to become the CEO of the West of England Business Link Provider. In 2003 Phil took on his current position as MD of Business West, which operates Bristol, Bath & Glos Chambers of Commerce, and holds various public sector contracts, including IUK Edge for the South West.
Phil is also Chair of the South West Regional Venture Capital Fund, Director of the British Chambers of Commerce South West and is a Member of the Court of Bristol University, the National ERDF Evaluation Board, and the WECA Climate Taskforce.