West Midlands

Helen Higginbotham, FCG, Branch Chair

Helen is co-chair of the committee. Helen is a corporate solicitor at Harrison Clark Rickerbys with over 10 years' experience, and is head of the due diligence team advising clients on areas of risk. She is a Fellow of the Institute and a Governor of the West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust. Helen provides training on company secretarial matters and is enthusiastic about governance!

In her spare time, Helen enjoys learning British Sign Language and walks in the countryside with her two dogs.

Tom Proverbs-Garbett, FCG, Secretary and Member of the Events Sub-Committee

Tom is the secretary of the WM Branch. He’s a corporate lawyer at Pinsent Masons LLP and a Fellow of the Institute. Having been an M&A lawyer for 10 years, his practice now focusses on corporate governance matters and issues surrounding directors' duties. One way or another, it’s Tom who will welcome you to our events!

Dermot Quigley, Member of the Communications Sub-Committee

Dermot is an Associate of the Institute and member of the Branch Steering Committee. He has worked in the Industry for over 30 years, firstly with Lloyds Bank Registrars and then Equiniti. In his main role as a Relationship Manager, Dermot has been involved in all aspects of Share Registration, Employee share plans and Corporate Actions services with various FTSE clients.

Amarno Inai, Member of the Students Sub-Committee

Amarno Inai is a qualified Governance Practitioner and graduate of the EBM board program under Karl George MBE. Since then, Amarno has secured roles in the public sector namely within the Arts, mental health, and education. Amarno currently serves on our Birmingham Technical Committee as co-designer for student outreach and events.

Claire Wood, Member of the Events Sub-Committee

Claire Wood is the Partnership Secretary of a leading IP and Trade Mark firm based in Birmingham. Claire works closely with the UK and International Boards and oversees the Governance of all entities and Partnerships within the group.

Claire has a background in offshore Fiduciary and Governance and holds the TEP qualification and ICSA Diploma. After spending over 30 years offshore Claire returned to the UK and uses her background in corporate Governance in the legal sector.

Claire has been an active member of the committee of the West Midlands branch of The Chartered Governance Institute UK since it was launched at the end of 2018. She is a member of the events committee and has assisted in arranging a number of seminars and events in person and since lockdown, virtually.

When she is not keeping the Partnerships in check Claire can be found practising yoga or watercolour-painting a new hobby found during lockdown.

Sarah Edwards, Member of the Events Sub-Committee

Sarah Siena Edwards is a committee member and is on the Birmingham Technical Committee.

She graduated in Arts, Design and Environment from Central St Martin’s in 2010. She has a passion for collaborative partnership working and how such partnerships can benefit the wider public, and how we live. She has a keen interest in how the governance of organisations can contribute positively to society – such as widening leadership diversity, increasing an organisation’s environmental focus, or prioritising workforce wellbeing and engagement. Sarah has multi-sector board level experience. She is currently the Vice-Chair of the Chamberlain Highbury Trust, and sits on the Hippodrome Development board. She has sat as an NHS governor, and has been elected to the Edgbaston Priory Club board.

She is a graduate of the EBM Lead the Board governance programme. She is an UpRising Young Leaders graduate and was part of US Ambassador Matthew Barzun’s Young Leaders programme. Sarah currently works for Unite the Union.

Jagdish Kaur, Member of the Students Sub-Committee and is the Student Champion

Jag graduated with a BA Honours degree in Law in 2015 and qualified as an Associate member in 2021.

Jag currently works as a Senior Company Secretarial Assistant in the Subsidiary Governance team at The Phoenix Group.

Jag became a committee member and the Student Champion of the WM Branch in 2018.

In her spare time, Jag enjoys reading poetry and practising Krav Maga.

Nicola Rees, Member of the Events Sub-Committee

Nicola is an enthusiastic member of the committee who looks forward to welcoming you to our events!