Deborah Cadman OBE

Lay Member of Council

Deborah has more than 30 years’ experience in public services. Prior to her last CEO appointment at Birmingham City Council, Deborah was Chief Executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority.

She was previously Local Government Advisor to the Ministerial Team at the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, Head of Policy at Redcar and Cleveland Borough and Audit Commission's Best Value Service Lead Inspector for the London region.

Deborah also has extensive Chief Executives experience of all levels of Government (National, Regional, Metropolitan, Borough, District) which includes Chief Executive of St Edmundsbury Borough Council and East Suffolk Council, the East of England Regional Development Agency and Suffolk County Council.

She has ensured that each organisation that she has led, delivers ‘excellent ’ services through focusing on getting the basics right, continuously improving, engaging citizens and working effectively across public service system of delivery.

She attended Loughborough University. Teesside University and the University of Birmingham. Deborah has a degree in Social administration & politics as well as a master’s degree in economics and a further master’s degree in management practice.

She has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Loughborough, Aston University and the university of Birmingham , she is also a fellow of the Centre for Science and Policy at Cambridge University.

Deborah received an OBE in 2006 for services to local government.

Deborah is listed in Local Government Chronicle’s ‘100 Most Influential in the Sector’. She also recently won UKREiiF’s ‘Public Sector Impact Award

She is currently a Trustee of the Nuffield Foundation , Deputy Pro-chancellor of the university of Birmingham and a NED on Newtrality , Toto Housing Board and senior Counsel for InHouse Communicatons.