Birmingham Future Leadership Team Away Day

Early on 27 August the Leadership Team met at Mills & Reeve before travelling to Cannock to take on the Go Ape course. After the initial embarrassment of putting on what were some very unflattering harnesses, the team got down to business and climbed the first rope ladder. It was a gruelling 2 hours of balancing, stretching and hanging on for dear life whilst hoping that the safety equipment would work, but the team got through it together.
Once finished at Go Ape, the team returned to Mills & Reeve for lunch and an afternoon workshop session based on cohesiveness within Birmingham Future and with other organisations. This helped the Leadership Team to consider how they could work more effectively together for the benefit of Birmingham Future.
At the end of the day, Richard Brennan and Jo Sollom joined the Leadership Team for a feedback session, and finally the Birmingham Forward Board members along with the team at the office of Birmingham Future joined the group for drinks in order for them all to get to know each other a bit better, and to trade stories on the hardest part of the Go Ape course (don’t mention the rings to Darren Walker).

This was an excellent team building day, so special thanks must go to Amanda Porter for arranging everything.”

From Tomorrow’s Leaders to Today’s Influencers – by Matt Taylor

Last week, more than 600 young professionals and guests from across the business community gathered at the ICC to discover who will be the leading accountants, lawyers, surveyors, recruiters, communicators and entrepreneurs of the next generation. Even in the midst of a major economic downturn, record numbers drank and danced well into the night, celebrating the crop of talent that will be major figures in the future. But BYPY – Birmingham’s Young Professional of the Year – has always been about more than the brightest brains in the smartest suits. From the first winner, Gary Taylor, director of Argent, to this year’s winner Suzie Branch, of BHMG, it’s been about celebrating the combination of professional skills with a genuine commitment to making Birmingham an even better place in which to live and do business.

Power50, established by Birmingham Future in partnership with the Birmingham Post, is a logical extension of BYPY. From looking at leaders of the future, we assess who holds the levers of power and influence today. Like BYPY, it’s not just about the stars – those who occupy the obvious positions of power – but those who wield influence that can better Birmingham. More important than those who stand out, Power50 is about those who stand behind as we seek to identify those who either offer quiet leadership or who are not yet making their voices heard as widely as their potential allows.

The last ten days in British politics has been a rolling lesson in leadership. We have heard a lot of talk about the importance and qualities of leadership, but very little depth on what defines a great leader. In Birmingham, many have remarked on the apparent lack of leadership.

Historically, the city has spawned more than its fair share of civic and business leaders. Today, however, the pickings aren’t so rich. Cities that have global ambitions need more than just a few stand out names. We need leaders of all ages, from all sectors and of all backgrounds to put forward their ideas, articulate their visions and lead us to new heights.

Power50 was not born of having no leaders, but from having too few. More importantly, we found that Birmingham’s leadership was far from diverse.

This year, we have lined up an esteemed panel of judges, headed by Dermot Finch, director of Centre for Cities, to help decide who should be in the Power50. He’s our most independent chair of judges to date, coming from outside of Birmingham, and an expert on what makes a successful city. I can’t wait for what should prove a fascinating day of judging.

This year’s scheme will benefit from even wider use of social media channels and tools, appropriate for a city where digital media is such a strength.  It will allow more people to point judges toward those who should be considered. I’m hoping we identify and include more surprise names in the list, with even fewer of the usual suspects.

But like all league tables, Power50 should not to be taken too literally. It’s an art not a science. We will be as objective as we can. But, we are out to provoke, inspire and reflect.

The list will be revealed on 30 July at a special launch event to coincide with Birmingham Future’s AGM. I want to give particular thanks to Argent and Gary Taylor for providing us with a fitting venue for such an important event. Number Eleven Brindleyplace will be our stage for revealing the Power50, and as I saw at the recent launch, in building terms Number Eleven can already claim to be a leader in its own right.

So, please take the opportunity to influence the judges and tell us who has most influence in Birmingham. Who knows, perhaps Power50 will include a few more former BYPY winners this year so completing the circle?

Being Future Chair – Matt Taylor

This month, the Birmingham Future Blog welcomes Matt Taylor, of Headline Communications, and Future’s current chair to reflect on taking on the role as chair, and on the Future…

It’s been almost four month’s since I took on the mantle of chairman of Birmingham Future, and as the Christmas season approaches I thought this would be an appropriate time for me to reflect on my time as chair so far.

It was towards the end of July that I suddenly became aware of an overwhelming sense of fear, anticipation and nervousness as the big day approached. No, I’m not talking about the start of the new Premiership season and West Bromwich Albion’s first game against the Arsenal all stars, but rather the Birmingham Future AGM, when I would officially be sworn in, so to speak, as the new chairman.

