A partnership and mentoring scheme which pairs young tech businesses with senior executives in the West Midlands has returned for a new round. Seven senior leaders from financial, legal and property firms in the region are offering 42 hours of one-on-one support to up-and-coming tech firms.
The 'Connector Series' is run by SuperTech, a body dedicated to the greater adoption of technology by professional and business services companies, and is supported by BNP Paribas Personal Finance, Wesleyan, Bruntwood SciTech, Shoosmiths and Barclays. It first ran last year and has been expanded for 2022 to include executives from Unity Trust Bank and Paragon on the roster of mentors.
The full list of leaders taking part is David Stewart, group chief operating officer at Wesleyan; Pam Rowland, chief operating officer at Paragon Banking Group; Mark Clayton, chief operating officer at Unity Trust Bank and Andrea Tittel, director of innovation, customer and propositions at BNP Paribas Personal Finance.
Also supporting the scheme are Tony Randle, partner at Shoosmiths; Anthony Pryke, ecosystem manager at Barclays' Eagle Labs and Cliff Dennett, head of business development at Bruntwood SciTech.
SuperTech executive lead Hilary Smyth-Allen said: "We've had excellent feedback on the first Connector Series from both the entrepreneurs and executives who took part. A key mission of SuperTech is to encourage and promote greater use of technology in traditional business and professional services firms to help stimulate further economic growth.
"Encouraging open dialogue and the free exchange of ideas and support from some of our largest firms through to newly established technology businesses, that are often bringing first-of-its-kind solutions to market, is central to that. It's a testament to the incredible business community we have in the West Midlands that we are able to run a programme like this here in Birmingham.
"It would not be possible without the backing of the executives and entrepreneurs who have been involved and the continued support from the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership."
Pam Rowland, chief operating officer at Paragon Banking Group, added: "It's clear to me that being involved with the Connector Series will help us to have more mutually beneficial conversations, with technology teams that we otherwise wouldn't get to know."
The first cohort will join the scheme next month and it will run monthly until March - visit the SuperTech website to register interest.
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