IoD Midlands january 2022
Institute of Directors Midlands; business advice; director development
Institute of Directors Midlands; business advice; director development
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The official membership magazine<br />
for the Institute of Directors<br />
in the East and West <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
iod.com<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong><br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
Contents<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> News<br />
Don’t be afraid of taking your<br />
foot off the gas<br />
Gary Headland, Chair, <strong>IoD</strong> East <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
Whatever <strong>2022</strong> brings, we’ll be<br />
with you all the way<br />
Inez Brown, Chair, <strong>IoD</strong> West <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
New members’ spaces open in<br />
Lincoln, Shrewsbury<br />
page 7<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Connections and Mastermind Groups<br />
page 10-11<br />
04<br />
05<br />
CONTACTS<br />
IOD EAST MIDLANDS<br />
Nottingham Trent<br />
University, Burton St,<br />
Nottingham NG1 4BU<br />
Chair: Gary Headland<br />
e: chair.eastmids@iod.net<br />
t: 07787 484448<br />
IOD WEST MIDLANDS<br />
Grand Hotel, Colmore Row,<br />
Birmingham B3 2BS<br />
Chair: Inez Brown<br />
e: chair.westmidlands@iod.net<br />
IOD TEAM<br />
Branch Manager –<br />
East <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
Cait Murphy<br />
e: cait.murphy@iod.com<br />
t: 0115 678 1716<br />
Director of the Year Awards<br />
A comprehensive look back at an inspiring<br />
evening as the region recognises its champion<br />
business leaders<br />
pages 12-19<br />
Special report<br />
Climate change and the race to Net Zero<br />
pages 20-23<br />
Technical Briefings<br />
Identifying fraud in the workplace – pg 24<br />
Nelsons looks at IP Audits and the IP Access<br />
grant – pg 25<br />
Exports in the post-Brexit era – pg 26<br />
Gemma Morgan-Jones discusses the University<br />
of Nottingham’s Business Network – pg 28<br />
About The <strong>IoD</strong><br />
Helping you Connect, Develop and Influence<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Student mentoring programmes – pg 30<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Ambassadors – pg 32<br />
Events Diary – pg 36<br />
Director Development – pg 38<br />
Please note...<br />
Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material contained within this magazine, neither the <strong>IoD</strong> nor<br />
Chamber Media Services can accept any responsibility for omissions or inaccuracies in its editorial or advertising<br />
content. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the <strong>IoD</strong>. The carriage of adverts in this<br />
publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised.<br />
All articles within this publication are copyright <strong>IoD</strong> <strong>Midlands</strong>. Editorial consent must be obtained before any are<br />
reproduced either in printed form or electronically.<br />
12<br />
26<br />
28<br />
Branch Manager –<br />
West <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
Frances Fairclough<br />
e: frances.fairclough@iod.com<br />
t: 0121 281 5531<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Student Placements<br />
Anna Hicks<br />
e: anna.hicks@iod.com<br />
t: 0115 857 8170<br />
Joshua Whitehead<br />
e: joshua.whitehead@iod.com<br />
t: 0115 857 8169<br />
The Institute of Directors<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong> membership<br />
magazine is published on<br />
behalf of the <strong>IoD</strong> by:<br />
Chamber Media Services<br />
4 Hilton Road, Bramhall,<br />
Stockport, Cheshire<br />
SK7 3AG.<br />
Advertising sales:<br />
Colin Regan<br />
t: 01942 537959 /<br />
07871 444922<br />
e: colinregan001@<br />
yahoo.co.uk<br />
Production enquiries:<br />
Rob Beswick,<br />
t: 0161 426 7957<br />
e: rob@chambermedia<br />
services.co.uk<br />
Cover image:<br />
A winning<br />
line-up from<br />
the <strong>IoD</strong><br />
Director of<br />
the Year<br />
Awards 2021.<br />
See from<br />
pg 12<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
03
<strong>IoD</strong> News<br />
<strong>2022</strong> has to be the year directors<br />
take their foot off the gas<br />
Gary Headland F<strong>IoD</strong><br />
Chair, <strong>IoD</strong> East <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
Magazine deadline day<br />
here again and I am<br />
just putting pen to<br />
paper, or rather<br />
fingertips to keyboard.<br />
It occurs to me that I<br />
never seem to be on<br />
top of emails, social<br />
media communications or other tasks<br />
such as writing this foreword. It’s a<br />
never-ending list that I sometimes think<br />
are controlling me, rather than things I<br />
am in control of.<br />
I am reminded of the apocryphal first<br />
act of World War II flying ace Douglas<br />
Bader when he assumed command of his<br />
RAF squadron. Instead of being<br />
immediately bogged down by<br />
paperwork, he took a pile of buff files<br />
from his adjutant and threw them<br />
straight into the bin.<br />
I wonder what would happen if I did<br />
the modern day equivalent of simply<br />
selecting ‘delete all’ on the email!<br />
I’m making light of a phenomenon that<br />
is a problem that has troubled many of<br />
us for three or four decades, but there is<br />
a serious point in this message, as I am<br />
observing, anecdotally at least, a decline<br />
in the health and well-being of many<br />
directors.<br />
I am wholly aligned to the notion that<br />
better directors lead to better<br />
businesses and ultimately a better<br />
world. To be better directors we need to<br />
develop our knowledge, skills and<br />
mindset in line with the <strong>IoD</strong> competency<br />
framework. As part of that mindset we<br />
also need to recognise the impact of the<br />
changing world on our health and make<br />
changes to the way we work, or we risk<br />
accelerated burnout. Having spoken with<br />
lots of directors and senior managers in<br />
the run-up to Christmas, the most<br />
common word used was ... exhaustion!<br />
The second theme is a feeling of<br />
dehumanisation. The fourth industrial<br />
revolution has created incredible<br />
technological advances. The world has<br />
sped up dramatically and the rate of<br />
change is increasing all the time. If we<br />
think of being in business as akin to the<br />
hamster on a wheel, the modern hamster<br />
is bionic, as that’s how fast the world is<br />
turning for many managers, including<br />
yours truly! Covid has acted as a major<br />
accelerator of change, forcing many of<br />
us to shift the way we lead and manage<br />
our organisations and alter many of the<br />
assumptions we have relied on in the<br />
past.<br />
During the past 18 months, as periods<br />
of lockdown have concluded, many of us<br />
have realised that we have filled our days<br />
with back-to-back meetings in the name<br />
of productivity. Instead of using the time<br />
we used to spend travelling, for thinking<br />
(or doing something healthy), we have<br />
rammed our diaries so we can turn work<br />
around faster and faster.<br />
Returning to travelling to meetings has<br />
been hard and many of us stopped<br />
because ‘we can get more done’ working<br />
remotely. And because we aren’t<br />
travelling to work it makes no sense to<br />
venture out for that business breakfast<br />
club or afternoon/evening networking<br />
session.<br />
We tried networking virtually with<br />
webinars but soon found ourselves<br />
bored of that medium and so we have<br />
stopped attending them.<br />
But we are human, we are social<br />
animals and we need to be around each<br />
other for our well-being.<br />
You might not recognise at all what I<br />
have described above; if so, I’m pleased<br />
for you. However, I know from chatting<br />
with members over the past few weeks<br />
that what I describe above is an all-toocommon<br />
context. I’m now in my 35th<br />
year of full-time employment and I don’t<br />
feel like I have ever before worked so<br />
hard, and as I review my diary for<br />
January, the volume, complexity and<br />
pace of work I am facing is a little<br />
unnerving. Just writing this forward has<br />
genuinely quickened my breathing and<br />
heart-rate.<br />
So I am – selfishly – going to give<br />
myself a gift this Christmas. I am going<br />
to take some time to really think through<br />
how I can improve the way I work next<br />
year so that I am a healthier and better<br />
director. I also intend to work with the<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> director-volunteers across our region<br />
so that we can do as much as we can to<br />
help our fellow directors during this<br />
extraordinarily challenging time, and this<br />
will include helping directors to be<br />
healthy.<br />
I wish you all a healthy, happy and<br />
successful <strong>2022</strong> during which I hope to<br />
see as many of you as possible in person.<br />
If you wish to comment on Gary’s editorial you can reach him at<br />
e: chair.eastmids@iod.net<br />
04 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
We still face challenges but the<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> will be with you all the way<br />
Inez Brown,<br />
Chair,<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> West <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
A warm welcome to<br />
the January Issue of<br />
the <strong>IoD</strong> <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
membership magazine<br />
The two <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
regions of the <strong>IoD</strong> continue to work<br />
together to produce this magazine, and<br />
this edition is no different. Inside you’ll<br />
find the latest on developments within<br />
the <strong>IoD</strong>, including our Director of the<br />
Year awards, new member hubs in<br />
Shrewsbury and Lincolnshire and details<br />
on our link-ups with universities, our<br />
Mastermind Groups and other events.<br />
But you’ll also find articles to get you<br />
thinking, whether it is on exporting, the<br />
race to net zero or tackling dishonest<br />
employees. I hope you enjoy it.<br />
I have to say that by the start of<br />
January <strong>2022</strong> I was hoping that we<br />
would have put Covid-19 firmly behind<br />
us, with a period of reflection on the loss<br />
of life and difficulties for the business<br />
community during 2020 and 2021. Sadly,<br />
as you’ll be only too aware, the Omicron<br />
variant is casting a deep shadow over<br />
the country again, which means the virus<br />
continues to affect the landscape in<br />
which businesses can operate.<br />
Despite these difficult times, the <strong>IoD</strong><br />
continues to be the voice for our<br />
members on policy; provide advice on<br />
good governance and highlights key<br />
initiatives with the government to assist<br />
businesses during the pandemic.<br />
During 2021 we were able to return to<br />
some sort of normality by holding<br />
in-person events on well-being; lunch<br />
and learn seminars, our Mastermind<br />
groups and drop-ins, as well as the<br />
Director of the Year Awards. We’re also<br />
pleased that the <strong>Midlands</strong> will continue<br />
to host training and professional<br />
development seminars throughout <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
The focus will continue to remain on<br />
member engagement and support<br />
together with development of directors.<br />
Despite the challenges we are<br />
currently facing, <strong>2022</strong> promises to be an<br />
exciting year. To coincide with the<br />
Commonwealth Games in Birmingham,<br />
the <strong>IoD</strong> will be holding a Commonwealth<br />
Business Conference on July 19. It’s a<br />
date to put into your diary now.<br />
Another event to look out for is an<br />
Inclusion and Diversity conference which<br />
will be in the autumn.<br />
Before that, we encourage members<br />
to continue to use our <strong>IoD</strong> business hubs<br />
together with the other services we<br />
offer: business research, information, tax<br />
and legal helplines.<br />
There’s more on all these services<br />
elsewhere in this issue. We continue to<br />
receive positive feedback on this service<br />
from members, which is hugely<br />
encouraging.<br />
Finally, on behalf of the <strong>IoD</strong> in the<br />
West <strong>Midlands</strong>. I’d like to wish you all a<br />
good New Year and I look forward to<br />
meeting you again in person at one of<br />
our events in <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
To comment on Inez’s editorial, email e: chair.westmids@iod.net<br />
Welcome aboard, Cait!<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> members in the<br />
East <strong>Midlands</strong> have a<br />
new contact as their<br />
branch manager as Cait<br />
Murphy joins the team<br />
to lead the region’s<br />
activities and support.<br />
Cait joins after a<br />
period providing<br />
administrative support<br />
to an <strong>IoD</strong> branch on a voluntary basis, so<br />
as she puts it, “I know what I’m getting<br />
myself into!”<br />
She adds: “With a 25-year career as an<br />
Executive Assistant supporting Chairs,<br />
Boards and Directors across a variety of<br />
sectors, I think I’m well-placed to<br />
understand our members’ needs.”<br />
She is particularly passionate about the<br />
power of the Ambassador roles and of<br />
the <strong>IoD</strong> in general as a power for good.<br />
“The <strong>IoD</strong> Ambassadors should be your<br />
first port of call when you are looking for<br />
clarity on key issues,” she says. “Within<br />
the ambassador ranks are sector experts<br />
who are happy to offer their advice to<br />
their fellow members.”<br />
Cait is also keen to help members make<br />
the most from the events, training,<br />
networking opportunities the <strong>IoD</strong> offers.<br />
She will work alongside her colleague<br />
in the West <strong>Midlands</strong>, Frances Fairclough,<br />
and be supported in the East <strong>Midlands</strong> by<br />
our two student placements, Anna Hicks<br />
and Joshua Whitehead.<br />
In her spare time, Cait loves visiting art<br />
museums, is a voracious reader and<br />
watches 1970s Shaolin Kung Fu films.<br />
• Cait can be contacted on<br />
e: cait.murphy@iod.com<br />
t: 0115 678 1716<br />
Contact other members of the <strong>IoD</strong> team:<br />
Branch Manager – West <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
Frances Fairclough<br />
e: frances.fairclough@iod.com<br />
t: 0121 281 5531<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Student Placements<br />
Anna Hicks<br />
e: anna.hicks@iod.com<br />
t: 0115 857 8170<br />
Joshua Whitehead<br />
e: joshua.whitehead@iod.com<br />
t: 0115 857 8169<br />
• More on the <strong>IoD</strong> Ambassadors:<br />
See page 32<br />
Shape 5G future of<br />
Nottinghamshire<br />
Do you want to help shape the<br />
future use for 5G technology in<br />
Nottinghamshire?<br />
An ambitious 5G Connected<br />
Forest programme has been set<br />
up by a consortium of academic<br />
researchers and local businesses.<br />
One of its focuses is on how 5G<br />
technology could be used to<br />
support and benefit businesses.<br />
The consortium wants to hear<br />
from business owners, directors<br />
and managers from across all<br />
sectors so it can learn more about<br />
the technological needs of local<br />
firms.<br />
An independent research survey<br />
has been set up and can be taken<br />
by clicking HERE.<br />
It should take no more than 10<br />
minutes and is anonymous.<br />
To get involved, please complete<br />
the survey before January 16<br />
<strong>2022</strong>. There will be a chance to<br />
win £100 for a charity of your<br />
choice.<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
05
<strong>IoD</strong> News<br />
Membership cards dropped as<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> improves sustainability<br />
As part of the <strong>IoD</strong>’s environmental drive,<br />
we are delighted to announce that we<br />
have received the Planet Mark certificate<br />
to underline our efforts to promote<br />
sustainability and a low carbon agenda. The<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> remains determined to ensure climate<br />
change climbs the agendas of boardrooms<br />
across the country, and our work with<br />
Planet Mark is proof of this.<br />
One consequence is that we have<br />
decided to stop sending out <strong>IoD</strong><br />
membership cards and we are cutting down<br />
on other paper products.<br />
As part of our Planet Mark commitment<br />
we have reduced our absolute carbon<br />
reduction by 42.6 per cent, and the<br />
absolute carbon reduction per employee is<br />
22.5 per cent.<br />
For more details, see<br />
https://www.planetmark.com/member/iod/<br />
Membership inquiries<br />
Should you have any questions regarding your<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> membership or renewal then please contact<br />
your local Branch Manager in the first instance.<br />
In the East <strong>Midlands</strong>:<br />
Cait Murphy<br />
Branch Manager,<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> East <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
e: Cait.Murphy@iod.com<br />
t: 0115 678 1716<br />
In the West <strong>Midlands</strong>:<br />
Frances Fairclough<br />
Branch Manager,<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> West <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
e: Frances.Fairclough@iod.com<br />
t: 0121 281 5531<br />
Making a difference<br />
to the environment<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> is proud to launch its new Sustainable Business Hub. It brings<br />
together all the <strong>IoD</strong>’s sustainability related events, news, educational<br />
content and other initiatives occurring across our community into a single,<br />
easily searchable location.<br />
Check it out now at: https://www.iod.com/news/sustainable-business/<br />
Members’ magazine<br />
Tell us what’s happening in your world:<br />
we are always looking for interesting<br />
and relevant editorial for the magazine<br />
and online, so please speak to Frances<br />
Fairclough about any content you may<br />
have. There are also opportunities to<br />
advertise in this magazine. For more<br />
details speak to Colin Regan at Chamber<br />
Media Services (details on pg 3) and see<br />
how the <strong>IoD</strong> <strong>Midlands</strong> magazine can be<br />
part of your marketing plan.<br />
A London address for your<br />
business – without the rent!<br />
Do you need a central London office<br />
address but you don’t want to pay<br />
high rent for a physical space?<br />
Do you want help on mail and call<br />
handling? Then the <strong>IoD</strong> Virtual<br />
Office can offer you and your<br />
business all of that and so much<br />
more!<br />
Choosing to work with <strong>IoD</strong><br />
Virtual Office and registering your<br />
company in Pall Mall will raise the<br />
profile of your business and give it<br />
a much sought-after SW1 postcode<br />
and London phone number,<br />
positioning you right in the heart of<br />
the capital.<br />
You can tailor this address with<br />
other <strong>IoD</strong> support services, such as<br />
call handling and a hot desk facility<br />
available on a full or half-day basis.<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Virtual Office prices start<br />
from £90 plus VAT a month for<br />
members, while a dedicated<br />
London telephone number(s) with<br />
professional call handling from our<br />
London based <strong>IoD</strong> Virtual Office<br />
team starts from £75 plus VAT a<br />
month (members).<br />
Call 0207 451 3300 for details.<br />
06 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
<strong>IoD</strong> opens new members meeting spaces<br />
LINCOLN<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> is excited to be working with<br />
Lincoln College to offer drop-in workspace<br />
