Jeremy Butler, Director of WMG's Professional and Executive Programmes, has been elected to the CBI West Midlands Council.

The CBI’s Regional Councils are the main consultative bodies in each of the twelve CBI regions. Councillors play a key role in making policy decisions on local issues, as well as providing input into national CBI policy.

The Councils are serviced and supported by the relevant CBI Directors as well as policy colleagues.

The Councils are a core part of the CBI’s policy formulation and consultation process. Collectively they represent some 600 CBI activists and Regional Councillors constitute a substantial proportion of the CBI Council – CBI’s ultimate governing body. Regional Councils are consulted on major CBI national policy issues as well as issues pertaining to their specific region. Their role is:

• To provide strategic advice to CBI on issues concerning or impacting on business
• To provide an input to, and a mandate for the CBI major policy announcements giving added weight and authority to the CBI’s lobbying activities and where necessary a check and balance to the specialist Committee’s stance.
• To provide tactical advice to the CBI on the handling of both national and regional policy positions

A spokesperson for the CBI said: "We were delighted to have such a strong response to our call for nominations in this year’s West Midlands Council Election – 31 nominations for 20 places. Thank you to all our nominees, and to members for casting their votes. We welcome some new faces to Council – Jeremy Butler of Warwick Manufacturing Group; Andrew Connors, Lloyds Banking Group; Martin Dudley of Thomas Dudley; Chris Emes of Mechatherm International; Roy Harris, HSBC; Mark Moore of Morgan Advanced Materials; Ray O’Donoghue, of Barclays; Mike Pearce of Aggregate Industries; Rebecca Seddon of Process Management International; Ian Stringer, GVA; Fiona Toye of Toye & Co plc; and Jenny Tucker of Keele University. "