Line up revealed to develop future leaders
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has announced the line up of its Leadership Commission under chair Anita Bhalla OBE.
The WMCA says the Commission has been launched to help people from under-represented parts of society make it to the top of the career ladder.
20 people have been named as members from the worlds of business, the arts, health and public services who, the WMCA says, personally understand the issues of under-representation.
The Commission will “reach out into communities and institutions to give a voice to views and ideas from people across the region.”
The WMCA has asked the Commission to look at ways to improve opportunities for women and people from groups such as black and minority ethnic (BME), the LGBT community, disabled people and lower social economic groups such as white working-class boys.
Ms Bhalla, who is chair of Performances Birmingham Ltd (Town Hall and Symphony Hall) and a Board member of GBSLEP, said:
Under-representation at leadership level limits aspiration and leads to disaffection and feelings of isolation and that’s probably felt even more keenly in such a wonderfully diverse area like the West Midlands.
We know that change will not happen overnight but we intend to be an action orientated commission, one that gets out into the real world to talk to people and organisations about their first hand experiences.
We will then use that information and other expert research to draw up actions that can help create an environment where future leaders can be nurtured and supported.
Anita Bhalla on the aims and the Commission’s forthcoming work:
The launch of the Commission follows a commitment by Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, Andy Street, to explore what lies behind under-representation at leadership level and take appropriate action to tackle it.
The Mayor said:
This lack of representation at leadership level needs to be addressed so that the people who have a significant influence on the West Midlands properly reflect its society.
We are a diverse region but to truly thrive in the 21st century we need to make the most of the exceptional talent and potential we have in all of our different communities.
The West Midlands Leadership Commission membership is:
| Chair: Anita Bhalla OBE | |
| Davinder Prasad | BOPA, Coventry |
| Sunder Katwala | British Future |
| Jacqui Francis | AdinaMay |
| Sarah Jane Marsh | Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital |
| Bas Javid | Commander, Solihull Police |
| Shaz Manir | Amirah Foundation |
| Lawrence Barton | Birmingham Pride |
| Anisa Haghdadi | Beetfreaks |
| Deborah Cadman | WMCA |
| Bishop Derek Webley | Gangs and Violence Commission, DL |
| Vidar Hjardeng | ITV |
| Jenny Phillimore | Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRiS), University of Birmingham |
| Rosie Ginday | Miss Macaroon |
| Professor Kiran Trehan | Department of Management, University of Birmingham |
| Suzy Verma | Head of Public Sector & Higher Education HSBC |
| Dorian Chan | Wing Wah Group |
| Tim Rayner | brownejacobson |
| Christina Michalos | Barrister, Trustee at Birmingham Children’s Hospital |
| Professor David Roberts | Birmingham City University School of English |
| Johur Uddin | Community Connect Foundation, Sandwell |
| Jackie Dunne | University of Wolverhampton |
Cllr Steve Eling, WMCA lead for cohesion and integration and leader of Sandwell Council, added:
Inclusivity in the working of the Combined Authority has to go far further than just the leaders of the councils.
We should be actively engaging with a much broader range of councillors from member authorities, in relation to the functions and promotion of what we are taking forward.
Deborah Cadman, WMCA Chief Executive, on the importance of making sure that major decisions affecting the region are undertaken in as inclusive way:
A key task of the Commission will be to draw up a strategy and action plan to tackle leadership under-representation in the West Midlands.
Early actions to be explored include:
- The promotion of name-blind recruitment by West Midlands companies where the name of a job applicant is not revealed to those assessing the candidate
- Encouraging applications from under-represented groups for leadership positions such as magistrates, Justices of the Peace, deputy lieutenants, school governors and non-executive NHS chairs and directors
- A cross-party campaign to increase representation amongst political candidates for local elections
- Targeted employment initiatives for under-represented groups
The University of Warwick, Birmingham City University and Wolverhampton University will be providing the Commission with research facilities with work headed up by Professor Jenny Phillimore of Birmingham University, who is director of the Institute for Research into Superdiversity.
Main pic: Anita Bhalla, chair of the Leadership Commission with Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street.
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