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PhilipSingletonhasavitalroleinthephysicalandeconomicfutureofBirminghamCityCentre.
HeoverseasthedevelopmentofBirminghamCityCentreingeneralwithspecificresponsibility
forthetheground-breakingBigCityPlan.
Itistheinterestandinvestmentgeneratedbythisaward-winningmasterplan,whichwillguide
developmentinBirminghamforthenext30years,whichhaspushedhimontothePower50list.
TheBigPlanhasturnedheadsintownhallsaroundtheworldand,moreimportantlyisbelieved
tobeattractinginterestfrominvestors.
WhilefellowPower50listerCliveDuttonhasbeenleadingtheplanatastrategiclevel,Philip
overseesthedetaileddesignandimplementation.
Anarchitectbyprofession,andmemberofRIBA,hewasresponsiblefordesigningthe
BirminghamSchoolofJewelleryandDrumArtsCentrebeforejoiningthecouncil.
HeleadsaCityDesignteamof10peopleworkingwithdevelopersandinvestorstoensureplans
meetthecouncil'sexactingdesignstandards.
AndsinceMarch2007PhiliphasanadditionalroleinmanagingthenewlyformedCityCentre
DevelopmentTeamof30people. Thisincludesaregenerationteam,aprojectmanagementteam
andtheJewelleryQuarteranddevelopmentplanningteams.
NE
TheBirminghamCitycouncillor'sinfluencegoesfarbeyondthecitywheresheisaleadingvoicein
thenationalpoliticalarenaonarangeofissuesincludingtheanti-warmovementandtheroleof
Muslims,andMuslimwomeninpost9/11Britain.
SheisaleadingfigureintheRespectPartyandhasbeencitycouncillorfortheSparkbrookward
since2006.
CounYaqoobcametoprominenceasleaderoftheBirminghamStopTheWarCoalition
followingtheinvasionofIraqin2003.
TwoyearslatershemadeastrongchallengeforthenormallysafeLabourParliamentryseatof
SparkbrookandSmallHeathtakingalmostathirdofthevote, slashingRogerGodsiff'sfivefigure
majorityintheprocess.
Shewillbeastrongcontenderatthenextgeneralelectionanditisrumouredhasbeencourted
bythemainparties.
Bornin1971inBradfordtoPakistaniparents,CounYaqoobwasmovedtogointopoliticsafter
theterrorattacksof9/11whenshewasspatatinBirminghamcitycentrewhileshoppingwithher
three-year-oldchild.
Asacouncillorshehascampaignedontheissuesofsocialjustice, tacklingdeprivationinthe
innercitiesandimprovinghousing.
NE
AftertakingadegreeinPhilosophyatLeicesterUniversity,StuartGriffithsbeganhiscareerin
theatremanagementattheBeckTheatreinWestLondon.
In1992hetookoverthebrandnewSwanTheatreinHighWycombe,alarge-scalevenuewitha
broadandmixedprogrammeofdrama,danceandmusicwhich,overthefollowing10years,
developedanationalandinternationalreputationforitsambitiousdanceprogramme.
MovingtotheHippodromein2002,hetookoveratheatrewhichhadjustemergedfroma�40
millionredevelopmentasoneofthebest-equippedtheatrecomplexesinEurope,butwith
financialproblemsarisingfromtheunexpectedlyprotractedperiodofclosure.
AswellassuccessfullyrepairingtheHippodrome'sfinancesandrebuildingitsaudience,hehas
goneontobuildonhispreviousworkattheSwantodevelopaninternationalcontemporarydance
programme.
AlongsidetheBirminghamRoyalBalletandtheactivitiesoftheDanceXChange,whichishoused
withintheHippodromecomplex,thishashelpedtodeveloptheHippodrome'sreputationasone
ofthecountry'sstrongestdancevenues.
Thismovedontoanewlevelearlierin2008withthelaunchofBirmingham'sfirstInternational
DanceFestival,whichhejointlydirectedwithDavidMassingham,artisticdirectorofthe
DanceXchange.
StuartGriffithsisalsoafoundermemberandchairoftheDanceTouringConsortium,analliance
of20leadingUKtheatresdedicatedtothepresentationofinternationaldance.
TG
Inafamilyknownforitsbusinessacumen,JasonWouhraestablishedhimselfindouble-fasttime.
HewasbornintotheculinarydynastyofEastEndFoodsandafterbecomingaccustomedtothe
companyfromanearlyagebecameoneoftheyoungesteverchartereddirectorsontheInstitute
ofDirectors'companydirectionprogrammeattheageof29.
Today,heisdirectorandcompanysecretaryoftheIndianfoodimporter,whichhasgrownintoa
businessturningovermorethan�100millionsincebeingestablishedbyTonyDeepWouhraand
hisbrothersin1967.
ThebusinessopenedEurope'slargestricemillinWestBromwichinlate2006andhascashand
carryoperationsinSmethwickandinthecentreofBirmingham,andistargetinggrowthinthe
EuropeanUnionafterestablishinganetworkthroughouttheUK.
Thefirm,whichsupplieswell-knownretailchainssuchasASDA,Marks&Spencer,Morrisons,
TescoandWaitrose,wasnamedthebestfamilyfirmintheMidlandsearlierthisyearintheCoutts
PrizeforFamilyBusiness.
Itisknownforhavingapolicyof"nocompromise"ineveryareaofitsbusinessandMrWouhra,
whohasamastersdegreeinlawandadiplomaincompanydirection,hasbecomeakeypartof
thatethos.
GB
Philip Singleton
BCC,
Public Sector
Salma Yaqoob
BCC,
Public Sector
Stuart Griffiths
Birmingham
Hippodrome,
Arts & Culture
Jason Wouhra
East Ends Foods,
Business

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