Management team

A chartered surveyor by profession, Karen joined Advantage West Midlands in 2001 as Corporate Director Operations having previously worked within the NHS on Private Finance Initiatives and commercial development schemes in the UK and overseas.

Karen is responsible for the work of three partnerships teams who work with local authorities, businesses and other groups across the West Midlands on the development and delivery of programmes and initiatives. This includes the work of Advantage West Midlands’ delivery vehicles Regeneration Zones and High Technology Corridors.

She also has responsibility for the organisation’s project and contract team which appraise and manage most of the projects funded by Advantage West Midlands.

As Corporate Director Economic Development, Richard Hutchins is responsible for leading Advantage West Midlands’ work in the skills, enterprise and innovation areas including monitoring the performance of Business Link West Midlands.

The Economic Development directorate focuses on the key areas of enterprise (including manufacturing), access to finance, skills, innovation (including higher education) and Birmingham Science City. Richard also has responsibility for the work of Business Clusters and the Enterprise Board, Innovation and Technology Council, Regional Skills Partnership and Regional Finance Forum which provide advice to the Agency’s Board.

Prior to his role at Advantage West Midlands, he was an academic at Imperial College (Wye) and Newcastle University, where he researched, lectured and consulted in food marketing. Richard joined Advantage West Midlands in 2003 as Corporate Director for Skills and Sustainable Development.

Tim Gebbels was appointed to the post of Corporate Director Strategy and Communications in January 2007. He is responsible for leading Advantage West Midlands’ contribution to regional strategies, including the West Midlands Economic Strategy and communicating the Agency’s work to partners and stakeholders.

Business, Government and public relations, marketing, board support, e-communications, inward investment and European policy are also key roles.

A graduate in physics, Tim started his career in the oil and gas industry where he spent 15 years in operational, technical and market positions both in the UK and internationally. He moved back to Birmingham, his city of birth, in 2002 to take up the position of the first Chief Executive at the West Midlands Regional Observatory.

A science graduate, Mark Pearce has over 15 years experience in delivering economic development and regeneration in a variety of public agencies at a national and regional level.

Mark joined Advantage West Midlands at its inception in 1998 and, in his most recent post, worked as Partnerships Director, leading the development and delivery of programmes and projects worth more than £100 million a year in the west of the region and Birmingham and Solihull.

In January 2007, Mark was promoted to the post of Corporate Director Economic Regeneration, responsible for leading the Agency’s work in regeneration and economic inclusion, planning and transport, urban and rural renaissance, health, tourism and sustainable development.