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BritCham steers to calmer waters

First step of new board will be to look at the chamber's ethical code

By Michael Heitmann
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
December 5th, 2007 issue

A 10-year anniversary celebration and other events were canceled, paid staffers threatened to quit and a former chairman has said she will press libel charges against other board members.
The British Chamber of Commerce has been riding a wave of turbulence since early October, when board members accused the chairman of a conflict of interest.
But now, a new board elected Dec. 3 is determined to steer the chamber into calmer seas.
“We are all enthusiastic and motivated to continue and, where possible, to build on the chamber’s past successes,” said Richard Lappin, who was chosen to co-chair the board at the meeting.
Lappin, head of International Power Opatovice, and board co-chair Eva Williams, corporate and legal affairs director at Tesco in the Czech Republic, also represent two of the largest British investors here.
The board’s first priority may be to look at the chamber’s ethical code, the ambiguity of which sparked turmoil at the previous board meeting.
“It’s a good code of conduct, but it’s worth revisiting,” said Linda Duffield, the British ambassador, who chaired the Dec. 3 meeting. “I’m a great fan of the BCC. The chamber has a key role to play in the future in this country.”
In October, board members accused then-chairman Jo Weaver of a conflict of interest. She resigned along with the vice president and treasurer. Subsequently, the chamber’s five paid staff members announced they would hand in their resignations.  At a contentious meeting Oct. 24, members then ousted the board amid claims that the crisis had been handled poorly.
“These are internal matters for the British Chamber of Commerce, but we hope that the election of a new board will be a fresh start and will help the chamber continue its excellent work in the Czech Republic,” said British Embassy spokesman Alex Pykett.  
Asked if the accusations against her had been without merit, Weaver said in an e-mail that they had been dealt with at the Oct. 24 meeting.
“I have since issued proceedings under the Civil Code and all five of these board members will be receiving writs from the court in due course,” Weaver wrote.
The incoming board promised Dec. 3 to implement a policy of full disclosure.
“We want to put in place an obligatory code of conduct [for board members],” said Lappin. The board plans to publish quarterly statements on bank balances and major contract activity on its Web site. Its aim is to “return to normality as quickly as possible,” Lappin added.
Although the chamber office staff agreed to stay on until the end of the year and work part-time in January, they lost their motivation to work because of the turmoil, said Renata Vildomcová, executive director.

Michael Heitmann can be reached at mheitmann@praguepost.com


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