The Institute of Directors has appointed Andrew Wilkinson to chair its newly formed Greater Birmingham branch.

The new branch – created following a major restructure of the IoD West Midlands network - incorporates Birmingham city and Solihull.

Andrew is joint founder and managing director of Birmingham-based marketing communications agency Oakley Wilkinson Bryan (OWB Creative). In 2017 he was named SME Director of the Year by IoD West Midlands.

He is a former non-executive director of St Giles Hospice Group and Business Link West Midlands, where he was also ambassador for creative industries.

He previously held senior marketing positions with TNT United Kingdom, Blagden Industries and Burgess Group and agency roles in London, Bristol, Birmingham and South Africa.

Andrew said:

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of leading this exciting new branch. Outside London, Birmingham is the largest city economy in the UK. We have all the key ingredients for business including a large population, a well-connected and thriving city centre, excellent universities and fantastic culture.

“Our members have been forced to draw upon all their skills and resilience over the past year but there is light at the end of the tunnel. The IoD is on hand to provide connections, learning opportunities and influence over the coming months with fantastic new member benefits and an enhanced offering for existing members including training, new business research, virtual events, lobbying initiatives and networking to get business moving.”

Andrew will work alongside a branch team to ensure that the views of local directors are represented within the IoD’s influential policy voice. The Institute helped to secure vital support during the Covid-19 pandemic, including financial assistance for wage bills and changes to insolvency rules.

Brian Hall, IoD West Midlands regional chair, said:

“We are proud of our world-class director development courses in Birmingham. Now, we have removed outdated boundaries and created a branch that gives one of the UK’s most dynamic business communities the status and influence that it deserves. As the economy begins its recovery from the pandemic, Andrew is the right person at the right time to take this dynamic community forwards.”

The restructure has also seen new IoD branches established in Worcester and the Marches and the Black Country and Staffordshire. The existing Coventry and Warwickshire branch remains unchanged.