The Business & Industry Association announces the hiring of Mike Skelton as BIA’s new president and CEO.

Skelton, president and CEO of the Greater Manchester Chamber since 2014, will join BIA in early February. Skelton was selected after a nationwide executive search led by Waverly Partners. He takes over for Jim Roche, who left in August after 17 years as president and CEO.

“I am deeply honored for the opportunity to join BIA as president and CEO and am excited to work with our outstanding staff and Board of Directors as we work towards advancing our mission of promoting a healthy business climate and robust economic future for New Hampshire,” Skelton said. “As our state’s leading business advocate, BIA has a storied history of strong and effective advocacy for New Hampshire’s business community. I’m looking forward to working with our staff, board and membership to build upon the incredibly strong foundation already in place and developing new initiatives and opportunities that will ensure our business community continues to prosper.”

BIA Board Chair Sheryl McQuade, regional president, Northern New England for TD Bank, said Skelton’s hiring begins an exciting new chapter for BIA.

“Mike is a visionary leader who brings a true passion to BIA’s mission to help our member employers and all businesses in New Hampshire grow and thrive,” McQuade said. “Mike’s time leading the Greater Manchester Chamber was marked by innovation, growth and economic development for its members.”

Skelton led numerous key accomplishments for the chamber, including expanding economic development partnerships with the city of Manchester and state, allowing it to play a leading role in business expansion, attraction and retention efforts; growing the chamber’s programming, engagement, membership and revenue to help the chamber achieve its strongest financial health in decades; guiding the merging of the Manchester Young Professionals Network, the state’s largest young professionals network, into the chamber as a permanent workforce development program; the chamber’s first full rebranding in more than two decades and renovation of the chamber’s offices into a modern collaborative meeting and workspace for members and community leaders.

In addition to leading the chamber for seven years, Skelton also served as its vice president of economic development and advocacy from 2006 to 2011.

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