Caloundra Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer, Olivia Sainsbury, is stepping down from the leading business organisation after three years.
Ms Sainsbury, who joined the organisation in 2018, says she is extremely proud of what the Caloundra Chamber achieved through her time in the role.
“The Caloundra Chamber management team continued to challenge ourselves against our strategic plan and we are extremely proud of the results,” Ms Sainsbury says.
“From strengthening stakeholder relationships with retailers and all three levels of government, to building capability to quickly mobilise soft activations which connect the community, I am extremely proud of what my team and I have achieved.”
The Caloundra Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest chambers in Queensland with an engaged membership of businesses from Brisbane to Noosa and is representative of the breadth of industry on the Sunshine Coast.
Long-standing president of the Caloundra Chamber, Michael Shadforth, has described Olivia’s tenure as a period of accelerated growth.
“Over the last three years, the Caloundra Chamber has managed to significantly broaden the organisation’s scope and impact while staying in touch with the needs of our members,” Mr Shadforth says.
Throughout this period, the Caloundra Chamber has introduced a number of new events, projects and initiatives in alignment with their goal of supporting the business community through enabling, connecting, and promoting business on the Sunshine Coast.
Olivia Sainsbury points to additional achievements in particular which she says will have a continued impact on local business conditions.
“The Chamber has and continues to create jobs for our local graduates, providing a platform for further career growth on the Sunshine Coast. This provides opportunities for our locals to start and grow a career on the Sunshine Coast.”
The Chamber has attracted internationally renowned keynote speakers such as Steve Baxter, Stephen Scheeler (former CEO of Facebook) and Duncan Wardle (former director of Innovation and Creativity of Walt Disney) to the Sunshine Coast, which Olivia says is all due to the membership.
“Our members are so engaged, positive and eager to learn that they attract international talent, thereby putting the Sunshine Coast on the map for business.”
The Caloundra Chamber have also strengthened its ties with Caloundra locals and other local community groups through providing the capability and capacity to quickly mobilise soft activations.
This was achieved through sharing the skills and resources that have been built over the past two decades of successfully managing the Caloundra Street Fair along Bulcock Street.
“Leading the Caloundra Chamber of Commerce has been an incredibly rewarding experience that has enabled me to build fulfilling relationships with local business owners across the Sunshine Coast.” Ms Sainsbury says.
“It’s been fantastic to get to know so many of our members and to work with such an innovative and inspiring group of businesses who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on the Coast.”
