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<\/a>Consul General Rachel Galloway addresses BABC-Georgia members and directors. Credit: BABC Georgia<\/p>\nThe consul general\u2019s final year in Atlanta \u2014 the football-loving diplomat is set to depart sometime this summer after the World Cup \u2014 will coincide with the 250th anniversary of American independence, which Ms. Galloway says, yes, the U.K. does celebrate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019re celebrating, in fact, is the greatest story of reconciliation and partnership. The things that 250 years ago tore us apart \u2014 freedom, liberty \u2014 these are the things that 250 years later bring us so closely together.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
These ties could supercharge an already-strong events calendar for the Atlanta chapter of the British-American Business Council, part of a network of 22 such chapters around the country and in the U.K., which together boast 2,000 member companies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s schedule includes annual mainstays like a garden party at the consul general\u2019s residence (in May for 2026) and a February wine-tasting, with the most imminent opportunity being an event with the London Stock Exchange in January. See all events here<\/a><\/p>\n Ed Haines, CTO for Jabian Consulting, whose term as the organization\u2019s president is set to end this March, said the council hosted 14 events with 765 guests in 2025. Plans are to keep that momentum going, as membership<\/a> was up 30 percent during the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s important, Mr. Haines said, as it\u2019s vital to build one\u2019s business network in advance of the challenges that will inevitably come in the working world, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we believe is you don\u2019t know when you\u2019re going to need it, and you don\u2019t know how strong it is until you really need it,\u201d he said, praising Executive Director Jennifer Langley for \u201crelentlessly and tirelessly\u201d managing the council\u2019s day-to-day operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n He also praised the U.K. Department for Business and Trade, whose Atlanta representatives are vital nodes in the cross-border connections for both American firms in the city targeting the U.K. for investment and British firms coming into Atlanta.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ms. Galloway, for her part, says the consulate endeavors to promote the Southeast U.S. not because it\u2019s her job, but because it falls within the government\u2019s mandate to help British firms find sources of growth that will lead to healthier enterprises back home.\u00a0<\/p>\n The U.K. was the fourth largest source of foreign direct investment into Georgia between 2014-24, she said, with 33,400 people working for British companies within the state. Recent retail successes have given a high-profile sheen to bilateral ties, with Chick-Fil-A choosing the U.K.<\/a> for its first European restaurants and British clothing brand\u00a0Boden opening its first U.S. store<\/a> in Alpharetta. <\/p>\n<\/a>Ed Haines shares the importance of growing membership and hosting events to drive business networking. Credit: BABC Georgia<\/p>\n