In Touch With Business Issue 4

ISSUE 04 JANUARY 2020

LEADERSHIP GOALS Liverpool FC Manager Jürgen Klopp talks trust, teamwork and togetherness

Creating a Sense of Identity Stedman Graham on ‘Leading Yourself’

All Inclusive Janice Bryant Howroyd on the need to open doors for all

Protecting Your Intellectual Property How IP theft is the next big challenge to business

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JANUARY 2020

IN TOUCH WITH OUR CEO As the CEO of the In Touch group, leadership is a topic that is close to my heart. Being an effective leader is fundamentally about empowering those around you to be leaders themselves. In Touch has brilliant people, from a variety of backgrounds and industries, who lead by example everyday.

The diversity of thought and opinion this allows, especially at senior level, provides a forward-thinking, progressive approach to our members and our partners and this is reflected in the massive growth we have experienced as a business in 2019.

As Janice Bryant Howroyd discusses in her interview on page 16 of this issue, inclusion is incredibly important and can be a real driver of success. By making sure your workforce reflects your stakeholders and wider society, your company will be in touch with customer opinion and wider markets.

Good leaders look outward and take on board the experience and opinions of others, and that is certainly something we strive to do at In Touch.

2019 was a great year for us and I truly can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store.

Matthew Roberts CEO In Touch

In Touch With Business is published

by In Touch Networks Limited (company number 05715110) and printed by PWPFS Print & Design, Hoddesdon. Designed and produced

by In Touch Networks who are an organisation for Non-Executive Directors based at 3 Hardman Square, Spinningfields, M3 3EB. Edited by Thirty 30 Media Limited, Pleer House, 1 Fennel Street, Manchester, M4 3DU.

4 In Touch Takes a Look

Back at 2019

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6 Creating a Sense of Identity

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London Calling On the Frontline in the Fight Against Crime A New Sense of Purpose

16 Why Inclusion Makes Everyone a Winner

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20 Leadership Goals 24 Top Travel Tech for NEDs

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COVER STORY

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Doing Good Business

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Andalucia will Amaze and Astound

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Banking on Success

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Forging the Union

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Setting New Standards

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There’s Ghana be Good Times Ahead

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Learning Lessons from the Education Sector

46 IP: A Global Challenge on Everyone’s Doorstep

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46

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Leading from the Front

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Defence as the Best Form of Attack

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In Touch with Abdulkader Thomas

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The Winds of Change

Reproduction of any material, in whole or in part, is strictly forbidden without the prior consent of the publisher. In Touch With Business and its contributors are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards through their journalism. If you have any corrections or complaints, please contact magazine@intouchnetworks.com.

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2019 In Touch had an incredibly busy and successful year, which saw the business expand into the US and make key acquisitions. Here we take a look at In Touch’s highlights of 2019.

MARCH

JANUARY

RANKED IN FT1000

OPENING OF OUR NEW SPINNINGFIELDS OFFICE

In Touch is recognised as the UK’s third fastest growing e-commerce business and 70th overall in the FT 1000 - the list of Europe’s fastestgrowing companies compiled by the Financial Times - featuring alongside brands such as Deliveroo, Blue Motor Finance and Darktrace.

In Touch moves into a state-of-theart office in the heart of Manchester’s Spinningfields business district. The move signals the company’s intention to build on recent growth and widen the scope of services it provides to members.

MARCH

AUGUST

OPENING OF OUR CHICAGO OFFICE

RTC ACQUISITION

The company opens up its acclaimed platform, development services and coaching packages to millions of business executives in the US. The 18-strong Chicago-based team becomes the central hub for In Touch’s North American operations.

In Touch acquires executive coaching firm RTC Leadership and Coaching.

This provides the business with its first presence in Scotland and RTC’s 51-strong team will support In Touch’s drive to enhance their existing coaching proposition.

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AUGUST OPENING OF FIRST LONDON OFFICE The company’s first offices in the UK capital opens, offering members even more flexibility and extending the In Touch network across the UK. The firm’s London office gives professionals based in the South a designated place to enjoy their face-to-face coaching sessions.

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

RANKED AS ‘ONE TO WATCH’ IN EUROPEAN BUSINESS AWARDS

NEW PORTAL LAUNCHED

In Touch is named in the EBAs, widely regarded as the world’s largest crossindustry, cross-border business awards. This marks In Touch’s first recognition in a competition outside of the UK.

A brand new member portal, which boasts an enhanced look, simpler navigation and faster user experience is unveiled. The portal has been designed with usability at its core, to maximise its functionality and encourage member engagement.

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER

NOVEMBER

SUNDAY TIMES TECH TRACK

PARTNERSHIP WITH ASA

In Touch is ranked at No. 30 in the Sunday Times Hiscox ‘Tech Track 100’ league table, which highlights Britain’s fastestgrowing private technology companies. It is the first time In Touch has placed on the list and follows a period of unparalleled growth for the company.

In Touch Futures, the group’s charity arm, announces a new partnership with the African Science Academy to provide support to gifted young women from across Africa looking to pursue an education in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CONFERENCE

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The premier all-day event for executives and independent board-level professionals.

The conference focuses on securing and cementing your place as a well-rounded and knowledgeable nonexecutive director and features a host of expert speakers from across the business world.

CREATING A SENSE OF IDENTITY “You must learn to lead yourself before leading others,” declares Stedman Graham. It sounds simple, yet he is quick to acknowledge that the road to personal growth can be a difficult one to take.

Graham is the long-term partner of influential talk show host, media mogul, philanthropist and American icon Oprah Winfrey. They have been together for more than three decades.

The 68-year-old is a successful businessman, educator, author and speaker in his own right. He cares deeply about leadership and personal development and has written a series of books on those subjects, including New York Times bestsellers.

Graham’s latest book is called Identity Leadership and is a personal and prescriptive guide based on his philosophy.

Gulfstream Aerospace, Harvard Business School, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Lenovo and Merrill Lynch.

And he has also built relationships and offered seminars with international corporate interests, including Kraft/Mondelez in Turkey, the Reignwood Group in China and Pengrowth Oil in Canada.

A commitment to education and lifelong learning is central to Graham’s philosophy.

He says: “Leadership today is very difficult because you have to constantly change.

You have to stay on the cutting edge.”

Leading yourself

He believes that the more you work on yourself, the more you can give to those around you. And that is where true leadership lies.

He speaks of the disappearance over the decades of institutions and processes that gave stability and support.

Graham delivers his special identity message internationally to businesses, corporations, professional associations, government and civic organisations, colleges and universities.

And in today’s fast-evolving world he says there is a vital need for leaders who understand the importance of self-awareness, self-discipline and self-leadership.

He has worked with many notable corporations and institutions, including

Returning to his theme of ‘leading yourself’ he says: “It sounds so simple and people often get it when you say it.”

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However, he points out that there are barriers in the way.

He explains: “Pretty much we are doing the same thing, over and over, every day. We have the same habits and are unable to disrupt the system.

“We can’t really improve and develop beyond our circumstances. We just grind on, we never really get the chance to focus on building many capabilities within ourselves. We just become workers, we become robots; we become followers.”

Warming to his theme he adds: “The educational system is pretty much set up and designed for you to be a good worker and not to support your own self development, your talents, your skills, your passion and your purpose in life. We have to do that separately.”

Graham was raised in Whitesboro, New Jersey, a small black community surrounded by a predominantly white one. He recalls the local catchphrase was, “Nothing good ever comes out of Whitesboro”.

The eldest of five children,

I’ve learned the process for success is the same for everybody.

Stedman Graham Author & Businessman

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with two brothers who had special needs, Graham talks of the anger and low self-esteem he felt in his younger years.

He says: “I always felt I was not capable of doing things and getting things done.

“I wanted so much to help people because my mum always helped people. I picked up a lot of good habits from her. I didn’t know how to put it together. I didn’t know how to navigate through all that.”

After leaving Whitesboro he travelled extensively, served in the US army, played professional basketball in Europe and worked in the prison system.

However he adds: “None of that was relevant to who I was as a person. I couldn’t define me or my purpose

in life. I didn’t know what I wanted to be.”

Graham says he spent many years trying to figure that out, “writing and learning” in the process.

Missing pieces Living in Oprah’s world gave him a chance to look at people who were very successful and what they did and to compare that to his own life. He says: “I realised some of the missing pieces.

“People who really focused on success and who were really successful had a commonality.

developing his nine steps to success. He says: “It was just for me,” he says. “So I could deal with all the stuff I was dealing with personally, professionally and publicly.”

He believes people can create, develop and design their own future, and his rallying call is, “Prepare for success.”

That means working on your talent and ability every day.

“Everyone has 24 hours, the question is ‘What are you doing with those 24 hours?’” he asks.

“They love what they do, and are passionate about what they love. They have a purpose in life and work and work on it. I realised most people don’t know who they are.”

He sees Oprah as the prototype for the type of identity leadership he talks about. He says: “All her life she has worked to create things for herself, based on her talents, skills and potential.”

Graham then began

And he adds: “I’ve learned the

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I couldn’t define me or my purpose in life.

A commitment to education and lifelong learning is central to Graham’s philosophy. process for success is the same for everybody.

The difference is some people know it and some people don’t.

Developing talent “We have the potential, all of us have strengths and talents and skills. It doesn’t make a difference who you are, developing these talents and skills is what we try to do.

“You couldn’t have a better opportunity to succeed today. We have technologies and ways to organise everything around us. The problem is that’s not the way we are taught and not the way we learn.”

Graham had a successful career in public relations, with clients including American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. He founded his present management and consulting firm, which is based in Chicago, some 30 years ago.

In 1985, Graham founded Athletes Against Drugs (AAD), a youth-oriented nonprofit organisation that has helped thousands of young people and has granted over $1.5 million in scholarships.

One of the primary aims of AAD, apart from providing scholarships to those who need them, is spreading

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awareness about, and preventing substance abuse among young people.

So would the younger Graham back in Whitesboro be impressed by his older self’s achievements?

“It’s a journey,” he says. “You look back and say ‘I was glad I was able to achieve that’.

“I’m not impressed, I am thankful, I am humbled by it more than anything else.

I’m happy and humbled by the opportunities, the opportunity to understand how to develop and to have access to the free enterprise system and how it works.

Putting it all together, I feel very fortunate.”

LONDON CALLING In Touch recently held its flagship annual conference at the prestigious Royal Institution in Mayfair, London. The historic venue has become something of a home from home for the leading nonexecutive network, with this being the third time In Touch’s full-day event has taken place there.

‘The Ultimate Non-Executive Director’ conference was created to provide a comprehensive toolkit for independent directors, encompassing all the most crucial aspects of building a successful portfolio career. Drawing on the vast experience and expertise of a diverse range of expert speakers, the conference offered insights from successful non-executive directors from across the business world.

NAOMI COXWELL

First up was Naomi Coxwell, former VP of BP America and portfolio non-executive, who shared her journey from becoming an In Touch member four years ago, to today holding four non-executive roles. Naomi’s fascinating yet relatable story of building a portfolio across multiple sectors, combined with her natural warmth and humour, set the day off on the right foot.

