Experience & Expertise

Sarabjeet: A Life in Economic Develoment Leadership

The Early Foundations: Enterprise, Responsibility, and Resilience

Sarabjeet’s story does not begin in a boardroom.
It begins in Kenya. 

As a young man working in his family’s construction business, he rose to General Manager at an age when most are still learning the fundamentals. There, he learned what balance sheets really mean — not as numbers on paper, but as livelihoods, risks, and responsibility.

In 1977, he arrived in the United Kingdom.

The early months were modest but formative. He worked as a counter officer at Royal Mail. He taught Punjabi to English speakers. These were not just jobs — they were immersion into community life, culture, and the lived realities of working Britain.

They grounded him.

And they sharpened his instinct for opportunity.

Discovering Economic Development (1984–1990)

Later in 1984, a temporary research assistant role at Aston University opened a new door: structured economic research.

For the first time, he saw how policy, data, and strategy intersected with real communities.

In 1985, he stepped into his first major public role — Economic Development Officer at Coventry City Council.

Over the next five years, he immersed himself in:

  • Urban regeneration

  • Local economic strategy

  • Business Development & Community enterprise

  • Practical implementation

This period shaped a lifelong mission: improving places and expanding opportunity.

A National Mandate (1990–1992)

In 1990, Sarabjeet was directly recruited into the Home Office.

The brief was ambitious:
Lead the national programme for Ethnic Minority Business Development.

Reporting to the Minister of State and working with senior civil servants, major banks, and private-sector leaders, he was tasked with integrating ethnic minority enterprise Into the Mainstream of national economic agenda.

Under the guidance of an advisory group chaired by Sir Bob Reid (late), he navigated policy complexity, cross-department diplomacy, and high-level public/private sector stakeholder engagement through developing Common Purpose.

Here, he learned:

Leadership at national level is not about authority —
it is about alignment.

This period marked his transition from local practitioner to national strategist.

Transforming Birmingham (1992–1997)

After a brief period as an independent consultant delivering regeneration strategies and feasibility studies, he joined Birmingham City Council as Head of Business & Enterprise.

What followed was a period of structural transformation in a City with business and communities had been ravaged by long term underinvestment and decline accelerated by Recession's triggered by Monetarist dogma .

He led 84 staff and managed a £12 million budget. But more importantly, he modernised a grant-dependent environment into a commercially minded, performance-driven operation.

He:

  • Introduced commercial disciplines

  • Created Centres of Excellence linking business support and skills to modernise Business supply chains and improve competitiveness,

  • Aligned economic strategies with major redevelopment programmes to help create new emerging IT/Digital Creative sectors.

  • Delivered recurring savings through restructuring and contracting with business/community led organisations.

This was not maintenance leadership.

It was reform leadership.

Scaling Impact: Assistant Director (1997–2001)

Promotion followed impact.

As Assistant Director of Economic Development, he assumed full P&L responsibility for a combined capital and revenue budget exceeding £20 million, leading 126 staff.

He oversaw strategies for:

  • Business competitiveness

  • Manufacturing and automotive sector development

  • Enterprise and employment

  • External funding and regeneration

He also strengthened approximately 65 voluntary organisations — improving governance, diversifying funding, and introducing sustainable models.

His role increasingly involved advising political leaders on city-wide regeneration.

At this stage, he was no longer implementing strategy.

He was shaping it.

Leading at Regional Scale (2001–2005)

In 2001, he became Chief Executive of the Coventry, Solihull & Warwickshire Partnership Ltd — a £25 million organisation with 378 staff.

His mandate: unify and transform.

He merged three separate organisations into one coherent partnership structure to develop Sub-regional Economic Strategy winning subsatntive funds for Partners to develop and deliver Economic Development .Within 18 months, the organisation achieved Investors in People and EFQM recognition.

He introduced centralised IT and HR systems, strengthened executive leadership, and led complex, high-value funding bids.

He acted as the principal liaison with:

  • Government departments

  • Universities

  • Chambers of commerce

  • Regional business leaders

This role required strategic clarity, organisational discipline, and political acumen.

It was leadership at scale.

Entrepreneurial Leadership (2005–2015)

Since 2005, as Director of ITM Economic Development Ltd, Sarabjeet has blended strategic experience with hands-on advisory work.

He has:

  • Delivered interim leadership to local authorities

  • Supported regeneration agencies

  • Raised over £5 million in business growth funding

  • Reviewed and strengthened venture investment funds

  • Led investment readiness programmes

  • Served as Board Director and Chairman of SMEs

This phase reflects the full arc of his career — combining policy insight, commercial discipline, and entrepreneurial agility.

Today

Across four decades, Sarabjeet’s journey has moved:

From community-level engagement to national policy influence
From city-level regeneration to regional economic leadership
From public-sector transformation to private-sector investment

He has led large teams, managed multimillion-pound budgets, shaped strategy across sectors, and secured significant funding for growth.

But the constant has never changed.

A belief that economic development is ultimately about people.
A commitment to building stronger places through building stronger businesses and communities.
And a conviction that leadership means creating the conditions for others to thrive.

Since February 2016, Sarabjeet has also taken a hands-on entrepreneurial role as Sub-Postmaster of Styvechale Post Office, growing and strengthening the business as a vital local community hub.

  • In recognition of this commitment, the business—through its partnership with Post Office Ltd—was awarded a Community Service Award to ITM Economic Development Ltd, marking 10 years of service to customers and the wider community. The award, presented by Neil Brocklehurst, highlights Sarabjeet’s dedication to being present, accessible, and impactful at the grassroots level.