Sharon Thompson, JP FIoL

Resilience, Representation, and Results

Politician. Speaker. Coach. Trainer.

“Inspiring people to achieve. Leading with purpose. Delivering inclusive transformation.”

Sharon Thompson turned personal adversity into powerful leadership. A Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and the West Midlands’ first female Deputy Mayor, she brings insight, tools, and authenticity that create lasting change.

Her focus spans jobs and skills, social value, the built environment, and housing, including designing out homelessness from the ground up.

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Sharon Thompson's Inspiring Journey

Lived Experience Meets Strategic Leadership

As a homeless teenager, Sharon’s future seemed uncertain. Today, she’s a transformational leader who has helped to secure £2.2 billion for neighbourhood regeneration and influenced national policy.

Current & Recent Leadership Roles:

Deputy Mayor, West Midlands Combined Authority (First female and first ethnic minority to hold the role)
Deputy Leader, Birmingham City Council (First ethnic minority to hold the role)
Cabinet Member for Economy & Skills, Birmingham City Council
Former Cabinet Member for Housing & Homelessness, Birmingham City Council
Director, Tilt 360 Ltd
Non-Executive Director experience across multiple sectors

Key Achievements

Rough Sleeping Reduction: Led transformational 81% rough sleeping reduction – supporting 74 people’s journey from streets to stability, informed by personal understanding of homelessness experience
Innovation Leadership: Political lead on £4bn Knowledge Quarter systemic economic transformation – creating innovation ecosystem set to deliver 22,000+ high-value jobs
Housing & Policy Innovation: Secured government approval for UK’s largest selective licensing scheme (40,000+ properties, £35M revenue potential), Sir Bob Kerslake Commission Advisory Group Member with a number of recommendations adopted by government, spearheaded national campaign giving evidence at APPG Homelessness and DLUHC Select Committee, resulting in Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023
International Impact: Signed ITS World Congress 2027 Birmingham hosting agreement – set to attract 15,000 global transport innovation leaders with £31M projected visitor spend and positioning the region as a global transport innovation hub
Major Regeneration: Providing political leadership for £1.9bn Smithfield and £2.2bn Ladywood development programmes
Infrastructure & Housing Delivery: Opened major cemetery extension at Sutton New Hall Cemetery (12,000 additional plots) with inclusive burial options, oversaw 4,000+ social homes via Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust
Civic Recognition Innovation: Transformed Birmingham’s civic honours system through BCU School of Jewellery partnership, creating new medal designs with Benjamin Zephaniah as first City of Birmingham Medal recipient and Black Sabbath receiving Freedom of the City
International Sport: Member of UK delegation to Poland that secured Birmingham European Athletics Championships 2026 (first time hosted in UK)

With nearly 12 years as an elected member in local government, including 8 as a senior councillor, and a decade as a council officer, Sharon has served for almost 22 years in public service. She has proven that authentic leadership, rooted in real experience, can deliver real results.

Host: Leadership Lens Podcast – authentic conversations with changemakers

Awards & Recognitions

Top 50 Professional & Career Women UK Awards – Public Sector Leader of the Year – 2025

Leadership Excellence Award (Finalist) – Institute of Leadership, 2025

Female Brummie of the Year – Birmingham Awards, 2024

Political Figure of the Year (Highly Commended) – Baton Awards, 2024

Outstanding Female Leader of the Global Majority – Women’s Awards West Midlands, 2024

Senior Leader Award (Finalist) – Black Talent Awards – 2024

Birmingham Icon – Black Owned Birmingham, 2023

Christian Woman in Politics Award – UK & European Wise Women Awards, 2022

Recognition Award – Muslim Association of Funeral Directors (MAFD), 2022

Women of the Year – M’Que Awards, 2021

Political Figure of the Year – Baton Awards, 2020

Leadership Excellence Runner Up Award – Institute of Leadership

Chutney and Chat: Lasting Legacy Award – Pathway2Grow

Councillor of the Year – SME Labour Awards, 2019

Beating All Odds Award – St Kitts and Nevis MBA, 2016

Outstanding Contributions to Social Change – West Midlands Women of the Year Awards, 2015

Inspirational Learner Award – The Open University in the Midlands, 2012

Services

Speaking Engagements

“Bold, Authentic & Transformational”

Sharon doesn’t just speak, she connects. Her powerful personal story combined with strategic expertise creates moments that shift perspectives and inspire action.

The Inclusive Growth Secret: Why the Cities That Win Are Those That Invest in Everyone
Why investing in people isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the smart economic strategy.
From Bricks to Livelihoods: Why Regeneration Must Go Beyond Expensive Landscaping
How to create regeneration that transforms lives, not just places.
The People Strategy: Skills, Jobs and Opportunity as the New Infrastructure.
Making employment and skills central to place-based development.
Leadership in the New Urban Era: Navigating Crisis, Complexity and Change.
Leading through uncertainty in fast-changing cities and regions.

Signature Talks

From Homelessness to Leadership: A Journey of Resilience
A personal story of lived experience, resilience, and leading with purpose.
Breaking Barriers: Race, Class & Gender in Leadership
Navigating intersectionality and building truly inclusive leadership.

Workshops & Masterclasses

Leading Trauma-Informed Services & Governance
Practical approaches to embedding trauma-informed practice in public services.

