"What he has achieved in the past year and the financial value he has added to his community is astonishing and cannot be underestimated."
BNI Executive Director Ewan Sturman
THE owner of a Macclesfield IT support company has been recognised as the region’s top networker by the world’s leading authority on business referral.
Andrew Rosamond from Macclesfield, who oversaw the generation of more than £3m of business this year as Chapter President of Wilmslow BNI, was chosen from a shortlist of 400 people for the title of Cheshire’s ‘No.1 Networker in 2016’.
During his time at the helm of the Business Networking International chapter, his business breakfast club became one of the leading groups in the north of England at generating income between members - contributing £3.25m to its local economy.
But was his own networking prowess while managing the numerous affairs of the group that clinched him the coveted position of top performer in the county and saw Andrew appointed as a director consultant within BNI, the most successful business networking referral organisation in the world.
In the last 18 months, the IT director who lives and works in Macclesfield attended 108 networking meetings, ten business training workshops, passed 83 trade referrals to fellow BNI group members for which he was thanked for £49,000 of invoiced business.
He also received and followed up 49 referrals for Cara Technology, the Macc-based IT services firm he owns and manages on the town's Crossall Street.
BNI’s Executive Director Ewan Sturman, 50 and from Birkenhead, said: “The dedication required to organise and preside over weekly BNI meetings, to develop membership and facilitate the exchange of business leads between members makes only a few people eligible to act as a chapter president. But Andrew’s commitment to generating commerce for his fellow members as well as local and national economies goes deeper.
“He has done exactly the opposite of rest on his laurels while president of Wilmslow BNI. Instead, he has led by example and delivered networking activity that outstrips every other member in Cheshire. And all of it while managing his busy IT support service in Macclesfield.
“What he has achieved in the past year and the financial value he has added to his community is astonishing and cannot be underestimated. The organisation is in awe of his energy and enthusiasm for what it achieves.”
BNI is a marketing referral network that insists on having only one member of a trade in each group. Each member is duty-bound to carry all attendees’ calling cards with them, in anticipation of opportunities to put their services forward. Any opportunity for work is then made known at the next meeting.
It has more than 12,000 members in the UK and Ireland alone – all passing nearly 647,000 referrals worth over £419 million between them every year.
In his new role as a BNI Director Consultant Andrew will mentor existing chapters while setting up new ones, including a business breakfast group in Knutsford.
He said: “I am thrilled and privileged to be recognised as the number one business networker in Cheshire. It is a very active and prosperous region for BNI. So, to receive this accolade means a great deal to me.
“BNI does fabulous work for its members as well as for local industries and economies. In these challenging times, it is organisations like BNI that can help to secure the country’s financial stability.
“So for that reason I intend to continue my hard work as a BNI Director Consultant intent on establishing as many business networking groups in the North West as possible.”
BNI Wilmslow will now welcome a new president for 2017, Keith Hadaway, who has been with the group for three years as a representative of the Utilities Warehouse. The chapter, which prides itself on its friendly atmosphere over breakfast, has been a regular event in the local area for 17 years.
Wilmslow’s BNI chapter is the most successful and lucrative BNI chapter in the North West. It meets at Alderley Edge Golf Club at 6.45am every Tuesday.
At present it has 28 members out of a target 35 including an architect, builder, accountant, solicitor and graphic designer among other skillsets. Many of those have been attending for several years and come from as far afield as Stockport, Macclesfield and Knutsford.
Incoming president Keith Hadaway added: "Continuing Andrew's impressive work is the priority of my presidency. He is a hard act to follow, but he has also provided the group and I with benchmarks of what can be achieved when people work together in a determined and concerted manner."
