6. Organisation & Committee Structure Matt Taylor Chairman Amanda Shearer Deputy Alex Bishop Immediate Past Chair BYPY – Roula Samaha Business Strategy – Gareth Morgan-Jones Finance – Kirsty Allen Talent Retention & Development – Anthony McCourt Marketing – Rob Langley City Centre – Damien Byrne Diversity – Donna Codrington Membership – Gareth Poole Mentoring – Lisa Clark Events – Paul Fielding
Thank you for joining me, name, today to introduce Birmingham’s organisation for young, upcoming professionals, Birmingham Future.I anticipate that the presentation will take approximately 20 minutes, but rather than me simply telling you about the existence of Birmingham Future, I want to focus on what members can get out of being part of the only young, professional group which is wholly supported by the city and its constituent firms and companies.
It is important that the Birmingham Future organisation has a focused goal or raison d’etre, and the mission statement as shown here confirms precisely what that is. We are the only organisation specific to young professionals, designed to enable them to develop relationships with their peers and to form the relevant business relationships which will assist them in future. In addition, for the really aspirational characters amongst you, this is an arena through which you can dramatically raise your profile and that of your company, and ensure that you stand out above the rest. Essentially, this is a forum through which you can parade your expertise and build a reputation for such expertise
We have a total of approximately 450 individual members from the following sectors: tbcSome of the most supportive member firms are: HBJ Gateley Wareing, Eversheds, DeloitteBut there is nothing to state that only employees of these firms can join. We actively encourage membership from smaller firms where there is potentially more to be gained through the additional contacts to be madeIt is really about providing you with the opportunity to interact with the people, with whom you will be looking to do business in future. It is far easier to build your business with contacts met through a professional sociable environment early on than to try and develop those at a later stage when contacts have already been developed.
I mentioned aspirational, strong characters in an earlier slide. Birmingham Future provides the opportunity to form part of a committee structure, fully supported by the City and the Business Community. The leaders of each of the Future committees, as shown above have progressed into these positions and through this have developed strong contacts within the major spheres of influence throughout the city. Within these committees, there is an opportunity for all members to play an active role within the marketing and management of the Birmingham Future organisation
These are obviously just a few of our events from the last yearThere are several each month, with a few notable highlights such as the BYPY dinner and the Annual BallThe majority are designed to provide useful training to complement your progression with your career in the most beneficial way including presentation skills, time management courses and personal development. Please have a look at the website for a complete list of events
Being a member is not simply about turning up to events, shaking a few hands and listening to a presenter for an hour. To enhance the membership, you will be able to receive special terms negotiated with various Birmingham businesses, from reduced costs in bars and restaurants to subsidised fees at law firms, so used wisely, this can pay for the membership fee in itself
Only Birmingham’s young professionals can be nominated for the Young Professional of the Year awards which culminates in the awards ceremony and dinner held last at the ICC, and attracts over 500 guests including some very recognisable names from the Birmingham business community. To win this award or any of the individual sector awards presents huge opportunities in terms of reputation and career progression and again, the opportunity to put yourself ahead of your competition.
The website is packed with useful information. Go and have a look at it. For those of you with a pen, the address is
To join and to benefit immediately, phone the future office an 0121 632 2200 to receive a membership pack. Better still, go online and complete the application form. Membership is on an annual basis so that when you join you will be able to benefit from a full 12 months networking opportunities.Alternatively, if your Company is a Birmingham Forward Member, there should be a Future contact. If you are not sure who it is, again phone the office and we will be happy to let you know. So, where do you want to be in the years ahead?
Perhaps you could help to forge Birmingham’s Future