Making her unique mark in Birmingham, Gurjeet Bains, editor of The Sikh Times and Eastern Voice has successfully made it at position 41, within the Power 50 of Birmingham. The prestigious list showcases the powerful and influential figures within the city. It also reflects the positive influence and growth Eastern Media Group has experienced over the years.

Gurjeet's string of successful achievements stem from 1961, when she first arrived in the UK. With her aims and ambitions firmly set in sight, she established herself in various employment roles. After finishing her education, she followed a career in nursing. After pursuing this, she worked in an insurance company for a year, moving on to become a Supervisor at well-established Firm Marks for a further six years.

However, it was the world of media which appealed to Gurjeet. Her first taste of the media world came in the form of her local Northampton newspaper. This eventually led her to join The Sikh Times, Britain’s first English Punjabi newspaper, as Editor in 2001. Her role expanded and she has since become Editor of Eastern Voice – a successful national weekly, and has established herself in a prominent role at Birmingham-based Eastern Media Group.

Aside from being the Editor of two national newspapers, Gurjeet has enjoyed tremendous success as the first woman to chair the Institute of Asian Businesses (IAB). As the first woman to chair IAB she has since become a recognisable figure within the community.

Some of her most notable achievements have included winning the 'Business Woman of the Year' award in 1991 and becoming one of fifty Ambassadors for the 2012 Olympics. She has also been awarded with an Honorary Degree, which was conferred to her by Aston University. Currently she is CEO of Women of Cultures, an organisation which empowers women from ethnic minorities.

Within her current role, Gurjeet believes that the media is truly a tool for voicing these community issues which lie close to them. Eastern Media Group aims to reach out to these communities through an impartial and fair reporting method. Through both newspapers, Gurjeet’s aim is to create a better understanding amongst diverse communities towards each others way of life and values.

Written by Harvy Kaur Matharu.

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