Professional services networking group BPS Birmingham Future has appointed a city solicitor as its new chairman.

Victoria Ball is a senior associate in the projects and construction team at Trowers & Hamlins, in Colmore Row, where she has worked since 2015.

Since returning to Birmingham from a spell in London, she has also served on a committee at Birmingham Law Society and until recently was a trustee of Birmingham Citizen's Advice Bureau.

She was also shortlisted in the legal category in the 2017 Birmingham Young Professional of the Year awards which are organised by BPS Birmingham Future.

Joining her on the top team is deputy chairman Katie Fulcher, executive officer for key sectors at the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.

She has previously served on the development committee of Birmingham Future.

Ms Ball said that, at the heart of her year in charge, was making Birmingham Future membership meaningful in a constantly changing landscape for the city's young professionals and to ensure the body provides an all encompassing experience beyond events for networking.

She will officially take over the reins at an event tonight from Tara Tomes, managing director of PR agency East Village.

In her address to members tonight, Ms Ball will say: "If we are to truly succeed in the constant fight to retain talent, which is not a new problem, we need to collaborate with like-minded organisations by talking to and working with other organisations that are already doing great things to promote our region.

"By working with these organisations, including a number of the large corporate employers working hard to retain talent, we can have an even bigger impact.

"If there is word that sums my approach to the next year it is 'collaboration'."

Ms Tomes added: "I can't believe my year as chair has come to an end but what a 12 months it has been.

"I stood at the handover this time last year and said that we'd work together, with our members and member firms, to ensure that Future stayed relevant to today's young professionals.

"I think we've achieved that and I know Victoria will continue to build on the great work already done by the organisation.

"I will miss being in such an active role for Future but I won't be far and I know Victoria continuing my passion for collaboration will result in truly fantastic things for our members, their firms, the sector, and our city."