Meet your RICS Matrics West Midlands Regional Chair

I’m Callum Gilbert and I’m a Chartered Surveyor working at Cushman & Wakefield and the new Regional Chair of RICS Matrics in the West Midlands. I have been working in the industry since September 2017, when I joined Cushman & Wakefield on the Degree Apprenticeship programme at the age of eighteen following my A-Levels. Fast-forward four and a half years, I have (very recently) passed my APC and am now about to join the C&W Office Agency Team in Birmingham.

My involvement with RICS Matrics began in early-2018 when I joined the Birmingham Committee alongside several fellow Apprentices. Having gained two years of experience in organising networking events, volunteering at schools and universities and expanding my network, I became Vice-Chair of the Committee in June 2020. I then became Chair of the Committee in June 2021 before additionally taking on the role of West Midlands Regional Chair earlier this month.

The Birmingham Committee has been very active since the start of 2022, welcoming a return to normal following the Covid-19 Pandemic. We are currently a committee of thirteen young professionals of varying backgrounds, levels and skills, each working hard to provide support to our Matrics members across the area. Since February this year, we have delivered several interprofessional networking events, a series of training sessions with Shakespeare Martineau and support for APC candidates with mock interviews. As we look ahead to the summer and beyond, we expect to deliver more of the same, as well as our annual Paul Tanner Charity Football Tournament and a Commonwealth Games Challenge in aid of local charity LoveBrum.

Matrics provides a fantastic platform for young RICS professionals in the industry. It has helped me to grow my network and develop my knowledge and people skills. With that said, we are looking to grow our network here in the West Midlands. RICS is currently recruiting committee members to create a Staffordshire and also a Coventry & Warwickshire Committee. We anticipate that these committees will be in place alongside Birmingham as soon as possible to expand our support for members in the region. Guidance will be provided by RICS as well, including over thirty other local committees across the UK. Ultimately, if you have a desire to provide support for others, grow your network and develop your own skills, a role on one of our committees could be for you!

If you are interested in becoming part of either the Staffordshire or Coventry & Warwickshire Committees, please contact kwhite@rics.org.