for members in the new Lincoln<br />
Business Centre.<br />
The centre is situated in the historic<br />
Gibney Building on Monks Road, Lincoln.<br />
Members can enjoy access to deskspace,<br />
bookable meeting rooms, free<br />
WiFi and a lounge area where members<br />
may meet with clients and customers.<br />
For virtual/hybrid meetings, VTC is<br />
available in the Business Centre’s large<br />
and small meeting rooms.<br />
The offer at present is for members to<br />
have access to the LBC for free up until<br />
July 22.<br />
Want to know more?<br />
For more details, contact <strong>IoD</strong> East<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong> branch manager Cait Murphy at<br />
Cait.Murphy@iod.com or 0115 678 1716.<br />
SHREWSBURY<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> members can now make use of the<br />
superb meeting facilities at The Pump<br />
House Knowledge Hub in Shrewsbury.<br />
The hub is a quiet and secure area for<br />
events, meetings or hot-desking right in<br />
the town centre. It backs onto the River<br />
Severn and has beautiful views from the<br />
conference room and the lobby.<br />
It’s situated just a five minute walk<br />
from Shrewsbury train station and there’s<br />
free on-street parking outside for two<br />
hours. Alternatively there are a number<br />
of local pay and display car parks close<br />
to the hub, including the Frankwell car<br />
park.<br />
The Knowledge Hub has a lobby/<br />
exhibition area with a range of soft<br />
seating and high tables as well as a<br />
discreet kitchen with self-service tea<br />
and coffee making facilities including a<br />
nespresso coffee machine.<br />
It also has a dedicated guest wifi<br />
network and plenty of electrical plugs for<br />
recharging devices.<br />
There is also a small conference room<br />
seating 25 people theatre-style for hire at<br />
a small charge, as well as three meeting<br />
rooms seating between 4-6 people.<br />
To use the meeting space, just fill in the<br />
online booking form at<br />
https://calendly.com/knowledgehub,<br />
making sure you book a time slot and<br />
mention your <strong>IoD</strong> membership in the<br />
comments. When you arrive at the front<br />
door just press the entry button for the<br />
Knowledge Hub, state your name and<br />
you will be directed to the Knowledge<br />
Hub. The full address is The Pump House,<br />
Coton Hill, Shrewsbury SY1 2DP.<br />
‘A place for entrepreneurs to meet’<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> members can also use the meeting spaces at:<br />
Nottingham: The Dryden Enterprise Centre (DEC)<br />
at Nottingham Trent University, where members<br />
can use the spacious lobby area and enjoy secure<br />
flexible desks, super-fast Wi-Fi and tea & coffee<br />
making facilities.<br />
Crowne Plaza, Nottingham: Members can use the<br />
spacious atrium, with the option to book private<br />
meeting rooms at a discounted cost. Save on refreshments<br />
by quoting your <strong>IoD</strong> membership number<br />
Click here for more details<br />
Birmingham: Grand Hotel, 1 Church Street (off<br />
Colmore Row) Birmingham B3 2BS<br />
Click here for more details<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
07
<strong>IoD</strong> News<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> survey finds 3-in-10 importers<br />
not ready for new border controls<br />
KryptoKloud<br />
are on a high<br />
It’s been a very trying time for many<br />
businesses over the last few years,<br />
which is even more reason to<br />
celebrate those that are reaping the<br />
rewards of their hard work.<br />
One such success story is IT<br />
consultancy and security expert<br />
KryptoKloud. Run by <strong>IoD</strong> members<br />
Paul and Allison Burrows,<br />
KryptoKloud will be launching its<br />
new Lincoln-based office early in the<br />
new year.<br />
Paul is an <strong>IoD</strong> Regional<br />
Ambassador, East <strong>Midlands</strong> for<br />
Cyber Security.<br />
We wish them continued success<br />
and our congratulations.<br />
On January 1, new customs arrangements<br />
were brought in on imports from the EU,<br />
but a survey before Christmas by the <strong>IoD</strong><br />
found that three-in-10 companies that<br />
import were not prepared for the new<br />
regulations.<br />
Companies will no longer be able to<br />
delay making import customs declarations<br />
for EU goods, and will instead have to<br />
make declarations and pay relevant tariffs<br />
at the point of import. Notice of imports of<br />
food, drink and products of animal origin<br />
will also be needed to be given in advance.<br />
However, in a poll of 600 <strong>IoD</strong> members<br />
conducted just weeks before the new<br />
arrangements came in, 30 per cent of<br />
relevant businesses described themselves<br />
as “not at all prepared” for these changes.<br />
Kitty Ussher, chief economist at the<br />
<strong>IoD</strong>, said the revelations were worrying:<br />
“Significant changes to our customs<br />
arrangements have been introduced, for<br />
which a large portion of businesses are<br />
either unprepared or simply unaware.<br />
“This will exacerbate existing supply<br />
chain problems, leading to further<br />
congestion at ports, as well as extra costs<br />
from accidental non-compliance for many<br />
businesses.<br />
“Government needs to ramp up an<br />
awareness and advertising campaign<br />
around these changes, simplifying the<br />
guidance, so that all importing businesses<br />
feel confident they know how to keep<br />
supplies flowing.”<br />
Only eight per cent of respondents said<br />
they were ‘very prepared’, and 19 per cent<br />
were ‘somewhat prepared.’<br />
Has the post-Brexit era ushered in a new<br />
relevance for the Commonwealth?<br />
See Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, page 26<br />
New route open<br />
to Australia<br />
The Department for International<br />
Trade says a new Free Trade<br />
Agreement with Australia will unlock<br />
£10.6 billion of additional trade – a 53<br />
per cent increase on current UK/AUS<br />
trade compared to today.<br />
It is expected to boost the UK<br />
economy by £2.3 billion and increase<br />
household wages by £900 million.<br />
It is also the first step in an<br />
expanded role for the UK in this<br />
fast-growing region alongside a<br />
UK-New Zealand Free Trade<br />
Agreement, with the ultimate aim of<br />
establishing closer ties with the 11<br />
countries in the Comprehensive and<br />
Progressive Agreement for Trans<br />
Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).<br />
The DIT has a number of web<br />
resources available for companies<br />
interested in finding out more about<br />
the agreement and how they could<br />
benefit, including a business friendly<br />
guide to some key benefits broken<br />
down by sector.<br />
There is also details on the new<br />
rules for agriculture, food,<br />
customs, data, mobility, rules of<br />
origin and sustainability and<br />
inclusion.<br />
See the Great.gov Australia Market<br />
page by CLICKING HERE<br />
Smoothing the way for supply<br />
chains and procurement<br />
Today’s supply chains are undergoing<br />
unprecedented changes and challenges.<br />
Nottingham Trent University is therefore<br />
offering a series of supply chain workshops<br />
starting in March <strong>2022</strong>, followed by<br />
company specific 1-2-1 consultancy.<br />
The programme is designed for senior<br />
management teams with responsibility for<br />
supply chain management and will be<br />
delivered by experienced, senior<br />
procurement specialists from the<br />
internationally renowned Nottingham<br />
Business School.<br />
They will critically assess how<br />
procurement can support the delivery of<br />
business strategy, with a focus on how the<br />
supply chain can add value and at the<br />
same time manage risks, and protecting<br />
the business from disruption.<br />
The consultancy is supported by a<br />
proven diagnostic and tool kit that helps<br />
develop systems and processes to support<br />
decision making and business growth.<br />
The core benefits of strengthening<br />
supply chain management include reduced<br />
costs, improve quality control, increase<br />
speed and flexibility, and risk mitigation.<br />
What it entails:<br />
n Three x 2 hr strategic procurement<br />
workshops<br />
n Approx. 30 hours of consultancy support<br />
n A grant to fund 20 per cent of a salary<br />
for a graduate level role<br />
n A procurement maturity self-assessment.<br />
This offer is available at no cost to<br />
eligible SMEs in Nottinghamshire and<br />
Derbyshire.<br />
Express your interest today – places are<br />
limited!<br />
Contact: dave.shipley@ntu.ac.uk or on<br />
0115 9848 for more information, or see the<br />
Productivity Through Innovation webpage<br />
by clicking HERE.<br />
To find out more, see the Nottingham Trent University Productivity Through<br />
Innovation website - CLICK HERE<br />
08 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
News<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong><br />
Helping you Connect, Develop and Influence<br />
Did you know as a full <strong>IoD</strong> member* you get...<br />
Free business<br />
advice,<br />
research and<br />
information<br />
25 enquiries to the<br />
Business<br />
Information<br />
Service<br />
Four sessions with<br />
our business<br />
advisers<br />
25 calls to our legal<br />
helpline and 25 calls to<br />
our tax helpline<br />
BUSINESS INFORMATION<br />
As an <strong>IoD</strong> member, you have access to top professional<br />
researchers through the <strong>IoD</strong> Business Information service.<br />
They can provide you with valuable information on topics<br />
ranging from market forecasts and industry trends to trading<br />
abroad and employee salaries.<br />
Key details<br />
1. Free and exclusive service to you as an <strong>IoD</strong> member<br />
2. Accessible from all over the world by email or phone<br />
3. Up to 25 enquiries* per calendar year with 30 minutes of<br />
research time on each occasion<br />
4. Bespoke answers within 24 hours or soon thereafter<br />
during exceptionally busy periods<br />
*According to your membership package<br />
DIRECTORS’ ADVICE<br />
No matter how well connected you are, sometimes you need<br />
independent and confidential business advice from a specialist.<br />
The Directors’ Advisory Service provides <strong>IoD</strong> members<br />
with just that, free of charge. Our expert advice covers issues<br />
from raising finance to board appointments and shareholder<br />
disputes.<br />
Key details<br />
1. Exclusive to <strong>IoD</strong> members<br />
2. Free, independent & confidential advice on a vast range of<br />
issues<br />
3. Advice is given by appointment either in a face-to-face<br />
consultation at 116 Pall Mall or over the telephone, depending<br />
on adviser availability<br />
4. Up to four appointments per calendar year, 30-45 minutes<br />
each.<br />
Find out more at www.iod.com/services/information-and-advice<br />
* Full Members have full access to <strong>IoD</strong> Business Information and Advice services. Associate members have access to our digital<br />
business library, guides and archive of research and reports only.<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Members’ Professional Benefits Programme<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> has a host of carefully chosen,<br />
specially negotiated discounts on key<br />
services for <strong>IoD</strong> members<br />
Professional Indemnity Insurance<br />
Ensure you are protected against<br />
claims from unhappy clients.<br />
Office Insurance<br />
Save five per cent on policies covering<br />
you against damage on your business<br />
premises, such as through flooding or<br />
fire.<br />
Cyber and Data Risks Insurance<br />
Save five per cent on policies<br />
protecting you against data breaches,<br />
viruses and other attacks from hackers.<br />
Personal Private Health Insurance<br />
10 per cent discount on Bupa By You<br />
health insurance<br />
Car and Van Hire<br />
Save 10 per cent on global car hire<br />
and get free membership of Hertz’s<br />
VIP membership scheme, the Gold Plus<br />
Rewards Five Star<br />
Home and Contents Insurance<br />
Save 12.5 per cent for life of our policy.<br />
Private Client Insurance<br />
If you have a high-value home and /<br />
or contents, this <strong>IoD</strong> offer can save up to<br />
five per cent on bespoke insurance cover<br />
in the first year.<br />
International Payments<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong>’s International Payments<br />
Service, provided by WorldFirst, has now<br />
expired. Call the <strong>IoD</strong> membership team<br />
on 020 7766 8866.<br />
Business Sales, Acquisitions and<br />
Strategy Services<br />
Whether you are buying or selling<br />
a business, careful preparation and<br />
expertise is critical to success. Find out<br />
how the <strong>IoD</strong> can help.<br />
To access all of these discounts and<br />
services, click the link below.<br />
https://www.iod.com/services/<br />
iod-professional-benefits-programme<br />
10 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
Mastermind: the perfect environment<br />
for director development<br />
What are <strong>IoD</strong> Mastermind Groups?<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong>’s Mastermind groups are<br />
unique sessions that give directors and<br />
senior business leaders the chance to<br />
discuss the key issues and challenges<br />
they face in an open, constructive and<br />
confidential environment.<br />
They are a combination of brainstorming,<br />
education, peer accountability<br />
and support, a unique advisory panel of<br />
trusted, experienced businesspeople you<br />
can bounce ideas off.<br />
For many members, these meetings<br />
can act as a surrogate board meeting,<br />
particularly for those who run their own<br />
business or who are part of an SME<br />
without non-executives sitting with them<br />
on their boards.<br />
Each group is made up of directors<br />
from non-competing industries,<br />
combining SMEs and larger businesses.<br />
Topics have varied from employee<br />
relations, directors’ duties, hot topics in<br />
business, whether to expand the<br />
company, and work-life balance. Topics<br />
for meetings are often tied to <strong>IoD</strong> CPD<br />
topics that are being run at the time.<br />
How can you join?<br />
You have to be a member of the <strong>IoD</strong>!<br />
To ensure that members can have candid<br />
conversations, these groups are made up<br />
of non-competing industries and every<br />
meeting is under Chatham House rules.<br />
If you are interested in joining<br />
a local group, please contact<br />
joshua.whitehead@iod.com.<br />
East <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
In the East <strong>Midlands</strong> region, we<br />
currently have three Mastermind<br />
groups – Leicester, Nottingham and<br />
Lincoln. At present all are run via<br />
Zoom but we hope to return to<br />
face-to-face sessions very soon.<br />
The Leicester Mastermind group is<br />
facilitated by John Tucker. It is held on<br />
the third Tuesday of every month.<br />
Potential members are sent to the<br />
group facilitator, who makes sure we<br />
build groups that don’t have members<br />
from the same disciplines/sectors.<br />
How do they work?<br />
Masterminds are currently held via<br />
Zoom but this will change to in-person<br />
events in the future. The dates/times are<br />
set by the facilitator and group and can<br />
be held as frequently as you wish, but is<br />
usually once a month.<br />
When life is back to normal,<br />
Masterminds will revert to taking place<br />
in hubs situated where each branch is.<br />
Discussions are held over a two-course<br />
meal, and usually a glass of wine, but<br />
The Nottingham group is facilitated<br />
by Clive Bridge and Lindsey Newman-<br />
Wood .<br />
The Lincoln Mastermind group is<br />
facilitated by John Hebblethwaite. It is<br />
hoped that venues will be confirmed<br />
as soon as possible.<br />
If you wish to be a part of an East<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong> Mastermind group, please<br />
send a short biography to<br />
Joshua.whitehead@iod.com.<br />
this can be dependent on the group’s<br />
requirements.<br />
Are there any rules?<br />
We ask that when attending<br />
Masterminds, you don’t use it as a sales<br />
pitch. We want members attending each<br />
group to be genuine and want to help<br />
with/discuss business queries that they<br />
or members of the group might have.<br />
We also ask that members, where<br />
possible, are consistent with attending<br />
these meetings, as it helps the group<br />
build a solid foundation with each other.<br />
Mastermind Groups will re-start in<br />
February. To register your interest,<br />
contact the <strong>IoD</strong> regional team.<br />
FORTHCOMING EVENTS<br />
LINCOLN<br />
Date: January 18, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Time: 4-6pm<br />
Location: Online<br />
Price: Free<br />
NOTTINGHAM<br />
Date: January 19, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Time: 6-8pmpm<br />
Location: Online<br />
Price: Free<br />
Event manager: Joshua Whitehead<br />
e: Joshua.Whitehead@iod.com<br />
For more details, contact Joshua Whitehead<br />
on 0115 848 6190<br />
or via joshua.whitehead@iod.com<br />
Mastermind rules:<br />
To join a Mastermind Group in the East <strong>Midlands</strong>, we request<br />
that you send us a short biography so we can ensure no<br />
competing organisations are represented on any group.<br />
All groups in East <strong>Midlands</strong> and West <strong>Midlands</strong> are strictly<br />
member only, and we always aim for as broad a cross-section<br />
of business sectors/disciplines as possible.<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
11
Director of the Year Awards<br />
West <strong>Midlands</strong>...<br />
from left, winners<br />
from the region:<br />
From left to right<br />
Steph Allen and<br />
Emma Collins (both<br />
representing Dale<br />
Parmenter, DRP<br />
Group), Adam<br />
Kiani, <strong>IoD</strong> West<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong> chair Inez<br />
Brown, Professor<br />
Paul Cadman,<br />
Shameem Kazmi,<br />
Andrew Thompson<br />
and Marisa Firkins<br />
From the East<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong>, (from<br />
left) Sue Liburd,<br />
Bushra Ali, Ashish<br />
Kumar, Matthew<br />
Bacon, <strong>IoD</strong> East<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong> Chair<br />
Gary Headland and<br />
Kerrin Wilson<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong> directors rewarded for<br />
excellence in the face of adversity<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> East <strong>Midlands</strong> and <strong>IoD</strong> West<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong> turned a hugely deserving<br />
spotlight on the region’s business<br />
leaders as they revealed the winners of<br />
the 2021 Director of the Year Awards at<br />
a special joint event in November.<br />
Held in two locations before a live<br />
audience of invited awards finalists and<br />
their guests, and watched online by<br />
hundreds of <strong>IoD</strong> members across the<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong>, the awards celebrated the<br />
achievements of those business leaders<br />
who had risen to the fierce challenges<br />
laid down by the pandemic.<br />
While many businesses have<br />
understandably struggled during<br />
the pandemic, our finalists had not<br />
only helped their businesses and<br />
organisations keep going over the past<br />
20 months, many had thrived despite<br />
the challenges lockdowns had created.<br />
The agility, resilience and creativity on<br />
display was extraordinary, judges said,<br />
as nominations highlighted the way<br />
directors had reassessed the needs of<br />
customers, clients and employees and<br />
realigned their delivery to match the<br />
challenging times we were living in.<br />
