Sir Digby Jones has again distanced himself from the possibility of becoming an elected mayor of Birmingham.
But the former CBI director general did not entirely rule out the idea at some point in the future.
An elected mayor of Birmingham may or may not come into being as part of the Government's push for city regions.
While, locally, city region campaigners propose an executive board, the Government seems to favour a mayoral model.
Denying he had changed his mind despite rumours to the contrary, Sir Digby said it was not for him - at the present.
He said: "Of course I would love to do it, but for a while I want to keep my independence. There are a few things I want to do in the private sector. So it is a case of not for now."
Whether that position would change was impossible to predict, he said.
Sir Digby, who has now stood down from his CBI post after seven years, intends to have a bit of a break before getting back into work.
He is to be a senior adviser to Ford of Europe and Barclays Capital, chair an industry strategy board for accountants Deloitte, be an adviser to JCB and Aggregate Industries, is on the board at consumer electronics group Alba, and rugby club Leicester Tigers, and is set to present a radio programme once a week.
"I intend to carry on fighting for the West Midlands," he promised.
