Meet the Vice-Chair of the Smethwick Partnership Board, Jude Thompson
Jude is a Managing Director at CSCM Ltd and currently serves as the Vice-Chair for the three Sandwell Town Deal Boards; West Bromwich Town Deal Board, Smethwick Partnership Board and Rowley Regis Town Deal Board. In this role, Jude provides advise to the Chairs of the Town Deal Boards, provides essential support on local business and community engagement, as well as chairing meetings when necessary.
Jude grew up in Rowley Regis and for a while lived in Smethwick (Bearwood). He attended Warley High School, now known as Oldbury Academy and has supported them as an enterprise advisor for many years. He also attended the Smethwick campus of Sandwell College, which is now a housing estate.
Previously, Jude was appointed Chair of the Sandwell Superboard in 2019, where he oversaw the three Town Deals and Town Deal Local Boards, supporting the development of Town Investment Plans and Full Business Cases during Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Towns Fund Programme. In 2022, governance changes led to the delegation of Superboard responsibilities to the Chairs of each Local Board, ensuring that each region had independent boards for procurement and delivery stages. Jude has also held prominent positions such as the President of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Chair of West Bromwich Albion Women's Football Club.