Chamber Podcast

Chamber CEO Henrietta Brealey and Professor Anne Green from City-REDI explore key economic trends in Greater Birmingham, ahead of 2024 Birmingham Economic Review They explore the region’s economic growth, business confidence, and the challenges posed by economic inactivity, as well as the impact of political shifts at both national and global levels. The pair also delve into the importance of incl...

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce head of policy Emily Stubbs is joined by Suzie Branch Haddow, vice principal of external development at BMet College and Chair of Skills West Midlands and Warwickshire, Paul Cook, CEO of Hereward College, and Tracy Bishop, regional manager at Whitbread, for an in-depth conversation on supported internships as part of the Growth Through People campaign. Toget...

Chamber CEO Henrietta Brealey and Professor Anne Green from City-REDI at the University of Birmingham take a deep-dive into the Birmingham economy ahead of the launch of the 2023 Birmingham Economic Review.  They discuss a host of topics which are covered in the report - from the impact of rising inflation and cost of living on businesses and consumers, to labour market trends and net zero. Henrie...

The third episode of our 2023 Growth Through People mini-series focuses on attracting and engaging talent - and how employers can work closer with education providers to meet skills needs. The Chamber's policy and projects manager Emily Stubbs is joined by Anshu Williams, South and City College Birmingham's assistant director - Employer Engagement and Placements. Anshu discusses some of So...

The second episode of our 2023 Growth Through People mini-series focuses on business support, economic growth and addressing the skills and employing gap facing the West Midlands.  The Chamber's policy and projects manager Emily Stubbs is joined by the West Midlands Combined Authority's head of economic development and delivery Paul Edwards and director of employment and skills Clare Hatto...

In the first episode of our 2023 Growth Through People mini-series, we find out how one of the UK's biggest transport operators approaches diversity and inclusivity.  The Chamber's policy and projects manager Emily Stubbs talks to Tinne Ledwitch-Madsen, National Express' UK head of employee engagement about the bus operator's approach to creating a diverse and inclusive working environment.&n...

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce's policy and projects manager Emily Stubbs is joined by members of the Birmingham Education Partnership to discuss the role the business community can play in ensuring students are prepared for the fast-changing world of work. The GBCC is working with Birmingham Education Partnership to identify individuals in the local business community who may be interest...

This episode of the Chamber Podcast unpacks the findings of the the Solihull Economic Snapshot 2022. The flagship report, sponsored by Prime Accountants, is produced by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce to showcase the economic environment, opportunities and challenges ahead for the dynamic borough of Solihull and its local business community. Speakers in this episode include host Samantha F...

This special edition of the Chamber Podcast unpacks some of the key themes from Avison Young’s 2022 Forecast. The Forecast looks at how global events, trends and indicators are impacting on commercial real estate across different sectors.  Avison Young’s principal and head of Birmingham office Carl Potter and UK head of insight Daryl Perry discuss key themes from the forecast, with a particul...

The final episode of our Growth Through People mini-series focuses on behavioural preferences in managing stress. The Chamber's policy and projects manager Emily Stubbs talks to Jonathan Evans, CEO of Discovery, about the importance of understanding and recognising behavioural preferences. They explore the importance of recognising behavioural preferences in ourselves and those around us - as well...

Business leaders and managers are often required to lead beyond their circle of authority. But what are the skills required to do this – and how can they impact on an organisation? Louise Teboul, UK partnerships director for Common Purpose, explores this topic with the Chamber’s policy and campaigns manager Emily Stubbs as part of the Growth Through People campaign. Growth Through People is the an...

How can organisations work with further education providers to meet their skills needs?  Rebecca Waterfield, head of employer engagement at South and City College Birmingham, joins the Chamber's Emily Stubbs to discuss attracting and engaging future workforces.  In this episode, as part of the Chamber's 2022 Growth Through People campaign, Rebecca discusses how South and City's work with...

