A new leadership group has launched to give chief executives and senior business figures across Birmingham a confidential space to discuss challenges, share experience and strengthen decision-making.
CEO Connections was founded by Mark Panayides, Steven Cloves and Karen Tracey following a series of leadership discussions organised through Birmingham marketing agency EDGE Creative.
The sessions brought together senior figures from different industries to examine business challenges away from the pressures of their everyday roles.
The new group includes leaders working across the charity, legal, food service, accountancy, professional services and technology sectors. Organisers say competing businesses will not be placed within the same group, allowing members to speak openly without commercial conflicts.
Members will meet monthly for structured discussions covering leadership, strategy, accountability and challenges affecting their organisations. They will also be offered individual mentoring sessions with one of the groupβs founders.
The organisers said the network was created in response to the isolation that can sometimes accompany senior leadership roles, particularly when executives are responsible for making significant decisions without colleagues at the same level to consult.
Mark Panayides, managing director of EDGE Creative and co-founder of CEO Connections, said: βThe leadership discussions at EDGE consistently showed how valuable it is when senior leaders have the space to talk openly with peers who understand the pressures they face.
βCEO Connections takes that principle further, creating an ongoing environment where those conversations lead to clearer thinking, stronger decisions and real accountability.β
