Business News The Griffin Report
Steve Allen has become president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce just under a year ahead of schedule. He has succeeded Saqib Bhatti, who stepped down after being elected MP for Meriden in the December General Election. Jon Griffin, Chamberlink’s award-winning columnist, went to meet the man who is in charge of law firm Mills and Reeve’s Birmingham office. He discovered a Manchester City FC devotee whose heart is in the West Midlands.
but his heart lies firmly in his adopted region of the West Midlands. Steve, who hails from the North-
N
West, is a lifelong devotee of the club which now feature Pep Guardiola’s international superstars. “I remember when our local derby was Macclesfield,” he recalls with a wince - and has a season ticket at the Etihad. But away from football, the man
in charge of law firm Mills and Reeve’s Birmingham office unashamedly bangs the drum for the West Midlands, from its hi-tech sector to Jaguar Land Rover, and the Symphony Hall to HS2. Steve took the reins as president
of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce after Saqib Bhatti’s tenure was cut short when he was elected Tory MP for Meriden at the December general election. The city lawyer, 58, is now rolling
up his sleeves for a stint at the helm of the Chamber organisation – and spelled out his vision for the future of the region during a 90- minute chat with Chamberlink. After beginning his legal career
in the North-West, Steve moved to Birmingham in 2000 to take up a role with renowned law firm Wragge and Co – and has been a fixture in the city ever since. “It was the biggest move of my
life. The image I had of Birmingham at the time was dull, dark and concrete. But I grew to love the city, it has improved immensely. You only have to look around to see what has been happening around Paradise Circus, the Central Library, HSBC etc.” But Steve is keen to emphasise
at the start of his presidency that Birmingham – and the wider West Midlands – cannot afford to rest on its laurels as the regional economy adapts to life post-Brexit. “As a former President of the
BABC, (British-American Business Council) internationalism is at the heart of what I want to achieve as president. I think the Chamber is in prime position to assist Midlands businesses in navigating tricky
Steve Allen
‘I think the Chamber is in prime position to assist Midlands businesses in navigating tricky waters post-Brexit’
waters post-Brexit. Within the Chamber, we have re-organised our international office in the international hub and we can provide specialist international trade advice, help with exports, translation etc. “I think internationalism and
technology are going to be two of my main themes. Technology is
critical in enabling our businesses to compete. If you look at the Midlands, from the Industrial Revolution technology has been a driving force for the regional economy. “We have the largest regional
tech cluster in the UK. Technology is the fastest growing sector in the Midlands and is predicted to add
£1.1bn to the economy by 2022. But one of the key things is that we need to compete with China and the US, and there is a danger we are not at that level – the need to invest in technology is going to be one of the key messages. “If you look at the talent pool in
the region, we are the youngest city in Europe and we are in one of the most incredible locations in the UK. We are in one of the best locations to take advantage of technology.”
Cont’d on page 30... February 2020 CHAMBERLINK 29
ew Chamber president Steve Allen may be a Manchester City diehard –
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