Next to take to the stage was Shobana Iyer, barrister at

SHOBANA IYER

Swan Chambers, who tackled the often thorny subject of corporate governance and due diligence. Shobana advises some of the top corporations in the UK, alongside holding a number of NED roles, and her expertise was evident throughout her presentation, as she demystified a tricky topic for many directors.

Changing tack entirely, Stuart Bruce brought a PR expert’s perspective to the independent director’s mindset. Moving away from the usual pre-occupations of the non-executive sphere, he explored how important public image and relationships with stakeholders can be. Stuart believes keeping shareholders and stakeholders happy can boost business, and he explored how reputation is increasingly affecting strategy for NEDs. The last speaker of the morning, Roger Flynn, shared his vast and impressive experience at companies such as Virgin, BBC Ventures

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ROGER FLYNN

and LoveHolidays to give the inside story on creating a high-profile, successful and diverse portfolio. He also touched upon the lucrative opportunities open to investordirectors, discussing how to mitigate risk in such situations.

With four engaging sessions wrapped up, host Anne Watson invited the audience to take lunch and enjoy the great networking opportunities available. A select group of delegates took part in an interactive roundtable session run by GDPR Associates, centred around identifying and dealing with data compliance risks using expert know-how and cutting-edge technology.

With lunch over, the afternoon session reconvened in the famous Faraday lecture theatre. Kathy Butler of Cambridge University’s Moller Institute explored the value of lifelong learning and what qualities a great leader must possess, followed by a lively Q&A. Next up was Ros Taylor,

renowned clinical psychologist and executive coach. Ros’s company, RTC Leadership and Coaching recently became part of the In Touch Group, and she immediately demonstrated the insight, humour and intelligence that makes her

ROS TAYLOR

such a valuable addition to the network. Ros discussed the qualities and skills nonexecutives can bring to the coaching arena, and delighted the audience with interactive exercises to demonstrate her points.

Last on before the afternoon break was Bontle Senne, Head of Agile at Deutsche Bank, who discussed the red flags non-execs should look for when reviewing their organisation’s digital strategy and transformation.

Being a non-exec and trustee herself, Bontle was perfectly positioned to understand the

BONTLE SENNE

strategic overview required of independent directors in times of rapid technological change.

After a quick refuel, the final session got underway with Will

becoming an exemplary nonexecutive.

WILL GREENWOOD

Greenwood, Rugby World Cup winner and non-executive. Will explained how the mindset of incremental gains, and winning psychology could be translated to the boardroom, giving directors an advantage they never knew they possessed.

Finally, Dianne Walker, The Sunday Times NED Awards ‘One to Watch’, took to the stage. Dianne described her rise to recognition, and the sometimes difficult situations she had to navigate to get there. From her first nonexec position to now holding an impressive portfolio, she outlined the dos and don’ts of

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The day ended with a drinks reception, where delegates met with speakers and sponsors and discussed the key takeaways from the day.

Amongst the hot topics were the more traditional areas, such as the importance of good governance, and some areas in which NEDs will have to adapt, such as digital transformation.

What’s for sure is that networking and knowledgesharing are amongst the most important weapons any NED can have in their arsenal. The annual conference offered the ultimate opportunity for In Touch members to do just that.

ON THE FRONTLINE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME During 31 years in law enforcement – first in the Royal Ulster Constabulary and then the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) – John Caddell operated at the sharp end of policing.

His intelligence-led work, much of it carried out during The Troubles, played its part in tackling organised crime and terrorists on both sides of the Irish border.

And the experience he amassed during his distinguished career means he is now perfectly placed to advise businesses on governance, compliance and the ever-changing risks created by cybercrime and fraud.

Caddell says: “Police officers are answerable to the courts and the public prosecution services and so are used to dealing with things in an evidential way. Businesses don’t have that skill set and sometimes just move issues on to get them out of the way, which can just cause problems further down the line.”

His move into advising businesses began shortly

before he left the police, when he helped his local community credit union to develop its systems of controls around governance, risk and financial regulations.

Caddell says that voluntary work provided the opportunity to develop his skills and experience in the financial services arena in a non-executive position.

And he adds: “I have now assisted other financial firms around their financial governance to progress their key controls required for the changing business areas of data security, fraud and money laundering, along with formal governance controls and best practice.”

These are “often-challenging” business areas and Caddell works with businesses to develop focused response policies, procedures and controls to negate any

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associated or identified risks.

Responding to fraud He also works to ensure compliance with the Financial Conduct Authority and Information Commissioner who require companies to develop responsible response plans around fraud, cyber and data breaches.

Looking back at his police career, he says his time in Northern Ireland serving diverse communities helped him develop his communication skills.

Caddell says: “It was a challenging time, not least because as well as the Troubles, we were operating as the only UK police service with a European Land Border.

“That made us an easier target for international criminals of all types as well as the paramilitaries who

The In Touch network has allowed him to develop links with the wider UK business community.

John Caddell Governance Expert & In Touch member

were trying to bring in money and weapons amongst other things.”

The growth in cyber crime The Good Friday Agreement enhanced the legal cooperation with the Gardaí in the Republic of Ireland and the changing face of crossborder crime required the use of international authorities and legislation. The growth of crime in cyberspace also created new challenges.

Caddell says: “As a proactive investigator and supervisor within the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Economic Crime Unit, my team’s work fed into the wider Cross Border ‘Organised Crime Task Force’ which dealt with primary targets involved in organised and terrorist crimes.

“This intelligence-led work assisted in the formal controls

and operations designed to bring about the frustration, disruption and dismantling of these key groups and individuals.”

Caddell’s work also coordinated the PSNI’s input into the UK’s national fraud and cyber reporting centre, where people can report, get advice and information.

Caddell says that voluntary work provided the opportunity to develop his skills and experience Associated policing functions around cybercrime and anti-money laundering also allowed him to assist Northern Ireland government departments, banks and professional bodies to progress their systems of controls against anti-

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corruption and bribery, fraud, data security and money laundering offences and incidents.

As his new career grows, his connection with the In Touch network and community has allowed him to develop links with the wider UK business community.

He says: “With In Touch’s networking system I hope to provide guidance to mediumsized companies.”

Caddell’s aim is to help these businesses develop governance around their legal and regulatory requirements to implement an “accountable” response to any incidents of fraud, cyber and data breaches.

It’s an ongoing task for businesses he adds, set against “an ever-changing cyber environment.”

A NEW SENSE OF PURPOSE The message from almost 200 top American chief executives could not have been clearer. The way companies do business has to change – for the sake of everyone’s future.

That is what led them to signing a bold statement this summer declaring the need for corporations to shift from “shareholder primacy” to a broader commitment to all stakeholders.

That declaration has received widespread support from business leaders. And it comes at a time when the idea of “responsible capitalism” is moving up the agenda, amid a growing acceptance in boardrooms of the need to do things differently.

The signatories were all members of the Business Roundtable (BRT) – a highly influential nonprofit association based in Washington DC – which has now redefined the purpose of a corporation to promote ‘An economy that serves all Americans’.

They have committed to lead their companies for “the benefit of customers, employees, suppliers, communities and shareholders”.

High-profile chief executives who are members of BRT include Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Apple’s Tim Cook and GM’s Mary Barra.

The organisation has heralded its new statement as a ‘modern standard for corporate responsibility’ and the shift is yet another clear

sign of the way times and attitudes to doing business are changing.

Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, declared: “The American dream is alive, but fraying.

“Major employers are investing in their workers and communities, because they know it is the only way to be successful over the long term.”

Dimon, BRT chair at the time of the declaration, added: “These modernised principles reflect the business community’s unwavering commitment to continue to push for an economy that serves all Americans.”

His comments were echoed

by Alex Gorsky, chairman of the board and chief executive at Johnson & Johnson. He said: “This new statement better reflects the way corporations can and should operate today.

“It affirms the essential role corporations can play in improving our society when CEOs are truly committed to meeting the needs of all stakeholders.”

Here’s what the signatories have committed to: Delivering value to customers. “We will further the tradition of American companies leading the way

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in meeting or exceeding customer expectations.”

Investing in employees. “This starts with compensating them fairly and providing important benefits. It also includes supporting them through training and education that help develop new skills for a rapidly changing world. We foster diversity and inclusion, dignity and respect.”

Dealing fairly and ethically with suppliers. “We are dedicated to serving as good partners to the other companies, large and small, that help us meet our missions.”

Supporting the communities in which they work. “We respect the people in our communities and protect the environment by embracing sustainable practices across our businesses.”

Generating long-term value for shareholders, who provide the capital that allows companies to invest, grow and innovate. “We are committed to transparency and effective engagement with shareholders.”

Bill McNabb, former CEO of investment management company Vanguard, said: “By taking a broader, more complete view of corporate purpose, boards can focus

on creating long-term value, better serving everyone – investors, employees, communities, suppliers and customers.”

Tricia Griffith, president and CEO of insurance company Progressive Corporation, agrees. She added: “CEOs work to generate profits and return value to shareholders, but the best-run companies do more.

“They put the customer first and invest in their employees and communities. In the end,

it’s the most promising way to build long-term value.”

Former Unilever chief executive Paul Polman is another vocal advocate of change. Speaking in London in October he described capitalism as “a damaged ideology” and said it was time for business chiefs to reinvent it.

He believes businesses need to become a force for good and spoke of the need to build “a new model of inclusive and sustainable

CEOs work to generate profits and return value to shareholders but the best-run companies do more.

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capitalism” – urging top companies and CEOs to work collaboratively to address the UN’s sustainable development goals.

Polman, who was at the helm of the British-Dutch transnational consumer goods company for a decade, also warned that companies putting short-term profit ahead of long-term sustainability will not survive.

Since leaving Unilever he has has gone on to co-found Imagine, a foundation looking to promote the UN’s goals, designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.”

The Pope has also got involved in the debate. In November the Catholic News Agency reported Pope Francis saying: “An inclusive capitalism that leaves no one behind, that discards none of our brothers or sisters, is a noble aspiration.

“A glance at recent history, in particular the financial crisis of 2008, shows us that a healthy economic system cannot be based on shortterm profit at the expense of long-term productive, sustainable and socially responsible development and investment.”

He added: “An economic system that is fair, trustworthy and capable of addressing the most profound challenges facing humanity and our planet is urgently needed.”

WHY INCLUSION MAKES EVERYONE A WINNER Globally recognised as the first African-American woman to own and run a billion dollar company, Janice Bryant Howroyd spoke to In Touch about her passion for opening up opportunities to all.

As founder and chief executive of the ActOne Group, she leads an award-winning, international talent and technology enterprise. As an advocate for greater diversity and inclusion in business, she is both vocal and focused.

Howroyd opened the business in Los Angeles in 1978 with $1,500 which included a $900 loan from her mother, a fax machine and a phone.

Today the agency has more than 17,000 clients and 2,600 employees in 19 countries.

Described as “the largest privately-held, female and minority owned workforce management company in the US”, it serves some of the biggest organisations in the world.

