Beverley Nielsen Email Address

West Midlands Mayoral Candidate 2020

Birmingham City University is a modern university with around 22,500 students from 80 countries. The University has strong links with industry and the professions and an established track-record of providing quality higher education and professionally relevant research.

Beverley works as Associate Prof / Director at IDEAS Institute, the Institute for Design, Economic Acceleration & Sustainability, Birmingham City University, where she's worked for the past 13 years in previous roles as Visiting Tutor, MA Design Management, Director Employer Engagement and Director Corporate Affairs. Whilst at BCU Beverley has launched initiatives including 'Birmingham Made Me' - with a focus on promoting the Midlands' manufacturing excellence and the many West Midlands' Firsts which the region is able to claim. Recent publications include contributions to The Golden Decade, edited by Liam Byrne MP, The Wolves in the Forest edited by Paul Hindley and Gordon Lishman, Women v Capitalism by economist Vicky Pryce, co-editing Green Economy, Green Manufacturing, English Regions after Brexit, (Bite-Sized Books), Brexit Negotiations After Article 50, (Emerald Group), co-authoring 'Redesigning Manufacturing' with Professor Michael Beverland and economist Vicky Pryce, (published 2015). Beverley has helped start up over 45 new companies involved in fashion, jewellery, interiors, healthcare, outdoor activities, connected & autonomous vehicles, bicycle accessories and ultra light rail. Prior to her role at BCU, Beverley was Director of FTSE-250 business AGA Rangemaster plc and MD of subsidiary business, Fired Earth. She was also Director of CBI West Midlands having spent 10 years working for the CBI as a European policy advisor and Assistant Director, CBI North West. She has been recognised for her contribution to business in the region as Midlands Business Woman of the Year, the Business Desk's West Midlands Ambassador of the Year, the ALL Ladies League Woman of the Decade in Enterprise and Leadership and was awarded an honorary Masters Degree from Coventry University. Beverley is proud to have been an Associate Fellow at WMG, the University of Warwick for 19 years. She was elected a Councillor in Worcestershire in 2009, before standing as the first and only female candidate in the first election for the West Midlands Metro Mayor. She was elected a Councillor for Malvern Priory in May 2019 as part of Malvern Hills District Council and holds the Environment Portfolio. She was re-elected to Worcestershire County Council in 2020. She has recently campaigned to save Malvern Hills College School of Art, raising over £1m as Chair of the Save Our Students Campaign, thanks to the support of MHDC and Worcestershire County Council as well as the Bransford Trust.