Examples highlighted by the judges<br />
included a personal training company<br />
forced to stop face-to-face physical<br />
sessions in favour of online courses;<br />
a creative agency that took its clients<br />
under its wing and helped them embrace<br />
Teams and Zoom as a meetings space;<br />
and Third Sector bodies who saw<br />
traditional income streams and fund<br />
raising stopped – but they stepped<br />
“The agility, resilience and<br />
creativity of entries was<br />
extraordinary and fully<br />
merited the plaudits...”<br />
up their support regardless as they<br />
recognised that it was needed more than<br />
ever.<br />
As <strong>IoD</strong> East <strong>Midlands</strong> Chair Gary<br />
Headland said during his opening<br />
address: “Reading through the finalists’<br />
entries has been hugely inspiring and<br />
underlines once again the excellence<br />
alive today within the region’s business<br />
community.”<br />
He was joined in co-hosting the<br />
award’s film by <strong>IoD</strong> Greater Birmingham<br />
chair Andy Wilkinson.<br />
The event was filmed at the DRP<br />
Group’s state-of-the-art production<br />
facility in Worcester, with <strong>IoD</strong> finalists<br />
and guests gathered in the Grand Hotel,<br />
Birmingham and the National Space<br />
Centre in Leicester to watch proceedings<br />
via a live feed.<br />
Over the next few pages we highlight<br />
our winners, including judges’ comments<br />
as to why they won or were Highly<br />
Commended. We also applaud those<br />
finalists who did not win on the night but<br />
whose performance still deserves huge<br />
praise.<br />
12 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
YOUNG DIRECTOR<br />
Adam Kiani, PT Academy<br />
Adam epitomises the next generation of<br />
business leaders. He led from the front<br />
when the pandemic demanded a complete<br />
change of service delivery for his business, PT<br />
Academy, a specialist in fitness and personal<br />
training courses. With that impossible,<br />
Adam identified online learning as the most<br />
practical replacement, adding 80 additional<br />
qualifications to PT’s portfolio.<br />
AWARD SPONSOR<br />
AGILITY & RESILIENCE<br />
Marisa Firkins, Safety Forward Ltd<br />
The agility and resilience many business leaders<br />
were forced to demonstrate during the pandemic<br />
were typified by Marisa’s response. She undertook<br />
a full review of her business’s values and culture,<br />
building a case for a new wellbeing service. A<br />
desire to be flexible and ethical with respect to the<br />
needs of clients during the crisis highlighted how<br />
the business’s slogan of ‘Putting People First’ was<br />
more than just empty words.<br />
AWARD SPONSOR<br />
Adam with <strong>IoD</strong><br />
West <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
Chair Inez Brown<br />
Finalists<br />
Natalie Allen, NS Property Solvers<br />
Finalist in the Young Director category<br />
Natalie was praised as<br />
an innovator in the<br />
property sector with a<br />
determination to create<br />
a stress-free way for<br />
tenants to access<br />
high-quality homes.<br />
Anita Baldwin & Anna Geary,<br />
Get Savvy Club<br />
Finalists in the Start-Up category<br />
Anita and Anna take<br />
business owners/<br />
entrepreneurs from<br />
‘struggling’ to ‘sold out’<br />
by offering engaging<br />
online programmes<br />
that connect business<br />
people.<br />
Matt Carson, East <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
Cyber Resilience Centre<br />
Finalist in the Public Sector category<br />
Matt has developed a<br />
range of crucial cyber<br />
resilience services that<br />
are delivered in a direct,<br />
uncomplicated manner<br />
despite the complexity<br />
of the issues involved.<br />
START-UP<br />
Matthew Bacon, TCC-CASEMIX<br />
Dr Bacon’s mission for this fledgling business is to<br />
transform surgical services – long mired in poor<br />
productivity – through a focus on technology.<br />
Despite the pandemic he brought through a<br />
number of major innovations that embody the<br />
latest in interoperability standards. These included<br />
a surgical data acquisition process that allows<br />
any team connected to the surgical pathway to<br />
view real-time progress – something critical to<br />
the management of patient flow and healthcare<br />
productivity, and a vital move considering the<br />
pressures the health service is currently under.<br />
AWARD SPONSOR<br />
Matthew Chesney, BACKLIT<br />
Finalist in the Equality, Diversity &<br />
Inclusion category<br />
Matthew makes the<br />
creative case for<br />
diversity at every<br />
board meeting as<br />
part of Backlit’s<br />
ongoing commitment<br />
to represent diverse<br />
emergent artists.<br />
Karen Cureton,<br />
Cureton Consulting<br />
Finalist in the Innovation category<br />
Karen provides exciting<br />
ways for businesses<br />
to use social media<br />
to promote products<br />
and services, including<br />
profile reviews and<br />
training webinars.<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
13
Director of the Year Awards<br />
Finalists<br />
Justin Done, Autistic Nottingham<br />
Finalist in the Third Sector category<br />
Justin’s passion to help<br />
autistic adults without<br />
learning disabilities<br />
shines through in his<br />
work for this autismspecific<br />
advocacy<br />
service.<br />
Toby Ealden, Zest Theatre<br />
Finalist in the Agility & Resilience<br />
category<br />
Toby had to re-orientate<br />
Zest as soon as the<br />
pandemic suspended<br />
live performances,<br />
keeping his staff at the<br />
heart of its work while<br />
ensuring stakeholders’<br />
voices were heard.<br />
Sarah Louise Fairburn,<br />
Greater Lincolnshire LEP<br />
Finalist in the Non-Executive Director<br />
category<br />
Sarah has led a re-brand<br />
and transformation of<br />
the LEP’s strategy<br />
around stakeholder<br />
engagement, ensuring it<br />
remains engaged with the<br />
community it serves.<br />
John Fennell, Rotherwood Group<br />
Finalist in the Agility & Resilience<br />
category<br />
John’s quick decisionmaking<br />
ensured staff<br />
and residents at his<br />
group’s care homes<br />
were cared for as the<br />
pandemic struck this<br />
sector particulary hard.<br />
Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan,<br />
Zinthiya Trust<br />
Finalist in the Third Sector category<br />
This charity continued<br />
supporting the<br />
survivors of domestic<br />
abuse and those living<br />
in poverty throughout<br />
the pandemic – at a<br />
time when calls to its<br />
hotline increased by 70 per cent.<br />
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
Dale Parmenter, DRP Group<br />
Not content with building the DRP Group into<br />
one of the UK’s leading creative communications<br />
agencies, Dale has ensured its success has been<br />
built on a record of sustainability and protection<br />
of the environment. A recent audit of its<br />
Sustainability Management System demonstrated<br />
that it far exceeded the requirements of the ISO<br />
14001 and ISO 20121 standards for environmental<br />
management.<br />
HIGHLY COMMENDED<br />
Lee Marshall, Viridis Building Services Ltd<br />
Lee’s passion for the environment led to him setting<br />
up Viridis in 2012, with the purpose of bringing a<br />
unique mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineering<br />
perspective to the table based on environmentally<br />
friendly solutions while maximising the benefits from<br />
renewable processes.<br />
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY<br />
& INCLUSION<br />
Sue Liburd, Abstract UK<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> has taken a strong stance on promoting a<br />
positive EDI agenda, and Sue’s work at Abstract<br />
UK epitomises this, empowering organisations to<br />
embrace diversity and harness the full potential of<br />
all their people. Abstract is in a powerful position<br />
to influence others on EDI issues, and Sue has<br />
leveraged her diverse network to get executive<br />
teams thinking differently around how they can<br />
ensure they are truly inclusive. Sue has set a<br />
benchmark against which other organisations can<br />
set their own EDI policies.<br />
PUBLIC SECTOR<br />
Asst Chief Constable Kerrin Wilson<br />
Lincolnshire Police<br />
Assistant Chief Constable Kerrin Wilson has<br />
specific responsibility for all matters operational<br />
and is key to the effective and efficient delivery<br />
of policing across Lincolnshire. As the strategic<br />
commander leading the Force’s response to<br />
policing the pandemic, ACC Wilson used multiple<br />
platforms to engage with both the public and staff<br />
alike in a transparent and ethical way. It was a<br />
response hailed by stakeholders as an exemplar of<br />
policing during the pandemic.<br />
AWARD SPONSOR<br />
AWARD SPONSOR<br />
Steph Allen<br />
accepted<br />
the award on<br />
behalf of Dale<br />
Parmenter<br />
AWARD<br />
SPONSOR<br />
14 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
CORPORATE SOCIAL<br />
RESPONSIBILITY<br />
Bushra Ali, Bushra Ali Solicitors<br />
The pandemic has underlined the need for<br />
all businesses to consider their places in the<br />
communities they serve. Bushra has totally<br />
reviewed business operations and working<br />
practices, introducing new policies based around<br />
diversity, equality and inclusion, team health and<br />
wellbeing and client services to match the times<br />
we are living in.<br />
Dale Parmenter, DRP Group<br />
Dale has demonstrated that the smooth running of<br />
a successful, growing business can be compatible<br />
with iron-clad guarantees around corporate social<br />
responsibility. Throughout the last 20 months Dale<br />
has ensured the DRP Group played its part both<br />
within its community and by helping its workforce<br />
come to terms with the pandemic’s impact.<br />
He sees business as having a role to play as a<br />
‘corporate citizen’ that works with society.<br />
HIGHLY COMMENDED<br />
Emma Hallam, Alex’s Wish<br />
Running a charity during a lockdown when fundraising is nigh-on<br />
impossible would daunt many, but not Emma, whose positivity<br />
and creativity saw her create new online ways of communicating<br />
and connecting with supporters as they strived to find a cure to<br />
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a muscle-wasting disease.<br />
AWARD SPONSOR<br />
Emma Collins<br />
accepted<br />
the award on<br />
behalf of Dale<br />
Finalists<br />
Stephen Goddard &<br />
Philip Brooks-Stephenson,<br />
KuKu Global Ltd t/a Connect<br />
Finalists in the Innovation category<br />
Stephen (right) and Philip<br />
have built an awardwinning<br />
networking<br />
organisation which<br />
develops new ways to<br />
connect members and add<br />
value to their businesses.<br />
Stacey Green, Freedom<br />
Foundation CIC<br />
Finalist in the Equality, Diversity<br />
& Inclusion category<br />
Stacey delivers creative<br />
programmes which<br />
introduce children and<br />
young people to the<br />
performing arts as a<br />
way of increasing their<br />
self-esteem, resilience<br />
and confidence.<br />
Louise Hackford-Gentle,<br />
Autistic Nottingham<br />
Finalist in the Third Sector category<br />
Louise has proved an<br />
inspirational COO of<br />
Autistic Nottingham,<br />
growing funding streams<br />
and identifying new<br />
ways to advocate for<br />
autistic adults without<br />
intellectual disabilities.<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
15
Director of the Year Awards<br />
Finalists<br />
Sam Hallett, Enable Life &<br />
Enable Your Future Ltd<br />
Finalist in the Agility & Resilience and<br />
Innovation categories<br />
Sam has built Enable<br />
Life into a highly<br />
regarded Life & Health<br />
insurance broker which<br />
specialises in Business<br />
Protection by delivering<br />
outstanding customer<br />
service based on a<br />
genuine desire to offer clients a<br />
solution to meet their needs.<br />
Rachel Hayward,<br />
Derby Swap Shop Ltd<br />
Finalist in the Agility & Resilience<br />
category<br />
Rachel has created an<br />
interactive free-to-use<br />
platform on which<br />
small businesses and<br />
charities seeking<br />
support can swap<br />
skills, talents,<br />
products and services.<br />
Daniel James,<br />
Hickman James Ltd<br />
Finalist in the SME category<br />
Daniel’s attention to detail and<br />
service standards have helped<br />
Hickman James Ltd be recognised<br />
as a leader in the highly competitive<br />
printing industry.<br />
Ian McKellar, Quantum Meruit<br />
Credit Management Ltd<br />
Finalist in the Start-Up category<br />
Ian’s repositioning of<br />
the business, using<br />
automated processes<br />
to minimise the risk of<br />
invoices becoming<br />
overdue, has been a<br />
masterstroke, giving<br />
clients more control over finances.<br />
Matthew McKeown, Lincolnshire<br />
and Rutland EBP<br />
Finalist in the Innovation category<br />
Matthew is proud to help<br />
this social enterprise<br />
support young people as<br />
they transition to the<br />
workplace; his innovative<br />
use of Virtual Reality<br />
proved a winner when<br />
work experience projects were hit by<br />
Covid.<br />
SME DIRECTOR<br />
Alex Roberts, Forest Holidays<br />
Alex has challenged a previous lack of innovation<br />
and an ineffective brand with a bold new strategy.<br />
He has promoted a clear, unifying vision to evolve<br />
Forest Holidays into a purpose-led organisation<br />
that puts technology, brand and ecommerce at<br />
the heart of its operations and will confirm its<br />
position as a leader in the travel sector.<br />
AWARD SPONSOR<br />
NON-EXECUTIVE<br />
DIRECTOR<br />
Shameem Kazmi,<br />
Birmingham County FA<br />
Shameem has helped transform the FA’s business<br />
strategy. His external experience has helped identify<br />
new opportunities while ensuring the organisation’s<br />
finances and structures were protected throughout<br />
Covid-19. He promoted new ways of working to<br />
simplify the business, reducing costs and responding<br />
with agility, despite cuts to funding.<br />
HIGHLY COMMENDED<br />
Philip Brooks-Stephenson, BACKLIT<br />
Philip’s visionary thinking has helped BACKLIT remain focused on its<br />
core mission and values while promoting diverse emergent artists.<br />
In addition, Philip has continued to prioritise sound financial and<br />
corporate governance.<br />
AWARD SPONSOR<br />
THIRD SECTOR<br />
Andrew Thompson,<br />
Groundwork West <strong>Midlands</strong> (GWWM)<br />
When Andrew joined GWWM, project delivery<br />
was disjointed, there was no clear plan, financial<br />
reporting systems were poor and it was suffering<br />
badly from ‘mission drift’. In addition, departments<br />
were fragmented and staff lacked confidence to<br />
pursue ambitious projects. Andrew tackled each of<br />
these issues head on, establishing a Reset Model<br />
to allow GWWM to develop, grow and play a<br />
relevant and vital part in the lives of the residents<br />
of the West <strong>Midlands</strong>.<br />
AWARD SPONSOR<br />
16 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
FAMILY BUSINESS<br />
Ashish Kumar, Web Alliance Ltd<br />
The role of family-led businesses is often<br />
overlooked, but their contribution is immense.<br />
Ashish has built up the Web Alliance as a family<br />
concern with a difference: not only does it<br />
involve his extended family, but all his workers<br />
in the UK and India are regarded as family,<br />
too. Annual time out of the office sessions<br />
bring the workforce together, while Ashish<br />
runs this innovative IT consultancy with a true<br />
compassion and empathy for others, where all<br />
voices are heard.<br />
HIGHLY COMMENDED<br />
Julie Jordan-Spence, Jordan Motors Ltd<br />
Julie continues to evolve this family firm with a focus on<br />
motoring, from a bodywork specialist to a Kia dealership<br />
and now into its current iteration, a motor servicing, repairs<br />
and diagnostics business with a Practical Car and Van Rental<br />
franchise. Never afraid of change, Julie is now bringing in a new<br />
focus on electric vehicles.<br />
AWARD SPONSOR<br />
Finalists<br />
Michael Osborne,<br />
Focal Business Group Ltd<br />
Finalist in the SME category<br />
Michael has brought<br />
together a team which<br />
delivers insight rather<br />
than hindsight as they<br />
deliver financial and<br />
advisory solutions to<br />
SMEs in an innovative<br />
and service-centric manner.<br />
Maria Peggs, Vispera Ltd<br />
Finalist in the Agility & Resilience category<br />
Maria’s exceptional<br />
support results in<br />
business and individual<br />
growth for her clients.<br />
An emergency strategy<br />
to diversify during the<br />
pandemic resulted in a<br />
new focus on public sector contracts.<br />
Mark Robinson & Andy Rudkin,<br />
Creative62<br />
Finalists in the Agility & Resilience and<br />
SME categories category<br />
Mark (right) and Andy<br />
guided clients as they<br />
looked for new ways to<br />
communicate during<br />
lockdown, offering<br />
support with a light<br />
touch that emphasised<br />
their focus on lasting relationships.<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
17
News<br />
Finalists<br />
Kamran Saleem, MotorServUK<br />
Finalist in the SME category<br />
Kamran plans the<br />
strategic direction of<br />
the business, working<br />
off KPI and real<br />
world data to drive<br />
exceptional customer<br />
service.<br />
Jane Sommerville,<br />
Bowers & Jones Ltd<br />
Finalist in the Agility & Resilience<br />
and SME categories<br />
Jane has established the<br />
long-term vision at Bowers<br />
and Jones, with a focus on<br />
service quality – and<br />
‘Keeping Mills Rolling’.<br />
INNOVATION<br />
Matthew Bacon, TCC-CASEMIX<br />
Matthew has built a truly innovative start-up at<br />
TCC-CASEMIX, which was why he was a deserved<br />
winner in two of our categories. TCC-CASEMIX<br />
brings to market a transformational new capability<br />
in the delivery of elective surgical care. At a time<br />
of desperately long surgical waiting lists, this<br />
capability could not be more timely and is set to<br />
transform the healthcare sector.<br />
HIGHLY COMMENDED<br />
Tom Marsden, Lincoln College Group<br />
Tom has applied critical strategic thinking to the College’s group<br />
plan. This has involved looking at where education and training will<br />
be focused over the next five years, examining the HE Apprenticeship<br />
offer and asking how the group might develop it.<br />
AWARD SPONSOR<br />
Dan Thombs, Bystronic UK<br />
Finalist in the SME category<br />
Dan has modernised<br />
and revitalised the<br />
Bystronic Group.<br />
Ambitious targets to<br />
grow the organisation<br />
by 20% in 2021 financial<br />
year and another 20%<br />
by 2025 are part of a three-year<br />
turnaround plan.<br />
Barry Tong, Stephensons Online<br />
Finalist in the SME category<br />
Under Barry’s visionary<br />
leadership Stephensons<br />
Online Ltd has grown<br />
from a bedroom business<br />
launched with £10<br />
of assets into one of<br />
Amazon’s biggest health<br />
and beauty sellers.<br />
Joe Verde, PSP IT Design and<br />
Development Academy<br />
Finalist in the SME category<br />
Joe’s commercial and<br />
business awareness is a<br />
key quality; he seeks<br />
out trends and is<br />
always thinking ahead,<br />
looking for new profitenhancing<br />
strategies.<br />
CHAIR’S AWARDS:<br />
EAST MIDLANDS<br />
Asst Chief Constable<br />
Kerrin Wilson,<br />
Lincolnshire Police<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> East <strong>Midlands</strong> Chair Gary Headland<br />
said: “I have the pleasure of coming<br />
into contact with many outstanding<br />
directors and leaders as I perform my<br />
duties as <strong>IoD</strong> Chair, but few have<br />
impressed me as much over the past<br />
20 months as ACC Kerrin Wilson. She<br />
has led her police force through an<br />
incredibly difficult time but has done<br />
so with a calm assurance that has<br />
bred confidence within the public.<br />
“That the people of Lincolnshire have<br />
trusted their police’s handling of the<br />
