BPS Birmingham announces new chairman

PROFESSIONAL and financial services sector membership organisation BPS Birmingham has announced its new chair.

Ahmed Farooq, managing director of general insurance at Wesleyan, the Birmingham-based insurance and financial services group, will formally take over from current chair Alex Bishop on Monday (June 1).

Farooq, who recently stepped down as a board member of the Birmingham Professional Services Academy, joins the board of BPS Birmingham alongside Ian Barnes, a partner and head of business tax at accountancy and advisory firm Deloitte’s Birmingham Office, who will lead on finance for the membership organisation.

Bishop said: “The board has conducted an extremely thorough search to recruit the right chair for BPS Birmingham. It was important that we appointed a senior leader from the sector who has the ideas, passion and commitment to take the organisation to the next level.

“In Ahmed, we believe we have found someone who is going to make a big impression representing our fast growing sector.

“I am especially pleased that in both Ahmed and Ian, we have recruited leading professionals from some of our biggest players, Wesleyan and Deloitte. It reflects the growing support we are receiving from major employers in the sector through patronage, sponsorship and by backing their employees to become members.”

Farooq said: “I am honoured to be following in Alex’s distinguished footsteps.

“She has done an incredible job of leading the organisation through significant change, with BPS Birmingham on a solid financial footing and once again recognised by its members and the city at large as the voice of the sector.

“My job, with the board, is to build on those foundations, continue to grow our membership and take advantage of the wave of opportunities coming our way, including HS2, devolution for the city region, city developments – including Snow Hill/Colmore and Paradise – as well as increasing investment and job growth, not least with the forthcoming arrival of HSBC’s UK bank.”

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