As a leading mining engineer, he is an expert at drilling it, constructing tunnels through it, sinking mineshafts into it, testing it for contamination, monitoring it for subsidence - and reclaiming it.

Now he is busy preparing a different kind of groundwork for his year at the helm of one of the city region's most prestigious offices and looking forward to the challenge of helping to give the best possible support to Chamber members "because that's what we're here to do."

Born in Bents Green, Sheffield, and now living in Thurgoland, Nick, aged 53, is the regional director of Wardell Armstrong LLP and has 28 years' experience of solving a wide range of engineering and environmental problems which are his company's speciality.

An honorary degree in mining from the well-known Camborne School of Mines, Cornwall, in 1980, set him up for a successful career and now he is responsible for a multi- disciplinary team of engineers, surveyors and scientists involved in all areas of Wardell Armstrong's services.

As well as being the regional director, he is also the director responsible for European business development, especially in the Czech Republic which he visits regularly.

At various stages of his career, he has been involved in all aspects of ground engineering, contaminated land, landfill gas and earthworks projects, the development of mine access shafts and the investigation and stabilisation of mine workings for roads, deep interceptor sewers, pipelines and sensitive developments.

Nick's themes for his year of office are business recovery, international trade and the environment.

He said: "I am looking forward to my year of office immensely because this is a very challenging time. It is important that we continue and give new impetus to the excellent work carried out by the Chamber and the outgoing president Hermann Beck to help businesses through the recession.

"Although I don't think things are going to get any worse, we will probably be travelling along on the bottom for the next three or six months and it is only after that we can look forward to a recovery, albeit a slow one. Clearly, our businesses are going to be needing help for some time yet and I am looking forward to working with the Chamber on any further initiatives we can introduce.

"I am hoping the experience I have gained in regeneration and environmental improvement will also help our members and I am particularly interested in the Chamber-led South Yorkshire Green Business Club and helping to spread the word about environmental good practice.

"I have spent a fair amount of time working abroad and I want to encourage our members to take advantage of the many exporting opportunities I know exist in different countries.