On the Forbes list of ‘America’s Richest Self-Made Women’, Howroyd has been lauded by CNBC as one of the 14 black women who changed business and finance.

An entrepreneur, best-selling author and mentor, Howroyd was also given a key White House appointment by Barack Obama during his presidency.

The 67-year-old believes it is vital for a healthy society to see more people from ethnic groups, along with women

and millennials, succeed as business owners.

To that end, she has just returned to the USA from a trip to London, speaking at a conference organised

by MSDUK, the only UKbased organisation which helps ethnic minority-owned businesses (EMBs).

She is no stranger to the UK. Bernard, her husband of more than 40 years is originally from Yorkshire and his family’s home is in Northallerton. They have two grown-up children, a son and a daughter.

Better opportunities Since it was created in 2006, MSDUK has worked with over 125 global brands and more than 1,500 EMBs, introducing hundreds of new ideas, products and supply chain solutions and securing business worth £735m.

The theme of the conference was ‘Better Ideas for a Better World’ and Howroyd certainly has many of those.

She talks with passion of the threat created by “a closed society where only a few people have access to opportunity”. And she adds: “Creating an opportunity for these new entrants to

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an economy, means everybody wins.”

She is also quick to stress that no-one is “giving” these new entrants anything – they are earning their way in the commercial world.

She adds: “It is opening up opportunities in order to have a broader, stronger economic base.”

Howroyd has built her business on equally strong principles, including the mantra: “Never compromise who you are personally to become who you wish to be professionally.”

She has also created what has been described as a “customer-focused, consultative and entrepreneurial culture” in her business. Visitors to its offices will see its principles written on the walls. As an organisation, ActOne strives to stand solidly on its ‘FEET’.

She explains that it stands for “Freedom to innovate; Excellence of delivery; Everything matters and Time to understand.”

And she adds: “When it comes to the first part of that ‘Freedom’, you have to be able to make mistakes.

You have to be able to step

Never compromise who you are personally to become who you wish to be professionally.

Janice Bryant Howroyd Entrepreneur

forward and be supported in the process.” She adds: “You also have to be bold.”

Howroyd believes the need to be held accountable is also important, as well as having a proactive interest in the best long-term result.

She goes on: “I believe that the principles we have built our business on are fundamental to how you build yourself personally and how you build families as well.”

Her business was built on putting job applicants at “the centre of our universe”.

That remains the same today and she cites the approach as one of the reasons for its continued success.

When it comes to good leadership she also has clear and strong views. Howroyd grew up in North Carolina as one of 11 siblings, and says she got her first lessons in understanding leadership

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from her mother.

She says: “I don’t believe that you can lead without serving.

If you look at leadership throughout history, those who have led effectively have also personally served.”

She adds: “I do think transparency is important.

We have to lead by serving; I also think we have to be transparent. It is something organisations should value.”

ADVE RT S ING FE AT URE

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL FOR SMES Everyone loves a challenge, and one route for already successful business people often leads them to a non-executive director’s role. We think that becoming a Business Doctor can deliver much more. Here’s why… £50m). They tend to be the companies that have active boards and, therefore, need directors to assess progress, develop poilices and appoint senior personnel.

What this means is that 99% (some 5.6m UK businesses) are described as SMEs. Crucially, although the net number of firms is growing, each year many fail and cease trading.

There is an opportunity to support them.

How can Business Doctors help?

For many, targeting a NED position is the next step after years in business. It’s something to cap the CV, a new goal and something to give renewed focus.

Whether it’s paid or not, sitting on a board of directors is a position of responsibility and with it comes prestige and respect. Well, unless things go wrong!

But let’s focus on the positives and why people look for such challenges.

For starters, it’s in the blood.

Doing business, giving advice, making positive change and improving systems, processes

and organisational thinking helps people. That increases efficiencies and boosts profits.

That’s just one of many reasons people are in business.

SMEs are the backbone of the UK economy There are plenty of opportunities out there for individuals looking for such challenges. In the UK, there are over five million private businesses operating.

However, research from the House of Commons business statistics site shows that only 1% of these private businesses are large (i.e. over 250 employees, or with a turnover of more than

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Dig deeper into the available statistics and you’ll find that the number of young entrepreneurs is increasing, especially in the 2029 age range.

What does this mean? Although anyone prepared to start a business should be applauded, younger business people often need a helping hand. That’s not being patronising, it’s the honest truth.

Seasoned business professionals have much to offer. Whether that’s been within industry working for a multi-national company, switching between sectors to gain maximum experience, or successfully running an SME – it’s a valuable

A DV E RT S ING FE AT URE

resource of advice, insight and understanding.

Anyone who has been involved with running a business will acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses – grudgingly in some cases. There is usually a core still, but that doesn’t always translate across the many disciplines required to run an evolving business.

Perhaps the greatest challenge for entrepreneurs is growing their business and taking things to the next level.

With a track record of doing just that, this is where Business Doctors can make a difference.

What makes us stand out?

We’re not consultants – we’re business people with hands-on expertise. And that’s not limited to specific market sectors; Business Doctors apply core principles that enable people to

identify and achieve their goals.

There’s no hard sell. We ask people “why” they are in business and what they want to achieve.

Then we help them form a strategy that delivers.

Ultimately, we add value.

What will Business Doctors offer you?

Business Doctors isn’t a random collection of individuals. We are likeminded, high-calibre business people that share the same values and approach to business.

Through our partnership with In Touch we meet people who are not only looking for the next challenge, they are ready for it.

There’s a shared passion for business and making a real difference. There’s a desire to pass on knowledge gained from working in larger businesses to help SMEs fast-track their own growth.

We’re here to make a difference.

Our goal is to support the biggest contributors to UK growth – SME business owners.

The Business Doctors brand provides a framework that helps align years of experience with the business needs and personal aspirations of entrepreneurs.

We help you build trust and create conversations that lead to positive outcomes for business owners.

Our well-established continuous training and development opportunities will get you started, with classroom, in the field and online webinars to give ongoing support. Then regional and national events ensure that you develop with the Business Doctors team.

If wanting to actively help a range of SMEs is the kind of challenge you’re looking for, Business Doctors could be the perfect match for you.

To find out more about the opportunities offered by Business Doctors contact Ben Davies on 01744 833778 or email ben@businessdoctors.co.uk

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It’s really very important that you are empathetic, that you try to understand the people around you.

JĂźrgen Klopp Manager, Liverpool F.C.

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LEADERSHIP GOALS Ask Liverpool FC’s charismatic manager Jürgen Klopp what lies at the heart of his leadership style and he will respond with one word: “Trust”.

It’s an approach that has delivered European success to the famous football club that he took over in October 2015.

The German, whose managerial style has won him fans across the footballing world, stresses that his complete confidence in his support network at the club’s Melwood training ground is a crucial factor in allowing him to lead effectively.

The Reds boss opened up on his own special approach to leadership in a video produced for Western Union, one of the European and World Club champions’ sponsors.

The 52-year-old said: “I try everything to be as successful as possible. I live 100 per cent for the boys, with the boys, what we do for the club. I think that’s leadership in the first case.

“As a leader you cannot be the last to come in and the first to go out; you have to be an example.”

Klopp also believes it is important for leaders to have confidence – in themselves and in others.

He says: “I know I’m good in a couple of things, really good in a few things and that’s enough.

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“My confidence is big enough that I can really let people grow next to me, it’s no problem.

“I need experts around me.

It’s really very important that you are empathetic, that you try to understand the people around you, and that you give real support to the people around you. Then everybody can act.

“That’s what leadership is: have strong people around you with a better knowledge in different departments than yourself.

“Don’t act like you know everything, be ready to admit, ‘I have no clue in the moment, so give me a couple of minutes and then I will have a clue probably.’

“That’s how I understand it but it’s no real ‘philosophy’, it’s just my way of life.”

Klopp is also renowned for the way he motivates his players. He added: “You learn more about your players each day and you know how to treat them, how to deal with them.

“A lot happens in one-to-one talks actually, but that’s with the player and with the team there are more things to do.

You try to help 11 players do the right things in the right moments.”

He arrived at Anfield after taking a short break from football following an impressive seven-year stay with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, seeing his side lift two German titles.

He’s known for his smiling appearances in front of the cameras and his energy and passion in the technical area at the side of the pitch during games. However, he stresses that he is “much calmer” on the sidelines than he used to be.

Klopp adds: “I’m kind of the reserve tank for the boys, when I feel the energy level goes down a bit, then I’m still there and can kick their butt or whatever; whatever they need in this moment.

“It’s better to be angry with me than to think ‘It’s too intense today’.

“Building relationships is also an important part of the Klopp approach to leadership”.

You always need something like a response. I needed that as a player as well. I think the boys are used to it now.”

Building relationships is also an important part of the Klopp approach to leadership. It’s something he puts great emphasis on.

He says: “There’s a football team, we have to work

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really close together. Each player knows the name of every person that works at Melwood. It’s not down to me to create an atmosphere; each person is responsible for that.

“We all win for each other. It makes it more valuable, more worthy. If you have a bigger group to do it for, the better it feels for yourself.”

THE KLOPP FILE Jürgen Klopp got his chance to manage in the Premier League when he took over at Liverpool FC in October 2015.

The German moved to Anfield following a successful sevenyear stint in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund.

As a player, Klopp made more than 300 appearances on the pitch, starting and finishing his professional career at

FSV Mainz 05 in Germany’s second tier.

The Stuttgart-born manager then began coaching in 2001 at the club where he spent 11 years as a player.

He oversaw promotion to the top flight of German football in his third season in charge, ending a 41-year wait for Mainz’s first ever season in the Bundesliga.

Three seasons in Germany’s top division followed, including qualification for the 2005/06 UEFA Europa League.

In summer 2008, Klopp was appointed manager of Borussia Dortmund and was tasked with rebuilding a side that had finished 13th the previous season.

He went on to guide them to the Bundesliga title in 2010/11. The next season, they achieved their first-ever

domestic league and cup double as they enjoyed a record-breaking campaign.

The club also reached the Champions League final in 2013, losing to fellow German side Bayern Munich at Wembley Stadium. Klopp left at the end of the 2014/15 season after seven years at the helm.

In October 2015, Liverpool FC announced Klopp as Brendan Rodgers’ replacement at Anfield.

He led the club to the Europa League final in 2015/16 and the Champions League final in 2017/18, although both matches ended in defeat.

However, the following season Liverpool FC lifted the Champions League trophy for a sixth time with a victory in the final over Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Jürgen Klopp Date of birth Jun 16, 1967

Place of birth Germany, Stuttgart

Appointed Oct 8, 2015

Age 52

Preferred formation 4-3-3 Attacking

Contract until June 30, 2024

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WORLD’S BEST CLUB COACH

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS

GERMAN CHAMPIONS

GERMAN CUP WINNERS

UEFA SUPERCUP WINNERS

GERMAN SUPERCUP WINNERS

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

LIVERPOOL F.C.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

2011/12 2010/11

2011/12

2019/20

2014/15 2013/14

LIVERPOOL F.C.

