In Memoriam: Ian McNabb
(1939- 2012)
It is with a profound sadness that we received the announcement of the passing of Ian McNabb. (To view the announcement: In Memoriam – Ian McNabb 1939-2012)
For those who joined the Chamber after 2006, perhaps you might not have met Ian. Ian was the Executive Director of The Chamber from 2003 to 2006.
We have sent the email below to the family of Ian McNabb:
In Memory of Ian
To Dedicate the Achievements of the Entrepreneur and Small Business Committee to Our Colonel…
From Tony and Madeleine Behan, Co-Chairs of the Entrepreneur and Small Business Committee of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce inHong Kong.
We would like to say how sad we were when we read the announcement from the Canadian Chamber about the passing of Ian McNabb on Friday (January 27, 2012).
We feel the best way to tell you about Ian as a person, is to give you an example of just one of his many achievements in the Chamber. It was Colonel Ian and his “aide de camp”, Jamieson Bryan who started the Entrepreneur Committee in the Chamber in 2005.
Ian first invited us to join the Entrepreneur Committee when we were still relatively new to the Chamber in 2005. In the following year, he was constantly enthusiastic, patient and persistent in persuading us to take a more active role in helping to run the Committee along side Jamieson, neither of us being “willing, natural born, committee people”.
When we finally promised to take over the running of the Committee, it was initially a small committee, with four to five regular members only. However, with Ian’s support and sharing of ideas for two years, we gradually developed a plan and a mission. (The Colonel’s military planning in action). And then the Committee slowly but steadily gained the interest and support of the members.
Overall, the fact that we enjoy being part of the Chamber so much and also have a commitment to the Entrepreneur and Small Business Committee is largely due to Ian. Ian laid the foundation for what we have done so far for the Chamber through the committee.
After Ian moved toAbu Dhabi, the Entrepreneur Committee continued to grow and develop. Its name expanded to include specifically “Small Business” members and later “Micro Business” members in response to the changing trends of the global business sizes.
Fast forward into 2012, we are happy to report that around thirty people regularly attend the monthly 8.15 morning meetings. There are around 100 active members in the committee and another 100 members who keep in touch. We also run an evening/ lunchtime event every month for all Chamber members and their guests. The Entrepreneur and Small Business Committee works closely with a wide range of Entrepreneur/SME organizations inHong Kong. It also works with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Invest Hong Kong.
To see Ian’s heritage, please visit the CanCham Entrepreneur and Small Business Blog at http://cancham.wordpress.com/
To conclude, as our last farewell to Ian, we would like to dedicate the achievements, if we might call them achievements, that the Entrepreneur and Small Business Committee has made so far in the Chamber to Ian, our Colonel and Mr. Canada.
With our deepest sympathy,
Tony & Madeleine Behan
