Birmingham Forward announces new chief executive

CHARTERED accountant Peter Rees-Steer has been appointed as the new chief executive of Birmingham Forward, following a year of upheaval for the body which represents the city’s professional services firms.

Mr Rees-Steer, who is also this year’s president of the West Midlands Society of Chartered Accountants and is a key figure in the IoD, takes up his post on July 1.

A new chair of the organisation is also expected to be announced soon and Mr Rees-Steer takes over from interim chief executive Mary Daunt, who took up that post following the death of Richard Brennan last year.

In 2010, new Forward chair Graham Nichol stepped down soon after his appointment because of work commitments at Barclays Wealth, to be replaced by KPMG’s Jackie Hendley.

Ms Hendley and Ms Daunt have led a strategic review of the organisation, which will lead to closer working relationships between Forward and Birmingham Future, its sister organisation that represents young professionals.

Mr Rees-Steer previously served as a member of the Birmingham Future Leadership Team.

He is a management and property consultant specialising in business and property performance and trained with Coopers and Lybrand.

He moved to Birmingham and worked at PwC before forming his own consultancy practice R-S Associates nine years ago.

He has served as a chairman of regional audience development agency, Audience Central, and sits on the national membership committee for the IoD.

Mr Rees-Steer has recently taken up the role as president of the West Midlands Society of Chartered Accountants and will continue in his role as a director of management and property consultancy Invigour.

As part of a new structure at Forward, Mr Rees-Steer will be supported by new operations manager Emily Lloyd who started earlier in the month.

Mr Rees-Steer said: “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to support Forward and Future and take the organisation into a new and progressive era.

“I cannot wait to get started and to build on the fantastic work done by Jackie Hendley, Darren Walker, Mary Daunt and the team in the past year.”

Ms Hendley added: “We are facing a period of unprecedented change with many exciting developments ahead including the new Library of Birmingham, the New Street Gateway development and the prospect of HS2 and an elected mayor, all of which will help the city compete on the international stage.

“Peter will support our work to influence and shape the debate on these key issues.”