2019/20

LIVERPOOL F.C.

2018/19

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TOP TRAVEL TECH FOR NEDs Life at the top can involve a lot of travelling, whether it be on board away days, acting as a company ambassador or simply attending regular board meetings. Here we look at some of the best gadgets and gizmos to keep yourself fully charged and on top of your game.

BOSE QC30 Noise cancelling earbuds £250.00

Omni 20 USB-C Power Bank £169.00

There’s nothing more distracting than the chatter of other passengers or the constant whine of a jet engine. Noise cancelling headphones have long been the best solution available but until recently have been too bulky for those travelling light. The latest BOSE QC30 noise cancelling earbuds buck that trend, weighing in at a minuscule 63g and their streamlined design allows you to sleep comfortably whilst wearing them.

These earbuds will stand above conventional headphones, as noise cancelling technology allows you to listen at lower volumes, preserving your hearing.

We’ve all been there: you urgently need to send that all-important email but, of course, your laptop battery is about to breathe its last. The solution? A portable power bank.

There are hundreds of incarnations on the market but we like the Omni 20 USB-C. Not only does it have an incredibly high capacity, it also lets you charge multiple USB-C devices simultaneously, meaning you can work on your laptop, charge a mobile phone, and still have capacity to plug in further devices. Even better, the Omni 20 also acts as a USB hub meaning you can pack even lighter!

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TP-LINK WiFi Router £34.99 Access to the internet whilst travelling can be unreliable, risky or just plain hard to come by - this is where a compact wireless router could save the day. The TP-LINK TL-WR902AC WiFi Router can be used as a WiFi bridge, a range extender and an access point, to name just a few of its many functions.

This tiny router can fit in the palm of your hand, but its diminutive size belies its flexibility. In router mode, it will provide your own private, encrypted WiFi network and allow you to connect gadgets that public WiFi often blocks, such as Chromecast. It also has a hotspot mode to find the strongest network available to you and can act as a range extender. A true all-rounder.

Stackers Cable Tidy Bag £30.00 In order to make sure your mobile office is fully equipped, business travel means taking a plethora of electronic devices wherever you go for work. Unfortunately, along with all these devices come a whole lot of wires! To avoid the unenviable task of disentangling that inevitable bird’s nest of cables, we recommend investing in a travel cable organiser, like the Stackers Cable Tidy Bag. This smart leather organiser has compartments for wires, earbuds, SD cards and adaptors, and comes in a number of colours including blush pink practicality and style combined!

Pacsafe Venturesafe Anti-Theft Daypack £89.99 A secure, anti-theft backpack is a must have for business travel and the Pacsafe Venture Daypack really is the Fort Knox of travel bags. Anti-slash material is complemented by the patented three step locking system on the main compartment, offering a very difficult proposition for any prying fingers.

Another innovative security feature is the patented PopNLock function, which allows users to detach one of the shoulder straps and use it to attach the bag securely onto another fixed object, if you tire of carrying it.

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DOING ‘GOOD’ BUSINESS As the role of business in society is being redefined, a ground-breaking UK company is leading the way when it comes to delivering both commercial growth and real social good.

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RECYCLING LIVES’ FOUNDER, STEVE JACKSON HAS BEEN NAMED EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR UK. If you go with the dictionary definition, an entrepreneur is someone who sets up a business in the hope of profit.

Steve Jackson defies that definition. He set up Recycling Lives in the hope of achieving social, as much as financial, value.

Recycling Lives combines business and charity.

Recycling Lives Ltd is a nationwide recycling business, managing the entire waste process for scrap metal, scrap cars, waste electricals and general waste.

The charity, Recycling Lives UK, delivers three programmes: tackling food poverty and reducing food waste by redistributing surplus food to community groups; reducing reoffending by rehabilitating offenders in prisons; and tackling homelessness through a residential programme.

Entrepreneur of The Year awards in 2020, has come a long way from the humble beginnings of his family’s business in his home city of Preston in Lancashire.

As a young man he worked in his father’s scrapyards.

Here he not only learned the basics of business but also had interactions that shaped his social conscience, meeting people living ‘hand-to-mouth’ trading scrap for cash.

After buying a 50 per cent stake in the family business and growing it by acquiring competitors, he had developed Preston Recycling to be on course to grow from a mid-tier to a toptier recycler by investing in machinery.

Double vision However, Jackson had other ideas. He had been approached by a charity seeking to establish a programme for the homeless.

He saw two challenges: making the charity selfsufficient and ensuring meaningful life changes for beneficiaries. Remembering how people selling to the scrapyard had lived, Jackson knew that sustainable work was central to the solution.

At the same time, Preston Recycling began to employ offenders from the nearby open prison, HMP Kirkham in Lancashire, who proved to be skilled, loyal workers.

Jackson’s vision was to develop a model comprising a charity offering support, housing and training to the homeless, alongside the business, which supported the charity and offered jobs to exoffenders and the homeless.

So, Recycling Lives was born.

Working together they are growing nationally, creating jobs and opportunities and redefining what it means to be a ‘good’ business.

Jackson, who has just been named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the UK, says: “I believe an organisation shouldn’t have to choose between commercial success and financial returns or social good for the communities it serves. They can not only enjoy both, but use each to fuel the other.”

Jackson, who will head to Monaco for the World

Recycling Lives employs offenders in prison undertaking recycling work to support their rehabilitation.

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REHABILITATING OFFENDERS Janet’s story Janet says Recycling Lives “saved” her. She worked in one of its prison academies after being jailed for the first time in her 50s, being supported to manage mental health problems and secure stable work ready for release.

Charities use food from Recycling Lives’ Food Redistribution Centre to feed vulnerable communities.

While his vision has ensured Recycling Lives Ltd has grown rapidly – tripling turnover and EBITDA in the last three years to £75m and £10.7m in 2017/18, respectively – he is motivated by purpose as much as profit.

In those same three years, Recycling Lives UK created savings for the taxpayer and communities worth £17.3m, by reducing reoffending, welfare dependency, and food costs for community groups.

The offender rehabilitation programme is operational in 11 prisons supporting 250 men and women at a time as they undertake recycling work for businesses like BT, reducing reoffending rates to less than five per cent. By comparison, nationally up to 67 per cent of offenders reoffend.

The residential programme supports dozens of men to regain their independence and has influenced businesses like United Utilities to change policies against employing exoffenders.

The food redistribution programme diverts thousands of tonnes of surplus food from landfill by delivering 13,000 meals a week to feed 9,000 people through 180 community groups.

The impact of the programmes runs even deeper than the headline figures of reduced reoffending, meals delivered or savings created.

And it was that impact that impressed the judges of EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

“Steve truly epitomises a focus on profits with purpose,” says Joanna Santinon, EY Entrepreneur of The Year leader.

“His story and commitment reflect the strides Recycling Lives is making to fulfil its goal of commercial growth and real social good.”

Jackson hopes his win signals a shift in attitudes around the role of businesses. He says: “I’m hopeful the business world is changing for the better.”

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SUPPORTING THE HOMELESS Julian’s story Julian says Recycling Lives has “transformed” him. He had been homeless for years before being supported through the residential programme. He is now working as a driver and living in his own home.

FEEDING COMMUNITIES The Well Church’s story Food supplied by Recycling Lives’ Food Redistribution Centre helps to “bring people together as a community”, says a Blackpool charity.

The His Provision Community Café in the heart of the seaside resort uses surplus food given to it by the redistribution centre to feed hundreds of vulnerable people every week.

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The scenery is breathtaking, from outstretched plains to emerald lakes and the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Regal fortresses guard the rolling hills.

Amazing Andalucía delivers a road trip to remember. The shackles are soon off and the initial regimented plan to drive like an arrow to our chosen destination is thwarted from day one.

We soon accept that we will exit the motorway countless times having spied something spectacular on the horizon that ignites our interest.

In the summer months the temperatures in the region can soar up to 40 degrees and we soon fathom why the streets are deserted.

Siesta time is still adhered to and dusk is when the world really awakens. Fresh from their naps, local families move from the shadows and towns are transformed.

The atmosphere becomes electric with bright lights, warm welcomes and big smiles from the vendors in the shops and restaurants. The day-time silence is replaced with loud chatter and uplifting laughter from every window and doorway.

If you are intrigued by world heritage sites and have an insatiable appetite for experiencing an array of authentic cultural influences and traditions, Andalucía is for you!

Carmona Sitting majestically on a ridge at the highest elevation, overlooking the central plain of Andalucía, the Alcazar Del Rey Don Pedro is a Moorish fortress converted into a luxury hotel.

WILL AMAZE A Board director and avid traveller Zoe Brooke takes to the road with her husband to savour a slice of real Spain.

It is encircled by the colossal wall that wraps the ancient city like a cloak. The wall, known as the Muralla Romana, has four main gates that lead in and out of the old town.

This place has been occupied by many cultures over the centuries including the Romans and Arabs, and they have left their mark with entwined medina style streets that lead you to the impressive 14th century castle.

Carmona’s churches are stunning and just outside the centre you’ll find its Necropolis. Here lie more than

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900 subterranean tombs and an amphitheatre, discovered in 1881 but dating back to the first century.

This awe-inspiring city is located just over 30km from Seville.

Where to stay: Parador Carmona. The magnificent medieval fortress has been lovingly restored and offers the chance to soak up some history from the comfort of your hotel room.

Ecija With 20 churches and convents to its name, it is little wonder that Ejica, 85km west

AND ASTOUND

of Seville, is known as the “city of towers”.

Each church is adorned with delicate and detailed ceramic and artwork. This is another former settlement of the Arabs and Romans and the central square, Plaza de España, is well worth a visit.

Córdoba Founded by the Romans, the capital of the Moorish kingdom of El Andulus is enchanting and captivatingly spectacular.

Explore it on foot, striding through the pebble stone streets soaking up the atmosphere, or take the ‘hop on, hop off’ bus to visit points of interest.

The heart of the city is a Unesco World Heritage site.

And the glorious jewel in its crown is the Mosque– Cathedral of Córdoba, also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Mezquita.

Its interior is richly gilded with colourful mosaics. The prayer hall’s horseshoe arches are supported by 856 marble, granite, onyx and jasper columns.

Calleja de las Flores is the most photographed street in Córdoba and it’s little wonder.

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Whitewashed homes are adorned with hanging baskets and terracotta pots bursting with vibrantly coloured aromatic flowers, leading to a plaza.

As you turn back from this courtyard, you are greeted with a fabulous framed view of the Mezquita’s belltower

as it stretches above the roof tops. In the month of May each year, all the residents participate in “Cruces de Mayo festival” and all the houses are embellished with floral tributes.

Other must-see attractions include Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos with its descending terraces, the Roman baths and the ruins of a medieval palace, Madinat al Zahra, on the western outskirts.

Where to stay: NH Collection Amistad. Located in the heart of the UNESCO-listed Juderia, it is just a short stroll from the Mezquita and all the city’s other buildings of major cultural importance.

Where to stay: The Parador Castillo de Santa. This charming castle has been converted into a luxury hotel and given its hilltop position, you really will feel on top of the world!

