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In September, five and a bit years into his tenure as Chief Executive of the Chamber of Commerce Geoff made the somewhat surprising announcement that he was moving on from the Chamber; even more surprising was that he was leaving without having any other job to go to, that there was no other lucrative contract lined up waiting for him when he leaves on April 3.

His plan, he's been quoted as saying, was no plan.
But hindsight, as they say, is a wonderful thing and he is the first to admit that his timing wasn't ideal; swift on the heels of his announcement was the beginning of an unexpected and unprecedented decline in our economy which has seen businesses across the country, across the globe, drawing in their skirts and playing coy when it came to courting new talent.

But there are no regrets. The decision he made in the spring of 2008 was the right one for him then and is, as he says, absolutely the right one for him now. He is confident that the innovative move to set up his own website to promote his experience will bring him the challenge he is looking for.

"After six years with the Chamber I firmly felt that the time was right me to move on. I was eager to take on a new business challenge so made my intentions clear from the outset," he said. "I discussed the situation with the Chamber's Board of Directors and I agreed to stay in post to deliver my succession plan and hand the Chamber on without any loss of business momentum.

"What is important to me now is the opportunity to get the stimulus of a change of scene, a change of focus.

"As far as the job is concerned, I have no regrets. I have achieved everything I wanted to do and I'm satisfied that I'm passing the Chamber baton on when we are pretty much at full speed given the current market conditions and I'm confident Bob Collier, my successor, will maintain the pace and inject fresh energy and direction."

Geoff himself went through the rites of passage when he took over from Amanda Harvie, his flamboyant predecessor.

"I had a frantic three-day handover from Amanda when I followed her around like a lap dog as she barked orders at me, instilling in my head a list of all the things I had to attend to after she had gone.

"But having been previously dipped in the cold bath experience of working in a Chamber of Commerce before (he was CEO of Glasgow Chamber from 1993-96) I was not as phased as others might have been by the plethora of priorities and projects a Chamber Chief Executive needs to get involved in.

"I had a very good sense of what this Chamber was capable of and I felt I had the expertise to realise that so set about bringing that expertise to bear through public relations, policy, our events and our publications and positioning the Chamber on the national stage."

That saw the Chamber retain and increase its membership from over 1000 to more than 1200, its Premier Partner membership programme grow from 10 to 25 companies and a financial picture which moved from a loss to break-even to one which increased its turnover by 45% making a surplus for its members.

The Chamber also strengthened its reputation for its campaigns relevant to the business community - support for the AWPR, the development of the Nestrans strategy, the evolution of NESEF to ACSEF, expansion and investment at the Airport and most recently the support for the Trump project at Balmedie - an issue Geoff describes as a particular highlight.

It also built on its involvement with both the British and Scottish Chambers of Commerce to develop and grow the Chamber's profile as a professional and powerful organisation nationally whose opinion is sought on an almost daily basis as a valued commentator on a wide range of business issues.

One of Geoff's particular babies was the Northern Star Awards, an event which has grown from the humble beginnings of a launch dinner for 350 people in 2003 to the glamorous event which last year attracted 1000 people and positioned itself as the premier event in Scotland for recognising and rewarding business achievements.

He instigated DriveSafe so the Chamber could participate in improving road skills for business car users and created Chamber Business Bikers, a networking initiative which promotes the environmental benefits of travelling by motor bike and raises awareness of the safety issues relating to motor cycle travel.

And yes, he admits, there's a bit of the boys with toys syndrome in there too.

He counts his best practical achievement as the building of a dynamic staff team: "The staff team has undoubtedly been a great challenge but also great fun and making the business a success quite simply would not be possible without the energy and effort of everybody who has previously worked for the Chamber and who works for it now.

"But what has really sustained me has been the opportunity to work with and work for so many world class businessmen and women and entrepreneurs but also being there to represent the small guys who don't have the resources to do that themselves.

"The low point and continuing frustration has been the slow speed of change which exists within the public sector in grasping the economic opportunities which we have and the speed of delivery of transport projects. There is also increasing frustration over the lack of a dedicated and highly competitive regional economic development organisation which could sell this region as an inward investment opportunity and a must-visit tourist destination. ACSEF now has much work to do."

His outspoken views have not always made him popular but he sees that as part and parcel of the territory.

"I guess my ambition always is to create traction and to encourage projects which will realise potential for the region's economy and provide opportunities for the many fantastic businesses which are based here. Sometimes politics, egos and processes conspire together to get in the way of that progress and that it something I'm never afraid to rail against.

"Being in this job is not about being popular for the sake of it; it's about being in tune with the collective feelings and ambitions of the business community and speaking out for them. Hopefully I have done that."