Beverley Nielsen

Beverley Nielsen
Personal details
Born	(1960-01-25) 25 January 1960
Profession	Executive Director Institute of Design and Economic Acceleration (IDEA)
Website	www.beverleynielsen.co.uk

Beverley Nielsen (born 25 January 1960), is an entrepreneur, educator and campaigner who works as executive director, Institute of Design and Economic Acceleration (IDEA) at Birmingham City University. She has previously worked as a director for AGA Rangemaster, and as managing director for Fired Earth. In 2016 Nielsen was selected as the Liberal Democrat Candidate for the Mayor of the West Midlands, but was defeated in the 2017 mayoral election by Conservative candidate Andy Street.

Early life

Nielsen was born in Malvern Worcestershire where her mother, Ethel Mary Nielsen, was, for a period, a teacher at Malvern Girls’ College and her father, Dr Stanley Nielsen, was a research chemist at the Royal Radar Establishment (now known as Qinetiq). Following this he and his young family relocated to Ireland where he worked for the National Board of Science and Technology, the organisation with central responsibility for national science and technology (later reformed as part of Eolas).

Nielsen attended the Grove Primary School, Malvern, and following the family's move to Ireland she was educated at Glengara Park School, Glenageary and St Columba's College, Rathfarnham, Dublin, before attending Trinity College Dublin where she completed a degree in Law, following which she completed a Master's degree in Business Studies from University College Dublin, completing her dissertation on the International Marketing of Irish Designer Fashion.

Business career

After graduating, Nielsen worked for the Confederation of British Industry, London, and researched the impact of non-tariff barriers across the European Community on British Business, producing a report for the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities, in 1982. Following this Beverley was promoted to the position of Acting Manager, CBI Brussels.

She later worked in fashion at New York Vogue, in Dublin as an equity dealer for Dermot Desmond, creator of the International Financial Services Centre, before returning to the CBI in 1992 and working as Assistant Director, CBI North West, contributing to the successful lobbying for Runway 2 at Manchester Airport and promoting best practice sharing amongst SMEs as a board director of Excellence North West.

In 1995 she was appointed to the position of Director, CBI West Midlands, where Nielsen represented West Midlands industry, collaborating with CBI members and Regional Chairmen, including Lord Jones of Birmingham, Chairman, CBI West Midlands 1998–2000, whilst lobbying to promote the wider value of West Midlands’ manufacturing. Beverley continued to lobby for business becoming CEO, for the Midlands tourism lobby, the Heart of England Tourist Board during the Foot & Mouth disease crisis. In early 2003 she moved to work in manufacturing and retail as a director for AGA Rangemaster, and later as managing director of subsidiary business, Fired Earth.

Political career

Nielsen became a Liberal Democrats councillor in Malvern Hills District Council. She was the Liberal Democrat candidate for West Worcestershire in the 2019 general election, finishing second with 10,410 votes (18.1%). She was selected in 2016 and 2020 as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Mayor of West Midlands, but resigned the party along with four other councillors in August of 2020 over a split on the Malvern Hills District Council.

Personal life

Nielsen married Robert Emmerson in 1992 and they have three children, Niels, Charlie, and Amelia.