Jaén

Sprawled over 35 acres, you must allow at least half a day to truly appreciate its astounding beauty and scale.

This charming ancient city is home to multiple attractions including a Renaissancestyle cathedral. Journey up a steep hill to La Cruz and take in the panoramic views - the gigantic white cross that dominates the skyline here was erected to mark the surrender of the city to Fernando III in 1246.

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Granada The magnificent Alhambra Palace is another of Spain’s World Heritage sites.

Under various noble occupations, over many centuries, the royal palace has grown organically, each ruler bolting on various exquisitely decorated quadrangles and courtyards, whilst respecting the theme of “Paradise on Earth”.

The rest of Granada is made up of multiple districts each with monuments and notable buildings worthy of a visit.

Take a stroll along the prepossessing streets of Carrera del Darro, formerly one of the main arteries into

the city and soak up the atmosphere.

overlooks The Plaza De Toros de Ronda bullring.

Where to stay: Eurostar’s Wellington Irving. This hotel sits in a prime location right opposite the entrance to the Alhambra and a 20-minute stroll down to the centre. (A taxi is recommended for the journey back as the steep climb up Cuesta de Gomerez is a tad exhausting!)

Zahara de la Sierra

Ronda This is a town that oozes rustic charm. Perched on the El Tajo gorge, the whitewashed houses, cobbled streets and 18th century bullring make Ronda picture postcard perfect. From the Puente Nuevo Bridge, enjoy striking views of the canyon and Rio Guadalevin which runs 100m below.

Just a 90 minute drive from Seville and 45 minutes from Ronda, this is one of the area’s famous Pueblos Blancos (white villages). It sits in the Sierra de Grazalema national park and overlooks the Zahara el Gastor reservoir.

The village boasts a Moorish fortress that can be accessed through the narrow pedestrian streets, followed by a steep climb. In the square, visit Santa Maria de La Meza church to see the beautiful stained and religious curios in its small museum.

Seville The splendid city of Seville is home to three Unesco World Heritage sites.

Cross the bridge and weave through the cobbled streets to the Banos Arabes or visit Casa del Rey. In the old town, stroll around Plaza Duquesa de Parcent, a photogenic serene, orange tree-lined square, with two churches and a convent.

Where to stay: Hotel Catalonia Ronda. This hotel is centrally located and

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Its cathedral, The General Archive of the Indies (Archivo General de Indias) and the Real Alcázar of Seville can all be found within two square miles.

The cathedral has more than 80 chapels and the largest nave in Spain. It is said to be the third-largest church in the world, as well as the largest Gothic church.

The Giralda bell tower, constructed to replicate the minaret of the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech, offers remarkable views of the city.

Like Marrakech, Seville is a city infused with both Spanish and Moorish architecture, its back streets filled with the loud hum of chatter from the shops and restaurants.

Wander around the Barrio de Santa Cruz, a labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys in the historical centre.

Explore Plaza de Toros, Teatro de la Maestranza and my favourite, Plaza de España, sitting within the Parque de Maria Luisa.

Here a gigantic curved government building is reflected in the Venetian style waterways that are fanned out gracefully before it.

Where to stay: NH Collection Sevilla. Located just 15 minutes from the historical centre and one of the few hotels in the city with a swimming pool.

BANKING ON SUCCESS After a successful career in the banking sector, working for companies such as HSBC and BlackRock, 40-year-old Caroline Smith decided to transition to a portfolio career. Since joining In Touch in May 2019 to help her on her non-executive journey, Caroline has already secured an independent board role with Nassau-based merchant bank, The Winterbotham Trust Company.

Who is Caroline Smith?

Caroline began her career as a graduate in Corporate Finance at HSBC, working her way up the organisation through a variety of clientfacing roles over 15 years. Her career at HSBC culminated in a role as Global Head of Client Relationship Management in the bank’s Global Markets Operations business. In this role, she had responsibility for relationships with over 300 of HSBC’s largest institutional clients worldwide, and she managed teams in seven international locations.

Whilst in this role at HSBC, Caroline was approached by the firm that was at the time her largest client, BlackRock Investment Management, to undertake a role that enabled her to acquire broader experience in areas such as regulatory compliance, legal agreement negotiation and client on-boarding. The move also enabled her to diversify away from large institutional clients and explore the different challenges of smaller corporates, family offices and charities. With this experience under her belt and with a strong desire to

explore new industries and for a more flexible and varied career path, Caroline took the leap to begin her board consultancy career in 2017.

Caroline describes the fulfilment achieved by working with smaller clients as a board consultant, offering them experience and a skillset they could not otherwise obtain, alongside the ability to make an impact and deliver results. She says, “As a part-time advisor or board member, I really feel that I am able to add a lot of value to my clients. In this capacity I am able to provide them with a depth of experience and skillset they wouldn’t otherwise be able to access, either because the skills they need are just not available locally or the cost of a full-time employee at this level is too high.”

Why did Caroline become a member of In Touch?

The idea to pursue nonexecutive roles was rooted in Caroline’s passion for continuous development and progression in her career. In May of 2019, she came across In Touch and recognised that

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the platform could help her to transition to a portfolio career with confidence. After thorough research, Caroline decided that joining In Touch would support her in achieving her career goals.

In addition to her membership, Caroline also purchased the In Touch Success Package, after recognising that her CV would need tailoring for the non-executive market.

In Touch CV Writer, Lehin Adenekan, was assigned to work with Caroline on a oneto-one basis to redevelop her CV. She describes Lehin as “an asset to In Touch”, noting that the NED CV which Lehin produced was “extremely different” from her executive CV. Caroline concedes that she may have had some misplaced confidence before entering into a consultation with Lehin: “Having written my own CV many times and reviewed hundreds more over the years, I thought I would have no trouble writing a NED CV myself. However, now looking at the end result, I would not have got close to the CV that In Touch delivered.

The service has been a huge positive for me.”

I would not have got close to the CV that In Touch delivered. The service has been a huge positive for me.

Caroline Smith Non Executive Director & In Touch member

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What has Caroline achieved since becoming a member?

Since becoming a member and receiving her new NED CV, Caroline has gone on to secure her first board advisory role with the Winterbotham Group, a privately held merchant bank based in the Bahamas.

The role seemed to be a perfect fit for Caroline, and her experience provides the board with the broader perspective required to embark on their planned global expansion.

Caroline is also seeking a pro bono trustee position and is currently going through the recruitment process for a role with a charity that operates in a sector in which she has a personal interest.

She believes there is great value both personally and professionally to working with charities and not-forprofit organisations: “When I started out on my portfolio career journey, I made a commitment that as soon as I was comfortable with my compensation I would take on a pro-bono role. The reason for this is simply because I want to

be able to use my skills and experience in an organisation that would benefit from what I can offer, whilst simultaneously helping a cause that is close to my heart.”

Aside from growing her portfolio of clients, Caroline utilises a variety of resources on the In Touch portal, “I feel comfort knowing that the resources are there, so if I have a question about governance or anything else, In Touch provides a starting point to help me with the answers.”

When searching for advice, Caroline recognise the wealth of non-executive members on the network she could reach out to, having already used In Touch’s forums to gather insight from other professionals.

What’s next for Caroline?

Having begun her career at HSBC on their graduate scheme, Caroline later became an executive sponsor of the graduate programme.

Her role included the mentoring and coaching of graduates to ensure they gained rounded experience, built their skillset and were

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ready to take their next steps within the organisation.

Looking to build on this mentoring experience, Caroline plans to pursue an executive and business coaching qualification in the near future. In order to further broaden her areas of expertise, Caroline also hopes to gain board experience in companies outside the financial services sector.

Caroline is looking to expand her portfolio further and build on the successes she has enjoyed since joining In Touch. Caroline reflects on the value of embarking on a portfolio career and how joining a network like In Touch can play a key role in an aspiring NED’s mindset: “My rationale for joining In Touch was to ensure I was going to commit to my new career and having made that change I feel more fulfilled each day. My career is much more intellectually stimulating now, and I want to continue to support my clients by remaining at the top of my game - that’s what I’m here to do.”

EXECUTIVE COACHING Want to reach your career goals faster?

Executive coaching is proven to deliver clarity, build confidence and successfully help you to transition to a new role.

Start your journey with an accredited In Touch coach today.

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0161 804 8612 dave.wheatcroft@intouchnetworks.com

intouchnetworks.com

FORGING THE UNION John Hannett, former head of USDAW, discusses how innovation and engagement are at the core of effective leadership.

The former general secretary of the shopworkers’ union Usdaw was skilled in winning hearts and minds and getting people to ‘buy in’ to what he was doing.

Putting it simply, Hannett believes achieving successful reform has to be built on engagement.

As the longest serving member of the Low Pay Commission, on which he served for 11 years, Hannett is proud that since its introduction in 1999 all of its recommendations have been accepted by government.

He says: “Different stakeholders, ranging from economists to trade unionists and independents, reaching consensus and their recommendations being accepted – what a great example for the current political decision makers of today in these uncertain times.”

He believes his reputation as a decision maker was born out of an everyday incident at primary school, when the teacher was choosing sides for a game of playground football.

Hannett, who was born and brought up in Liverpool, says: “The teacher told all the Liverpool fans to go to one side and all the Everton fans to go to another.

“I was only five or six and had never really thought much about who I supported so I

just stood there unsure of what to do.

“The teacher saw me – and the fact that there were fewer people on the Everton side, so told me to go and stand with them. And that was it; I was an Everton fan by instruction rather than choice.

“It could have all been so different and I’ve had to sit by and watch Liverpool’s Champions League successes and numerous league titles but I am a diehard Evertonian and proud of it and it has brought lots of positives to my life.

“However, that one incident taught me I wanted to be a decision maker, rather than leaving other people to make decisions for me.”

Hannett had a reputation for successful decision-making in his own organisation, typified by the programme for change which he introduced while general secretary and which led to membership growing by 100,000 at a time when many unions were declining in numbers.

He says: “Successful businesses have a structure and a vision and set out to meet customer demands. We set out to make the union like that too.

“In business, you can’t rest on your laurels, you have to keep innovating and changing. The union was financially stable and wasn’t under any threat

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but we wanted to make it better.

“We introduced key performance indicators, the standards and the procedures of a PLC so that the union was fit for purpose and staff understood exactly where we were going.

“It was a change in culture to be more strategic, which wasn’t born out of crisis but a desire to move forward and take people with us.”

He adds: “I grew up in Liverpool at a time when big employers like the car industry and the unions were very adversarial and probably deserved each other.

“But an effective trade union doesn’t need to be like that and that is why we had such success dealing with big companies like Tesco.”

Hannett believes bringing about change is about leadership, coming out of your own comfort zone. He says: “Leadership is about taking a point of view and leading by example. You can’t just stand up and make the speech; you’ve got to live by what you say.”

He feels that being a member of In Touch offers him opportunities to get involved in helping businesses as a nonexecutive director and widen his experience.

He says: “I am looking for a new challenge and intend to take on a new role and bring the experience I have gained to new projects.”

