Board Members
Lady Cobham (president)
Bob Warman (vice president)
Bob Warman is a senior presenter of 'Central News', and is one of the longest serving anchormen at ITV. His television career began when he joined ATV in 1973, following his apprenticeship at the 'Birmingham Evening Mail' and 'BBC Radio Birmingham'. Bob has hosted a number of TV programmes, including 'The Price is Right' for Sky, and 'Calendar', Yorkshire's regional news magazine.
Away from the studio he is involved in a number of local societies and charities, among which is the Birmingham Civic Society, of which he is vice-chairman, and Acorn's Children's Hospice, where he is a patron.
John Lamb (chairman)
T: 0121 450 4228
E: j.lamb@birminghamchamber.org.uk
John is press and PR manager of Birmingham and Solihull Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a role he has held for eight years. Prior to joining the Chamber, he spent a long and distinguished career in journalism.
His career began when he joined the Coventry Evening Telegraph as a copy boy. He worked his way through the ranks of the regional press before landing a number of jobs on Fleet Street, which included spells at the ‘Sun’, the ‘News of the World’ and ‘Evening Standard’.
Fred Bromwich (vice-chairman)
T: 07976 168875
E: freddo@fbromwich.freeserve.co.uk
Editor of Business and Finance Midlands one of the region’s leading business magazines. Immediately prior to joining BFM, Fred was an assistant director in the Birmingham office of Citigate Dewe Rogerson, part of Incepta plc, the global communications group.
Prior to joining CDR, Fred spent five years as business editor of The Birmingham Post. He is also a former chairman of the Midlands branch of the Institute of Public Relations and an ex-director of Birmingham City 2000, the forerunner of professional and financial services lobby group Birmingham Forward
Colin Meager (financial director)
Colin Meager, the Press Club's Financial Director, is a partner at
the Birmingham firm of Meager Wood Locke & Co, and is an experienced
chartered accountant with considerable accounting, auditing and
business experience.
He is also a member of the Global Committee of Integra
International, an international network of independent accounting
firms, and has responsibility for marketing the network in Europe. He
is also on the fund raising committee for the Foundation for
Conductive Education.
Tony Bell (secretary/membership secretary/directory)
T: 0121 450 4228
E: t.bell@birminghamchamber.org.uk
Worked in theatre, summer seasons, panto and caberet for many years. Later
joined the Birmingham Post & Mail, stayed for nearly twenty years working in
advertising and editorial until 1997 when he Joined John Lamb's Press and PR
team at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry as Press and PR
Coordinator and picture editor of the Chamber's flagship magazine
Chamberlink. Became secretary of Birmingham Press Club in 2003.
Philip Parkin (newsletter/press releases/website/directory)
T: 0121 212 0559
E: phil@hline.co.uk
A partner at Birmingham city centre PR and marketing company Headline Communications. Before joining Headline, he spent many years on regional daily and weekly titles, including the ‘Bromsgrove Messenger’, ‘Solihull Times’ and ‘Birmingham Daily News’.
Was also launch news editor of motoring newspaper ‘Auto Express’. Is currently a columnist on the ‘Birmingham Post’ weekly media and marketing section.
Jon Griffin (newsletter/press releases/website)
Kay Cadman (events/sponsorship)
T: 0121 643 8151
E: kc@core-marketing.co.uk
Kay set up Big Box Event Management in the Autumn of 2001, following a successful career as a director of WebXpress (Midlands) Limited, a Birmingham Internet consultancy. Prior to WebXpress, Kayworked at Birmingham PR company Headline Communications.
Big Box merged with Core Marketing & Events in September 2004 and Kay heads up the company’s professional services team. Kay’s expertise is underlined by her extensive contacts within the region’s business community that she has recently built as immediate past chairman of Birmingham Future, the sister organisation of Birmingham Forward which represents the professional and financial service sector in Birmingham. Kay is also a trustee of Birmingham Foundation.
Tony Flanagan (events/sponsorship)
T: 01527 893661
E: ajfpix@btopenworld.com
Tony began his career as a photographer in 1972 when he joined the Birmingham Evening Mail as a trainee. He spent 20 years for the newspaper as a staff photographer, and won a number of awards during that time.
He went freelance in 1987 and has worked for the national and regional press, and for many Midlands PR agencies and public organisations.
Jane Robbins (events/sponsorship)
T: 01926 409266
E: jane@jrpromotions.biz
Jane runs Warwick based JR Promotions Ltd, a company specialising in PR and marketing for the leisure and retail sector and also hospitality for corporate dinners, buffets and drinks parties. Originally from Leicestershire, she returned to the Midlands after spending a decade working in London. During her time in the capital she worked in the music business, and also the corporate video sector.
Since being up here work has included Central TV for more than three
years on the scheduling of bought in programmes and films side, and the PR and
marketing for the Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and The Jam House in St Paul's Square
before setting up her own business.
Melissa Dickinson (events/sponsorship)
T: 01676 525 250
E: melissa.dickinson@pertemps.co.uk
Melissa is the PR & Communications Manager for Pertemps, one of the
UK's leading recruitment agencies. She is responsible for the
strategic planning, development and management of all
communications and press management for the company including their
200 branches nationally.
Previously, Melissa was the PR & Marketing Manager for a Birmingham
based law firm. Since leaving University she has worked in several
industries including property, manufacturing and has had
experience working on the news desk for both radio and a regional
newspaper.
Ed James (events/sponsorship)
T: 0121 695 0000
E: Ed.James@heartfm.co.uk
Ed is the breakfast presenter at 100.7 Heart fm, a role he took up in
2002. Born in Yorkshire, Ed studied politics at university, before
launching his radio career in Manchester.
He moved to the Midlands in 1999, and joined Heart FM after spells at
Mercia FM in Coventry and Beacon FM in Wolverhampton.
Llewela Bailey (events/sponsorship)
T:
E: llewela.bailey@itv.com
Born in Sheffield, Llewela began her career in local radio, before moving to Central News in Nottingham in 1989.
Today, she is part of Central News' main anchor team, and can be seen presenting day time bulletins and also celebrity interviews and at weekends presenting Central News' pan-regional programme.
Llewela lives in Kings Heath with twin boys Harry and Ben. Her son Jack has remained in Manchester after finishing his university studies, whilst daughter Jessica has just begun a degree course at the same place. Llewela also has a step-son Tom who lives in Worcestershire.