Recruitment firm boss Rebecca Simkiss has been named as the new chairman of young professional network BPS Birmingham Future.
Ms Simkiss, joint managing director of city-based consultancy SimkissGuy Recruitment, will take over from Michael Shepherd.
She has served as deputy chairman of BPS Birmingham Future for the past 12 months and will reveal the creation of a Future Mentoring Academy to support young people in professional services.
She will be supported by new deputy chairman of the organisation, Tara Tomes, owner of PR consultancy East Village.
Ms Simkiss said Future Mentoring Academy would build on the success of the two mentoring schemes the group currently operates, Future Mentoring and Aspire Mentoring.
She said: "Mentoring has had a major impact on my personal career journey so it is naturally something very close to my heart.
"I believe mentoring lies at the very core of what Future stands for.
"Our two mentoring schemes bring together aspiring, emerging and established leaders as individuals who can learn from each other, be inspired by each other and, most importantly, be a place for support and the vital port of call that we all need from time to time to in our working lives."
Ms Simkiss hopes to increase the organisation's reach and offer to reflect the needs of young professionals working in the city.