pandemic and its many rules is<br />
testimony to Kerrin’s leadership.”<br />
WEST MIDLANDS<br />
Professor Paul Cadman<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Chair Inez Brown writes:<br />
“Professor Paul Cadman is a longstanding<br />
member of the <strong>IoD</strong> and<br />
a true advocate of its goals and<br />
values. He has had a huge impact<br />
on a number of executive teams and<br />
boards, particularly in education but<br />
also within the private sector.<br />
“He is a true champion for West<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong> business and a man with a<br />
passion to deliver lasting and effective<br />
change.”<br />
AWARDS SPONSOR<br />
18 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
Finalists and guests at the awards event at The Grand Hotel, Birmingham<br />
Finalists<br />
Naomi Watkins-Ligudzinska,<br />
NW Counselling Hub CIC<br />
Finalist in the Agility & Resilience<br />
category<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> West <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
Chair Inez Brown<br />
Naomi’s creativity has<br />
allowed NWCH to<br />
continue expanding<br />
services. She showed<br />
decisive leadership<br />
during the pandemic,<br />
keeping her cool while<br />
managing stakeholder relationships.<br />
Lee Wilcox, Electric House<br />
Finalist in the SME category<br />
Lee has created an<br />
organisation that is<br />
able to offer its clients<br />
unique access to online<br />
communities alongside<br />
social media and<br />
marketing services.<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> West <strong>Midlands</strong>: Pam Kaur,<br />
Anna Hicks and Fran Fairclough<br />
Danny Wilson,<br />
Thermaright Hire Solutions<br />
Finalist in the Start-Up category<br />
Danny strives to<br />
innovate by offering<br />
the latest technologies<br />
and cutting-edge<br />
temperature control<br />
solutions not generally<br />
thought of as “hired”<br />
products, driving the industry<br />
forward as he looks to redefine what<br />
technical equipment hiring means in<br />
the modern world.<br />
Awards night:<br />
Finalists await the results<br />
at the East <strong>Midlands</strong> event,<br />
hosted by the National<br />
Space Centre, Leicester<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
19
Spotlight: The race to Net Zero<br />
COP26, the Climate Change Summit in Glasgow held in November 2021, showed the world that<br />
more progress was needed now in the race to reduce carbon emissions and improve<br />
sustainability, particularly in business. Over the next four pages we will look at how you can<br />
improve your environmental performance, without impacting on business outcomes<br />
THE RACE TO NET ZERO:<br />
sprint, marathon and steeplechase<br />
Andrew Thompson,<br />
Chief Executive Officer, Groundwork<br />
West <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
I’m delighted to be able<br />
to tell you that<br />
Groundwork has a<br />
carbon footprint of<br />
2,143 tonnes of carbon<br />
dioxide equivalent.<br />
Of course, I’m not<br />
delighted that we’re<br />
responsible for pushing more than 2,000<br />
tonnes of CO 2<br />
into the atmosphere every<br />
year – that’s the equivalent of flying to<br />
Australia and back nearly 400 times.<br />
However, I am genuinely pleased that<br />
we’ve got a proper and robust baseline<br />
against which we can measure our<br />
progress towards achieving net zero<br />
emissions. We have a goal of getting<br />
there by 2030.<br />
What’s more, this is a figure for the<br />
whole Groundwork Federation – 15<br />
separate charities employing more than<br />
1,100 staff and responsible for a range of<br />
assets and premises including offices,<br />
education centres, museums, community<br />
centres and sports facilities. Groundwork<br />
West <strong>Midlands</strong> actually accounts for 140<br />
of those tonnes – a much more<br />
manageable figure.<br />
Getting consistent data to produce a<br />
single measure and then getting all the<br />
leaders in our federation to make a<br />
collective commitment to a collaborative<br />
action plan has been a significant<br />
undertaking.<br />
But it presents as many questions as it<br />
answers. The most obvious is how do we<br />
achieve our goal now that we know our<br />
starting point? To a degree this is the<br />
most straightforward to answer. Each<br />
part of our federation has a bespoke<br />
analysis of the source of their emissions<br />
– including any data gaps – which should<br />
inform the production of an action plan.<br />
Bringing together leads in each<br />
organisation to work through issues as a<br />
virtual team shares learning and spreads<br />
innovation, while a commitment to<br />
annual reporting – overseen by our<br />
Federation Board and built into our<br />
collective membership agreement and<br />
quality standards – gives us a sound<br />
‘‘<br />
Getting consistent data to produce a single measure<br />
of our carbon footprint and then getting all the<br />
leaders in our federation to make a collective<br />
commitment to a collaborative action plan has been a<br />
significant undertaking....<br />
Operating across the West <strong>Midlands</strong>,<br />
including, Birmingham, Stoke on<br />
Trent, the Black Country and Coventry,<br />
Groundwork West <strong>Midlands</strong> maintains a<br />
holistic approach, working on hundreds<br />
of individual projects each year across<br />
the West <strong>Midlands</strong>, focusing its activity<br />
on communities where it can make<br />
a difference and create projects and<br />
services that benefit both people and<br />
the wider environment.<br />
governance framework. Approaching<br />
this as a collective also gives us the<br />
chance to operate an internal carbon<br />
market – achieving net zero overall while<br />
recognising that in some places it may<br />
take longer to make the necessary<br />
changes.<br />
As an organisation committed to<br />
driving social and environmental change,<br />
our staff teams are naturally supportive<br />
of the process, and we have significant<br />
expertise within our ranks to know what<br />
we need to do. Incidentally, that’s a<br />
service that we can also provide to other<br />
charities and businesses through our<br />
20 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
‘‘ And what happens when we identify a piece of work<br />
which may be bang-on in terms of our social mission<br />
and highly beneficial for those involved but will blow<br />
a big hole in our carbon budget? Getting us over all<br />
of these issues and hurdles will require open, honest<br />
and mature discussion ...<br />
Find out more<br />
at the <strong>IoD</strong><br />
Sustainable<br />
Business Hub<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> Sustainable Business Hub<br />
brings together sustainability related<br />
events, news, educational content<br />
and other initiatives occurring across<br />
the <strong>IoD</strong> community into a single,<br />
easily searchable location.<br />
Sustainable Business Consultants/<br />
Sustainability Goals.<br />
See groundworksbs.org.uk for more<br />
details.<br />
So far so good, but there are big<br />
challenges ahead. The first is about what<br />
we measure. To establish our baseline,<br />
we’ve adopted a standard methodology,<br />
capturing direct and indirect emissions<br />
relating to our own people, processes<br />
and premises. Understanding the carbon<br />
embedded in some of the programmes<br />
and partnerships through which we<br />
operate is currently beyond us. Neither<br />
have we delved into our digital footprint,<br />
the upshot being that we could claim to<br />
be net zero one day, but as soon as we<br />
extend the scope of our methodology<br />
we need to start the journey again.<br />
While challenging this is probably no<br />
bad thing as it will keep pushing and<br />
stretching us.<br />
Another area of challenge will be our<br />
financial arrangements. We’re lucky<br />
enough to have some cash held in<br />
investments, and we’re thinking hard<br />
about how we ensure that is managed in<br />
line with our net zero goals, but we’ve<br />
also been asked the question about<br />
pension funds. At this point we are<br />
entering into the more complex territory<br />
of influencing our staff team’s personal<br />
financial choices.<br />
And how about the company we keep?<br />
Groundwork has a long history of<br />
working with a wide range of corporate<br />
partners – sometimes advising them on<br />
their sustainability strategies, sometimes<br />
benefiting from their CSR investments or<br />
employee volunteering programmes.<br />
The internal pressure to avoid<br />
association with companies who might<br />
not obviously share our values or whose<br />
practices might conflict with our vision<br />
of how the world should be is rightly<br />
strong, but this all rests on drawing lines,<br />
which can be increasingly difficult to do.<br />
Some decisions are very obvious, some<br />
we can arrive at through internal debate,<br />
but others have become a difficult<br />
moving target as companies also try and<br />
pivot their activities and rebuild their<br />
reputations.<br />
For example, we may all need to<br />
readjust when we get to the point where<br />
the companies investing most in<br />
renewables are the same companies<br />
currently rushing to diversify away from<br />
fossil fuels.<br />
It’s a bit like my experience of learning<br />
French at school. On the face of it the<br />
initial steps we need to take are logical<br />
and familiar. However, the deeper we go<br />
into the grammar, the more complex it<br />
becomes. I also know we’re going to hit<br />
some roadblocks at some point down<br />
the line, when we realise that getting<br />
properly to net zero may be dependent<br />
on major investment or buying offsets.<br />
And what happens when we identify a<br />
piece of work which may be bang-on in<br />
terms of our social mission and highly<br />
beneficial for those involved but will<br />
blow a big hole in our carbon budget?<br />
Getting us over all of these issues and<br />
hurdles will require open, honest and<br />
mature discussion with both our trustees<br />
and our staff teams so that we can<br />
effectively reconcile the drive to do<br />
what’s best for our organisation and its<br />
beneficiaries with what’s best for the<br />
planet.<br />
As with so many items on the charity<br />
CEO’s to-do list, this requires a steadfast<br />
adherence to mission, purpose and<br />
benefit and a willingness to be open<br />
about the unknowns, the dilemmas and<br />
the risks involved in doing the thing we<br />
believe to be right.<br />
For more about Groundwork<br />
West <strong>Midlands</strong> click the logo<br />
right<br />
Our core objectives are to:<br />
n Support directors in the<br />
adoption and management of<br />
sustainability policies<br />
n Provide information, value and<br />
support to members in relation to<br />
CSR issues and practices<br />
Through this dedicated online<br />
content hub and the National<br />
Sustainability Taskforce, the<br />
campaign aims to grow the <strong>IoD</strong>’s<br />
resource offering across this<br />
important and varied topic area,<br />
accepting that business has a crucial<br />
role to play in the issues surrounding<br />
sustainability.<br />
Through relevant unique content<br />
and special events, the <strong>IoD</strong>’s<br />
Sustainable Business campaign will<br />
shine a light on CSR, with focused<br />
material covering ethical, financial,<br />
societal and environmental factors.<br />
Working with our own Information<br />
and Advisory Service, as well as a<br />
team of sustainability experts from<br />
across the field, our pledge is to<br />
provide you with access to the latest<br />
advice, best practice and other<br />
useful resources, as well as<br />
experiences of other business leaders.<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong>’s Carbon Footprint<br />
We are committed to our own<br />
sustainability journey and have been<br />
certifying our carbon footprint with<br />
Planet Mark since 2019 with a<br />
commitment to reducing our<br />
environmental impact each year on<br />
the journey to net zero.<br />
Now is the ideal time for UK<br />
business to play a leadership role in<br />
defining the future of sustainable<br />
business. To learn more, we<br />
recommend these resources:<br />
UK Business Climate Change Hub<br />
https://smeclimatehub.org/uk/<br />
Race to Zero<br />
https://racetozero.unfccc.int<br />
Zero Carbon Tour<br />
https://tour.planetmark.com<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
21
Spotlight: The race to Net Zero<br />
Leading your business to Net<br />
Zero: the time to start is now<br />
Lynn Oxborrow<br />
Associate Professor and Help to Grow<br />
Programme lead, Nottingham Business<br />
School, Nottingham Trent University<br />
It’s hard to imagine that<br />
the challenge of slowing<br />
down climate change<br />
has completely passed<br />
anyone by, but what<br />
does this mean in<br />
practical terms for the<br />
way leaders run their<br />
businesses?<br />
Achieving Net Zero means using no<br />
more carbon in fuel or materials than we<br />
can responsibly return to the earth in a<br />
usable form. For most businesses that<br />
means reducing the amount of energy<br />
and materials used and releasing less<br />
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse<br />
gases into the atmosphere.<br />
But sustainability also involves<br />
improving the reuse of valuable<br />
materials, water and land and reducing<br />
or re-purposing waste more effectively.<br />
If all business could make some<br />
improvements this would contribute to<br />
reducing climate change by reducing the<br />
predicted long-term and sustained<br />
changes to weather and temperature<br />
that scientists are already witnessing.<br />
So, as a business leader, you will need<br />
to do just that – lead your business to a<br />
more sustainable future, even as you set<br />
about recovery and growth following all<br />
the disruption of the last two years.<br />
If you lead a small business, you may<br />
think that there isn’t much that you can<br />
do. However, a recent survey of small<br />
businesses, carried out by the British<br />
Business Bank, suggested that<br />
collectively, small businesses account for<br />
around half (43-53 per cent) of UK<br />
business greenhouse gas emissions but<br />
that 94 per cent of businesses<br />
questioned had taken at least one action<br />
to reduce their emissions.<br />
And in case you need any further<br />
convincing, climate action can have a<br />
positive effect, by helping to reduce<br />
costs, satisfy your customers’ needs to<br />
reduce their own impact, and it can also<br />
help to engage and motivate your staff.<br />
If you employ ‘Millennials’ or ‘Generation<br />
Zs’, research shows these groups are<br />
much more concerned about the<br />
environment and look to their employers<br />
to adopt positive values and responsible<br />
actions.<br />
So, if you intend to help your<br />
organisation to a more sustainable<br />
future, you need to start with a plan for<br />
change. Where do you start? Here are<br />
some steps to follow.<br />
Create urgency<br />
One essential ingredient in many<br />
change plans is to create urgency. The<br />
Climate Crisis is a source of urgency, so<br />
act NOW.<br />
The extensive media coverage means<br />
now is a good time to start!<br />
Enlist champions<br />
You could identify champions and<br />
partners to help take your plans<br />
forwards, providing both knowledge and<br />
energy.<br />
Making a positive difference can have<br />
a beneficial effect on staff morale,<br />
well-being, motivation, staff retention<br />
and productivity. A champion could<br />
bring your plan to life.<br />
Get trained<br />
Carbon literacy training could enable<br />
your team to measure the carbon<br />
footprint for your business, identify<br />
priorities for short and longer-term<br />
targets, and monitor improvements.<br />
Make better decisions to measurably<br />
reduce your carbon footprint.<br />
Do you know which of the following<br />
would have the biggest impact on your<br />
own ‘race to net zero’: switching to<br />
renewable energy, continuing to meet<br />
customers online or changing the<br />
materials in your product …?<br />
‘‘<br />
If you make a measurable<br />
difference, report it,<br />
communicate your success<br />
and embed your new normal.<br />
But don’t make assumptions.<br />
Making honest claims<br />
supports your overall<br />
business competitiveness and<br />
stimulates further innovation.<br />
If something doesn’t work -<br />
reflect and revise....<br />
22 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
Switching your vehicle fleet<br />
to electric vehicles could help<br />
you drive down your carbon<br />
emissions, particularly if you<br />
link this to a renewables-only<br />
electricity supplier<br />
Set goals<br />
Achieving Net Zero is going to be a big<br />
challenge but starting with some<br />
achievable short-term goals could be<br />
game-changing, help develop a change<br />
culture, win the commitment of your team<br />
and get your customers onside. In turn<br />
this can help you move on to higher<br />
priority targets that need time and<br />
investment but make a bigger difference.<br />
Introducing a recycling scheme,<br />
reducing waste in catering or production,<br />
or changing to LED lights, could help get<br />
your team committed.<br />
Changes to your product or premises<br />
could be a longer-term team challenge<br />
that needs all their input.<br />
Monitor and embed<br />
If you make a measurable difference,<br />
you can report on it, communicate your<br />
success and embed your new normal.<br />
But don’t make assumptions. Making<br />
honest claims supports your overall<br />
business competitiveness and stimulates<br />
further innovation. If something doesn’t<br />
work - reflect and revise.<br />
Changes you make could reflect<br />
positively on your operations, branding<br />
and communications. Tangible<br />
innovations in your product or supply<br />
chain, and new working practices all need<br />
to be shared with staff, customers and<br />
stakeholders.<br />
Of course, you may need some help<br />
with this.<br />
Sustainability underpins the content of<br />
the Help to Grow Management course,<br />
which has been created by the<br />
Government to help small and mediumsized<br />
businesses (SMEs) grow post<br />
pandemic.<br />
Help to Grow is being delivered at<br />
Business Schools across the region. To<br />
find out more visit gov.uk/helptogrow or<br />
email grow@ntu.ac.uk.<br />
At Nottingham Trent University we<br />
deliver a range of carbon literacy training,<br />
consultancy and design projects, and<br />
access to specialist support for SMEs in<br />
parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire<br />
to become more sustainable.<br />
See our Sustainable and Inclusive<br />
Leadership* short course and<br />
Sustainability in Enterprise** projects.<br />
*Part-funded by the European<br />
Social Fund<br />
** Part-funded by the European<br />
Regional Development Fund.<br />
For more on Help to Grow, see gov.uk/helptogrow or email<br />
Lynn at grow@ntu.ac.uk<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Course offers<br />
climate solutions<br />
Looking to implement climate<br />
solutions in your business?<br />
A free course is being offered to<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> members.<br />
Available as a bite-sized, selfdirected<br />
online course, it covers the<br />
following key topics:<br />
Section 1: Introduction to Climate<br />
Solutions<br />
Including: The Four imperatives;<br />
Mitigation and adaptation; Hierarchy<br />
of responses<br />
Section 2: Climate Change<br />
Including Carbon Cycle; Sources of<br />
Greenhouse Gases; Special day/ PPM<br />
activity; Climate Change impacts on<br />
businesses and the economy<br />
Section 3: Policy<br />
Introduction to Policy; International<br />
policies and agreements; EU, UK and<br />
