Richard Eadie becomes new Chair of BITC’s West Midlands Leadership Board
Business in the Community (BITC), The Prince’s Responsible Business Network, has today announced that Richard Eadie, Head of Corporate Strategy, Sustainability & Group Transformation at Severn Trent, has become the new Chair of its West Midlands Leadership Board. Richard has taken over the role from Lee Mellor, Vice President Europe at SC Johnson, who held the position since 2019.
The West Midlands Board is made up of senior business leaders and helps to champion responsible business in the West Midlands, working with BITC to drive action in the region. BITC’s mission is to create a fairer and greener world driven by fairer and greener businesses, and under Lee’s tenure, the West Midlands Leadership Board were focused on:
- Tackling inequality and unemployment through upskilling and making organisations accessible to diverse talent
- Supporting businesses in committing to the Race at Work Charter to make workplaces more inclusive
- Accelerating climate action across the region
- Organising volunteering opportunities
- Responding to the cost-of-living crisis
An example of responsible business action in the West Midlands, supporting people during the cost-of-living crisis, is Severn Trent’s 10-year vision focused on tackling unemployment and poverty in the West Midlands area. Based in Coventry, Severn Trent plans to work with schools to offer work experience placements, to provide 10,000 hours of free training to get local communities ready for employment, and to help 100,000 people find employment.
Under Richard’s leadership, the Board will continue the important work that is currently being done by BITC in the West Midlands, including supporting charities through the National Business Response Network, providing job coaching support to people in the West Midlands region, and supporting Coventry’s refugee programme.
Richard Eadie, incoming Chair of BITC’s West Midlands Leadership Board, said:
“I am delighted to have taken on the role of Chair of Business in the Community’s West Midlands Leadership Board. Championing responsible business has never been more important, as businesses have a critical role in supporting people, the planet, and communities. The work of the Board in supporting those living and working in the region is so important, and while a lot of progress has been made, there is still more work to be done.”
Sue Husband, Delivery & Impact Director at Business in the Community, said:
“The work of BITC’s Leadership Boards is vital to ensuring that responsible business is recognised and championed across the whole of the UK and that each region has the right business leadership it needs to become a fairer and greener place to live. We have seen incredible progress in the West Midlands under Lee’s leadership, and as he hands over the reins to Richard, we are looking forward to working with him to continue the work that has been done.”
ENDS
Notes to editor
- Find out more about BITC’s Leadership Boards here.
For further information, please contact Polly Dacam, Press Officer, at polly.dacam@bitc.org.uk.