Training & Development

“Building Capability Through Lived Experience”

From guest lecturing at the University of Birmingham to featuring in Open University bite-size training modules, Sharon brings leadership learning to diverse audiences. She has trained hundreds of UK women and ethnic minorities through face-to-face workshops, webinars, and insights-driven talks.

Training Programs:

Women in Leadership Development
Inclusive Leadership for Ethnic Minorities
Trauma-Informed Governance
Community-Centered Leadership Strategies

Coaching & Mentoring

“Unlocking Your Authentic Power”

“I see potential where others see problems. I help you move through the fear and into your power.”

Specialised Support For:

Executive Coaching Strategic support for senior leaders navigating complexity, building presence, and leading with authenticity.
Crisis Management Support A trusted thinking partner for leaders facing uncertainty, scrutiny, and high-stakes decisions.
Burnout Avoidance Coaching Intentional strategies for protecting your energy and leading sustainably over the long term.
Career Coaching Clarity and practical strategy for your next move, whether that’s a new role, board appointment, or portfolio career.
Stakeholder & Influence Coaching Building relationships and moving agendas forward when success depends on people you don’t control.
First 100 Days Coaching A focused partnership to help you hit the ground running in a significant new role.
Political Leadership Coaching Insight and support for leading in political environments, from someone who’s lived it.
Board Readiness & Non-Executive Coaching Positioning yourself for board appointments and increasing your impact once you’re in the room.

Approach: 1:1 and group coaching combining strategic insight with lived experience wisdom.

Sharon in Action

Fireside Chat - Councillor Sharon Thompson | TEDxWolverhampton

Proposing that Benjamin Zepheniah becomes the first recipient of the City of Birmingham Medal

Proposing that the City of Birmingham Awards Black Sabbath the Freedom of the City

Speaking at the press conference announcing that Birmingham will be hosting the Invictus Games 2027

Note of thanks from Ozzy Osbourne

Empowering Communities. Leading Change. Making a Difference

Board Member

Driving policies, fostering growth, collaborating effectively for socio-economic advancement and positive societal impact.

Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council

Advocating for social justice, representing constituents, and shaping policies for equitable and inclusive communities.

Public Speaker

Inspiring audiences with compelling presentations, imparting knowledge, and motivating personal and professional growth.

Executive Coach

Supporting career growth, unlocking potential, and empowering individuals to achieve success and personal fulfilment.

Trainer

Imparting practical skills, knowledge, and expertise through engaging training sessions for professional development and growth.

Get In Touch

Interested in learning more? Contact me today using button below.

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“It was a pleasure to have Sharon Thompson join us at Jaguar Land Rover for our DE&I event hosted by our African Caribbean Network. Her charismatic and engaging presentation truly resonated with attendees, sparking ambition in those who often don't see women in decision-making positions. She opened up about the realities of her journey, and we look forward to future engagements with Sharon and all she has to share.”
Nicole Lavington-ChristieSenior Category Buyer, Jaguar Land Rover

“You've inspired the next wave coming through. I've lost count of the amount of times your name has been mentioned from people in different parts of the UK as an example of someone who's making a real impact especially around areas like homelessness.”
Nathan SpencerManaging Director UKREiiF

“Sharon has spoken on our leadership programmes several times, on various leadership topics – relating to her own life/career story and her areas of expertise. The feedback we have had, from participants, has always been brilliant – whether it’s been a face-to-face, or virtual session. Sharon is an authentic, honest speaker – she’s relatable and really comes into her own, in the Q&A session, whether that’s with emerging or senior leaders.”
Louise TeboulUK Partnerships Director, Common Purpose

“Councillor Thompson came to speak to year 12 and 13 Politics A-Level students as part of a series of guest speakers in a ‘Meet your Representatives’ series. She was incredibly engaging and inspiring a for both students and staff alike. She has a wealth of knowledge to share about how local politics works and how it feeds into national political debates.”
Sinead MartinPolitics Tutor, Joseph Chamberlain College

Why Sharon?

Unique Lived Experience

The only Deputy Mayor who combines personal homelessness experience with senior strategic leadership across housing, regeneration, and economic development.

Proven in Complexity

12 years delivering results in challenging political environments—from local councils to international stages.

Trauma-Informed Expertise

Specialist in embedding lived experience into governance, policy, and organisational systems.

Intersectional Leadership

Deep understanding of how identity intersects with power, policy, and change.

“Sharon Thompson is a highly articulate and engaging individual, whose positivity and openness provide a powerful and uplifting voice for change within politics and beyond. Drawing on her personal experiences and using practical examples of making change, Councillor Thompson inspires others to take an intersectional approach, promote diversity, transform their approaches to leadership and inclusion, and create a world where everyone can thrive.”
Rosella CottamContent Development Executive, Institute of Government & Public Policy

“Sharon demonstrated great aptitude in communicating her thoughts and ideas, as she efficaciously engaged the audience through great story telling, whilst interweaving apt knowledge and insight into her discussion points, making her talk informative and engaging. Her amiable and relatable character made it easier for audience members to connect with her and feel comfortable enough to transparently ask her questions during the question-and-answer section, in which she replied with a great level of sincerity whilst equally maintaining a great level of professionalism.”
Yeshua CarterLearning Service in Government and Infrastructure, Ernst & Young LLP

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Based:
Birmingham, UK | Available globally

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Inspiring people to achieve. Leading with purpose. Delivering inclusive transformation.