Scottish Policy; Business contribution;<br />
Policy in action<br />
Section 4: Solutions<br />
Who shapes the solutions?; Circular<br />
Economy; Solutions Frameworks;<br />
Solutions in Action; Behavioural Change<br />
The programme is interactive and<br />
participants receive an <strong>IoD</strong> CPD<br />
accredited certificate.<br />
To find out more, CLICK HERE:<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
23
Professional briefing: Security<br />
Will hybrid and remote<br />
working see a rise in<br />
employee dishonesty?<br />
Cresseys Triangle highlights<br />
why law-abiding citizens<br />
become dishonest<br />
Dave Kearns<br />
A report compiled by<br />
Nat West Bank in<br />
November 2020, on<br />
which I was a<br />
contributor, found that<br />
businesses lost £88<br />
million to employee<br />
fraud the previous year. That was double<br />
the figure for the year before.<br />
This figure only represents fraud. Bring<br />
into the equation theft and you will have<br />
a significantly higher figure. These<br />
figures of fraud are generally based on<br />
investigations where an employee has<br />
been charged and convicted.<br />
But how much goes undetected? At<br />
least double, in my opinion.<br />
Pre-Covid, when an employee<br />
committed theft and was caught:<br />
n 30 per cent stated they did so<br />
becase there were no control issues in<br />
place<br />
n 19 per cent overrode existing<br />
controls.<br />
This is not surprising when a<br />
businesses concern themselves more<br />
with external theft by a ‘criminal’<br />
breaking into their premises or<br />
fraudsters ‘hacking’ into their systems.<br />
When implementing the security<br />
systems, both physically or IT-based, the<br />
focus is on the outsider and rarely on the<br />
opportunity for the dishonest employee<br />
– or the ‘Insider Threat’.<br />
How were these frauds discovered?<br />
Figures from the Association of Fraud<br />
Examiners Report to the Nation 2018<br />
(report every four years) identified that<br />
n 40 per cent were tip offs<br />
n 11 per cent found by accident<br />
n 15 per cent internal audit<br />
n 13 per cent management review<br />
n 3 per cent surveillance and monitoring<br />
n 1 per cent IT controls.<br />
Why does a law-abiding citizen<br />
suddenly become dishonest? It’s a<br />
question I’m regularly asked, and put<br />
simply:<br />
n they identify the opportunity<br />
n they rationalise their actions<br />
n the motivation is financial reward.<br />
This is known as Cresseys’ Triangle,<br />
named after Donald Cressey, an<br />
American criminologist.<br />
The dishonest employee’s activity is<br />
almost always based around their normal<br />
routine activity.<br />
For 22 years I have been investigating<br />
all aspects of employee dishonesty,<br />
including criminal theft and fraud, but<br />
also the civil offences of theft of data,<br />
false absenteeism, including false Covid<br />
claims of sickness and isolation, and I<br />
always see the correlation of Cresseys’<br />
Triangle.<br />
I also always identify that the control<br />
measures were overridden and rarely is<br />
the activity identified by measures put in<br />
place by the business. The academia<br />
reflects the reality.<br />
Fewer than one-in-five SMEs have<br />
conducted a fraud risk assessment.<br />
The current working environment is<br />
something that we may not have<br />
envisaged and many workplaces and<br />
workspaces will be different to those<br />
pre-Covid. Our workplaces will change,<br />
not only to streamline it from a cost<br />
perspective but also from the business<br />
continuity perspective should the virus<br />
hit us hard again. Covid may be with us<br />
permanently.<br />
I believe businesses will want flexibility,<br />
a reduction in the number of employees,<br />
more use of sub-contracted services and<br />
remote working and fewer people within<br />
the working space.<br />
What impact could this have on<br />
dishonesty? How effective will control<br />
measures that businesses have in place<br />
at present be in the new working<br />
environment for the future?<br />
We already know that control<br />
measures are ineffective, and the SME<br />
sector, which is the most vulnerable to<br />
employee dishonesty, is also the sector<br />
which has the least control measures.<br />
Other factors to bring into play include<br />
less natural surveillance within the<br />
workplace as more people work from<br />
home, so there is less chance of a<br />
whistleblower revealing dishonesty.<br />
‘‘<br />
Less natural surveillance<br />
within the workplace<br />
as more people work<br />
from home means less<br />
chance of a whistleblower<br />
revealing dishonesty.<br />
We can also presume employees<br />
working remotely may become less<br />
dedicated to the business as remoteness<br />
may reduce loyalty to the business.<br />
There could also be a tension if<br />
employees are not offered the benefit of<br />
working remotely while others do; they<br />
may begrudge their associated travel<br />
costs, etc.<br />
All these factors could come into play<br />
and tip previously honest employees to<br />
act dishonestly.<br />
So what can a business do to prevent<br />
and disrupt dishonest employees?<br />
n Be mature, realistic and responsible<br />
and accept it may / will happen to you.<br />
n Conduct a gap analysis; work from<br />
the broad and general to the specific.<br />
n Get education in this subject that is<br />
a real threat but overlooked by decision<br />
makers<br />
n Where necessary get training in the<br />
required areas where there is a skill gap<br />
n Conduct a security review (use<br />
external suppliers for the skill set and<br />
impartiality)<br />
n See more information at The Process<br />
(davekearns.co.uk)<br />
The rationalisation for employees may<br />
change. The majority of employees that<br />
are, or become, dishonest will remain<br />
with your business for financial gain of<br />
wealth, status and therefore control,<br />
having identified the opportunity. They<br />
will weigh up the pros and cons and<br />
maybe now the pros stack up<br />
significantly more in favour than the<br />
cons, as the chance of identification and<br />
being caught will potentially be reduced.<br />
DAVE KEARNS is Managing Director of<br />
Expert Investigations Group<br />
www.expert-investigations.co.uk<br />
He also writes under his personal brand<br />
of www.davekearns.co.uk<br />
He is one of the country’s leading<br />
experts on preventing, disrupting,<br />
and detecting dishonest employees<br />
and conducts reviews and covert<br />
investigations to detect dishonest<br />
employees<br />
Contact him at<br />
T: 02476 630498 / M: 07879 482902<br />
E: davidkearns@expert-investigations.<br />
co.uk<br />
24 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
<strong>january</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
IP audits and the IP Access grant<br />
The UK Intellectual Property Office has<br />
recently launched its Intellectual Property<br />
(IP) Access grant, an extension to the<br />
UK IPO Audits Plus Programme. Nelsons’<br />
Emma Toes (née Ward) discusses what<br />
IP audits are, why they are an essential<br />
part of any business looking to succeed<br />
and the funding available to businesses<br />
looking to undertake an audit.<br />
What is an intellectual property (IP)<br />
audit?<br />
An IP audit is a review of a business,<br />
focusing specifically on identifying<br />
existing IP, as well as potential<br />
opportunities to create, strengthen and<br />
protect IP.<br />
An audit might identify unregistered IP<br />
that a business was previously unaware of<br />
– such as copyright, unregistered design<br />
rights, confidential information or trade<br />
secrets.<br />
It is also possible that the audit will<br />
identify opportunities to create IP by<br />
applying to register a design or applying<br />
to register a patent.<br />
Why is it important for a business to do<br />
IP audits?<br />
IP is important because of the rights<br />
that accompany it.<br />
While these rights will vary depending<br />
on the type of IP, generally speaking<br />
IP will either benefit from monopolistic<br />
rights (meaning that, for example, no<br />
one can create a product that looks like<br />
yours without your permission, even if<br />
they have not copied it) or such rights will<br />
prevent unauthorised copying.<br />
IP can therefore be used to create a<br />
competitive advantage within the market<br />
place, by preventing third parties from<br />
taking advantage of your business’s hard<br />
work.<br />
In addition, the rights that subsist in<br />
IP can be exploited just like any other<br />
business asset – consider, for example,<br />
the opportunities that may arise to<br />
licence the right to make products<br />
protected by your patent and sell them<br />
under your trademark, all in exchange for<br />
a monthly fee.<br />
As IP is an asset, it can also be used as<br />
security against which investment in the<br />
business can be leveraged.<br />
Can anyone do an IP audit?<br />
An expert should be brought in to<br />
conduct the audit as they will be much<br />
better placed to spot the potential to<br />
create and protect IP. They will also be<br />
able to provide advice on the registration<br />
process and any internal safeguards that<br />
should be put in place (such as ensuring<br />
that IP created by employees belongs<br />
to the business, or making sure that<br />
applications for patents are filed at the<br />
right time).<br />
What support is available?<br />
The UK Intellectual Property Office has<br />
recently launched the IP Access grant.<br />
This is an ‘add on’ to the support that’s<br />
provided through the UK Intellectual<br />
Property Office’s IP Audit Plus Scheme.<br />
The Audit Plus Scheme provides<br />
funding of £2,500 to qualifying<br />
businesses in order to obtain an IP Audit.<br />
That funding from the Audit Plus<br />
Scheme can only be used for the audit<br />
itself and cannot be used to implement<br />
any of the recommendations identified.<br />
This is where the IP Access grant comes<br />
in as businesses that have completed an<br />
audit through the IP Audit Plus Scheme<br />
could also qualify for additional funding<br />
of up to £5,000, to help implement some<br />
of the audit’s recommendations.<br />
Want to know more?<br />
If you would like any advice on any of<br />
the above, please contact Nelsons on<br />
0800 024 1976.<br />
“IP can be used to<br />
create a competitive<br />
advantage within<br />
the market place,<br />
by preventing third<br />
parties from taking<br />
advantage of your<br />
business’s hard work”<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
25
Exporting<br />
Has the post-Brexit era ushered in a<br />
new relevance for the Commonwealth?<br />
Modern day Johannesburg and<br />
Lagos reflect the increased<br />
confidence of both nations.<br />
South Africa and Nigeria were,<br />
before Covid, two of the fastest<br />
growing economies in the world<br />
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, Chairman of<br />
Morningside Pharmaceuticals and<br />
CBI Regional Councillor, looks at<br />
the enormous trade opportunities<br />
offered by the UK’s close ties with<br />
the Commonwealth, as well as the<br />
many other important benefits,<br />
which are often overlooked.<br />
For many people the concept of the<br />
‘Commonwealth’ is outdated and<br />
consigned to Britain’s much-maligned<br />
colonial past, so what is its relevance to<br />
the UK’s new post-Brexit reality?<br />
The obvious and immediate win-win<br />
for both sides is trade. This has never<br />
been more important, as the UK looks to<br />
negotiate deals with nations around the<br />
world while seeking to develop a new<br />
identity outside of the European Union.<br />
Indeed, following the Brexit deal,<br />
which took effect on 1st January,<br />
the UK has been busy refreshing its<br />
trading relationships. There are great<br />
opportunities here. As an example, India<br />
is the giant of the Commonwealth, and<br />
is set to become the world’s third largest<br />
economy by 2025.<br />
I was part of the PM Theresa May’s<br />
Trade delegation<br />
to India five years<br />
ago, and have done<br />
business there. I<br />
know that there is an<br />
appreciation of UK<br />
standards, services<br />
and products, as well<br />
as a shift towards<br />
regulatory alignment<br />
on things like law<br />
and accounting procedures. UK-India<br />
trade is worth £24 billion, supporting<br />
half a million jobs, and is set to grow.<br />
Some of the trade deals that the UK<br />
has been busy negotiating and finalising<br />
include an Enhanced Trade partnership<br />
with India, which the Department for<br />
International Trade (DIT) is working to<br />
expand into a comprehensive free-trade<br />
agreement. We are applying to join the 11<br />
nation Comprehensive and Progressive<br />
Agreement for Trans-Pacific<br />
Partnership (CPTPP), which includes<br />
Canada, Australia and New Zealand.<br />
We are also in advance discussions<br />
bilaterally with these countries and other<br />
Commonwealth nations.<br />
There is a rationale for prioritising<br />
Commonwealth countries. Research<br />
shows that intra-Commonwealth<br />
trade is 19 per cent cheaper, largely<br />
due to similar legal and regulatory<br />
systems, which is sometimes labelled<br />
‘the Commonwealth advantage’. It is<br />
therefore not surprising that the trade<br />
of Commonwealth countries tends to be<br />
proportionately greater with members<br />
than non-members.<br />
However, for me, the Commonwealth<br />
is more than just a trading partner, but<br />
also a global leader in diversity and<br />
inclusivity, which have run like a thread<br />
through my life, both personally and as<br />
an entrepreneur.<br />
I was born in East Africa, my family<br />
heritage is from India, while I am now<br />
proudly British, having lived here for<br />
almost 50 years, and also I have done<br />
business throughout the world and in<br />
particular the Commonwealth.<br />
The Commonwealth has been helpful<br />
to many entrepreneurs and small<br />
businesses looking to expand. While it<br />
does not offer a single market like the<br />
European Union, it is instead a powerful<br />
economic network, accounting for over<br />
15 per cent of global exports and 14 per<br />
cent of global GDP.<br />
When I set up my pharmaceuticals<br />
company in 1991 from my home garage,<br />
this was before the internet and the<br />
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE is Founder and Chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd<br />
and a CBI Regional Councillor<br />
26 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
‘‘<br />
While the Commonwealth<br />
does not offer a single<br />
market like the European<br />
Union, it is instead a<br />
powerful economic<br />
network, accounting for<br />
over 15 per cent of global<br />
exports and 14 per cent of<br />
global GDP.<br />
world was much less connected. We<br />
looked for exporting opportunities<br />
to emerging markets. Some of the<br />
first countries we exported to were<br />
Commonwealth ones, such as Barbados,<br />
Guyana and many African nations.<br />
The Commonwealth contains<br />
emerging economies which, when they<br />
recover from Covid, are set to grow<br />
fast. It offers a network through which<br />
companies can grow and entrepreneurs<br />
can find opportunity. This will be<br />
particularly important as countries<br />
look to rebuild from the ravages of<br />
Covid. The Commonwealth has a very<br />
young population, with 60 per cent of<br />
people under the age of 30. We need to<br />
provide skills, jobs and hope to the next<br />
generation.<br />
While trade, investment and capital<br />
flows are important, the third factor I’d<br />
like to discuss are the people-to-people<br />
links, across the 2.4 billion people of<br />
the Commonwealth. It spans every<br />
continent and has diversity at its heart<br />
with the people unified through common<br />
ties cemented by language and shared<br />
experiences and history.<br />
For Commonwealth countries these<br />
bonds are reflected in the strong<br />
diasporas in London, the <strong>Midlands</strong> and<br />
the rest of the UK.<br />
It should also be recognised that trade<br />
brings people together, and facilitates<br />
co-operation and understanding<br />
between nations, which is more<br />
important than ever as we forge<br />
relationships away from our traditional<br />
European partners.<br />
Perhaps we underappreciate how<br />
important our ties to Commonwealth<br />
countries are to our history, but also<br />
to our present and future; and how<br />
together we will continue to play a<br />
key role in championing global trade,<br />
diversity and inclusion.<br />
As Chair-in-Office of the<br />
Commonwealth, the UK is in the hot seat<br />
for now but over the longer term we<br />
must capitalise on the powerful network<br />
it provides, and the opportunities to<br />
enhance business, trade and people-topeople<br />
ties in this new post-Brexit world.<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> agrees deal with British<br />
Chamber of Commerce in China<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> has signed a Memorandum of<br />
Understanding with the British<br />
Chamber of Commerce in China that<br />
will enable British businesses<br />
operating in China to have access to<br />
the <strong>IoD</strong>’s world class professional<br />
development programmes.<br />
Jonathan Geldart, Director General<br />
of the <strong>IoD</strong>, said: “I am excited that we<br />
will now be working with British<br />
businesses in China, continuing and<br />
expanding our work to set global<br />
standards of excellence and lead the<br />
agenda on corporate governance.<br />
“We believe that better directors<br />
make a better world. We are,<br />
therefore, delighted to be offering<br />
Are you thinking of exporting for the<br />
first time in <strong>2022</strong>, or just want to start<br />
engaging more with your local<br />
Department of International Trade<br />
office? Then make a note to attend<br />
this free session with the DIT.<br />
The Growing International Trade:<br />
UK Services Roadshow will take<br />
place on February 3, from 10am-3pm,<br />
at the Park Regis Hotel, Birmingham.<br />
Whether you are a seasoned<br />
exporter or looking to export for the<br />
very first time, this event has you<br />
covered. You will be able to build your<br />
own day by selecting from a wide<br />
range of interactive talks, panel<br />
discussions, workshops and seminars<br />
best suited to your business.<br />
The plenary session will include<br />
seminars focused on:<br />
• Free Trade Agreements and the<br />
opportunities for your business<br />
• How to identify opportunities in<br />
established and growing markets<br />
our courses, which are designed to<br />
promote and champion the highest<br />
standards of professional<br />
competence for directors, in China.”<br />
Julian MacCormac, Chairman of the<br />
British Chamber of Commerce in<br />
China, said he too was delighted with<br />
the agreement, which will “support<br />
enhanced professional development<br />
for directors of British companies<br />
working in China.”<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> will start by offering taster<br />
courses at the end of January, before<br />
rolling out the full suite of certificate<br />
courses to coincide with the start of<br />
the Chinese Year of the Tiger in<br />
February <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
DIT Roadshow offers boost<br />
for exports in <strong>2022</strong><br />
• Plus a range of sessions you can<br />
‘drop in’ on, including:<br />
- A panel discussion hosted by<br />
successful exporting service<br />
businesses from the <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
- Informal meetings with DIT and<br />
wider business support bodies for the<br />
service sector<br />
- International eCommerce<br />
workshop covering building brand<br />
awareness, website internationalisation<br />
