100 Days In: Reflections from BC Chamber President & CEO Jen Riley

After a first 100 days spent listening to chambers and boards of trade across British Columbia, Jen Riley shares what she's heard, what she believes, and where the BC Chamber is headed.

Businesses are better together than alone. 
 
As I reflect on my first 100 days as President & CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, nothing rings truer than this enduring principle. What is a new insight and perhaps my greatest lesson today is that like businesses, chambers and boards of trade are also better together than alone. And the power of this chamber network has yet to be captured.

A movement with roots

In rural regions, towns and cities across British Columbia, chambers of commerce and boards of trade are rooted-in-place institutions that help business owners connect with one another, navigate the challenges of running a business, and advocate for their shared interests. That web of relationships – and the collective impact it creates – is part of the fabric that holds business communities together.
 
The chamber movement in British Columbia dates back almost 150 years to 1878, when this organization was formalized as the British Columbia Board of Trade. As the country expanded and chambers of commerce emerged across it, the organization repositioned itself as a provincial body designed to connect that network and incorporated under a new banner as the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce 75 years ago. It was then that the mission shifted to one designed to activate the network. 
 
That's the role I see for the BC Chamber. It is not simply a policy and advocacy body, but as a connector and convener. A place where what's happening on the ground across every region of this province gets synthesized, elevated, and brought to the conversations where it can make a difference. As a provincial body with local chambers as members, we could provide a view of the economy that no other single organization could see on its own. We see it through the lived experience of business communities across the province, from large urban centres to small rural towns, and everything in between.
 

Starting with curiosity 

Before I could represent the chamber network, I needed to understand it. I have spent the first months in this role doing what I told our selection committee would be my defining quality in this job: being curious.
 
That meant a whole lot of listening. The focus of that listening was with the leaders of local chambers and boards of trade. These are the people on the ground who are closest to what's happening in their communities. They are passionate leaders who represent thousands of business owners of all sizes navigating real pressures, including costs, permitting, labour, and an uncertain trading environment. 
 
I came into this role knowing that the plurality of this province should not be flattened into unison. It is more like a tapestry, and within that tapestry there is also shared experience that can benefit from collective strength. Our goal is dialogue, and alignment where we can find it. We will not speak for the province with one stroke. Instead, our job is to listen deeply, understand what we hear, and from that find the truth. To represent that accurately, and identify the places where acting collectively improves the experience on the ground. When every community is moving in the right direction, so too will the provincial economy.
 
Every chamber is different. Every community has its own mix of challenges, its own relationship between business, local government, First Nations partners and other stakeholders, which means its own economic realities. That nuance matters. And it's one of the most important things that makes this network hard to replicate.

A renewed voice for businesses in BC 

What I see as our biggest opportunity is this: we are the collective of the collective. 
 
Local chambers and boards of trade are already doing exceptional work in their communities, bringing people together, elevating important conversations and bridging divides. The BC Chamber's role is to take that work and give it weight at the provincial level. To make sure the great things happening in Smithers, Surrey, and every community in between are reflected in the discussions that shape policy and business conditions across BC.
 
There is important work ahead. We are in the early stages of developing a renewed strategic direction, one that focuses on strengthening the chamber network, improving how we capture and translate the real business experience across the province, and showing up with a more consistent voice in provincial conversations.
 
This is not about reinventing the chamber system. It is about stepping fully into its role at a moment when it matters most.

A final word

I came into this role with a beginner's mindset, and I plan to keep it. The questions curiosity leads you to are often the most important ones. And the answers I've been hearing from chambers and businesses across this province have been genuinely inspiring.
 
We see a future in British Columbia where every business community succeeds. Our work is to activate that network to its highest potential.
 
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to meet with me, share their perspective, and open their doors over these past 100 days. The foundation we're building from is a strong one, and I'm energized by what's ahead.
 
Onwards.
 
—Jen Riley, President & CEO, BC Chamber of Commerce