Solihull
All the latest news, advice and events for the Solihull business community
Contact: Joan Smith T: 0845 603 6650
In Brief
Solihull recruitment consultancy Plum Personnel has launched a new website, which offers free online training and enables job applications to be made on the move. The new website includes a ‘Learning Zone’
feature, which features a wealth of training resources, such as free of charge video tutorials, ranging from ‘Top CV Secrets’ to ‘Boosting Your Confidence’ and ‘Interview Skills’. Other key features include the ability to
manage job alerts and applications with a ‘Quick Apply’ tool. Susie Ankrett, co-director of Plum Personnel,
said: “The need for a responsive mobile friendly website is key to our recruitment strategy which is to ensure we continue to attract the very best local talent for our clients.” “The new website streamlines many of the
typical processes involved in registering, searching for a role and applying for a vacancy. This gives a much better experience and saves a considerable amount of time.” The new website can be found at
www.plum-personnel.com
Solihull College & University Centre welcomed senior military officers who are earmarked as potential future ministers in their respective countries, to their Woodlands Campus. Together with David Bradnock, deputy
Lieutenant for the West Midlands, 17 senior military personnel attended the event. Many of the service personnel were from outside the UK and it was the first time they had visited the area. After visiting Jaguar Land Rover, the guests
arrived at Woodlands Campus for a tour of the engineering and motor vehicle facilities at Solihull College. The guests were shown the most recent addition to the Woodlands Campus, a former Navy aircraft and a 737 flight simulator. College principal John Callaghan, said: “We
were extremely honoured to welcome David Bradnock HM Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands along with a number of senior military personnel to our campus and we were pleased with how impressed all of the visitors were with what we have to offer here.”
Solihull hosted its first ever ‘Fashion Week’, which was kicked off by a catwalk show hosted by ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ star Anton Du Beke. The show was followed by a weekend style
spectacular at Touchwood shopping centre. The four-day event showcased the latest fashions in clothing, beauty treatments and hair styling. It featured catwalk displays, demonstrations
across the town centre, and expert advice from Andrew Barton, celebrity stylist to the stars. Visitors to Touchwood on the Saturday were
able to watch a vibrant, fashion-focused event featuring a dedicated men’s catwalk show. On Sunday it was the kid’s turn to strut their
stuff on the Touchwood runway. Solihull Chamber director Joan Smith said:
“Solihull Fashion Week was a great success in bringing all the local businesses together. “Solihull BID, Mell Square, Touchwood and
Ramada Hotel, who are all Solihull Chamber members, worked collaboratively to make this a great success. It brought a great sense of community.”
34 CHAMBERLINK June 2016
Above:Melanie Palmer Right: Martin Clarke
Chamber reveals new board members
Solihull Chamber’s board will feature a number of new faces for the coming year. Among them is Martin Clarke, who is the
National Exhibition Centre’s venue marketing director, a new role which he has occupied for the past three years. Martin is part of the NEC’s senior management
team and is responsible for the organisation’s venue marketing and communication strategy. Prior to joining the NEC, Martin worked as
global head of sales and marketing for a company working with international schools and also as marketing director for The Isle Casino, at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Joining Martin on the board is Tom Queenan,
who is branch manager of Handelsbanken in Solihull. He originally joined the bank in December 2012 as a corporate manager. Prior to joining Handelsbanken, Tom spent 25
years with Bank of Ireland, including ten years at its Shirley branch. A third new board member is Tim Coplestone,
a real estate partner at local law firm The Wilkes Partnership. He completed his law degree at Norwich and joined Wragge & Co as an articled clerk. He spent 12 years there before moving on to Eversheds, and finally to Wilkes in 2009. The final new member is the manager of Solihull
Business Improvement District, Melanie Palmer. Melanie joined the BID in 2011 as project co-
ordinator and two years later was named manager. She has masterminded the renewal of the BID for a further five years, during which time it will showcase the best that the town has to offer. Melanie was named ‘Solihull Business Person of the Year’ at last year’s Solihull Chamber awards.
On board: Tim Coplestone and Tom Queenan
Chamber director Joan Smith said: “Solihull Chamber’s board consists of a number of businesses representing all sizes and sectors. “We have both male and female members
which gives us a good balance of views of the business world. Their role is very much around supporting me as the divisional director of Solihull Chamber as well as actively reviewing and responding to policies and developments that affect businesses in Solihull. “They are a link with local partners,
stakeholders and key employers to achieve a cohesive business group. They should endeavour to be recognised as the chosen voice for the business community in Solihull.”
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