The High Sheriff of the West Midlands 2026

Carmen Watson DL FCGI Hon DBA FREC is one of the UK’s most distinguished business leaders and a figure of genuine gravitas for civic office. As Chair of Pertemps Network Group a £920m recruitment powerhouse she has helped shape into a global-recognised employer, her career reflects commercial success married to principled leadership in talent, skills and opportunity. She has earned respect not by title, but by decades of tangible impact across industry, education and civic life. 

Carmen’s journey over five decades at Pertemps is itself a testament to purposeful leadership. Joining the company at entry level in the 1970s and rising to Chair, she has steered and steadied teams through economic cycles, championed best practice in recruitment and workforce development, and lifted standards across the sector. She sits on the leadership team of Business in the Community’s Race for Opportunity; she has been named in global industry power lists; and her honours include Director of the Year (IoD), a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, a Diversity and Inclusion Leader award at the West Midlands Leadership Awards, and induction as a Fellow of the City and Guilds London Institute, one of fewer than 500 worldwide. She also holds an honorary Doctorate from Aston University and is a visiting professor there, reflecting her thought leadership beyond business. 

In the forthcoming 2026/27 shrieval year, Carmen will bring this blend of strategic insight and people-centred purpose to the role of High Sheriff of the West Midlands. Her programme will centre on uplifting women and girls, not in isolation, but as a catalyst for whole-community progress, inviting men and boys as active allies. She will focus on practical initiatives that strengthen confidence, resilience and leadership pathways, while collaborating across civic, voluntary and public sectors to widen opportunity and build trust. Success for her will be measured by relationships deepened, skills developed and sustained participation from all corners of the region.