Sharing Insight and Impact with the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce 

As proud members of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), CAPE People Development has been delighted to contribute to the Chamber’s learning and leadership agenda over the past few years. The GBCC represents more than 3,000 businesses of all sizes and sectors across the region, providing connection, support, and advocacy to help organisations grow and thrive. 

Over the last few years, we’ve delivered four speaker events for Chamber members, bringing our expertise in people development and leadership to a broad and diverse professional audience. Each session was designed to be practical, thought-provoking and highly relevant to today’s business challenges. 

Understanding SME and founder-led organisations 

At CAPE People Development, we understand the realities of growing and leading a business, especially in SMEs and founder-owner-led organisations. We know that in these environments, the challenges of leadership are often felt more personally and more immediately. There’s rarely time to step back. Leaders wear many hats. And the culture of the organisation is shaped daily by the behaviour and clarity of its managers. 

That’s why our approach is grounded in: 

• Deep listening and contextual understanding of each business 

• High-impact, practical tools that leaders can apply right away 

• Creating space for reflection, peer learning and mindset shifts 

We support leaders to build strong teams, navigate change, and lead with intent, even when time and resources are tight. 

How we deliver speaker sessions 

Whether we’re speaking at a roundtable or leading a keynote session, we bring the same ethos to every engagement: 

• Engaging: we don’t do lectures. We design our sessions to spark energy and participation. 

• Interactive: we use live exercises, relatable scenarios and questions that get people thinking. 

• Informative: grounded in real-world leadership and people development practice. 

• Authentic: we tell it like it is. We cut the corporate jargon and share real-life stories that resonate. 

• Action-oriented: we want every attendee to walk away with a fresh perspective and a practical next step. 

Our aim? To shift mindset, spark meaningful conversation, and give people something they can use the very next day. 

Our four Chamber events at a glance 

1. Solihull Chamber Leadership Roundtable  
We brought together leaders from the professional services sector to explore the core challenges of moving from doing to leading. The session focused on the importance of conversations in driving performance and introduced five essential leadership conversations to foster connection, alignment, and accountability. 

2. Growth Through People: Enabling Innovative Teams  
As part of the GBCC’s flagship Growth Through People campaign, we led a practical workshop on how to enable innovation in teams. Delegates explored what gets in the way of innovative thinking and left with clear strategies for creating the conditions where creativity and collaboration can thrive. 

3. GBCC Expo: AI and the Future of Leadership  
At the GBCC Business Expo, we explored the evolving relationship between leaders and AI. The session addressed common fears and misconceptions, highlighted the productivity benefits of AI, and offered a framework for managers to embrace digital curiosity while staying human-first in their leadership. 

4. How Managers Facilitate Innovative Thinking  
This session focused on how managers can act as facilitators of innovation within their teams. We looked at leadership behaviours that create psychological safety and how to shift from problem-solving to idea generation using creative tools and a facilitative leadership mindset. 

Why it matters 

In a fast-changing landscape, managers and leaders need ongoing support, fresh thinking, and spaces to learn with and from others. Our events have consistently provided: 

• Actionable insights grounded in real-world leadership practice 

• Engaging and inclusive facilitation that sparks conversation and learning 

• Tools and strategies that participants take back to their teams and organisations 

The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with attendees describing the sessions as “inspiring,” “packed with practical takeaways,” and “refreshingly honest.” 

Looking ahead 

We’re committed to continuing our collaboration with the GBCC and its member organisations, supporting leaders to navigate complexity, develop their people, and build high-performing cultures. 

If you’re looking for an engaging, honest and high-impact speaker for your next conference, team day or business event, we’d love to talk 📩 Get in touch