and finding new clients<br />
- International Social Media<br />
Strategies for market entry workshop,<br />
focused session addressing the<br />
various routes to market for<br />
companies operating in the service<br />
sectors.<br />
- The Importance of GDPR & Data<br />
Security.<br />
For more information contact<br />
derek.binns@mobile.trade.gov.uk, or<br />
see the DIT website<br />
Looking for support for exporting plans?<br />
EXPORT SUPPORT SERVICE – this is an online export trading support service<br />
for help with trading within the EU<br />
See https://www.gov.uk/ask-export-support-team<br />
EXPORT ACADEMY – for smaller/younger companies wanting to know the<br />
fundamentals to exporting. It’s a series of courses that can be done online<br />
and upon completion there’ll be the option to seek further information and<br />
support with an ITA (International Trade Advisor)<br />
See https://www.great.gov.uk/campaigns/export-academy/<br />
ESIF GRANT – from £1-9k is available to help with consultancy work, such as<br />
market and patent research abroad<br />
See https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-forinternational-trade/about-our-services<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
27
News<br />
Business Network opens university<br />
doors for the region’s SMEs<br />
Gemma Morgan-Jones<br />
talks to <strong>IoD</strong> <strong>Midlands</strong>’<br />
Rob Beswick about the<br />
University of Nottingham’s<br />
Business Network<br />
The UK’s universities aren’t just<br />
outstanding seats of world-class<br />
academia: they are also a treasure trove<br />
of information, knowledge and research<br />
that is ideally suited to help businesses<br />
– particularly SMEs – develop products,<br />
enter new markets or refine their<br />
processes and systems.<br />
But to the average director, knowing<br />
how to access the talent that lies behind<br />
universities’ often grand front doors can<br />
seem daunting.<br />
However, the University of Nottingham<br />
has made this process simple – just go<br />
through its Business Network.<br />
Gemma Morgan-Jones, SME<br />
Engagement Manager at the University<br />
of Nottingham, said the door analogy is<br />
appropriate. “I describe our Business<br />
Network as the ‘front door’ to the<br />
university as far as directors and<br />
business leaders are concerned. We have<br />
a huge amount of expertise to offer the<br />
business community but from the<br />
outside, I can understand why it would<br />
appear difficult to find the right people<br />
to talk to, or know how to access help.<br />
“The Business Network is a way you<br />
can cut through the departments and<br />
faculties and connect directly with our<br />
staff. They can provide you with the<br />
services you need to develop and grow<br />
your business.”<br />
The type of help on offer is incredibly<br />
wide, as Gemma explains. “The principal<br />
way directors get involved with us in the<br />
first instance tends to be through our<br />
events programme. At these we cover<br />
issues in depth, led by sector experts<br />
often drawn from within our own ranks<br />
who can offer real insights into how to<br />
meet current challenges or plan ahead to<br />
prepare for the next hot topic.”<br />
As an example, two events in <strong>2022</strong><br />
cover ‘The Future Customer’, which will<br />
look at how buying habits have changed<br />
over the years and what they will look<br />
like in the years to come, while The<br />
Future of Leadership will consider the<br />
skills and characteristics we are going to<br />
need as leaders in the future as the<br />
demands of our workforces change.<br />
The events themselves are very<br />
informal, with plenty of opportunities for<br />
Q&A and networking. Says Gemma: “The<br />
events are very light touch, with no<br />
formal joining process. You just register<br />
with ourselves, subscribe to our mailing<br />
list and sign up to any events that catch<br />
your eye.<br />
“The events are free and usually take<br />
place as a breakfast or after work event<br />
to make them as accessible as possible<br />
for all.”<br />
The Business Network has been<br />
running for 18 years, and in that time has<br />
grown into thriving group of over 1,500<br />
individuals. Hundreds of East <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
business leaders have attended at least<br />
one, coming away with vital knowledge<br />
that has helped their businesses maintain<br />
a competitive edge.<br />
But the University of Nottingham<br />
Business Network has another string to<br />
its bow: it helps you develop direct<br />
connections with the academics<br />
themselves.<br />
Gemma explains: “The Business<br />
Network is a gateway to the knowledge<br />
and expertise that exists within the<br />
university. Our staff can bring real<br />
cutting-edge thought leadership on any<br />
topic or area that’s important to you.<br />
“For instance, the engineering<br />
department could lead on research and<br />
‘‘<br />
The Business Network is a win/win for both the university and<br />
the business owner. If I have a particular need, the University of<br />
Nottingham Business Network provides a great starting point<br />
and lead into the appropriate contact.”<br />
28 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
design on a new project, bringing<br />
high-level technical expertise to bear<br />
and filling gaps in your own team’s skill<br />
set. Or you could take on a postgraduate<br />
who will bring a PhD level of research<br />
expertise, on a mini-consultancy basis.”<br />
The cost of such an arrangement is<br />
heavily subsided or, in many cases, free.<br />
“If your business is operating in the<br />
D2N2 area, you can engage one of our<br />
postgraduates on an appropriate project<br />
for free. Even if you are paying, you can<br />
be looking at it costing just £1,000 for<br />
200 hours of postgrad involvement.”<br />
There are other schemes that<br />
businesses can access, too: “We deliver<br />
the Help to Grow programme on behalf<br />
of the government. It’s 1:1 support from a<br />
business mentor and access to our<br />
alumni network. The 12-week course is<br />
designed to be taken alongside full-time<br />
work through a combination of online<br />
sessions and face-to-face learning and is<br />
90% funded by the government so you<br />
only pay £750.”<br />
The University of Nottingham Business<br />
Network can be a bit of a ‘best-kept<br />
secret’ among business leaders, but<br />
those who have accessed its events or<br />
connected with university staff have high<br />
praise for its effectiveness.<br />
Neil Stentiford is one<br />
such local business<br />
leader who reaped the<br />
benefits of his own<br />
involvement with the<br />
university.<br />
Neil, who invented<br />
the SoeMac, an<br />
innovative oxygen device for people with<br />
sleep and energy deficiencies,<br />
commented: “As a small business owner I<br />
found I had great ideas, energy, passion<br />
and drive, but lacked certain resources<br />
such as specific expertise, money and<br />
manpower. These are all potentially<br />
available to access within the university.<br />
“I attended University of Nottingham<br />
Business Network events and<br />
established a network of contacts that<br />
led us to undertake a number of funded<br />
projects with the university, including:<br />
materials analysis, product redesign,<br />
electrical engineering expertise, a<br />
postgraduate intern specialising in<br />
autism and an introduction by the<br />
university’s Asia Business Centre to a<br />
Chinese distributor.<br />
“We’ve attended various free seminars<br />
and courses at the university such as The<br />
Business of Stories and Strategic Social<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
Media Marketing. Plus, we’ve also<br />
benefitted from introductions to other<br />
organisations like the Next Business<br />
Generation, Nottingham Trent University<br />
and The Queens Medical Centre.”<br />
All in all, said Neil, “The University of<br />
Nottingham is an excellent resource and I<br />
would encourage more businesses to<br />
work with them.<br />
“It’s a win/win for both the university<br />
and the business owner. If I have a<br />
particular need, the University of<br />
Nottingham Business Network provides a<br />
great starting point and lead into the<br />
appropriate contact.”<br />
It’s a glowing testimony to the<br />
effectiveness of the Business Network,<br />
and the ease with which directors can<br />
access its services. Why not sign up to<br />
the mailing list for news of future events,<br />
or talk to the SME Engagement team<br />
about how university staff could help<br />
your business?<br />
For more information see<br />
www.nottingham.ac.uk/go/<br />
business-network<br />
Or talk to Gemma Morgan-Jones, SME<br />
Engagement Manager, University of<br />
Nottingham, on<br />
t: +44 (0) 115 74 84783<br />
m: +44 (0) 7811 230 781<br />
Email: businessnetwork@<br />
nottingham.ac.uk<br />
Subscribe to the newsletter:<br />
tinyurl.com/uonbn-newsletter<br />
Twitter: @Uon_BN<br />
Instagram: @uon_businessnetwork<br />
Business Network member spotlight<br />
‘Access to areas that would previously<br />
have been hidden behind closed doors’<br />
Graham Allen is<br />
Managing Director<br />
of Corporate Money<br />
Matters, which is a<br />
business consultancy<br />
and corporate<br />
finance brokerage.<br />
An active member<br />
of the University of<br />
Nottingham Business Network for<br />
many years, Graham has introduced a<br />
number of other businesses to the<br />
network, leading to projects that have<br />
been beneficial to both the businesses<br />
and the university as a whole.<br />
He was officially appointed as a<br />
volunteer University of Nottingham<br />
Local Business Ambassador in 2020.<br />
Graham said: “I started attending<br />
the University of Nottingham Business<br />
Network from the very start and it has<br />
provided me personally with a range<br />
of benefits, for example:<br />
• being taken out of my comfort<br />
zone<br />
• giving me and the business a<br />
parallax view, by which I mean<br />
providing different perspectives on<br />
one object, giving a more rounded<br />
approach<br />
• it has assisted me in considering<br />
new ways of doing things, for example<br />
the Classics Department talking to us<br />
about storytelling.<br />
“The Network has given us access<br />
to academics and to areas of research<br />
that would previously have been<br />
hidden behind closed doors in what I<br />
perceived as an unapproachable<br />
institution.<br />
“It is invaluable for providing<br />
networking opportunities with other<br />
businesses and with university staff<br />
and academics. Since joining the<br />
Network, our business has benefited<br />
from graduate placements and<br />
involvement in R&D projects.<br />
“The network has fostered a great<br />
deal of understanding between local<br />
businesses and this world class<br />
university. Being a member has given<br />
us a broader perspective as a<br />
business and has allowed us to take<br />
time out at a convenient time of day<br />
to reflect on new ideas and concepts.<br />
“I would recommend the Network<br />
to other business owners as a<br />
springboard for new opportunities<br />
and ideas.”<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
29
<strong>IoD</strong> Student Mentoring<br />
<strong>IoD</strong>: Supporting education<br />
across the <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
John Phillips OBE, F<strong>IoD</strong><br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> in the <strong>Midlands</strong> has a long<br />
tradition of supporting education locally.<br />
In recent years we have deepened our<br />
links with our universities, with <strong>IoD</strong><br />
members acting as mentors to students<br />
on business-related courses.<br />
This mentorship helps the coming<br />
generation bridge the divide between<br />
academia and the business world,<br />
providing vital knowledge and expertise<br />
on everything from compiling CVs,<br />
interview techniques, networking<br />
opportunities and how to look for work.<br />
If you would like to get involved, it is<br />
massively rewarding work and we would<br />
love to hear from you.<br />
The following is a snapshot of our<br />
current activity.<br />
WOLVERHAMPTON UNIVERSITY<br />
We have been involved with the<br />
University of Wolverhampton for the last<br />
11 years, supporting undergraduates at<br />
the business school.<br />
Our programme focuses on ensuring<br />
graduates find employment which is<br />
commensurate with the qualifications<br />
they have gained. We focus on all<br />
important so-called soft skills and<br />
confidence building.<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> members are matched with<br />
graduates according to their subjects so,<br />
for example, a finance director would<br />
generally mentor a student studying<br />
business and finance and/or<br />
accountancy.<br />
The programme runs from October to<br />
May. As well as one-to-one meetings we<br />
come together as a full group to work on<br />
CVs, practice selection interviews,<br />
networking and updates on social media.<br />
We finish in May with a celebration<br />
event usually held at one of our<br />
member’s companies and we are always<br />
looking for volunteers to host.<br />
Over the years this programme has<br />
demonstrated that we can massively<br />
increase the chances of our graduates<br />
finding high level employment.<br />
As you can imagine, our members get<br />
a massive amount of satisfaction from<br />
this success.<br />
UNIVERSITY OF COVENTRY<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> members continue to work with<br />
Coventry University’s MBA students. This<br />
is a similar programme to the<br />
Wolverhampton but the MBA students<br />
involved tend to be a little older and are<br />
specifically targeting senior positions.<br />
Students themselves identify needs and<br />
are matched with <strong>IoD</strong> members who<br />
again volunteer to become mentors.<br />
The programme is run by Assistant<br />
Professor Jody Holland who specialises<br />
in international business.<br />
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM<br />
We have built a great relationship with<br />
University College Birmingham through<br />
its live projects programme. This<br />
involves students teaming up with a<br />
business to offer a different perspective<br />
on specific projects.<br />
A millennial voice in the boardroom<br />
can often be of high value particularly<br />
Pictured left at a Vintage Trains outing<br />
are Helen Joyner Harris, UCB Tourism<br />
Lecturer with her two boys, Professor<br />
Michelle Callanan, Deputy Dean, School<br />
of Business and Tourism, and three<br />
of our most wonderful UCB students<br />
Daniel, Jennifer and Tia.<br />
with long-standing traditional business<br />
looking to the future.<br />
UCB can provide young people to<br />
work on special projects or take a<br />
particular issue as an academic<br />
assignment involving a large group of<br />
students.<br />
A recent example of this took place<br />
last year when Vintage Trains of<br />
Stratford-upon-Avon took on board a<br />
group of UCB students to offer the<br />
board of trustees fresh ideas designed to<br />
keep marketing plans well in tune with a<br />
young, diverse and growing customer<br />
base.<br />
Michael Whitehouse, Chairman of<br />
Vintage Trains, was hugely impressed<br />
by the help the company had received<br />
from the students. He said: “It’s been<br />
a fantastic experience to work all the<br />
students. My board has been really<br />
impressed with many of the ideas<br />
and suggestions we have received<br />
for improving our ongoing customer<br />
experience.<br />
“We are passionate about preserving<br />
railway heritage but we are equally keen<br />
to move with the times by providing a<br />
high level of service to all our customers”<br />
This is a real win-win situation with no<br />
money changing hands. Students benefit<br />
hugely by being exposed to the real-life<br />
problems business face, while companies<br />
can tap into the views of a very diverse,<br />
young and well-educated cohort whose<br />
views should be of interest to any board<br />
of directors<br />
Our local <strong>IoD</strong> Chairman Andy<br />
Wilkinson and I have recently taken on<br />
ambassador roles at UCB and we are<br />
determined that both organisations<br />
should work more closely together for<br />
future mutual benefit<br />
If you would are interested in<br />
accessing UCB services via the live<br />
projects initiative, please contact<br />
Professor Michelle Callanan via<br />
M.Callanan@ucb.ac.uk<br />
One of our cohorts of student mentees and their<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> mentors at an-end-of-programme celebration<br />
Want to know more?<br />
If you are interested in helping us with<br />
this rewarding work please contacts<br />
your local regional office at<br />
e: cait.murphy@iod.com<br />
e: frances.fairclough@iod.com<br />
30 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
<strong>IoD</strong>/NTU £10 Challenge looking for mentors<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong>’s strong relationship with<br />
Nottingham Trent University and its<br />
business students is built around our<br />
involvement with the £10 Challenge.<br />
This exciting enterprise competition<br />
has been running for eight years and<br />
sees <strong>IoD</strong> members leading small teams<br />
of business school students as they take<br />
an initial investment of £10 and try to<br />
build a business.<br />
The challenge aims to improve<br />
students’ teamwork, time management,<br />
fundraising, creative and entrepreneurial<br />
skills.<br />
All the profit made goes towards a<br />
local charity, the John Van Geest Cancer<br />
Research Centre in 2021.<br />
Despite the huge challenges presented<br />
by the pandemic, the 170 students who<br />
took part still found scope to return a<br />
combined profit of £7,205.<br />
Their enterprising initiatives this time<br />
round included setting up virtual pubs,<br />
making customised face masks, keyring<br />
hand gels, biodegradable glitter and<br />
boxes of edible s’more treat kits.<br />
This wouldn’t have been possible<br />
without the support of our brilliant <strong>IoD</strong><br />
volunteer mentors.<br />
The £10 Challenge is on lookout for<br />
new <strong>IoD</strong> mentors, and <strong>IoD</strong> East <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
members are being asked to get involved<br />
with our student groups from<br />
Nottingham Trent University. The<br />
amount of support the students need<br />
will differ from group to group, but from<br />
experience they usually meet their<br />
mentor initially on launch night, perhaps<br />
once mid-way through the Challenge and<br />
then at the celebration event.<br />
Between those dates they keep in<br />
touch via WhatsApp or email. We’re sure<br />
that this support will make them more<br />
prepared for the world of work once they<br />
graduate.<br />
We asked <strong>IoD</strong> member Clive Bridge to<br />
offer some pointers to other <strong>IoD</strong><br />
members after he had taken part. He<br />
said: “The <strong>IoD</strong> Enterprise Challenge is a<br />
great example of how business can<br />
partner with education and help build<br />
awareness of what running a company is<br />
all about.<br />
“This was my first year as a mentor – it<br />
won’t be the last!<br />
“As well it being hopefully helpful for<br />
the students, it was great fun.<br />
“The group I worked with, ‘Calm<br />
Candles’, chose to manufacture and sell<br />
a variety of scented candles. This meant<br />
they had to think about a whole range of<br />
issues: design, procurement,<br />
manufacturing and packaging,<br />
marketing, finance, etc.<br />
“They then had to present a credible<br />
business plan in order to be allocated<br />
their initial seed money.<br />
“While the competitive element gives<br />
