Chamber Patrons


Y International joins as latest Chamber patron


By John Lamb


A major Birmingham export specialist, who are making a £15m move to new premises creating dozens of extra jobs have become a patron of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC). Y International, who won the


coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise, are part of the seven billion dollar turnover Lulu Group International chain founded by Indian billionaire Yusuff Ali. It is poised to go from strength


to strength with a relocation to a new 120,000 sq ft facility less than a mile from its Aston home of the last four years. Paul Faulkner, chief executive of


the GBCC, said: “Y International have been a major global success and we are delighted to have them on board as a patron. “It means that the Chamber will


be able to offer Y bespoke support for their new base that will prove a major jobs boost for the area, with 60 new staff set to be recruited via the local Jobcentre to add to the 160 staff hired since the distribution company first opened its doors in Aston in April 2013.” Tony Perks, Y International’s


Director-Operations, said: “We are delighted to have become patrons of the Chamber. This will give a new dimension to our operations and we greatly look forward to working with the wider Greater Birmingham business community.” Y International (UK) Ltd is


owned by Mr Yusuff Ali, the managing director of Lulu Group


New dimension: Tony Perks


International, which is based in Abu Dhabi. The Lulu Group has a significant


retail presence in the Middle East with ambitious expansion plans particularly in Saudi Arabia. Y International is based in Witton with a current staff of 160. There are plans to build a new


warehouse facility of 120,000 sq ft in the same area to cope with the rapid expansion of the business and to increase the staff numbers to 240. The facility is a centre for the procurement, consolidation and export of a wide range of British products for export to the Middle East and Far East. Y International has created a


broader market for products of British origin particularly those from smaller companies who do not have the expertise to export to the Middle East.


Y International featured in a BBC Midlands Today news item about a project exporting English cows’ milk to Qatar. To view the item go to: www.bbc.co.uk


Mark Payne


Park Regis appoints general manager


Park Regis Birmingham has appointed Mark Payne as general manager. His appointment follows Robin Ford’s move to become operations


director for Fiveways Hospitality, the management company that operates the hotel. Mark joins from De Vere Tortworth Court, in Wotton-under-Edge,


Gloucestershire, where he had served as GM for just over six years. However, his involvement in the hospitality industry goes back to


when he was a young boy, when he served food to customers at his parents’ pub in Herefordshire. Mark, who lives in


Gloucestershire with his wife and two teenage sons, said he was excited and honoured to take the helm at the Park Regis flagship hotel, the first to open in Europe. He said: “I’m very much looking forward to continuing the excellent


‘I’m thrilled that I have the opportunity to fly the flag for the UK’s second city’


work that Robin has done for the hotel since it opened in March last year and also to working alongside him and his team as they continue to establish Park Regis as the foremost luxury hotel in the city. “It’s a truly exciting time for Birmingham, with the city being named


the candidate city to bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, HS2 rail network on the horizon and a host of ambitious developments and infrastructure schemes. I’m thrilled that I have the opportunity to fly the flag for the UK’s second city.” Robin Ford said: “Park Regis Birmingham has quickly made its mark


in the city, offering four-star deluxe accommodation and facilities for both leisure and business customers. “With my move to operations director we need a GM who has solid


experience and a great track record and I’m delighted Mark is joining us at such a pivotal time for the city.”


Surge in demand for finance professionals


The latest Robert Walters Birmingham Jobs Index has revealed that demand for professionals rose by 19 per cent in August 2017, compared to the same period last year. The Index tracks the number of


jobs available and candidates seeking jobs in the Midlands month-by-month. Chris Poole (pictured), managing


director of Robert Walters, said: “Birmingham has enjoyed high levels of hiring activity throughout 2017, with local firms looking to grow despite a degree of economic uncertainty surrounding Brexit.


“Local startups have been a significant source of demand for professionals, with the tech sector in particular seeing strong growth. “Outside of this, manufacturing


and construction businesses have been active, with investment into local infrastructure projects helping to spur these industries.” Finance professionals saw the


greatest increase in demand for their skills, with the number of vacancies doubling compared to August last year. Mr Poole added: “Finance specialists are highly sought after in the Midlands.


“The tech startup businesses


community in Birmingham includes a significant number of ecommerce and fintech firms, where finance specialists are highly sought after. “In addition, shared service


centres in the Midlands are an ongoing source of demand for finance professionals to fill mid and back office function. “Those specialising in risk,


compliance and other regulatory related disciplines have enjoyed particularly high demand for their skills as banks and financial services firms adapt to high pressure from regulators.”


November 2017 CHAMBERLINK 29


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72