Angela Rushforth, group managing director of builders’ merchant chain Ridgeons, has been named as the new vice chair of the CBI’s East of England regional council.

She takes up the role immediately, and is due to succeed the current chair, Andy Wood of Adnams, in December.

“I am really excited to have been appointed vice chair of the East of England regional council,” she said. “The next 12 months in particular are vital for business in the run up to the general election and I’m looking forward to working with the current chair, Andy Wood, Richard Tunnicliffe (the CBI’s regional director) and the CBI team here to make sure our business voice is heard in national and regional policy debates.

“I am passionate about the potential of this region and look forward to working with our members here to ensure all parts of the region benefit from the economic upturn.”

Ridgeons trades from 26 branches around the eastern region, with the group also including Ridgeons Forest Products, a timber import and milling facility, CRS Wholesale, a wholesaler of sanitary wares, and Anglia Tool Centre, a multi-channel business specialising in power tools.

The CBI East of England council forms part of the CBI’s national policy making committee, signing off all CBI’s public policy positions. The council also plays a vital role in promoting the interests of businesses in the East of England and ensuring the region’s business voice is heard in Westminster, Whitehall, Brussels and beyond.

Across the UK, the CBI speaks on behalf of 190,000 businesses of all sizes and sectors which together employ nearly 7million people, about one third of the private sector-employed workforce.