Chamber Podcast

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.

Together, they explore how these progr...

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.

Henrietta and Anne also talk about the ov...

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 South and City's initiatives to c...

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 Hatton. 

They discusses the West Midland...

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. 

Tinne's role covers diversity,...

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 interested in becoming Enterprise Advisers ...

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 Frampton, head of Solihull Chamber, ...

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 particular focus on Birmingham.

They assess...

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 as the impact those behaviours can...

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 annual productivity and leadership ca...

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 different employers - including cr...

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 company which coaches leaders through th...

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 Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber o...

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 & 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 'Sustainable Business Series: Net Zero' c...

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 new format captures the right audienc...

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 edition of the Chamber podcast.&nb...