University News Last updated 23 October 2018
Birmingham City University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor has been handed a special award recognising his contribution to business in the second city.
Professor Julian Beer, became one of two people to receive a Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) president’s medal, which are awarded to individuals in the business community, recognising their outstanding contribution to the GBCC and the city over the past year.
Professor Beer was responsible for the success of the British American Business Council (BABC) transatlantic conference Birmingham, at which US ambassador Robert Johnson was a keynote speaker.
Professor Beer, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Birmingham City University and in a private capacity the President of the British American Business Council (BABC) for the Midlands, said: “I am delighted to have been awarded this medal by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, and am equally delighted that the outgoing President Paul Kehoe CBE has chosen to name me among such prestigious company receiving this accolade.
“Paul made a significant contribution in his role and in other key roles in the West Midlands during his time in office and it’s a great honour to have been mentioned by him as having achieved a significant impact in the business community. I wish him all the best in the future.”
“One of the highlights was bringing the British American Business Council’s main Transatlantic Conference to Birmingham in June 2018 and this was a major achievement for the business community in the second city, and it was great to see the hard work of so many people who helped to organise and support the event have had such a positive impact and I would like to thank all those involved.
“As a University that prides itself on serving the needs of its local community, working with organisations like the Chamber to support the creation of economic growth, improved skills and new trade deals is of the utmost importance. That is why I am so pleased to receive this award and it is why I will continue to work as hard as possible alongside my colleagues at the Chamber and try to achieve as much as I can in my different roles outside of the university as well as in my role within it.”
Paul Faulkner, CEO of the Chamber said, “When considering who he wanted to award his President’s medal to, Paul told me that it was easy to select Julian as a result of the immense and wide ranging impact and contribution he has made to the regional business community, not just over the past 12 months but actually since he arrived in the city and took up his role at BCU.
“Julian’s role in leading the efforts to win the right to host the BABC Conference in Birmingham and then delivering a successful event capped off with the US Ambassador closing the gala dinner clutching a bespoke historical coin created by the University’s school of Jewellery was an obvious - and memorable - highlight in recent months, but the award of the medal to Julian went beyond that and recognises the great work that he does on a daily basis, much of it behind the scenes, leveraging contacts and utilising his skills and vision to help further development our city and region.
Paul Anderson, head of office at Deutsche Bank, was also handed a president’s medal during the special event held at the Chambers of Commerce.