Leadership is about taking a point of view and leading by example. You’ve got to live by what you say.

John Caddell Non-Executive Director & In Touch member

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EXPERT VIEW

SETTING NEW STANDARDS? The Institute of Directors has called on the UK government to support the establishment of a Code of Conduct setting out ethical standards for directors.

It would also encourage minimum requirements of new directors at sizable firms in terms of governance knowledge and skills.

Currently, there are no formal standards for board members at even the UK’s largest companies. We asked our experts what they think.

A board asked me to help them reflect and explore ways to improve their governance. I told them, ‘If you were to visit a symposium for medical professionals and asked them to indicate if they had medical training, most would raise a hand. It would be concerning if none had shown an intention to learn about the essentials of their role.’

I then asked the board members to indicate if they had been educated for their board roles. No one moved.

So, who is sitting at the table, and what do they do? That question encapsulates the often-perceived mysterious place of the boardroom.

Randall Zindler is a Senior Teaching Fellow at Lancaster University Management School. He is former group CEO of international disaster relief organisation, Medair.

He has chaired several boards, including several within the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and teaches graduate-level and executive courses in leadership, governance and strategy. He is the cofounder of the Regenerative Alliance.

While those initiatives will help to show accountability, transparency and professionalism, there is another reason to move in this direction.

Capitalism as we know it is under serious scrutiny.

Unbridled growth is being challenged by firms rethinking their business purpose.

Bringing responsible leadership to the boardroom, and seeking to be more regenerative than exploitative, will require courageous leaders as firms look to learn and commit to ethical behaviour via the code of conduct.

What are the issues they are (or are not) discussing and how will they reach decisions?

Bearing in mind the principles of good governance, there is a serious need for board member skills training and a robust code of conduct.

Care is needed in their implementation so as not to create undue administrative burden and regulations that bring more distraction than improvement for firm governance.

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Mark Mills is a serial entrepreneur and has wide experience as a nonexecutive director and

chair in a wide range of businesses. He was the founder and chief executive of Cardpoint, which he grew to £100m in revenues before selling the business for £170m. Since then he has worked with several companies, guiding them through various stages of growth True entrepreneurialism is about operating to the highest ethical standards as success is only derived from hard work, honestly applied and solely in the interests of your team, customers and suppliers.

A requirement for measured standards is bureaucratic overkill, designed by the least entrepreneurial in society who don’t understand natural market forces, such as shareholders revolting if ethical practices are not adopted and customers not buying from companies which do not operate transparently.

Concentration should be on punishing directors who deliberately act to construct their companies’ failure and often enrich themselves at a huge cost to others.

Currently, the number of director prosecutions in this regard is minimal and offers no deterrent.

Fortunately, most directors don’t require a deterrent but are rather more motivated by providing a great place to work, great customer service and happy suppliers.

No amount of legislation will ever change that or surpass intrinsic enthusiasm to build a great business honestly and the stick rarely works better than the carrot.

primarily governed through legal duties defined in company law and other regulation.

Dr Roger Barker is head of corporate governance at the IoD. He is a UK Member of the European Economic and Social Committee (the EU advisory body), honorary associate at the Centre for Ethics and Law at University College London and a visiting lecturer at Saïd Business School, Oxford, and Cass Business School, London It may come as a surprise to much of the public that there are no formal training requirements of directors at even the country’s largest businesses.

In an ever more complex and regulated economy, and with public trust in business fragile, the IoD recommended minimum requirements – in terms of governance knowledge – of new directors at significant entities, as one of ten proposals in our Corporate Governance Manifesto ahead of the 2019 election.

Similarly, the lack of a formal code of conduct for directors, guiding professional behaviour, is notable.

Such a framework is common in other professions, such as accountancy, medicine, and the law. However, UK directors’ behaviour is

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“Concentration should be on punishing directors who deliberately act to construct their companies’ failure and often enrich themselves at a huge cost to others.”

We feel that the absence of a professional framework of conduct or ethics – which goes beyond simple compliance with the law – is a hindrance. In the wake of a series of significant corporate collapses, there is an understandable demand for board members to be held more accountable for failures of oversight.

Without a renewed effort to foster trust, there is danger that each new corporate scandal will increase public pressure to adopt ever more prescriptive legal requirements for directors – even if these could damage the quality of corporate behaviour and decisionmaking.

Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of ethical and competent directors continue to risk being tarnished by the bad behaviour of the few.

The proposed industry-led code could help business leaders demonstrate that the community of directors is serious about holding board members to account.

THERE’S GHANA BE GOOD TIMES AHEAD With last year’s pupils achieving record A-level results, the African Science Academy (ASA) is going from strength to strength.

Trustees of In Touch Futures recently travelled out to the school to meet staff and pupils at their chosen charity partner.

Tom Ilube, founder of ASA, welcomed a select set of partners and sponsors to the ASA, located just outside the Ghanaian capital Accra, to share their experience and knowledge with the current cohort of gifted girls.

ASA is a girls-only Advanced Level school for maths and science, opened in 2016

by AGF, a charity led by African and UK executives and educational experts determined to help the continent’s children to develop to their full potential.

In summer this year, In Touch’s charity arm, In Touch Futures, put pen to paper on a deal to be ASA’s funding partner for the next 12 months.

With a view to extending this support, In Touch Futures’ trustees were keen to understand the scope and vision of the academy and explore potential for future

expansion of the academy site and its educational programme.

“I have also been greatly motivated by the alumni and the visitors who come and speak to us on various interesting topics.”

ASA’s admission criteria are based solely on academic achievement and potential, with many of the pupils attending on a full scholarship, and it is an organisation which welcomes girls from across Africa. The pupils were keen to share their stories with their visitors and explain how life at ASA was helping them to forge a brighter future.

Cecilia Banda from Zambia, described the mood at ASA: “I am encouraged to give my opinions, be more inquisitive, and to try new challenges. It’s

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my preparation for university and for the world outside.”

The intensive one-year programme the girls complete is equivalent to sitting three full A-levels in physics, maths and further maths. Pfungwa Chipuru, originally from Zimbabwe, spoke of the challenge and reward of such an intense programme of study: ‘With each challenging task I learn a lot not only in an academic sense but about myself and how to manage under extreme pressure.’

Visits from sponsors and partners are also seen as an important part of the learning process by the pupils, allowing them an insight into very different worlds to the ones they have previously known. Celia said: “I have also been greatly motivated by the alumni and the visitors who come and speak to us on various interesting topics.”

And while the primary function of ASA is to help these gifted young women achieve their fullacademic potential, there are also huge positives to be had in other areas. Pupils are heavily involved in community work and regularly play competitive sports, all helping to create a cohesive, caring cohort of young women. Most importantly, in sometimes troubled times, the pupils and staff ‘celebrate their diversity’ and their common aim. Cecilia explained: “We all understand that we come from diverse customs and beliefs but that we are here with the same motive: to be world changers.”

For more information visit: https://intouchnetworks.com/resources/in-touch-futures http://www.africangifted.org

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LEARNING LESSONS FROM THE EDUCATION SECTOR During a career in the education sector, Patrick Eames built a reputation for managing change with clarity and conviction, ensuring staff retention and crafting motivated and loyal teams.

Here he explains how mainstream businesses can learn lessons from best practice in successful UK schools.

As a former head at a Pupil Referral Unit and someone with widespread experience of helping children at risk of dropping out of the education system, Patrick Eames knows that getting to the bottom of the issues affecting them can be key to turning their lives around.

He says: “Mainstream education doesn’t work for everybody and some children are playing catch-up because of the chaotic situations in their home lives.

“Some of them are facing desperate and very sad situations, and working to achieve in exams and build a future is only part of what they have to deal with.

“It all comes back to the fact that there is a human aspect to everything and being able to relate to that and understand it can help to bring about a solution.”

Patrick’s career includes being director of business

development and operations for a multi-academy trust group between 2016 and 2018, with a budget of £15 million and 500 staff.

But he has never lost sight of that focus on relating to people and investing in them, and now heads the education services department for Consider This UK, helping education and business clients across the country.

Purpose and belief He says: “People go into education because they have a passion, belief and desire to help young people.

They come in with a sense of purpose and a vocational belief and you have to work to keep that pilot light burning because when people lose sight of their purpose that’s when problems start to arise.

“There is a myth that teachers only work 9am to 3.30pm and have 13 weeks holiday

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a year but the reality is that they face demands from their school’s trust, the local authority, school governors, the head teacher and Ofsted.”

Patrick says that there is unbelievable accountability in teaching and that can be onerous. Keeping people’s passion alive is an absolute prerequisite of maintaining an engaged workforce.

He adds: “The human aspect involves treating staff with care and making them feel valued. In teaching, schools always seek parental involvement in their child’s education but the paradox is how do you make time to allow the teachers themselves to attend their own child’s sports day or Christmas concert?

“It’s about maintaining that belief when staff get frustrated by having to write yet another departmental plan and helping to manage their workload and keeping

When people lose sight of their purpose, that’s when problems arise. morale high.”

It’s a mantra which Patrick believes translates across into any business.

“Young people enter engineering for example after succeeding at university, full of vigour and enthusiasm but internal politics and the reality of the workplace can have a hugely negative effect.

“Businesses, like educational establishments, need to offer staff guidance, structure and support.

“If somebody hasn’t hit their sales targets for a few months maybe they need support, mentoring, coaching or just a confidence boost.

“But ultimately it’s being brave enough to follow

procedures, so that if people do need to be moved on for the benefit of other staff and the business as a whole then they are moved on.”

Patrick believes it is also important to recognise the positive role that unions and staff representatives can play and that there needs to be strong relationships forged with them.

He says: “It is not written anywhere that employers and unions have to be in conflict and they often have a good understanding of staff and the issues they face.

“That can be incredibly helpful if, using education as an example, the government announces a 1.5 per cent pay rise for teachers but there is

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no new pot of money from which to fund it and there are difficult decisions to be made about making staff cuts.”

Patrick says that In Touch has helped him realise and acknowledge the skills he has accrued over the years, and opened his eyes to the possibilities this experience can deliver outside of the education sector.

He says: “In Touch has provided support with everything I needed from CV writing to interactive online seminars.

“The network has given me a comprehensive professional re-tune and recalibration, ready for the next chapter in my career.”

IP: A GLOBAL CHALLENGE ON EVERYONE’S DOORSTEP In today’s knowledge economy, innovations protected through intellectual property (IP) have become the principal driver of corporate value and national economic growth.

IP is responsible for 30 per cent of all employment and more than 80 per cent of the market value of publicly-traded companies.

And intellectual property rights (IPRs) influence almost every career and field – from life sciences to entertainment.

IP has been described as “everything and anything produced by the human mind” from works of art and ingenious designs to game-changing innovations and iconic brands.

Little wonder that protecting it is becoming increasingly important – and challenging both for individual businesses and national governments.

It’s a subject that has played a large part in the developing trade war between the US and China over the past few months.

The Americans, whose economy is reportedly losing hundreds of billions of dollars a year through Chinese IP theft, have been trying to secure stronger concessions from China to regulate IP protections.

