Former council leader appointed at communications consultancy
Ian Ward, the former leader of Birmingham City Council, has been appointed as senior consultant by communications consultancy Cavendish Consulting.
Ward served as both Labour Leader and Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council between 2012 and 2023 before he was ousted from his post after a report revealed the party was “dysfunctional” and dominated by “personality-driven factionalism”.
He led Birmingham’s bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games and oversaw the production of the Birmingham Development Plan and the recent Our Future City Plan during his 30-year career.
As part of his role, Ward will provide awareness of regional public affairs. He will be engaging with senior stakeholders across Cavendish’s client portfolio on local priorities, issues and visions.
Commenting on his appointment, Ward said: “As the market leader in regional public affairs, I’m excited to be joining Cavendish to support them in promoting the important causes from across their impressive client portfolio.
“During my time as Leader of Birmingham City Council, I’m proud to have helped promote the City as a thriving place for economic growth. There is now great opportunity to take this experience and provide my insight of the City to Cavendish’s regional clients who are looking to make a positive impact on the area.”
Adam Farrell, director at Cavendish said: “We are delighted to welcome Ian on board who is a significant addition to our Birmingham team as we grow our expertise and presence across the region.
“Ian has unrivalled experience of local government and the public sector. . Our existing and future clients will be able to benefit from Ian’s knowledge as we help them navigate the evolving landscape of Birmingham and beyond.”
