Business News


Sponsored by: Inspired Partners


New and exclusive events for Chamber patron members


By Jessica Brookes


What’s the difference that makes the difference?


By Sally Palethorpe, managing partner of Inspired Partners


Why, people of course! It is often said that in business people are the ‘greatest asset’. To retain those individuals,


keep them engaged and ensure they fulfil their potential you need to invest time, effort and money in developing their skills. Personal development takes many forms including training. When that training is linked to individual behaviours how do you ensure that the individuals continue to develop once the course is complete? You confirm that the


programme you select offers the right balance of theory and practice, is relevant in the workplace, and individuals are supported and encouraged outside the classroom. Our leadership development programmes are designed to meet the needs of the business as well as the individual. We deliver our leadership


training as a programme over a three to nine month period to ensure that the individuals have the time to embrace their learning. They also set their own personal goals on the first day. This is supplemented by coaching delivered externally by us or by internal coaches. This approach works. Inspired Partners have had outstanding results with proven talent retention, internal promotions and the development of future leaders for the organisation. If you want your people to


say things like: “Course content is very useful and is already changing the way I work day-to-day.” “Superb course ~ every module has contained useful tools and has been relevant to my day job.”


Then talk to Sally to see how we could tailor the right fit for you. Mobile: 078129905 Email:


sallyp@inspiredpartners.com 26 CHAMBERLINK February 2020


Patrons of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) are being offered new and exclusive events focused on crucial business topics. As a result of feedback from


businesses which are a part of the Chamber’s top tier of membership, the 11 exclusive, invite-only events which patrons to which patrons are invited have been redesigned. Their events will now include a


mixture of insight and influence breakfasts, business leader networking, Christmas and Summer receptions, development workshops, alongside traditional patron lunch and breakfast events. Lunch and breakfast events


feature local and national business and political leaders, with previous guests including Nick Timothy, former aid to ex-Prime Minister


Theresa May, Sebastian Burnside, chief economist at RBS NatWest, and Nick Barton, chief executive of Birmingham Airport. Events in 2020 will include


insight, guidance and advice from industry experts on the upcoming Birmingham Clean Air Zone and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Henrietta Brealey, director of


policy and strategic relationships at GBCC, said: “We maintain a really close relationship with all 39 of our patrons, and we are keen to act on their feedback in regards to patron- only events. They all expressed that they would like further opportunities to understand and influence key developments taking place in Birmingham, speak candidly with each other at senior level about future challenges and opportunities, and wanted to understand more about what their fellow patrons


HS2 station designs unveiled


priorities’ are. This new look events calendar, exclusively for patrons, really delivers these opportunities and provides greater value to their strategic, tailored membership of the GBCC.” The Chambers’ top tier of membership, patronage, offers a limited number of companies the opportunity to connect with some of the most influential figures in Greater Birmingham. Chamber patrons receive


bespoke and tailored support, and gain unrivalled access to business leaders and networks. Some of the region’s largest


employers are GBCC patrons, including Jaguar Land Rover, Mondelez, HSBC, University of Birmingham and Squire Patton Boggs.


• For patrons’ news go to pages 50 and 51


How Curzon Street HS2 station in central Birmingham will look at dawn, according to an artist’s impression. This is one of several updated designs for the two new high speed rail stations in Birmingham and Solihull. They focus on open space and landscaping, with HS2 aiming to create two of the world’s most


environmentally-friendly railway stations. Curzon Street and Interchange stations will produce zero net carbon emissions and achieve a ‘BREEAM excellent’ standard. HS2 has been working with WSP and Grimshaw Architects LLP on the design for Curzon Street and with Arup on the Interchange station in Solihull.


Push for HS2 to go ahead ‘in full’ By John Lamb


Business leaders in Greater Birmingham have called for the HS2 project to go ahead “in full” following the publication of a leaked report of a government review into the project. According to the Financial Times, the draft report


provided by Douglas Oakervee to the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps before Christmas, says that “on balance” HS2 should proceed. It reportedly adds that the Crewe to Manchester and


Birmingham to Leeds lines should be paused for six months to allow further study. Mr Oakervee, who estimates the final cost could be


beyond the £81-88bn is also reported as saying that “further work” is needed to assess HS2’s impact on


regional growth and it is “hard” to say what economic benefits will result from building it. According to the report of the leaked document, Mr


Oakervee estimates that the final cost could rise 20 per cent beyond the £81bn-£88bn range set out in Allan Cook’s stocktake last September. However, Paul Faulkner, chief executive of Greater


Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), said: “If the report is correct, this is the clearest indication yet that HS2 should proceed and it is imperative that it should go ahead in full. We must press ahead to articulate that HS2 will drive investment into the heart of the country, create 500,000 jobs and deliver around 90,000 new homes in the Midlands and the North. Constructing HS2 will create over 30,000 engineering and construction jobs, including 2,000 apprenticeships.”


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