IP may have national and international implications, however Dr Gary K Michelson, founder of the Michelson 20MM foundation, points to

its importance to individual businesses.

His organisation hosted a major summit on the future of intellectual property in California earlier this year.

And he says: “Intellectual property literacy is essential for all inventors, visionaries, and entrepreneurs hoping to thrive and achieve long-term competitive advantage in the knowledge economy.”

That need for IP ‘literacy’ is also becoming widely acknowledged in the UK. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) engaged with 90,000 businesses about their IP in 2018-19.

Creating a better environment During that time, trade mark applications to the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) grew from 87,800 to 100,000. Applications for designs increased from 21,900 to 25,000.

Overseas, the IPO continued to develop its international role during the year, working with IP offices in China, Latin America, India and South East Asia to create a “better environment” for UK companies.

It also helped to establish the

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first IP crime forum in Brazil and supported changes to Hong Kong’s IP court system, helping UK businesses to protect and enforce their IP rights abroad.

Since December 2011, the IPO has based an attaché in the British Embassy in Beijing, working with representatives from the UK Department of International Trade (DIT) and the Foreign Office. China is Britain’s fifth biggest trading partner.

It says its position in China’s capital is central to the government’s plans to enhance trade relations and to support IP and innovation-led businesses overseas.

A spokesperson says: “IP attachés provide a focal point in host countries for supporting UK businesses with IP related issues, promoting UK government interests and working with local IP agencies.

“Attachés help to build relations with governments of host countries to understand and actively engage with IP policy makers.”

John Pickervance, associate solicitor within the commercial team at Forbes Solicitors, which has offices across the North of England, says it is important

that businesses recognise the value of IPRs when it comes to innovation and product development. The sooner they tackle the subject the better, he advises.

Protect & exploit Pickervance says: “IPRs come in all different shapes and sizes and having the knowledge to identify what subsists in your product will enable you to take steps to adequately protect and exploit them to their fullest potential.

“IPRs can broadly be categorised as copyright, designs, trademarks, patents and trade secrets and each individual product will invariably contain a combination of these, some arising automatically and others requiring registration.

“It is important to take initial steps to ensure that the IPRs are adequately protected

before you present a product to a third party - be it an investor, manufacturer, distributor or retailer.

“Short of entering into a formal agreement it is wise to implement a non-disclosure agreement.

“Such IPRs may take the form of copyright in the drawings, designs in the appearance of the product, trademarks in its branding or trade secrets - or even patents - in the concept.

“Whilst an NDA won’t protect you against unauthorised disclosure, it will provide a deterrent, and contractual remedies in the event of breach.”

He adds: “The beauty of valuable and properly protected IPRs is that – short of selling those IPRs for a fee – formal licences, such as manufacturing and distribution

IPRs can broadly be categorised as copyright, designs, trademarks, patents and trade secrets.

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agreements, can be granted to facilitate others doing so and maximising return.”

World leaders The DIT also helps businesses navigate the sometimes confusing global IP terrain, as well as enabling them to make the most of trade opportunities.

The department works with more than 5,000 businesses every year, protecting investment worth over £100m.

A spokesman says: “We’re proud the UK is regarded as a world leader in IP and we have an important role to play in helping to develop a balanced international IP framework that is easy to engage with, provides certainty for business, and creates the right incentives for innovation and creativity – and ultimately trade.”

LEADING FROM THE FRONT

It is also about having a vision and putting a plan in place.

Mike Abrashoff NY Times best-selling author and formal naval commander

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It has been called the ‘leadership deficit’. In today’s challenging and fast-changing world, calls are growing for better leaders to steer us to calmer waters.

And in this era of global communication and social media, those that step forward and take up the mantle are under scrutiny like never before.

Past leaders are held up as giants, while today’s political and business heads continue to polarise opinion. Trust, it seems, is in short supply.

Divisions look to be growing.

The omens are not good. A study last year revealed that just 17 per cent of Americans said they could trust the government in Washington to do what is right.

Losing faith And another damning survey in the UK, published in June 2019, highlighted a country more polarised and pessimistic than it has been for decades – divided by geography, social class and Brexit.

It revealed the public’s massive lack of faith in the political system, with less than six per cent believing their politicians understand them. Some 75 per cent said that the UK’s political system was not fit for purpose.

Business leaders are not immune, with both their conduct and remuneration questioned and calls for more ethical leadership in the boardroom growing.

The lack of faith has spread to the workplace, where it has been reported that 45 per cent of workers say lack of trust in leadership is the biggest issue impacting their performance.

So, given these damning verdicts in the court of public opinion, what are the traits

and skillsets that today’s leaders need? What does it take to be a true leader in these uncertain times? And are the right candidates willing to step up to the plate?

At the age of 36, Mike Abrashoff was named Commander of USS Benfold and was the most junior commanding officer in the US Navy’s Pacific fleet.

The challenges of this underachieving destroyer were staggering, with low morale and the highest turnover rate in the navy.

Few thought the ship could improve. However, 12 months later it was ranked first in performance - using the very same crew.

He did it by replacing command and control leadership with “commitment and cohesion” and by focusing on the one thing he could influence: his crew’s attitude.

Ask Abrashoff about the right leadership traits and he says: “It is about making the transition to a more enlightened way that engages people and makes them feel they have got responsibility for the organisation. You have to bring people with you and you have to listen to them.

“It is also about having a vision and putting a plan in place. Good leaders have to be able to communicate that vision and get buy-in. It is also about being prepared for every eventuality and that includes pre-planning for possible scenarios.”

Since leaving the Navy, he has worked with more than 1,200 organisations instilling

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leadership initiatives at every level.

Striking a compromise And he believes the major challenge currently, particularly in the political arena, is attracting the most talented and persuading them to get involved. The same can be said for the world of business.

He says: “The A-players don’t want to get involved because things are so nasty and divisive. As a result, what we’ve got are the D-players.

“And until the most capable people decide to stand up, we are going to continue to just muddle along.”

Abrashoff says the lack of compromise seen in the political arena today puts people off and prevents them throwing their hats into the ring and having a go.

He doesn’t underestimate the importance of compromise and he adds: “Good leaders have to get people on board and get them to understand that they are not going to get everything on their wish-list because the whole community or country has to be involved.”

The online world of social media is also playing its part in discouraging people from taking up the leadership mantle, he believes.

“It is making the job even more difficult in many ways.

Anyone can send anything out on the internet and you have to respond,” he adds.

Dr Marian Iszatt-White is a senior lecturer in the area of leadership at Lancaster

45 per cent of workers say lack of trust in leadership is the biggest issue impacting their performance.

University Management School.

She has a strong business background. Before becoming an academic she built a successful career in financial risk management and at one time was group treasurer of FTSE 100 company Enterprise Oil. Dr Iszatt-White questions whether the widely-held concept of “authentic leadership” – with its emphasis on self-awareness, relational transparency and the so-called ‘internal moral compass’ – is still fit for purpose.

She says: “People trying to live up to those elements are telling us that they don’t reflect the real world; the complexity and ambiguity that they are dealing with day-to-day.

“The pressure is on to try and live up to them, rather than giving them the framework to help them be the best leaders they can be.”

The real world is far more ambiguous and “messy” than the concept of authentic leadership would have us think, she adds.

Leaders cannot always be transparent as they grapple with difficult and sensitive issues and the “internal moral compass” means different things to different people.

“Really it is shorthand for doing the right thing,” Dr Iszatt-White explains.

“Different people have different definitions of that.

“Historically leaders have done what they thought was right, but with the benefit of hindsight what they did was horrendous and wrong.”

Call for clarity She adds that authentic leadership also puts the emphasis on people “being true to themselves”. But she points out that people have different roles and labels that require different things of them at different times.

Again, there is no room for contradiction or ambiguity.

It all points to the “huge oversimplification” that authentic leadership brings to the role.

Dr Iszatt-White believes the focus now needs to be firmly on the “positive purpose” of leadership.

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She says: “Looking at the problems the world and society is facing we need something quite radical from our leaders. But that is very hard to either specify in advance or actually deliver.

“The leadership we need going forward needs to be brave and honest and deliver the message that business isn’t all about making a profit. Today it is about the environment, it is about society and it is about everybody. It is about purpose.”

It will be a challenge. “A lot of people have lost faith in whether we have that sense of purpose, and that is particularly true around political leadership.”

She adds: “Authentic leadership was the antidote to all the scandals and company failures we had at the back end of the last century and beginning of this one.

“It was a step in the right direction in some ways. But the fundamental question today is ‘What do we want leadership to achieve?’ There is no single answer to that.”

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DEFENCE AS THE BEST FORM OF ATTACK In Touch member Abdulkader Thomas is a non-executive director and consultant to the financial services sector.

He also volunteers as a youth basketball coach and organiser in Kuwait. Here he gives his own personal experience of the importance of strategy.

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It was Dwight D Eisenhower who said: “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”

In 2008, I was appointed to a newly established Arabian Gulf investment bank as the sole independent non-executive director.

No sooner had our capital been raised than we faced the first of three existential challenges. The early wafts of crisis in 2007 were not expected to hit the Gulf countries. But when our second board meeting took place in November 2008, there was no doubt that the entire financial world was in chaos.

Difference of opinion My fellow directors began an immediate and vociferous debate; a loud minority argued to immediately shut the company and return the capital. This would mean booking a loss on their investment without having closed a single deal or served a single client.

The staff would be laid off, pre-establishment expenses

crystallized with no recovery, and premises abandoned with the value of tenant improvements lost forever.

The managing director, a man of modest means, had his life experience and net worth invested. Closing would be a personal disaster.

The majority of dependent directors probed the risks and an obstreperous few played devil’s advocate in the debate, without providing much help.

So there I was, the sole foreigner; the only non-native speaker of Arabic; the only person with no money at stake and perhaps one of only a few who had spent time on the proposed strategy.

I took it upon myself to do what any good basketball coach would do when faced with a faster opponent: slow down the tempo. Armed with the business plan and the strategy that the investors had bought, I sought to ask the dumb questions and engage the managing director.

Good manners meant that the “close-the-doors” team gave me some time to get answers.

In reality, I was guiding the managing director to his defences.

The first defence became clear. Market valuations were heading to low points. Never having invested meant that the firm was not saddled with historic mistakes like those already booked in the personal portfolios of many of the connected directors.

Investing, albeit indirectly, in the aftermath of the crisis would create an opportunity to rebalance their portfolios. The new firm would let them stick their toes back in the water and it would also help the management to appear quite clever to the investing public.

The next defence followed.

Arabian Gulf investors were not always well advised so a fresh face, coming in with a clean reputation and buying low was an opportunity for disgruntled investors to change advisors.

Keeping the doors open And, finally, the strategy was not cast in stone. Those parts that seemed like frills to the “close-the-doors” team could be ignored or deferred.

Those parts that showed the most promise could be the new focus.

We did not shut down the business.

There were two key adjectives in this story: independent and non-executive. As the independent outsider, I was able to buy time for queries, not instructions.

