We are delighted to introduce the people who are helping us to shape and build a ‘better’ Midlands.
All of our Advisory and Board members bring with them a vast range of experience and expertise to support and enhance our work. All members have a strong connection to the Midlands’ region and a strong desire to see the region develop and prosper.
Advisory Board
Sarah Perry
Chair of CNM Advisory Board and Consultant, Weightmans LLP
Professor Majid AlSadi
President; Chairman & CEO, Eastern Holding
Chris Smith
Managing Director and Founder
Amardeep Gill
Partner, Trowers & Hamlins
Allan Andrews
Senior Advisor to the Mayor of the West Midlands
Joe Elliott MBE
Director, Culture Coventry and Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust
Leon Emirali
Entrepreneur and investor
Dan Barlow
Founder and Group CEO, Kagool
Beverley Nielsen
County Councillor and Associate Professor
Tim Fawcett
Birmingham Cities Lead, Project Principal, Mott MacDonald
Megan Cooper
Sales Director - Employment and Skills, Serco Ltd
Dr Halima Sacranie
Chair, Housing and Communities Leadership Board
Professor Ardavan Amini
Complex Adaptive Systems Engineer & Founder, EsseSystems
Chris Plumley
Partner and Team Leader, Trowers & Hamlins LLP
Afzal Hussain DL
Chief Officer at Witton Lodge Community Association
Dr Halima Sacranie
Chair, Housing and Communities Leadership Board
Liz Williams
Area Director Midlands & Wales, Rentplus UK
Alan Fraser
Independent Housing consultant and former CEO, YMCA Heart of England
Dr Steven McCabe
Associate Professor, Birmingham City University
Joanna Lee-Mills
Partner and Head of Social Housing Development, Shakespeare Martineau
Mike Leonard
CEO, Building Alliance CIC and Visiting Professor Manufacturing and the Built Environment, Birmingham City University
Dominic Bradley
Chief Executive, Lench's Trust
Haydn Povey
CEO, SCI Semiconductor Ltd
Professor Ardavan Amini
Complex Adaptive Systems Engineer & Founder, EsseSystems
Hollie Whittles
InfoSec Director, Purple Frog Systems Ltd
Sarg Senthil
Metaverse Lead | Data Engineer, Kagool
Professor Steven Furnell
Professor of Cyber Security, University of Nottingham
Tracy Pound
Managing Director, Maximity Limited
Professor Mohammad Patwary
Director of Digital Innovation & Solution Centre (DISC), University of Wolverhampton
Parminder Singh Garcha
Deputy Director, West Midlands, Department for Education
Megan Cooper
Sales Director - Employment and Skills, Serco Ltd
Dr Benjamin Silverstone
Associate Professor and Director of the WMG Skills Centre, University of Warwick
Ian Harrison
Director, Growhouse Growth Business
Diane Vernon MBE
CEO and Founder Director, Employability UK
Alison Grade
Author of The Freelance Bible; CEO of Mission Accomplished
Gareth Jones
Head of Strategic Finance, Midlands, Virgin Money
Lewis Walker
Deputy Head, Birmingham College of Food, University College Birmingham
Robert Neal
Business Development Manager, Oxbridge
Tolu Osekita
Strategic Advisor, Family Office
Raynee De Zoysa
Senior Business Development Manager, Balfour Beatty
Tim Fawcett
Birmingham Cities Lead, Project Principal, Mott MacDonald
Andrew Jinks
Regional Director - Midlands, National Highways
Sandeep Shingadia
Director of Strategic Partnerships and Integration, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM)
Paul Woods
Infrastructure Planning Director, WSP
Deborah Bunce
Head of Sustainable Construction, University College Birmingham
Craig Flindall
Chief Operating Officer & Birmingham Phoenix General Manager, Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Harbinder Singh Birdi
Creative Director, Birdi & Partners