If you have any ideas on how we can improve this e-bulletin or any topics you would like to see covered please e-mail the editor Charlie Spencer. For more news, information and event listings please visit www.birminghamfuture.co.uk.
News & Events
Chairman’s Overview - Chris Robertson
This is my first e-bulletin message as Chairman since I took over from Neil Frankland at the AGM on 20 July 2005. I’d like to thank everyone who has sent good wishes on taking on the Chairmanship, and I look forward to meeting as many people as possible over the next few months.
Thanks also to everyone who came along to the AGM. It was a very good turnout on a warm summers evening.
The key priorities for me in the next year are; building a Diversity team to put in train a stream of events/activities in the mould of our Graduate Retention team, to deepen our relationships with the universities in our region (taking these to a faculty level), and to secure accreditation for our mentoring programme and ensure we maintain a vibrant stream of events for members.
New Leadership Team Members
Following the Birmingham Future AGM a number of changes have been made to the Leadership Team.
Joy Stefanicki has been appointed as chair of the BYPY committee, while former BYPY chair Alex Bishop has taken over the role of Diversity committee chair from Sarah Gee who is now Deputy Chair.
Rozet Bagasrawalla has taken on the chairmanship of the Annual Ball committee from Karl Randay, and Sally Beavan has joined as Finance committee Chair, taking over from Gary Ecob.
We would like to thank all of the outgoing committee chairs for their hard work and commitment to the organisation and wish their successors the same success in the future.
Booking to the Future
You can now book events online via our new website designed by Networks Newmedia.
Launched on 21 July, our new-look website will automatically enter events into your Outlook calendars and keep you up to date with what we have been up to. We hope you will use them daily as an extension of your business diary.
We would welcome any feedback on the new-look site, www.birminghamfuture.co.uk and email any comments to parmi.gill@birminghamforward.co.uk.
Membership update
There is a new members' lunch on 14 October, to be held at Deloitte's offices in BrindleyPlace. Thank you in advance to Deloitte for the kind hosting of this event.
Also, to any Future members who think some of their colleagues might be interested in joining Future – we’d be happy to visit them and deliver a short presentation to those companies either before work starts or at lunchtime.
Please contact claire.barker@kinetic-communications.com or amanda.shearer@mills-reeve.com for anyone wanting further information.
Mentoring update
Following the sell-out success of the next Introduction to Mentoring event, we shall be organising a follow up event for all those who were unable to attend. Details of this event shall be confirmed shortly.
However, should you have any queries in the interim, please contact Madeleine on 0121 643 8151 or via email at mr@core-marketing.co.uk.
Drive for Diversity
One of Birmingham Future's key objectives over the next twelve months will be to look at diversity issues in the professional services sector. We are currently looking at putting a team together to focus on these issues and what we as Future members can do to ensure that steps are taken to make the gender and ethnic mix of our sector representative of the city we work in.
If you are interested in finding out more about joining the Diversity team and want to help us make a difference, please contact the new chair of the Diversity Team at alex.bishop@dlapiper.com
Upcoming events
27 September 2005 "How to make a cocktail" at Zinc. Cost is £22 plus vat per person and places are extremely limited and in addition will have to be limited to two attendees per organisation.
Look out for our Keynote lunch with Humphrey Walters coming up in November (further details to be advised). The event will be held at the Burlington and our speaker is a motivational speaker who has worked extensively with Clive Woodward, the England Rugby Team and the British Lions.
BYPY
The BYPY committee are currently enjoying a full compliment on the committee and are on the sponsorship trail. Anyone interested in sponsorship – for which there are many opportunities – should contact jstefanicki@deloitte.co.uk
Start your engines
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Following on from her 60 second interview, Simone from Teamworks Karting has generously offered a special promotion to all Future & Forward members - a free race session. If you feel like testing out your driving skills then please click here.
Sir Digby Jones and Birmingham Post support the West Midlands Graduate Fair
Director General of the CBI Sir Digby Jones has endorsed this year’s Graduate Fair, taking place at the ICC on October 18th. In a letter Sir Digby welcomed Birmingham Future’s commitment to the issue of graduate retention and specifically the opportunity for graduates to meet the region’s top employers at the West Midlands Graduate Fair.
The Birmingham Post has also put their weight behind the event by agreeing to be the official media partner.
There is just over two months to go before the Graduate Fair and exhibitor places are limited- demand for stands is already high. Further information and booking details can be made by contacting Joanne Lowe on 0121 237 6016 or by email Joanne@urbancomms.com
Birmingham Future, One Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BD
Telephone: +44 (0)121 632 2200 Fax: +44 (0)121 632 2201
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