students that added motivation and<br />
interest, the real benefit is that it<br />
provides invaluable learning about the<br />
various aspects of the business world.<br />
“This brings to life the challenges and<br />
excitement of being in business far more<br />
than lectures and texts book can.<br />
“Overall, a great initiative and one that<br />
I would definitely recommend to others<br />
for next year!”<br />
An end-of-programme<br />
celebration at NTU<br />
Mentors needed<br />
for £10 challenge<br />
Want to get involved?<br />
If you would like to be<br />
one of our <strong>IoD</strong> mentors<br />
for an upcoming £10<br />
challenge with NTU<br />
students, contact<br />
joshua.whitehead@<br />
iod.com or anna.<br />
hicks@iod.com<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Student membership<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> has a created a special<br />
Student Membership grade which<br />
gives young people knowledge of<br />
business issues, a better<br />
understanding of the world of work<br />
and develops connections with senior<br />
business leaders.<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> is looking to its membership<br />
to highlight the benefits to students<br />
they know. These include:<br />
• Gaining awareness of and refining<br />
skills and capabilities through the<br />
<strong>IoD</strong>’s online Digital Academy<br />
• Build contacts and networks that<br />
will assist you with future employment<br />
opportunities<br />
• Add a valuable point of difference<br />
to your CV and interview dialogue<br />
• Access a deep resource of detailed<br />
and trustworthy information on all<br />
aspects of business<br />
• Be inspired by meeting and hearing<br />
from today’s most exciting business<br />
leaders and entrepreneurs at <strong>IoD</strong><br />
events<br />
• Access to the <strong>IoD</strong> regional events<br />
schedule with regular events each<br />
month held across 12 UK regions and<br />
online<br />
• Online networking – member only<br />
LinkedIn group<br />
• A wealth of online business<br />
intelligence regularly curated and<br />
relevant for tomorrow’s directors<br />
• Access to <strong>IoD</strong> Governance and<br />
Policy reports<br />
Help students be a part of it. The <strong>IoD</strong><br />
has been supporting business leaders<br />
for over a hundred years. <strong>IoD</strong> student<br />
members are part of an exclusive<br />
group that sit at the top of the UK’s<br />
business community.<br />
Find out more through your regional<br />
branch contacts; details on page 3.<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
31
<strong>IoD</strong> Ambassadors<br />
<strong>IoD</strong>: Working for you<br />
across the <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> across the <strong>Midlands</strong> has<br />
reorganised its structure to better<br />
reflect regional priorities and improve<br />
members’ identification with their<br />
local branch.<br />
The move towards a more localised<br />
structure mirrors central government<br />
experience with the creation of Local<br />
Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).<br />
In the West <strong>Midlands</strong>, the four<br />
branches are:<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Greater Birmingham<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Coventry & Warwickshire<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Worcester & the Marches<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Black Country & Staffordshire<br />
In the East <strong>Midlands</strong>, the three<br />
branches are:<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Leicestershire & South East<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong><br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Greater Lincolnshire & Rutland<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire<br />
Each branch is run by a volunteer<br />
committee, headed by an<br />
experienced Chair.<br />
In addition, we have created<br />
Ambassador roles to act as a focal<br />
point for key issues, under the<br />
headings:<br />
Comms/Events/Membership<br />
Ambassador – a PR, media and<br />
marketing expert who will help us<br />
better CONNECT with members.<br />
Chartered Director Ambassador – a<br />
Chartered Director who will support<br />
members to DEVELOP their skills as<br />
directors.<br />
Governance and Policy Ambassador<br />
– a well-connected member who<br />
will manage branch governance,<br />
connect members and enable them<br />
to INFLUENCE the national agenda.<br />
Here we introduce you to some of<br />
the <strong>IoD</strong> members in these roles, and<br />
signpost opportunities for you to get<br />
involved with the <strong>IoD</strong> team and make<br />
more out of your membership.<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> East <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
Regional Chair: Gary Headland<br />
Regional Ambassadors<br />
Dr Craig Marsh<br />
Vacant<br />
Andy Leask CDir<br />
James Pinchbeck<br />
Clive Bridge CDir<br />
Alexandra Slack<br />
Paul Burrows<br />
Michelle Allison<br />
Vacant<br />
Emma Olivier-Townrow<br />
Richard Wills<br />
Kate Strawson<br />
John Hebblethwaite<br />
Tom Marsden<br />
Mike Simpson<br />
Graham Harrison<br />
Craig Topley<br />
Kerrin Wilson QPM<br />
Skills & Education<br />
Diversity and Inclusion<br />
Chartered Director &<br />
Professional Development<br />
Policy and Governance<br />
Manufacturing and Engineering<br />
Connect & Events / PR &<br />
Communications<br />
Cyber Security<br />
Greater Lincolnshire & Rutland<br />
Vice Chair<br />
Skills and Education<br />
Diversity and Inclusion<br />
Policy and Governance<br />
Marketing/Communications<br />
Financial Planning and<br />
Wealth Management<br />
Defence and Vice Chair<br />
Health<br />
Digital<br />
Construction and Engineering<br />
Co-opted Branch Ambassador<br />
Policing and Criminal Justice<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Ambassadors: Want to get involved?<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> East <strong>Midlands</strong> is currently seeking Ambassadors for a number of<br />
roles, as specified above. If you see a role that is marked Vacant and<br />
you are interested in filling it, please contact Cait Murphy via<br />
cait.murphy@iod.com or t: 0115 678 1716 for more details.<br />
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire<br />
Dr Rona Mackenzie Chair<br />
Paul Eeles<br />
Vice Chair, Branch Ambassador,<br />
Skills and Education<br />
Stacey Green Diversity and Inclusion<br />
Julie Pomeroy Chartered Director and<br />
Professional Development<br />
Greg Simpson Marketing and<br />
Communications<br />
John Jennings Employee and Business<br />
Engagement<br />
Lindsey Newman-Wood<br />
Innovation & Creativity<br />
Phil Webster Business Improvement<br />
Peter Wingrove Mental Health & Wellbeing<br />
Will Jackson Entrepreneurship<br />
Andrew Bacon Policy & Governance<br />
Emrys Green Young<br />
Leicestershire and<br />
South East <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
Sarah Canning<br />
Shamir Ghumra<br />
Gareth Thomas<br />
Rhiannon Stafford<br />
Craig Bentley<br />
Nicola Moss<br />
Mark Eydman<br />
Kyra Williams<br />
Adrian Pryce<br />
Neil Campbell<br />
Paul Kelly<br />
Branch Chair<br />
Vice Chair<br />
Skills and Education<br />
Diversity and Inclusion<br />
Policy and Governance<br />
PR & Comms<br />
Employee Engagement<br />
Digital & Creative Ambassador<br />
CSR<br />
Risk Management<br />
Cyber<br />
32 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
<strong>IoD</strong> West <strong>Midlands</strong> Chairs and Ambassadors<br />
Black Country & Staffs<br />
Paul Wood<br />
Branch Chair<br />
April Pearson-Myatt Policy & Governance<br />
Julie Haydon Diversity & Inclusion<br />
John Phillips Develop: Education & Skills<br />
Peter Suddock Develop: Business improvement<br />
Roger Fairhead Influence<br />
Andrew Thompson Sustainability<br />
Andrew Jones Finance<br />
Elizabeth Mee Connect<br />
Worcester & the Marches<br />
Michael Doolan Branch Chair<br />
John Painter Influence<br />
Julie Hayden Diversity & Inclusion<br />
Peter Dickinson Connect<br />
Vacant<br />
Develop<br />
Coventry & Warwickshire<br />
Dean Kavanagh<br />
Zeynep Turudi<br />
Paul Fairburn<br />
Jenny Bettany<br />
Denise Taylor<br />
Greater Birmingham<br />
Branch Chair<br />
Connect: Trade/Export<br />
Develop:<br />
Education & Skills<br />
Diversity & Inclusion<br />
Connect<br />
Andy Wilkinson Branch Chair<br />
Gary Simpson Connect<br />
Trudi Beswick Diversity & Inclusion<br />
Paul Hooper-Keeley Develop<br />
Russell Jeans Influence/Governance<br />
Yiannis Maos Technology<br />
Abid Khan<br />
Commonwealth Games<br />
Opportunity, Legacy &<br />
Communities Ambassador<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Ambassadors: Want to get involved?<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> West <strong>Midlands</strong> is currently seeking Ambassadors for a number of<br />
roles, as specified above. If you see a role that is marked Vacant and<br />
you are interested in filling it, please contact Frances Fairclough via<br />
e: frances.fairclough@iod.com or t: 0121 281 5531 for more details.<br />
Meet our latest Ambassadors<br />
Andrew Bacon OBE<br />
Policy & Governance Ambassador,<br />
Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire<br />
With over 32 years in<br />
leadership positions of<br />
operations management<br />
and lean transformation<br />
of corporate and public<br />
service organisations,<br />
Andrew’s experience<br />
spans all sectors (public, private and<br />
social sector), multiple industries<br />
(automotive, energy,<br />
telecommunications and services) and<br />
operation sizes ranging from small<br />
though to medium and large in over 15<br />
countries.<br />
Andrew is currently the CEO of a<br />
national charity and social enterprise<br />
based in Nottingham that brings<br />
together businesses, higher education,<br />
schools and young social/environmental<br />
innovators to support the development<br />
of some of the most socially-minded<br />
responsible young leaders in the UK.<br />
Andrew is also a professor at the<br />
University of Nottingham Business<br />
Schools.<br />
Peter Dickinson<br />
Connect Ambassador,<br />
Worcester and the Marches<br />
Peter has been a<br />
member of the <strong>IoD</strong> for 20<br />
years and has presented<br />
various workshops and<br />
webinars over that time.<br />
He ran peer networks<br />
and Mastermind groups,<br />
which offer an excellent loosely<br />
structured framework to have<br />
conversations with like-minded business<br />
people.<br />
He sees his role as Connect<br />
Ambassador as a fabulous opportunity<br />
to meet members in Shropshire and<br />
grow the <strong>IoD</strong>’s influence in the county.<br />
Emrys Green<br />
Young Ambassador,<br />
Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire<br />
Supporting young<br />
professionals to take the<br />
next step in their careers<br />
is one of Emrys’s<br />
passions. His intention is<br />
to make the <strong>IoD</strong> more<br />
accessible for the under<br />
30s, providing more opportunities for<br />
them to develop locally and make the<br />
most of the benefits and support<br />
available.<br />
Emrys, currently a director of my own<br />
company, Cloud Artisans, and a board<br />
member for a regional and an<br />
international charity, hopes to offer his<br />
diverse experiences and networks to<br />
young directors, to support our region’s<br />
future.<br />
Julie Haydon<br />
Inclusivity and Diversity Ambassador<br />
Black Country & Staffs<br />
Julie sees her role as an<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Ambassador as<br />
offering an opportunity to<br />
enable greater<br />
connectivity, to positively<br />
influence others and to<br />
drive professional<br />
development. It also allows her to lead<br />
and build the voice of the <strong>IoD</strong> and to<br />
represent the innovation and diversity<br />
that exists across our community.<br />
She has been inspired by the positive<br />
benefits that diversity and inclusion can<br />
bring, particularly when this is coupled<br />
with the adoption of a more inclusive,<br />
kind leadership approach, inspires me to<br />
continue to contribute to lasting change.<br />
More new Ambassadors: see overleaf<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
33
<strong>IoD</strong> Ambassadors<br />
Meet the <strong>IoD</strong> Ambassadors<br />
Andrew Jones<br />
Finance Ambassador,<br />
Black Country & Staffordshire<br />
Andrew is delighted to<br />
have the opportunity to<br />
serve as a regional <strong>IoD</strong><br />
ambassador and is<br />
looking forward to<br />
building relationships and<br />
providing the benefit of<br />
his experience and contacts to advise<br />
members on IT strategy related<br />
challenges. His own experience has<br />
shown his own demonstrable ability to<br />
implement large-scale, IT-driven<br />
strategic change across functional and<br />
geographic boundaries in global<br />
institutional, retail and Fintech start-up<br />
businesses.<br />
Elizabeth Mee, Connect Ambassador<br />
for Black Country & Staffordshire<br />
Elizabeth has held sales roles since the<br />
beginning of my career, throughout<br />
which she has always enjoyed<br />
networking and building relationships.<br />
She is delighted to use these skills as the<br />
Black Country &<br />
Staffordshire’s new<br />
Connect Ambassador. She<br />
said: “I believe this is a<br />
very important part to any<br />
business and it is<br />
something I am very<br />
passionate about.<br />
“I am all about collaboration and I’m<br />
excited to help promote this within the<br />
<strong>IoD</strong>.<br />
John Painter<br />
Influence Ambassador,<br />
Worcester and the<br />
Marches branch<br />
John is a chartered<br />
accountant who has retired<br />
from practice to<br />
concentrate on coaching and strategy<br />
implementation with SMEs. He spent 15<br />
years actively involved with<br />
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber<br />
of Commerce, during which time he was<br />
vice president and chairman. During that<br />
time he met with many political leaders<br />
from local government to Cabinet level.<br />
Andrew Thompson<br />
Sustainability Ambassador for BC&S<br />
Andrew is currently CEO of Groundwork<br />
West <strong>Midlands</strong> (GWWM), a charity that<br />
operates across the wider West <strong>Midlands</strong><br />
Region, delivering a range<br />
of projects impacting<br />
upon employment & skills,<br />
health & wellbeing, and<br />
the environment & climate<br />
change.<br />
As part of this work,<br />
GWWM works with SMEs to support<br />
them on their journey to sustainability,<br />
including the baselining of current GHG<br />
outputs and helping them to implement<br />
their carbon reduction plans.<br />
Andrew is passionate about the<br />
sustainability agenda and supporting<br />
others on their journeys to carbon<br />
reduction and is keen to share some of<br />
his over 20 years’ knowledge with his<br />
fellow <strong>IoD</strong> members as they embark on<br />
their own sustainability journeys.<br />
34 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands January <strong>2022</strong>
Golden night for 38 of the most<br />
forces-friendly employers<br />
Local authorities, educational<br />
establishments and commercial<br />
companies spanning IT, recruitment<br />
and building materials were among<br />
the organisations honoured for their<br />
outstanding support for the military at a<br />
regional ceremony before Christmas to<br />
recognise the 2021 winners of the national<br />
Defence Employer Recognition Scheme<br />
Gold Awards.<br />
Against the stunning backdrop<br />
of the Royal Armouries in Leeds, 38<br />
organisations were recognised for the<br />
contribution they make to the Armed<br />
Forces community in an event jointly<br />
hosted by East <strong>Midlands</strong> RFCA, North<br />
West RFCA and the RFCA for Yorkshire<br />
and the Humber.<br />
Winners ranged from SME family<br />
companies to large organisations<br />
employing many thousands, such as<br />
the University of Derby and Aggregate<br />
Industries. What all of them had in<br />
common was brilliant HR practices that<br />
support staff that serve or have served in<br />
the military.<br />
Minister for Defence People and<br />
Veterans, Leo Docherty, was guest<br />
speaker for the night. He thanked “all<br />
the organisations who have proven their<br />
support for the defence community<br />
during such unprecedented times.<br />
“The vast range of those recognised<br />
this year demonstrates how employing<br />
the Armed Forces community makes a<br />
truly positive and beneficial impact for all<br />
employers, regardless of size, sector or<br />
location.”<br />
To win an award, all the organisations<br />
provide ten extra paid days leave for<br />
serving Reserves and Cadet Force Adult<br />
Volunteers so they can attend camps<br />
and training events, and have supportive<br />
policies in place for Veterans, Reserves<br />
and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, as<br />
Gold ERS 21 Award<br />
winners for the East<br />
<strong>Midlands</strong>, North<br />
West and Yorkshire &<br />
Humber. Top, all the<br />
award winners. Above<br />
right, Bruce Spencer,<br />
Regional Employer<br />
Engagement Director,<br />
East <strong>Midlands</strong> RFCA,<br />
with Her Majesty’s<br />
Lord-Lieutenant of<br />
West Yorkshire Ed<br />
Anderson.<br />
Right, the teams from<br />
The University of Derby<br />
and Lincoln College<br />
well as the spouses and partners of those<br />
serving in the Armed Forces.<br />
The awards were presented by Her<br />
Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of West<br />
Yorkshire Ed Anderson, who said: “The<br />
military depends on great employers who<br />
truly understand the role of Reserves<br />
to the Armed Forces’ capability, as<br />
well as the vital part Cadet Force Adult<br />
Volunteers play in creating fantastic<br />
and often life-changing opportunities<br />
for thousands of young people in local<br />
communities. That’s why it is such an<br />
honour to present awards to these<br />
organisations who showcase the very<br />
best of employment practices when it<br />
comes to those who serve, and those who<br />
have served, and their families.”<br />
Among the winners were:<br />
• Aggregate Industries, Leicestershire<br />
• Ashfield District Council, Nottinghamshire<br />
• Eagle Eye Innovations, Lincolnshire<br />
• Forces Cars Direct, Lincolnshire<br />
• Forces Solutions, Rutland<br />
• HZL Specialist Solutions Limited, Derbys<br />
• Lincoln College, Lincolnshire<br />
• Mercury Electronic Warfare, Lincs<br />
• Shorterm Group, Derbyshire<br />
• TMS Support Solutions, Lincolnshire<br />
• University of Derby, Derbyshire<br />
In addition, Nottinghamshire Healthcare<br />
NHS Foundation Trust had their Gold<br />
Award re-validated after holding it for five<br />
years already.<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
35
Events Diary<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Virtual Women’s Leadership<br />
Conference <strong>2022</strong><br />
Date: March 9-11, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Prices: Early-Bird Ticket - 2 day access<br />
£40 + VAT<br />
Available until December 22<br />
Corporate prices are available<br />
10 places - £320 + VAT<br />
20 places - £600 + VAT<br />
30 places - £1,000 + VAT<br />
40 places - £1,260 + VAT<br />
50 places - £1,540 + VAT<br />
Venue: Online<br />
Sponsored by global law firm,<br />
Herbert Smith Freehills<br />
The <strong>2022</strong> <strong>IoD</strong> Virtual Women’s<br />
Leadership Conference will be a<br />
celebration of success – of women in<br />
leadership roles and of the conference<br />
itself.<br />
After the huge success of the 2021<br />
event, with over 1,100 delegates tuning<br />
in, the conference will be returning as a<br />
virtual event in <strong>2022</strong> for it’s 15th year.<br />
This virtual event will take place as two<br />
