[1] Whitby was educated in Smethwick at James Watt Technical Grammar School, and also at Michael's Hoven College in the then West Germany.

He is currently chairman and managing director of Skeldings, a Smethwick-based engineering company, which was the winner of the Birmingham Post Business Award in June 2001.

Whitby points to the improvements made in key Council departments including Housing, Planning and Social Services whilst citing the increase Birmingham has made in indices such as the Mercer World Quality of Living Report, in which in 2011 Birmingham climbed three places to 52nd, ahead of all UK cities except the capital.

The £189 m Library of Birmingham project, which was due to open to the public on 3 September 2013,[11][needs update] has been a commitment of Whitby's throughout his leadership for which he takes personal responsibility.

Equally, Whitby has been responsible for helping bring about the £600 million redevelopment of Birmingham's New Street Station in partnership with Network Rail, Advantage West Midlands and Centro.

[12] During his time as leader, Whitby has been responsible for the slogan "Global City, Local Heart", a brand which commonly appears on Council documents and marketing material.

In 2007, a report was commissioned by Councillor Whitby; the result was The Birmingham City Centre Masterplan: The Visioning Study by Professor Michael Parkinson.

[16] In December 2007, he criticised the study of a Tory think tank headed by former Conservative Party Leader Iain Duncan Smith to be "error-ridden, inaccurate, out of date and misleading".

[17] The report claimed the Council needed to tackle crushing poverty and unemployment before it could hail Birmingham as a great city.