Iain Wolsey (pictured left) has held senior marketing positions in the UK and is the founding partner in the Bristol consultancy of Wolsey Meech.

He takes over the role of chairman from Mark Mason who held the post temporarily and who remains on the board.

Business West is a not-for-profit company with 200 staff and a turnover of £10 million. Its stated aim is to make this area the best place to live and work.

Mr Wolsey said: "I am delighted to join the board of Business West, whose role is far reaching. I firmly believe in the importance of the leadership and business support role that it plays at local, regional, national and indeed international level.

"I think it's more important than ever for Business West to continue to stand up for business with real belief, as we have seen in Manchester with the Northern Powerhouse and in the West Midlands.

"It means punching a bit above our weight, but if we want to be regarded as part of the club of giants, we do need to stand with the giants.

"And we have to find ways of being really relevant to the businesses we represent in the region."

Phil Smith, managing director of Business West, said: "At the heart of Business West's success is our ability to engage with and listen to the concerns and hopes of thousands of local businesses.

"I am delighted to welcome Iain who, with a career spanning almost 50 years, brings with him a wealth of business and marketing knowledge and I have no doubt that Business West will benefit from Iain's experience in this area.

"It is vitally important to attract business people from a wide range of backgrounds to take up positions on our board. Reflecting the rich diversity of our members and clients at board level will help us to better understand the needs of the businesses we serve."