With more than 100 people expected to be in attendance, including the great and the good of Birmingham, anticipation soon gave way to nausea as my first public appearance as chairman drew closer.

As the clock ticked down 7pm, it was almost time for me to face my worst fear – public speaking. My slot was after Alex Bishop, who I knew would be a hard act to follow, and as the rapturous applause rang around the room signalling the end of Alex’s speech, it was my turn to take centre stage. The next ten minutes would either make or break me.

As I started speaking I could feel the fear and nausea start to subside, the nervousness disappeared and I actually started to enjoy it, sort of. After a few more minutes I was in full swing, delivering my lines like I was back in front of my mirror practicing. Even my jokes seemed to go down well. Then it was over. Applause. I had done it.

That was four months ago, and a lot has happened between then and now. For starters I got married, which meant leaving Birmingham Future in the capable hands of my deputy chairman, Amanda Shearer, while I jetted off to enjoy my honeymoon.

Sadly, while I was away I missed our second ‘Welcome to Birmingham’ event for new graduates, which this year managed to attract more than 250 people at the Council House, and a special roundtable discussion, organised by Future, with senior shadow cabinet member Oliver Letwin MP.

This was an opportunity for us to discuss serious issues that affect our members with one of the Tory Party’s key policy makers. Although I wasn’t there, I’m reliably informed that Mr Letwin left the event feeling very positive, later remarking that we were a “remarkable group of young people”; a statement I wholeheartedly endorse.

 One of the things that has impressed during the four months I have been chairman of Birmingham Future is the enthusiasm and commitment of our members, and of young professionals generally. They are extremely passionate about the city and want to see it thrive and flourish, and are prepared to get stuck in to make this happen.

As the head of an organisation that represents young professionals in Birmingham I feel immensely proud and priviledged and I look forward to the next eight months in office.

Public speaking will still be my least favourite part of the role, but sometimes you just have to get on with it.

And we couldn’t let Matt go without asking him his QuickFire Questions:

What brought you to Birmingham?

Opportunity. When I graduated from Wolverhampton University, Birmingham had a thriving PR and marketing sector, and still does for that matter, so I decided to look for a job in the city. My first role was a junior account executive at an agency called Bertram Gough, which unfortunately is no longer in business. From there I joined Headline Communications, where I have been for six years and am now an account director.

Favourite place in the city?

Depends on what time of year it is. I really enjoy Christmas in Birmingham. There is a real festive feel to the city, particularly with the German Market, which is always a crowd pleaser.

One thing you would change about the city?

It would be unfeasible, but I would pedestrianise Broad Street and have more outdoor markets, such as the farmers market, and outdoor cafés and bars, like in Europe. 

One item to take to a desert island?

Not strictly an ‘item’, but I would take my wife. She’s far more practical than I am.

Setting the Foundation for the Future

This year, Birmingham Future nominated the Birmingham Community Foundation as its chosen Charity, and with Matt Taylor the current Future chair, setting one of his themes as charity I caught up with Derek Inman, Chief Executive of the Foundation at the recent Graduates Welcome Event.

I asked Derek to give Future members a little background on what the Foundation do: “The foundation is a distributive charity, which is predominatley about getting into the grass roots of Birmingham.  Typically we will give amounts of about £5,000 to areas where it can really make a difference.  There are some really deprived areas in Birmingham, and our aim is to engage with the local community and increase the opportunities available to the individuals living in these deprived areas.”

As the nominated charity, Birmingham Future members can clearly play a role in helping to raise funds for the great work that goes on, with the up-coming Birmingham Half Marathon being one example, but Derek also believes that Future members can play another important role:

“I’ve always been a big fan of Birmingham Future, especially for the enthusiasm and youth of the committee structure.  We really appreciate being the nominated charity for future, and see it as a great way to get more individuals involved in the work that we do.  The foundation encourage people to go out to the deprived areas of the city and show them what opportunities are out there.  This could include showing them jobs in the professional services sector that otherwise they would not be aware of, and in giving them role models to aspire to be like.  I think that Birmingham is a fantastic city, but there is still the ring of areas around city which are in great depravation, which it is our peril to ignore”.

Derek is very keen for the youth of Birmingham Future to engage with these deprived areas, give them access to professional services opportunities and to provide a solid and stable career path for them.  The Foundation are a local charity with local issues at their heart, and Birmingham Future are proud to support the work that they do.

If you want to know more about what the Foundation do, then please visit their website, or contact the Birmingham Future office.  If you believe that you or your organisation could help support the work of the Foundation, then Matt Taylor would love to hear your thoughts.