• ESBA appoints new Secretary General

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  We are delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Cave, a highly respected policy communicator and seasoned campaigner, as our new Secretary General. Based in Brussels, Andrew brings a breadth of experience in communications, policy, and governmental relations. His previous leadership roles at the Federation of Small Businesses in Brussels and the UK, combined with his experience as a chief spokesperson and EU business columnist, will strengthen ESBA’s ability to represent our member’s interests in Brussels.

  During the Global Financial Crisis, Andrew led a series of high-impact campaigns that revitalised bank lending to small businesses. His grassroots campaign initiatives helped countless SMEs reduce their business rates and enabled easier hiring processes for new employees.

  Andrew’s track record for working closely with regulators and policy experts to find innovative solutions will be critically important in the months and years to come.

  Andrew has worked in Brussels over the years on significant Directives and regulations, including his advocacy for the Services Directive, which earned him recognition in the European Parliament and Commission.

  More recently, he led the European communications for Philip Morris International, contributing to its strategic shift away from cigarettes.

  David Caro, ESBA President said:

  “With his new appointment, Andrew’s primary focus will be on strengthening the link between small businesses in our member states and Brussels-based policymakers. I  am confident that Andrew’s experience and leadership in SME policy will enhance our mission to represent and support small businesses throughout Europe. Andrew will be reaching out to you soon.”

  31st May 2023

Who are we?

The European Small Business Alliance (ESBA) is a respected, apolitical, and influential advocate for European entrepreneurs. We are the campaigning voice for the modern European entrepreneur.

Independent. Knowledgeable. Influential. Challenging. And Loud.

Who are our members?

ESBA campaigns on behalf of a million small businesses throughout Europe, all of whom (whether they are micros, self employed, traditional family businesses, or hi-tech startups), share one very important thing in common.  They are all entrepreneurs.

What do they want?

Our members told us that they wanted an organisation that looks like them, thinks like them, talks like them, and that really understands them.

• They wanted to see innovation and creativity in the way we approach our job of representing their interests.

• They want someone to be a voice for them, to talk about their needs and their problems to the EU institutions.

• They also want an organisation to represent them in a twenty-first century way, using twenty-first century techniques.

• And finally, they said they would like to belong to a truly diverse membership, full of the young (not forgetting the young at heart), women entrepreneurs, those from minority ethnic cultures, the immigrant searching for a better life, the socially responsible environmentally conscious entrepreneur, the disabled, those who pursue modern lifestyles, and those who thirst to learn new ways to grow their business.

They told us. We listened.

What do we campaign for?

In order to improve the lives of all European entrepreneurs, ESBA regularly seeks the views of its membership and uses them to create the ‘ESBA Manifesto for Change‘. Then we campaign hard to convince government to make these changes.

Click here for more details.

What are the benefits of membership?

We offer the help, advice, information and support that our members seek, with services based on listening to their needs and concerns. We campaign on behalf of our members using our unique ‘Manifesto for Change’, a policy stance that they help design.

But the biggest benefit our members enjoy is that we provide them with a voice where it matters, in Brussels.

An independent voice.

A voice for change.