Ms Paula Basnett

Paula is the Executive Chairperson of Wirral Chamber of Commerce, a leading business representative organisation in the Liverpool City Region and part of the prestigious British Chambers of Commerce Network. Paula helped to transform Wirral Chamber of Commerce from a small membership organisation on the brink of collapse into a significant commercial vehicle, acquiring over 100,000 sqft of office space and 500 additional members.

She is a leading voice of industry locally, regionally and nationally, with extensive experience building cross-sector partnerships and harnessing greater connectivity between the private and public sectors. Most recently, Paula has been a member of the Birkenhead Town Deal Board, representing the private sector in the board’s role of delivering £25m of transformative investment into the town.

Before her role at Wirral Chamber of Commerce, Paula worked at Wirral Borough Council for 24 years, the majority within the investment and place department attracting inward investment into the region. She left Wirral Council as Head of Investment before becoming CEO at Wirral Chamber of Commerce.

Paula is deeply passionate about supporting young people to reach their full potential. To boost recruitment locally, Paula led Wirral’s response to the Kickstart Scheme supporting over 500 young people into work placements. She is also passionate about encouraging more female leaders and creating a more inclusive environment within boards across the private sector. In her personal life, Paula is a proud foster carer and has supported over 20 vulnerable children.