Kildare-based solicitor Luke Hanahoe has been elected president of the county’s Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber is the fourth biggest in the country with a membership representing over 37,000 employees across 400 SMEs and multinationals.

Luke is currently managing partner of Hanahoe and Hanahoe and joined Kildare Chamber in 2011.

In 2017, he became managing partner of Hanahoe and Hanahoe and vice president of Kildare Chamber.

Kildare chamber has recently appointed Rachel Cooke as business development manager, given the growth of enterprise in the county.

Delegation

Kildare also recently won Chamber of the Year at the National Chamber of the Year awards and a Chamber delegation returned earlier this month from Boston where new business contacts were established to the benefit of the county.

Luke Hanahoe said “I am really looking forward to working with and on behalf of the membership to ensure Kildare businesses continue to thrive. 

“My first initiative will be to launch a new Chamber Advisory Panel later this year.  We are asking 15 key stakeholders in Kildare, who are at the pinnacle of their different industries, to support, advise and mentor many of the exciting and emerging SMEs throughout the county. 

“We are lucky that Kildare has an amazing array of business leaders, whom are thankfully eager to support our many SMEs. This, like any year, will present new challenges and opportunities for business throughout the county.

Business voice

“A strong business voice is essential so that we can meet the challenges and maximise the opportunities.”

Chamber chief executive Allan Shine said the organisation is setting up a Kildare-Boston Business Association and will host a trade delegation from Boston in March 2020, as a showcase for the county.