• The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP
• Chair of the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee

The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP chairs the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee and the Global Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. He served in the Cabinet in 10 Downing Street and Her Majesty’s Treasury. An Honorary Professor of Social Science at the University of Birmingham, Liam is currently a Visiting Parliamentary Fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford. He was a Fulbright scholar at the Harvard Business School and Gwilym Gibbon Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford. He has represented Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North since 2004. Before entering politics, Liam first worked in strategic consulting and banking. In 2000, he founded a fast-growing venture-backed European technology company. He is the author of more than twenty publications on economics, foreign policy and public service reform. His latest book, The Inequality Of Wealth. Why it matters and how to fix it, was published last year.

• Raj Kandola
• Acting Deputy CEO, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

Raj Kandola is currently the acting Deputy CEO at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce supporting on the strategic and operational leadership of the organisation, ensuring continuity of executive functions, organisational performance and stakeholder engagement. Previously Raj was Director of External Affairs tasked with covering the organisation’s research, campaigning, stakeholder engagement and media & communications activity. Specific policy areas of focus include transport & infrastructure, international trade, education and environmental policy. In addition, he is responsible for managing the organisation’s Patronage scheme and the GBCC’s media and news content operations, including external media engagement and production of the organisation’s print and online news material Prior to joining the Chamber in 2016, Raj worked in Communications for a former Shadow Minister and spent eight years in London recruiting staff across the financial services industry.

• Dan Carins
• Policy Manager for Business, West Midlands Combined Authority

Dan Carins is the Policy Manager for Business at the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). With a background in town planning, Dan has extensive experience in enhancing productivity and improving access to finance. Before joining WMCA, he worked at the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and various local authorities in the Black Country, where he contributed to numerous initiatives aimed at economic development, local supply chain development and business support.

• Corin Crane
• Chief Executive, Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

Corin was Director of the Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership where he had overall responsibility for around £200m of funds to drive regeneration and help local businesses grow. Also, he chaired the European Structural Funds Committee that oversees the management of around £90m of funding aimed at SME business growth and skills work. In 2016 Corin became the Chief Executive of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce which is membership organisation that supports the growth and prosperity of Black Country businesses, they are secretariat for the Black Country All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and lead the Black Country Business Festival which is now the second biggest festival of its kind in the UK. Corin is now the new Group Chief Executive of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce (CWCC) which includes Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training and Destination Coventry.