MEET THE PRESIDENT...

Vince Cook MBE is the President of the DESSC Board of Trustees.

Tell us a little about your time and work in Dubai?

I am currently the CEO of National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) and have been since the end of 2009. Prior to that I had worked in the UAE for Barclays during 1988-1991 and 1998-2003, with roles in London, Qatar and Singapore in between these dates.

How did you find DESSC or did DESSC find you?

I am the proud father of five children, all of whom have had at least part of their education in DESS and/or DESC over the years since 1998. Each time we looked at the education options available to us throughout this period, DESSC was always on the initial wish list and, spaces permitting, always went on to become our preferred option.

During this time and through a number of business relationships with members of the Board of Trustees, I became aware of the structure of the school and the way the operations of the school and it’s not-for-profit status was governed.

Tell us a bit about your role as a Trustee and rising to the hot seat as President...

The Board positions have a limited tenure so there is a regular opportunity to bring new people and insights to the discussions and the oversight responsibility. I was initially approached by the previous Chair, Cynthia Trench, at a social event to consider putting myself forward for a role on the Board. Following the initial informal approach, I went through several selection interviews and joined at the outset as a Trustee “in waiting” for a short period of induction.

From before my time, Board members have tried to establish a spread of professional competencies amongst the membership so that we can provide practical advice and knowledge across the fall gamut of the school’s operations. As you might imagine I was positioned to replace one or two of the earlier members that had a strong finance background.

My appointment to the position of Chair (now President) was triggered by Cynthia coming to the end of the maximum tenure allowed under the schools’ Articles of Association and involved a vote amongst the full Board. Of course, it was a great honour to be considered for the role and I hope they still feel happy with their choice!

Fortunately, the Board is full of people driven by a strong commitment to a common cause, i.e. doing what we believe to be in the best interests of the institution, and each member gives their significant time and effort on an unpaid basis. So, despite the weight of responsibility that no doubt comes with the role, it is a pleasure to work with such a group and to interact with the school’s senior leadership team, who day after day clearly demonstrate their undoubted ability and dedication.

What are the most rewarding parts of your role?

That’s easy – these often come when I can get away from the day job and join one of the many events that take place at the School or College. Now that I am no longer focused on the participation of my own kids, I can really appreciate the breadth of the activities underway each term and the quality of the end product, whether it be from a performing arts production, a sporting fixture, the photography competition, the singing of the Chamber Choir or any of the other amazing events that I have been lucky to see.

In this early post-pandemic period, I should also mention that being able to witness the joy on our students’ faces on their return to school after this prolonged period of disruption, made all the hard work behind the scenes totally worthwhile. Then, of course, there is always the unbounded joy of the children at DESS with almost everything they get to do, to lighten the load of any of my own day-to-day concerns.

Finally, the greatest reward comes from seeing the quality of the young adults that have passed through DESC and go on to bigger and brighter futures. At the end of the day, providing the environment that allows our students to achieve and to benefit from the opportunities in front of them is what we should strive to do every day.

What an honor to receive an MBE, tell us how you first heard and then what happened afterwards...

I heard just before Christmas last year and was quite taken aback. I have learnt subsequently that to be considered for such an honour, someone has to take the trouble to nominate an individual, who is then assessed and vetted through a number of selection bodies. So aside from the award itself, which is very special, I was particularly taken by the idea that someone had taken some significant effort to nominate me and to successfully navigate the selection process.

There is a little formality around the acceptance process and then the next step is the formal public announcement in the New Year’s Honours List. This caused tremendous excitement amongst the Cook household and many hours were spent seeing who could spot my name first. Not all of the UK Press publish the list in full but the first one available online was the Manchester Evening News! As you can imagine, I now have a house in the UK full of newspapers from that day. The next occasion will be the formal investiture that will take place in the coming months.

What did you receive it for? And did you even know it was a possibility?

Unlike at school, you do not get a year-end report or the result of an examination, so I have to make some assumptions here and no, it was not something I had ever really thought about. The formal announcement advises the award was in recognition of “service to UK/UAE business relations and the British community in Dubai”.

I have been involved in supporting the development of UK/UAE business relations since I first came to Dubai in 1988, being a long-term member of the British Business Group and previously a member of the Dubai-UK Trade & Economic Council and aside from my day job, currently have a number of nonexecutive roles that continue this work. Aside from my role at DESSC, I am also the Treasurer and a Trustee of the British Community Assistance Fund, which is a charitable endeavor founded in 1986 to assist British nationals who find themselves in difficulty, for whatever reason, in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The fund has directly helped over 2000 individuals, and many more indirectly, since its inception and works very closely with the British Embassy.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Take time and sit still long enough to enjoy what you have around you. Not to worry so much – very rarely do things turn out worse than your own fears will predict – it is better to take a step forward than forever wonder what might have been. Stay true to your values and always remember success will come through how you are able to work with others not how smart you think you are.

What would be your one wish for DESSC in the future?

That the next 60 years will be as full of accomplishments and significant achievement as the first 60, and that the bond between the schools and its community of students, parents, staff, management and Board continues to develop and flourish.

Vince Cook MBE