Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) has announced that their new president is forensic expert Deb Leary.
Leary becomes the third female to hold the position in the Chamber’s 208-year history and has pledged to put the region’s interests “front and centre”.
She said: “Being Birmingham born and bred, I am incredibly honoured to have been elected as the new president, even more so as only the third woman in the 208-year history of the Chamber to hold this position.
“I should like to extend my own personal thanks to Steve Allen who has helped steer the Chamber through challenging times and I am committed to continuing one of his themes, that of innovation.
“I know the importance of continued innovation and its impact on growth. Innovation brings increased opportunities for collaboration and positive social impact regionally, nationally and internationally.
“The past two years have been a test of our resilience and commitment. Brexit and the pandemic has shown how globally connected and reliant we are and whilst this brings challenges it also brings opportunity.”