Deborah Cadman | Leading Birmingham City Council through crisis

CEO Stories

Season three of CEO Stories begins with Henrietta Brealey talking to a chief executive who has one of the toughest jobs in local government.

Birmingham born and bred, Deborah Cadman has enjoyed a distinguished career in local government – including stints leading the West Midlands Combined Authority, Suffolk County Council and St Edmudsbury Borough Council.

Her current role, leading Europe’s largest local authority in her home city, has proved to be the toughest to date – after Birmingham was issued with Section 114 notice in 2023.

In this episode, Deborah discusses the challenge of leading through such a critical time in the council’s history.

We also learn about various other aspects of her life and career – including her memories of growing up in Birmingham, her various roles in government through to her favourite things about her home city and some the individuals who have influenced her along the way.

Key topics:

• What attracted Deborah to a career in public service?
• How would she describe the challenges facing Birmingham City Council?
• How does she handle the pressure of leading the council through those challenges?
• How does she switch off from the pressures of her job?
• Does she still see a legacy from the 2022 Commonwealth Games?
• Are there any individuals or leaders who inspired her through her career?
• What is Deborah's favourite thing to do in Birmingham?
• What's her biggest piece of advice to aspiring or up-and-coming CEOs?

Connect with us:

Website: ⁠https://www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/grbhamchambers⁠

X (formerly Twitter): ⁠https://twitter.com/GrBhamChambers⁠

Email: [e-mail]

Connect with Henrietta:

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrietta-brealey-86263b33/⁠

X (formerly Twitter): ⁠https://twitter.com/HenriettaLB⁠

About Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce:

We’re here to unleash the potential of Greater Birmingham’s businesses.

Whether it’s connections with our extensive network, inspiring events that spark new ideas, expert led services, regional insight, or opportunities to build and raise your profile, we’re here to give your business the tools to reach your full potential.

We are unwavering champions and the leading voice for Greater Birmingham’s businesses. We’re in it for the long haul – we've been putting the us in business since 1813.

At every stage of your business’ journey, we’re here for you. Our dedicated team specialise in empowering businesses to build their networks, access opportunities and learn from best practice locally, and trade internationally. We love local, and we go global.

We are a vibrant community of forward-thinking organisations, that are proud to be shaping the future of Greater Birmingham - together.