Line-up unveiled for special Brumbassadors event marking International Day of Birmingham
Leading figures from television, sport, professional services and the arts will come together for the next edition of Brumbassadors, a Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce initiative created to champion the city.
The event, delivered in partnership with Birmingham City Football Club, will be held on Tuesday 15 September at St Andrews @ Knighthead Park, ahead of International Day of Birmingham (IDOB) on 24 September.
Confirmed panellists include Bafta-nominated television director Nicola Silk, who devised Sky's award-winning ‘Joe Lycett's United States of Birmingham’ - the series which inspired IDOB itself.
The International Day of Birmingham, an idea she made up for the finale of the series, has become a fixture on the city’s calendar and she now includes (accidental) event founder and organiser on her CV.
She is joined by Paul James, chief executive of Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Paul joined Birmingham Royal Ballet as chief commercial officer in 2017, leading a comprehensive rebrand alongside the arrival of director Carlos Acosta, and a subsequent digital transformation in the wake of the Covid pandemic.
In December 2024, following the sudden death of CEO Caroline Miller, he stepped up as acting chief executive - stabilising the organisation through a period of profound grief and financial pressure, restructuring the senior leadership, and delivering the company's strongest ticket sales since the turn of the millennium.
He was confirmed as chief executive in May 2025.
Representing sport, Victoria Gosling, CEO of GB Snowsport and chair of the Invictus Games 2027, will discuss preparations for the Invictus Games' arrival in Birmingham.
She is joined by Anthony Isherwood, who leads Birmingham City FC Foundation's community programmes across East and South Birmingham.
Rob Nagra, Deutsche Bank's Birmingham site lead and global head of Third Party and Data Risks, completes the line-up, bringing a professional services perspective shaped by more than two decades based in the city.
Following a panel discussion, guests will take part in table conversations exploring what it means to be a modern ‘Brumbassador’ - someone who actively champions Birmingham's people, opportunities and future.
Brumbassadors was set up by the GBCC in partnership with Birmingham City Football Club, to bring together business leaders who are passionate about Birmingham's future and committed to championing the opportunities that make this region a great place to live, work, invest and grow.
The free event, exclusive to GBCC members, runs from 9.30am to 11.30am and includes networking over breakfast.
Places can be booked via the GBCC website.
