My thoughts on 2019 and what I expect in 2020.-

The main feature of 2019 for me nationally was the continued disengagement of politics from daily socio-economic life. As individuals and businesses struggle against ‘the headwinds of global trade,’ the mendacity of politicians and their indifference to the realities of this struggle, have disappointed me. Unfortunately, I will be expecting this to continue into 2020, and as a result I expect to see more individuals and businesses taking the lead when it comes to creating their own futures. No bad thing. We have been weaned at the breast of an unproductive state for a long time. The quicker we become masters of our own destiny, the longer we will thrive.

Nevertheless, I am proud to have been involved in many businesses and charities in 2019. Birmingham Tech will put Birmingham on the map as regards becoming the country’s center of technology. In the same way that manufacturing made the Midlands, technology will power its renaissance. Birmingham Tech seeks to encourage more investment in the City and the tech companies that operate within it. It will ensure talented people want to stay and flourish in Birmingham as well as encouraging people from outside the City to choose Birmingham as their home. It will help businesses to scale through innovation, insight and collaboration. Give young people the opportunity to understand all the possibilities tech in Birmingham has to offer and will highlight Birmingham’s tech businesses and give people the opportunity to showcase their success. The outcomes of our work will begin to flourish during 2020 and will lead to an unprecedented transformation in how the City and Region are perceived in the global economy.

The environment has become a major feature in 2019 as we begin to understand the unprecedented destruction we have caused to the world. Single use plastic is unacceptable and during 2020 I expect many more people to move away from plastic single use water bottles and unnecessary plastic food wrap. Businesses are already responding to the changes in behaviour from their customers and I would like to see Birmingham champion reduction in single use plastic. However, we discovered during 2019 that reducing the number of plastic carrier bags through a levy has not resulted in the environmental changes we need to see. I am hoping that as is happening with vegan food, the surge in products and profits from plant-based food, we will see a similar surge in customer behaviour that will challenge the way we package food. Businesses who are blind to this change in behaviour from the customers will not do well in 2020.

My final section is on charities. I am heavily involved in charities as trustee, ambassador, patron and other non-executive roles. Many charities have suffered from damage to their reputations in 2019. Unprofessional behaviours, poor management and a failure to adapt leaves the sector tarnished and has reduced the amount of charitable giving to many good causes. In 2020 I will ensure that all the charities I am involved with improve their management professionalism and public relations. If potential donors do not understand how we manage risk and safeguarding, their trust in us will be breached. 2020 will bring a big test to charities with a rapidly changing funding landscape, hardship and a difficult to navigate political topography. We all need to raise our game and make sure we are spending time on things that make a real difference to our clients.

2020 is going to be a great year, if we are ready for it.