Rob Pocock is 52 and lives locally in the Wylde Green neighbourhood of Sutton Coldfield with his partner of 25 years Councillor Marje Bridle.
He graduated from London University in 1974 with a BSc Honours degree in physics, having been Student Union Vice President, then worked in Manchester in 1975 as a Community Service Volunteer in the Central Hall homeless person's day centre.
He gained a PhD in environmental planning and design at Aston University in Birmingham in 1979, where he set up the first Aston University Labour Club.
After five years on contract research at Aston, Dr Pocock founded an independent research and consultancy company on the Aston Science Park, which has subsequently expanded over the subsequent 20 years to a flourishing business with an annual £1.5million turnover.
Dr Pocock is the company's Chief Executive and principal business owner, overseeing the key business areas of environment and wastes management, urban regeneration, citizens’ involvement, health and social care.
From 1995 to 2001, when he first stood as Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Sutton Coldfield, Rob was head of the Birmingham Labour Party’s Policy Strategy Team working with the then Council Leader Sir Albert Bore, and was the formative figure behind the Labour Council’s nationally celebrated devolution policy.
His political work has encompassed many of Labour's new policy initiatives, including active citizenship and community campaigning, public service reform, and the vital topic of support for small business entrepreneurs.