sessions, the first on Wednesday, March<br />
9 from 2pm - 4pm, and the final session<br />
on Friday, March 11, from 2pm - 4pm.<br />
Our <strong>2022</strong> theme is taken from a quote<br />
by Eleanor Roosevelt<br />
“The future belongs to those who<br />
believe in the beauty of their dreams.”<br />
This conference is set to be another<br />
complete sell-out with world-class<br />
speakers, the 6th ‘Pitch Perfect’ virtual<br />
competition for a chance to win £4K for<br />
your business, and a chance to connect<br />
with a global audience!<br />
Host: Susan Hayes Culleton CFA,<br />
‘The Positive Economist’<br />
Susan is Managing<br />
Director of the Hayes<br />
Culleton Group, with<br />
clients across Europe<br />
and the USA. She is<br />
author of Positive<br />
Economics, the marketleading<br />
economics second level<br />
textbook . Her latest book Money<br />
Matters is currently ready for print. It’s a<br />
Transition Year book focusing on<br />
personal finance, investing and<br />
enterprise, for schoolchildren.<br />
Susan co-founded #SavvyTeenAcademy<br />
which manages teenage work<br />
experiences in corporate organisations,<br />
is presenter of the YouTube show<br />
“Fantastic Female Fridays” and sits on<br />
the board of the Irish International<br />
Business Network.<br />
Speakers<br />
Khalida Popal<br />
Former Captain of the<br />
Afghanistan women’s<br />
soccer team and founder<br />
of the Girl Power<br />
Organisation, Khalida<br />
overcame significant<br />
opposition before she<br />
founded the Afghan women’s football<br />
team back in 2007. She then went on to<br />
captain the team and later became the<br />
first woman to be employed by the<br />
Afghanistan Football Federation, initially<br />
as the finance officer, followed by the<br />
director of Women’s Football Committee.<br />
Despite going into exile in 2011, the<br />
pioneer remained connected to her<br />
country and involved in many activities<br />
supporting and helping projects which<br />
helps women in terms of healthy lifestyle<br />
and sports.<br />
Today, Khalida is the founder &<br />
director of the Girl Power Organisation,<br />
the commercial & women’s football<br />
co-ordinator at FC Nordsjælland, a<br />
Brand ambassador for Hummel, an<br />
ambassador of the European Week of<br />
Sport Denmark, and a FIFA Legend.<br />
Dame Inga Beale, The first female CEO<br />
of Lloyds of London<br />
Former CEO of Lloyd’s<br />
of London, workplace<br />
equality advocate and<br />
leading businesswoman,<br />
Dame Inga Beale took<br />
the global insurance and<br />
reinsurance sector by<br />
storm. After studying economics and<br />
accounting, Inga joined Prudential<br />
Assurance Company in 1982. Entering a<br />
male-dominated industry, Beale faced<br />
adversity first hand. She moved to work<br />
as an underwriter for General Electric’s<br />
insurance department before making her<br />
way up to the management team in<br />
2001.<br />
By 2009 Inga was a key member of<br />
the Zurich Insurance Group, after<br />
previously reviving Swiss reinsurer<br />
Converium, and was named the group’s<br />
Global Chief Underwriting Officer. In<br />
2013, it was announced that she would<br />
become the first female CEO of Lloyd’s<br />
of London.<br />
Anne Sheehan, General Manager,<br />
Microsoft Ireland<br />
Anne joined Microsoft<br />
Ireland as General<br />
Manager in October<br />
2021, taking<br />
responsibility for the<br />
sales, marketing, and<br />
services business, with a<br />
particular focus on delivering business<br />
transformation.<br />
Prior to joining Microsoft, Anne was<br />
Enterprise Director at Vodafone UK<br />
having run Vodafone Ireland’s Enterprise<br />
Business for four years. Previously, Anne<br />
worked at IBM for 16 years.<br />
Bernadette Collins, Head of Race<br />
Strategy for Aston Martin Cognizant<br />
Formula One Team<br />
Bernie is responsible<br />
for the race strategy<br />
each weekend. This<br />
involves travelling to the<br />
majority of the events<br />
around the world and<br />
making strategy calls<br />
from the pit wall; reacting to incidents,<br />
safety cars and weather conditions.<br />
Vicky Davies, Chief Executive,<br />
Danske Bank UK<br />
A Cambridge<br />
graduate, Vicky started<br />
her career as a<br />
management consultant<br />
at Accenture in London.<br />
After gaining her MBA at<br />
the renowned INSEAD<br />
business school in France, Vicky joined<br />
Ulster Bank in 2005. She moved on to<br />
become part of Danske Bank’s senior<br />
management team in 2012, initially as<br />
Head of Business Development, then<br />
becoming Managing Director of Strategy<br />
& Corporate Development.<br />
She joined the Board of Danske Bank<br />
UK in 2016 and was appointed Deputy<br />
CEO in 2019. She took over as Chief<br />
Executive in September 2021.<br />
Event Manager Chelsea Brennan<br />
T: 0289 068 3224<br />
E: Chelsea.Brennan@iod.com<br />
Remember... “The future<br />
belongs to those who<br />
believe in the beauty of<br />
their dreams.”<br />
36 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
Innovation for business in Africa<br />
Date: February 8, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Time: 12.30 - 1.30pm<br />
Location: Online<br />
Price: Free<br />
The UK Government has recently<br />
negotiated eight free trade agreements<br />
with African countries and trading blocs,<br />
which has created tariffs and duty-free<br />
trade between Britain and 30 African<br />
nations. These agreements have created<br />
significant opportunities for African<br />
consumers and companies, not least in<br />
the 24 Anglophone countries, and open<br />
up a new market for UK goods and<br />
services.<br />
Africa is a thriving continent offering<br />
immense trading opportunities but<br />
Africa accounts for just 2.5 per cent of<br />
the UK’s trade. UK-Africa trade has<br />
‘flat-lined’, yet prior to the Covid-19<br />
pandemic, the world’s five fastestgrowing<br />
economies were all African, and<br />
regional leaders like Nigeria and South<br />
Africa are expected to become<br />
superpowers of the global economy as<br />
we move towards the second half of this<br />
century.<br />
In addition to the anticipated<br />
population growth, Africa also offers<br />
opportunities due to its climate and vast<br />
wealth of natural resources as well as<br />
technological innovations like mPesa<br />
that companies around the globe are<br />
adopting as their business models.<br />
This then leads to the question: “How<br />
can we use innovation as an enabler of<br />
trade between UK and the continent?”<br />
Please join our guest speakers and<br />
colleagues to discuss the important<br />
topic ‘Innovation for Business in Africa’<br />
on February 8th <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
Event manager: Mrs Juliet Rushent<br />
T: 020 8078 4127<br />
E: Juliet.rushent@iod.com<br />
Johannesburg, South Africa: The<br />
economic centre of the country is an<br />
attractive market for UK businesses<br />
Mastermind<br />
groups<br />
LINCOLN<br />
John Hebblethwaite will be<br />
hosting this Mastermind for<br />
members based in Lincoln.<br />
Date: January 18, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Time: 4-6pm<br />
Location: Online<br />
Price: Free<br />
Event manager: Joshua Whitehead<br />
e: Joshua.Whitehead@iod.com<br />
NOTTINGHAM<br />
Date: January 19, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Time: 6-8pmpm<br />
Location: Online<br />
Price: Free<br />
Event manager: Joshua Whitehead<br />
e: Joshua.Whitehead@iod.com<br />
The <strong>IoD</strong> / Nelsons Lunch series is back on the menu!<br />
We are delighted to announce that <strong>IoD</strong><br />
East <strong>Midlands</strong>’ popular Professionals<br />
Lunch series is back – and with same<br />
superb hosts who used to treat us so<br />
well before the pandemic!<br />
One of the most popular events in<br />
the regional diary, the Professionals<br />
Lunch is networking at is best, with<br />
great food and drink served in an<br />
informal, convivial atmosphere that’s<br />
just made for getting the networking<br />
going.<br />
This is the best reason you’ll find<br />
to step outside the office and take a<br />
proper lunch once in a while.<br />
A reception drink is included in the<br />
price with thanks to our sponsors,<br />
Nelsons Solicitors.<br />
In LEICESTER, our hosts are the<br />
Chutney Ivy. You’ll enjoy a delicious<br />
Indian food buffet right in the heart of<br />
Leicester while meeting fellow directors<br />
Memsaab, Nottingham<br />
and professionals from the region. It’s a<br />
great opportunity to discuss hot topics<br />
in business right now in an informal<br />
setting.<br />
Share ideas on best practice and hear<br />
from those in different industries with<br />
new prospective. Build your rapport<br />
with Leicester business owners and<br />
professionals over food and drink at<br />
Chutney Ivy.<br />
NEXT EVENT:<br />
Date: 10th February<br />
Time: 12:30 - 14:30<br />
Venue: Chutney Ivy, Leicester<br />
Click HERE for details<br />
In NOTTINGHAM our popular<br />
lunch event has been renamed as the<br />
DIRECTORS LUNCH. it will be hosted,<br />
as ever, by the Memsaab Restaurant<br />
in the heart of the city, and is again<br />
supported by Nelsons.<br />
As with the Leicester lunch, we will<br />
be serving a delicious Indian buffet that<br />
will cater for all tastes.<br />
NEXT EVENT:<br />
Venue: Memsaab, Nottingham<br />
Date: 15th February<br />
Time: 12.30-2.30pm<br />
Click HERE for details of future events<br />
Prices for both events:<br />
Student: £20 + VAT;<br />
Member: £25 + VAT;<br />
Non Member: £32 + VAT<br />
Event manager: Ms Cait Murphy<br />
t: 0115 678 1716<br />
e: cait.murphy@iod.com<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
37
Director Development<br />
<strong>IoD</strong>: Helping you improve<br />
as a director<br />
Professional<br />
Director Series<br />
To help you understand your role as a<br />
director, and future-proof your board<br />
and organisation, the <strong>IoD</strong> has developed<br />
the Professional Director Series to be<br />
delivered virtually – bringing accessible<br />
and digestible CPD straight to you.<br />
The whole series is mapped to the<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> Director Competency Framework,<br />
keeping your learning relevant, up-todate<br />
and in line with your professional<br />
development ambitions. Whether you’re<br />
embarking on the Certificate in Company<br />
Direction or are a qualified Chartered<br />
Director, this CPD series is the perfect<br />
accompaniment – or refresher – to your<br />
existing knowledge.<br />
You’ll be part of a group of leaders<br />
from organisations of all shapes and<br />
sizes from across our regions and<br />
nations, allowing you to connect, learn<br />
Find out more at https://www.iod.com/training/professional-director-series<br />
from each other, share your setbacks<br />
and successes, and encourage each<br />
other at the most senior level during<br />
these difficult times.<br />
Our Professional Director Series is<br />
now available to all full <strong>IoD</strong> members,<br />
including CDir and F<strong>IoD</strong>, as a free of<br />
charge online resource.*<br />
* Please note, this is not available free<br />
of charge to associate members.<br />
Certificate in Company Direction<br />
Whether you’re a newly appointed<br />
director, aspiring to a seat on the board,<br />
or want to improve performance with<br />
fresh insight, the <strong>IoD</strong> Certificate in<br />
Company Direction, Level 9 (SCQF)<br />
qualification will equip you with the core<br />
knowledge and awareness needed to<br />
function effectively as a director.<br />
The programme covers the key<br />
areas of governance, finance, strategy<br />
and leadership providing you with a<br />
foundation in effective directorship:<br />
n An in-depth view of the role, your<br />
responsibilities and legal duties<br />
n An understanding of the<br />
characteristics of an effective board<br />
n Sound knowledge of financial terms<br />
and concepts<br />
n The issues and processes associated<br />
with formulating strategic business plans<br />
and achieving strategic leadership<br />
n Enriched peer learning with<br />
directors across the globe<br />
n A qualification that is respected<br />
world-wide and sits as an equivalent to<br />
degree level<br />
Take advantage of a range of flexible<br />
routes to qualification available across<br />
the UK, featuring a blend of digital<br />
and interactive virtual learning tailored<br />
to your level of experience, prior<br />
qualifications, career aspirations and<br />
learning style.<br />
Find out more at https://www.iod.com/training/qualifications/certificate<br />
Leading from<br />
the Chair<br />
The role of the Chair in an organisation<br />
is often misunderstood and regularly<br />
becomes confused with the role of the<br />
CEO.<br />
It is far more than managing the<br />
process of board meeting execution.<br />
Analysis of successful organisations<br />
shows that the leadership role of the<br />
Chair is vital in order to ensure that the<br />
board as a team makes decisions and<br />
discharges its duties effectively. This<br />
session will clarify the Chair’s leadership<br />
role in order to unleash the value<br />
creating potential of the board.<br />
Delegates will be able to:<br />
• Outline the purpose of the Chair<br />
• Describe the skills, attributes and<br />
characteristics of an effective Chair<br />
• Identify how the Chair can add value<br />
both in and out of the boardroom<br />
With special thanks to our Leading<br />
from the Chair sponsor for 2021 -<br />
OnBoard by Passageways. OnBoard<br />
is a comprehensive and secure board<br />
management software that helps you<br />
govern more effectively.<br />
More details, contact:<br />
t: 0208 142 9066<br />
e: professional dev@iod.com<br />
Click the logo for more details, course<br />
fees and dates for <strong>2022</strong><br />
Want to know more about<br />
<strong>IoD</strong> training and director<br />
development programmes?<br />
Our training team are here to<br />
answer your questions.<br />
Call us: 020 7766 2601<br />
or email<br />
developing@iod.com<br />
38 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
January <strong>2022</strong>
Five steps to becoming a better director<br />
Role of the Director and the Board*<br />
Duration: Two days<br />
This is an essential introduction to the<br />
role, duties and legal responsibilities of<br />
a director and the workings of a board.<br />
The training offered within this course will<br />
help you to examine your own professional<br />
liabilities, the board’s role in corporate<br />
governance, and learn how to improve<br />
board effectiveness.<br />
Click the logo for more details,<br />
course fees and dates for <strong>2022</strong><br />
Finance for Non-Finance Directors*<br />
Duration: Three days<br />
This course, designed specifically<br />
for non-finance directors and senior<br />
managers, will demystify the world<br />
of finance, helping you to assess the<br />
financial health of your organisation in<br />
the context of its strategic objectives.<br />
Evaluate business plans with confidence,<br />
question financial information and<br />
contribute more effectively to boardroom<br />
decision-making.<br />
Click the logo for more details,<br />
course fees and dates for <strong>2022</strong><br />
Strategy for Directors*<br />
Duration: Three days<br />
Strategic planning is essential for<br />
every board of directors. Explore<br />
the relationship between strategy,<br />
governance and risk and learn how to<br />
use tools and frameworks that support<br />
strategic thinking and decision-making to<br />
create, implement and future- proof your<br />
organisation’s strategy.<br />
Click the logo for more details,<br />
course fees and dates for <strong>2022</strong><br />
Leadership for Directors*<br />
Duration: Two days<br />
This course will help you to brush up<br />
on the latest leadership techniques based<br />
on real-world leader examples and learn<br />
how to create influence, stakeholder<br />
engagement and impact, with an<br />
opportunity to reflect on and explore<br />
your own leadership style.<br />
Click the logo for more details,<br />
course fees and dates for <strong>2022</strong><br />
Role of the Chair<br />
Duration: One day<br />
The chair has a critical influence on a<br />
board’s style, composition, balance and<br />
performance. This course provides you<br />
with the knowledge, skills and tools to<br />
be an effective chair and successfully<br />
lead and develop a board. It gives you<br />
an opportunity to review your role and<br />
update yourself on current good practice.<br />
Click the logo for more details,<br />
course fees and dates for <strong>2022</strong><br />
Role of the Non-Executive Director<br />
Duration: One day<br />
As more individuals choose ‘portfolio<br />
careers’ and demand for non-executive<br />
directors continues to rise, it has never<br />
been more important to understand the<br />
critical requirements and appropriate skill<br />
set of a non-executive director.<br />
Gain practical advice from an<br />
experienced portfolio non-executive<br />
director and participate in interactive<br />
case studies.<br />
Click the logo for more details,<br />
course fees and dates for <strong>2022</strong><br />
See www.iod.com/training/open-courses *These modular courses are part of the Certificate<br />
in Company Direction and can be taken individually or as part of the Certificate.<br />
Accelerated pathway to business success<br />
Business pressures can make it difficult<br />
to take time out to focus on personal and<br />
professional development.<br />
But the <strong>IoD</strong> has a course that lets<br />
you take control of your professional<br />
development and become a Certified<br />
Director with this intensive fast track<br />
residential designed specifically for the<br />
time-poor leader.<br />
Using a blend of online and faceto-face<br />
learning, the <strong>IoD</strong> Accelerated<br />
Certificate in Company Direction offers<br />
directors the same expert training<br />
and knowledge available through our<br />
traditional approach, but requiring only<br />
five consecutive days away from the<br />
demands of your business.<br />
This fast-track residential programme<br />
provides you with fresh insights into<br />
the key areas of strategy, leadership,<br />
governance and finance, thus covering<br />
the subjects of the Certificate in<br />
Company Direction modules:<br />
n Role of the Director and the Board<br />
n Finance for Non-Finance Directors<br />
n Strategy for Directors<br />
n Leadership for Directors<br />
Why attend?<br />
n Achieve the <strong>IoD</strong> Certificate in<br />
Company Direction in a flexible way<br />
n Share experiences with your peers<br />
n Minimise time away from the office<br />
n Learn from leading professional<br />
n For individual directors and groups of<br />
directors from the same organisation<br />
Who will benefit?<br />
n Busy directors who cannot take too<br />
much time away from the demands of<br />
their business and who are looking for<br />
a fast track method of achieving the<br />
certificate in company direction<br />
n Overseas directors who are looking to<br />
complete the full programme.<br />
n Leaders who want to bring specific<br />
competences and credibility to their<br />
businesses<br />
Those who wish to gain further<br />
qualifications will be able to progress to<br />
the Diploma in Company Direction and<br />
to Chartered Director status.<br />
To find out more about the<br />
Accelerated Certificate in Company<br />
Direction and to book your<br />
place(s), speak to the Professional<br />
Development team on 020 7766 2601<br />
or via email to developing@iod.com<br />
Prices: Member: £9,775 + VAT; Nonmember:<br />
£11,875 + VAT<br />
Prices are inclusive of course<br />
materials, five nights accommodation<br />
including breakfast and group meals.<br />
January <strong>2022</strong><br />
Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands<br />
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