Dudley launches West Midlands’ first formal business board

The new board evolved from the council’s longstanding Business Champions Group and will give business leaders greater ownership and influence over the development of economic priorities and strategies to unlock economic growth in Dudley.

It will bring together senior business leaders, key representatives from further education, the West Midlands Growth Company, and business representative organisations.

The Business Board represents a new approach to economic development, with the council increasingly acting as a facilitator while drawing on the expertise, networks, investment potential and influence of its business partners.

Councillor Patrick Harley, Leader of Dudley Council, said:

“The creation of the Dudley Business Board is an important step forward in our partnership working with the private sector to drive economic growth in the borough. It places business leaders at the heart of this partnership, allowing us to draw from their expertise, networks and investment potential to help tackle the challenges facing our economy.

“Being the first formal business board in the West Midlands demonstrates Dudley’s ambition to lead a new model of collaboration between the public and private sectors.”

The new Business Board held its first meeting this week, chaired by Martin Dudley, CEO of Thomas Dudley Group Ltd, who has been appointed as the Board’s inaugural chairperson. He was previously chair of the Business Champions Group.

Martin Dudley, Chairperson of the Dudley Business Board, said:

“The test of this Board is not how many meetings we hold or how many presentations we receive. The test is whether, in three years’ time, businesses can point to tangible improvements that happened because this Board existed. I look forward to working with the Board and the wider clusters and sectors within the borough to improve the business environment, facilitate growth and improve the lives of people in the local area and beyond.”

The Board’s inaugural meeting discussed the proposed recruitment process and timetable for board membership, drafted the board’s terms of reference, and plans for Dudley’s forthcoming economic conference later this year. The meeting also discussed, among other topics, the latest draft of the framework for growth, which will become Dudley’s new economic strategy.