Rebecca Mander was the managing director of a successful electronics company when she suffered one of the worst personal setbacks imaginable.  Her world was turned upside down when she suffered the loss of her son, Charlie. In the same year, her mother, who was the company CEO, also passed away. But learning to deal with these traumatic experiences inspired Rebecca to set up GuruYou – a compa...

Adam Liddle from Jacobs joins us to discuss how the technical professional services firm implemented its climate strategy. Adam, the director of Sustainable Growth and Innovation at Jacobs, discusses the steps businesses can take to plan and implement a climate strategy. This podcast is part of the Sustainable Business Series: Net Zero campaign, a joint initiative between Greater Birmingham and Co...

Midlands Connect's Simon Statham joins the Chamber's head of policy Raj Kandola to discuss transport body's role in decarbonisation. Simon discusses how Midlands Connect's strategy has shifted further towards the net zero agenda over the past six years.  The podcast is part of the Sustainable Business Series: Net Zero campaign, jointly hosted by the Greater Birmingham and Coventry & Warwi...

Chamber CEO Henrietta Brealey and the University of Birmingham/City-REDI's Professor Simon Collinson take a deep-dive into the Greater Birmingham economy ahead of the launch of the 2021 Birmingham Economic Review.  They discuss the impact of the pandemic on the city, the signs of economic recovery and opportunities for Birmingham to become more innovative, more environmentally sustainable and...

The Chamber's environmental policy lead Will Hargreaves is joined by Andy Whyle from Sustainability West Midlands (SWM) to discuss the circular economy and its benefits and opportunities for business.  The podcast was recorded as part of the Sustainable Business Series: Net Zero campaign, jointly hosted by the Greater Birmingham and Coventry & Warwickshire Chambers of Commerce.

Inspired Energy's energy and environmental manager Robbie Howlett joins the Chamber's Will Hargreaves to provide analysis and practical advice on how businesses can successfully manage their energy usage.  Topics of discussion include practical energy management, optimisation solutions, the role of data in energy management and raising awareness among staff. This podcast is part of the 'Susta...

With cricket's innovative The Hundred competition underway, Birmingham Phoenix general manager Craig Flindall joins the Chamber's Dan Harrison to discuss forming the new franchise in preparation for the tournament.  Craig, who is also the chief operating officer at Edgbaston, talks us through every element of preparations for The Hundred, from the player draft through to helping ensure the ne...

The West Midlands is just one year away from hosting the largest multi-sporting event the region has ever seen, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.  In this episode of the Chamber Podcast, experts and business leaders provide their insights on what is left to do to prepare the region and the business legacy the Games will bring.  Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of GBCC, hosts this...

With the West Midlands' second mayoral election just around the corner, Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of the Chambers, and Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities discuss why businesses should care about the upcoming election. 

Being resilient through unprecedented times can be challenging for many.  In this episode of the Chamber Podcast, Marc Bell, general manager of Bear Grylls Adventure, discusses how his team has been able to harness resilience during the pandemic with the Chamber's policy and projects manager Emily Stubbs.  This episode is part of a mini-series for the Chamber's 2021 Growth Through People productiv...

Many businesses over the last year have asked themselves what they can do to boost equality, diversity and inclusion.  In this Growth Through People special episode of the Chamber Podcast, chief executive of the Chamber, Paul Faulkner, discusses unlocking potential and the RACE Equality Code with Karl George, managing director of the Governance Forum. 

The Covid crisis has presented a number of challenges for business when attracting and engaging talent.  In this episode of the Chamber podcast, policy and campaigns manager Emily Stubbs discusses remote employee engagement and attracting talent to the technology sector with Chamber vice-president and chief executive of Forensic Pathways, Deb Leary. This episode is part of a mini-series for the Ch...

With the Covid-19 pandemic bringing about the rapid adoption of flexible and remote working, this podcast assesses whether leaders and managers can trust their teams. The Chamber's policy and campaigns manager Emily Stubbs is joined by Mark Saunders, Professor of Business Research Methods at University of Birmingham. This episode is part of a mini-series for the Chamber's 2021 Growth Through Peopl...