Members and Profiles

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Cllr Adrian Andrew

Deputy Leader of Walsall Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration. Cllr Andrew represents the Pheasey Park Ward.

He is vice-chair of the council's Personnel Committee and a member of the Standards Committee.

Shaun Darcy

Shaun Darcy is Director of Finance, Corporate Landlord and Assurance at Walsall Council, having been Executive Director of Resources and CFO at the Borough Council of Wellingborough and Deputy CFO across both Bournemouth Borough Council and Poole Borough Council prior to this. Shaun joined Walsall in April 2021 and is delighted to be supporting the Council’s Transformation Programme, supporting the Council’s savings delivery and taking forward the Corporate Landlord Model and the Council’s revised Strategic Asset Plan to include all Council Services, Regeneration and Housing.

Kevin Davis

Kevin Davis is Chief Executive Officer of The Vine Trust Group, a pioneering third sector organisation based in Walsall, that `prepares young people for life’. Kevin has an ability to empower consensus, across the public, private and third sector for the achievement of common goals.Kevin serves his local community as a third sector champion with particular success in the development of responsible business and faith inspired organisations.

Rupert Fairfax

Rupert has been the MD and owner of Fairfax Saddles Ltd since for 30 years. Fairfax Saddles Ltd employs around 100 staff at their premises in Bloxwich, exports to over 30 countries and won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2018 for its innovations in saddlery design.

Ray Flynn

Ray is currently the Associate Director for Place at the University of Wolverhampton and prior to that held senior economic regeneration and development positions in local and regional agencies.

Daren Fradgley

Daren sits on the board of the Walsall Healthcare Trust as Executive Director of Strategy and Improvement. Daren is responsible for the Trust’s transformation and cost improvement program together with strategic and business development. Originally coming from Walsall, Daren lives locally with his partner and three children.

Eddie Hughes MP

Eddie Hughes is the Conservative MP for Walsall North. Serving the people of Birchills-Leamore, Blakenall, Bloxwich and Willenhall. He was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in January 2021

Manjit Jhooty CHAIR of the BOARD

Manjit is the CEO of Jhoots Group. His expertise is consolidated through successful building of relationships with other key partners and professionals in the industry.

Robert Judson

Rob was appointed as Chief Executive Officer, HomeServe Now in June 2020, following 18 months as Global COO for HomeServe Membership. In 2011 Rob moved to HomeServe North America and assumed responsibility for the service delivery network, contact centre operations and customer experience across North America as EVP Customer Experience.

Tim Kibble

Tim began his career over 40 years ago as an Engineering Apprentice with GKN. He has a wealth of experience in the automotive industry in JIT and JIS environments and in various disciplines. Later in life he graduated with an MBA which proved to be a turning point in both his career and personal development.

Currently Tim is Plant Director for the Darlaston site of ZF Lemforder UK Ltd, supplying 1st tier chassis components into the automotive industry.

Mark Lavender

Mark is currently Head of Programme Management within the Resources & Transformation directorate of Walsall Council, currently responsible for establishing and administering a number of significant Accountable Body and Secretariat roles, including the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership and more recently the Town’s Funds for Bloxwich & Walsall.

David Benge

David is the acting Joint chief Officer at One Walsall, the voluntary sector infrastructure provider for Walsall. Having spent 24 years in financial services David has worked in the voluntary sector for the past 20 years ( 6 in Walsall). He is an advocate for the vital role the sector makes in supporting local communities to thrive and prosper.

Jatinder Sharma OBE

A qualified accountant and highly experienced leader, Midlands-born Jatinder Sharma is principal and chief executive of Walsall College, having previously held a number of senior positions in both private and public sectors. Jatinder is a passionate champion of the vital role that skills and training play in the development of the West Midlands economy and the ongoing regeneration of Walsall and the Black Country. Jatinder was awarded an OBE (Officer of the most excellent Order of the British Empire) in 2015 for his services to Further Education. He is a board member of the Association of Colleges and is a member of the Walsall Proud Partnership. He also represents further education on the Department for Education (DfE) Principals’ Reference Group.

Tarra Simmons

Tarra has worked at Midcounties Co-operative for 32 years.

Having undertaken many roles around the people and organisational development agenda and she is now the General Manager in charge of Co-operative Social Responsibility. This includes community grants, colleague and member engagement and running campaigns.

Philippa Venables

Philippa Venables is Director of Regeneration and Economy at Walsall Council, having worked in economic development at the London Development Agency, West of England LEP, London Borough of Lambeth and Swindon Borough Council. Philippa joined Walsall this year and is delighted to be working to create growth and recovery in her home town, having responsibility for Regeneration, Planning, Employment and Skills, Business Support and Engagement, and Cultural Services.

Karl Woodward

Karl is a self-motivated and resourceful Procurement Director who thrives on challenges and continually strives to develop within his own organisation and through engagement with the Supply Chain. Karl has established a unique collaboration between 14 recruitment companies working together to deliver high quality personnel. By establishing relationships within the local community and Universities Karl has promoted the development of young people and small businesses.

Doug Wright

Doug is the Chief Executive Officer of his franchised restaurant company which operates twenty McDonald’s restaurants across the West Midlands. Doug began his career at McDonald’s the day before he left school in 1981. He became a McDonald’s franchisee in 2002 and now operates one of McDonald’s largest franchised organisations employing over 2,200 people. In 2016 he was a recipient of the Fred L Turner Golden Award which recognises the best McDonald’s franchisees in their global system. Doug dedicates a lot of time to charity work. His inspiration comes from being hospitalised for nearly a year at the age of twenty. He is the Chairman of the Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham, a charity providing a home away from home to families whilst their children are being treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. In 2019, Doug was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Birmingham City University and was also named the regional EY Entrepreneur of the year. He is a Patron and Director of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and mentors many local businesses and young entrepreneurs.

Patricia Willoughby

Patricia is the Head of Policy & Planning in the Housing, Property & Regeneration Directorate at West Midlands Combined Authority. She works with a variety of stakeholders to support the delivery of new homes and jobs, strategic growth corridors, town centre regeneration and affordable housing. Place-making and inclusive growth lie at the heart of this work to raise the quality of development and increase the pace of delivery.

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