about

who we are

The British American Business Council (BABC) is the largest transatlantic business network, with 22 chapters and over 2,000 member companies, including many of the world’s largest multinationals, in addition to hundreds of middle market and small companies, all based in major business centers throughout North America and the United Kingdom.

what we do

The diversity of our membership provides dynamic British and American leadership and creates a distinctive and influential organization. Each member company represents a unique networking opportunity. Through the BABC’s broader transatlantic business network, our platform provides access to business development, networking and marketing opportunities, valuable business insights and intelligence, providing the resources to help enhance your competitiveness in the global marketplace on a local, regional and worldwide level.

BABC Carolinas has been in operation for 28 years. Mentoring, connecting and helping businesses establish and grow throughout the Carolinas. From informative and educational programming that attracts influential speakers, panelists and industry experts who cover relative and relatable topics, to social and cultural events that provide pathways to new partnerships, friendships and business endeavors. We have a knack for bringing people together. We draw from the expertise of our Executive Board, Board of Directors and International Board of Advisors who add multi-level connectivity and value to our membership base, an asset we are very proud of.

In 2012, the leadership expanded the reach of the BABC with the addition of the Triangle Chapter, based in Raleigh, to better serve our membership in the eastern part of the state, creating another level of connectivity to our growing network. We continue to carve that path and grow the network throughout both North and South Carolina.

mission statement

Promoting bilateral trade and investment between the United States and the United Kingdom.

contact

British American Business Council Carolinas
PO Box 480661
Charlotte, NC 28269
(704) 968-3166

Sarah Peeler
Executive Director
(704) 968-3166
speeler@babcnc.com

about the region

Strategically located centrally on the east coast, Charlotte is the 15th largest U.S. city with a population of more than 800,000, and 7.4 million living within a 100-mile radius, making it the largest city within the region. Home to the nation’s 7th busiest airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport has 750+ daily departures to more than 175 destinations, including 35+ international.

North Carolina continues the claim one of the top spots as most competitive state for economic development and ranked one of the top states in the country with the best business climate, also consistently named a top city for entrepreneurial talent. Close to 300 of Fortune’s top 500 companies have made North Carolina their home, seven of those companies have world headquarters in Charlotte. Over 1,000 foreign businesses have headquarters or subsidiaries throughout the Carolinas, more than 120 of those companies are British.

major industries

  • Aerospace
  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • BioMed
  • Clean Tech/Smart Grid
  • Defense
  • Energy
  • Finance
  • FinTech
  • Health
  • International Business
  • IT/Technology
  • Life Sciences
  • Motorsports
  • Tourism

meet our leadership

BABC Carolinas is a not-for-profit membership organization, governed by its Board of Directors and elected Officers, and by its Executive Committee, with support from an International Board of Advisors, consisting of chairmen and chief executives of major U.S. and U.K. business entities. The IBA is chaired by Michael Teden, OBE, Chairman & Managing Director of Whitehall Advisory Group.

Board of Directors & Officers
* Member of the Executive Committee

President

John Williams*

President & CEO
Domtar Corporation
Board Chair, Chair, Governance Committee

Michael Teden, OBE*

British Honorary Consul for North Carolina & Managing Director
Whitehall Advisory Group
Treasurer

Jennifer Gaitsch Aguirre*

Manager, Tax
CliftonLarsonAllen
Secretary

Sarah Peeler*

Executive Director
BABC Charlotte
Chair, Scholarship Committee

Adam Stevens*

Chair, Corporate Relationship Committee

Luke Jones*

Chair, Programming Committee

Jeff Wilkinson*

Office Managing Partner, Assurance Services
BDO USA

Directors

Director

Brent Beason

President
B&W Fiberglass
Director

Dr. Glyn Cowlishaw

Head of School
Providence Day School
Director & Chair, Young Professionals Group

Benjamin Edelshain

Vice President
Highmark, Inc.
Director

Holly Edwards

Audit Senior Manager
RSM USA LLP
Director

Peter Fetherston

CEO, Canteen
Compass Group
Director

Tom Gabbard

President & CEO
Blumenthal Performing Arts
Director

Catherine Hansen

Chief of Protocol
NC Consular Corps
Director

Kristen Layman

Manager
Elliott Davis
Director

Scott Mercer

Partner
Palmer & Cay
Director

Suzanne Morrison

EVP, Division Manager - Carolinas
Wells Fargo Bank
Director

Jorjanne Murry

Director

William Smith

SVP Market Leader - Commercial Banking
PNC Bank
Director

Patrick Strubbe

Director

Mark Walker

Private Wealth Advisor / Certified Financial Planner
Walker and Associates
Director

Simon Watts

Partner – Corporate & Commercial Services Group
Womble Bond Dickinson
Director

Mary Winston

President
WinsCo Enterprises Inc.
Director

International Board of Advisors

Weston Andress - Regional President, PNC Bank
Jonathan Blair - Managing Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
Erskine Bowles - Former White House Chief of Staff
Peter Browning - Managing Director, Peter Browning Partners
Derick Close - CEO, Springs Creative Products
Sharon Decker - COO, Tryon International Equestrian Center (former NC Secretary of Commerce)
Roddey Dowd, Jr. - CEO, Charlotte Pipe & Foundry
Peter Willis-Fleming - President, Insurance Advisors Inc.
Tom Gabbard - CEO, Blumenthal Performing Arts
Gary Green - CEO, Compass Group North America
Jeff Hay - Charlotte Office Managing Partner & Global Business Group Leader, Womble Bond Dickinson
Tom Heiks - President and CEO, Fifth Third Bank (North Carolina)
Linda Hudson - Chairman & CEO, Cardea Group (former CEO of BAE Systems)
Jim Martin - Former Governor of North Carolina
Mike McGuire - CEO, Grant Thornton
Alan Milburn - Chair of Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission and Chair of PWC’s UK Health Industry Oversight Board (formerly British Chief Secretary to the Treasury and British Secretary of State for Health)
Suzanne Morrison - Executive Vice President, Division Manager Carolinas - Wells Fargo
Andrew Staunton - H.M. British Consul General (Atlanta)
Michael Teden - OBE, British Honorary Consul for North Carolina & Managing Director - Whitehall Advisory Group (BABC Charlotte Board Chair)
Ed Weisiger, Jr. - President & CEO, CTE
John Williams - President & CEO, Domtar Corporation (BABC Charlotte President)
Joan Zimmerman - CEO, Southern Shows