This helped the managing director keep the doors open and start the business, as a non-executive, my line of questioning was not job threatening, I did not show an interest in his position, which one dependent director did.

This provided him with a path to negotiate which parts of the strategy were essential and permitted the “close-thedoors” team to save face with some wins.

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IN TOUCH WITH ABDULKADER THOMAS Why did you join In Touch?

Last year, I was evaluating how to improve my credentials for my existing NED roles. I wanted access to a variety of CPD courses, and access to programmes that would widen my horizons. When I compared In Touch and a number of international competitors, I felt that the In Touch offer was going to return more to me.

One benefit in my In Touch package is the coaching. In my search, I had not contemplated coaching. My wife encouraged me to embrace coaching as a means to explore my capacity, weaknesses, and to learn more about how to improve myself.

With the coaching added to the package, the In Touch programme was my only choice.

How did you hear about the organisation?

I am a NED at a Saudi investment bank. One of our vendors was offering an attractive director’s education programme, so I decided to compare that programme to others. In my due diligence, I found In Touch.

What have been the main benefits?

I have been enjoying the CPD, podcasts and webinars, which have allowed me to simultaneously update myself on areas like corporate governance and self-improvement. The NED opportunities have been the icing on the cake for me.

What have you found the most rewarding part of membership?

I have found the coaching worth every cent of my membership.

Coaching? Can you explain what that entails?

My coach, Hilary Brearly, is from a completely different field than mine. I have a long career in finance. Her career has been in healthcare. This difference has allowed her to bring a fresh and critical eye to my case.

I have found that the coaching has been a deep interactive experience. Hilary has helped me to evaluate what I bring to the table, and analyse my experiences in light of NED requirements. Our coaching sessions are what I would call discretely structured inquiries.

The tone is conversational. But, Hilary uses progressive queries to explore my experiences, personality, and capacity.

How has that helped you?

In my current NED career, I have found that coaching outcomes have helped me to improve my relationship with a new and rising corporate leader. Following in the footsteps of a charismatic founder, the company’s CEO has risen through the ranks to join his predecessor on the board. Coaching has given me insights on how to engage in their relationship to help them find a constructive balance for the company.

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I have also extracted a number of practical points from our coaching dialogues to improve a number of my current NED activities.

What would you say to other people considering the coaching available?

A good coach provides an opportunity for deep introspection with practical applications. I needed prodding to embrace coaching but I went into it with an open mind.

I have found that my coach really helps me to identify areas of improvement.

She has done a great job to uncover strengths and weaknesses that I have overlooked. For me, I have been applying the insights immediately in my consulting and NED work, as well as my efforts to expand my NED portfolio.

Why would you recommend In Touch to others?

The team is engaging, and their support is apparent every time I utilise In Touch’s platform.

I am really very happy to encourage prospective and existing NEDs to join In Touch.

Has it helped grow your network?

I am only just beginning to push the network side of In Touch. Even then, I have found this has expanded my contact base, and even allowed me to rediscover some of my longlost contacts in the UK.

PASSPORT TO NED SUCCESS Acquire the skills and behaviours needed to land a non-executive role.

Join our five week webinar-based development programme and prepare to enter the boardroom with confidence.

Start your non-executive journey today!

Contact us

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This is your time I thoroughly enjoyed your ‘pace of change’ theme in the last issue of In Touch with Business and I was impressed by the quality and depth of the featured insights from your members working at the cutting edge of the new industrial revolution. So I am delighted that we now have the opportunity to partner with In Touch Networks, offering members the chance to join the Explorer Mindset, an exciting leadership development programme designed and developed by Møller Institute at Churchill College, in the University of Cambridge.

Carl Jung wrote: “I am not what has happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” Having been founded as a Centre of Excellence inspired by Sir Winston Churchill and Danish shipping magnate Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, we are committed to supporting senior executives to reach new frontiers in leadership.

We have developed the Explorer Mindset, a unique senior leadership development programme, to equip senior executives with the cognitive, emotional and behavioural resources required to confidently lead their organisations through one of the most competitive and unpredictable environments for centuries.

Just as early explorers charted new geographical landscapes relying on maps and sextants, compasses and the promise of discovery, 21st Century explorers must span the complexities of an inter-connected, digital world. They are called upon to lead in a world where the once familiar maps from the Industrial Age no longer seem to work.

We know that senior executives who choose to invest time, effort and purpose in learning and developing themselves are able to reach higher levels of performance, ability, meaning and happiness in their chosen careers.

We are passionate about designing high impact, experiential programmes, such as the Explorer Mindset, which make a considerable impact on the person, their team, their organisation and society as a whole.

Our Explorer Mindset programmes have welcomed cohorts of diverse global leaders, representing a wide range of sectors and functions. Alumni of the programme include leaders from AstraZeneca, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Xaar PLC, BP, Ministry of Defence, National Health Service, Scandinavian Airlines, Sysco, Blackrock, Commerzbank and Unruly to name just a few. Feedback has been extremely positive about the impact and value the programme is having on their leadership practice as well as their personal and organisational performance.

The Explorer Mindset programme is designed specifically to fit around your management commitments and runs annually, formed of two intensive, multi-dimensional modules, on 3-7 November 2019 and 15-19 March 2020. Full details, including videos explaining the format, video insights from alumni, brochure and application form can be viewed at www.ExplorerMindset.com/InTouch Are you brave enough to challenge yourself and embark upon this personal exploration? If so, I look forward to receiving your application form and discussing your personal and business objectives for the programme, to guarantee the learning outcomes are tailored for your needs.

Cathy Butler Head of Executive Education

Explorers: Apply Now. Lead Further. www.ExplorerMindset.com/InTouch

Lead further

INSTITUTE The Explorer Mindset Senior Leadership Development Programme Møller Institute at Churchill College, in the University of Cambridge

THE WINDS OF CHANGE Named by Forbes as one of the 40 Women to Watch, Wendi Sturgis has achieved success at the highest level. In Touch caught up with her to discuss how she made the transition to being an independent director and what she’s learnt along the way.

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A highly respected digital transformation expert, Wendi is CEO of Yext Europe and currently sits on the boards of The Container Store, regularly on Fortune’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” and Kustomer, a challenger to Saleforce’s CRM monopoly.

Having previously held executive positions at Price Waterhouse, Gartner, Oracle, Scient, Right Media and Yahoo!, she was instrumental in Yext’s formative years as an underdog start up.

Tell us a little about your executive career I’d joined Yahoo! from RightMedia and was running a $1.6 billion part of the business, as VP of accounts.

Yext chair Michael Warnath approached me to join the company as executive vice president and help him scale.

I’d known for some time that I wanted to move in to start ups so I jumped at the chance, especially as I knew Michael from his time as CEO of Right Media. He told me I’d be a perfect fit for the two founders and the role and he was right I’m here eight years later.

Was it a big leap of faith to leave behind a household name such as Yahoo!?

Not really! I had a very intentional, mapped-out plan for my career. It could have been daunting moving to be Head of Sales at Yahoo! and, in the same way, moving to Yext could have phased some people but they were both in line with the plan.

Not to sound cocky but I had no hesitation as I firmly believe we as leaders, and especially as women, have to just ‘do it’.

If I had moved to Yext and failed miserably, I simpIy would have recalibrated and reviewed my career path, as I know there are other things I excel at and could move in to career-wise.

That said, my time at Yext has not been perfect; hindsight is always 20/20, and looking back, there are definitely things I’d do differently to build even stronger relationships with our clients.

It’s inevitable and regardless of whatever you learn along the way, you will encounter new hurdles every time, as each business is unique.

The key thing is that I had a clear vision, that I could see at least a couple of moves ahead in my career and very importantly, that I wanted to take on each experience with no fear of failure.

Yext has seen huge amounts of growth.

What is the key to success?

Put simply, success is all about the people that you hire. I

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wanted to build a sales culture at Yext that was really healthy, if a little unconventional, and we recruited accordingly. For example, I have a salesman who has closed millions of dollars but would never have been taken on by companies with more traditional sales models. He was hungry and bright so we took a chance and it paid off. You need to understand what your DNA is as a company and then get people who fit that culture. All our sellers are smart, have a bit of hustle and have something to prove which really works well for us, as an underdog company.

Once we’d really established this in the US business, we sent key people over to Europe as cultural beacons in operations and not long after, we saw markets in the region thrive right before our eyes.

My recommendation to anybody wanting to grow a business from scratch, is to get an entry-level analyst program in place - you will need it.

Get kids right out of school or after a couple of years in business, and choose smart, high energy, driven individuals.

The impact these young people have made at Yext is phenomenal and they are so adaptable.

Jenny Hadlow, Global VP of Sales operations, has been here from the start and has previously held positions throughout the company in sales, operations and accounts.

Your intern team will be the leaders of tomorrow for your company.

Any tips for retention?

With this new generation you must have purpose as a business. Employees have to believe that a company stands for more than just a product or a piece of software, or you won’t keep your people.

We try to have perfect information in everyone’s hands in the business, the underdog mentality is something we all share, and we also nurture an extraordinarily transparent communication culture.

Our executive team is very transparent and holds regular company-wide meetings to celebrate our collective successes and learn from each team’s experiences.

I treat my entire team like executives because I trust them, which results in them having total confidence.

Workers today want to be told what’s going on; Cheryl

Sandberg calls it radical candour, but what we have is radical transparency.

We also care about our office environment and invest heavily in them worldwide. Beautiful spaces really inspire your workforce.

So why did you make the move to join a board?

My career journey has been all about building up what I call my ‘girl scout badges’ and moving onto boards has allowed me to add interesting new badges! I actually sat on non-profit boards for a number of years (Step Up Women’s Network and Taproot) but my first public board role was for Student Transportation of America (STA), a mid-market, mid-cap company who I was with for four years and enjoyed an amazing exit with after we went private.

The CEO thought my nonprofit experience was relevant and was also keen to have strong female representation on the board. While some people think non-profit board experience is irrelevant, I disagree. It makes you a stronger candidate at interview as you understand the basics of board service, plus it gives you an insight in to how to position yourself and what questions to ask of the interview panel.

After the first board role, the hunt for the next one went really poorly, despite everyone saying the second would be so much easier. One of the Yext founders suggested I speak with Emmett Keeffe of Insight Venture Partners, and he helped me find the key which is to be able to say, in

six words, why you are a great board candidate.

Emmett, who didn’t really know me, told me my positioning was all over the place, which led me to realize I was a digital transformation expert. I’d mistakenly forgotten that digital transformation is a new thing to many businesses and especially some of the more old school boardrooms, yet I’ve been immersed in it for 23 years! I started to let people know that I was an expert and doors opened straight away; soon after I was on The Container Store board. I’ve also recently joined the board of Kustomer, who are an extremely exciting and dynamic company.

Any advice for those pursuing a board career?

The moral is to use your network to help you to craft your story, as others’ objectivity can be really helpful and also to cast your net in unconventional ways toward the edges of your network.

That’s how I found Emmett.

You must also be really patient. There is a big pool of candidates going for a small number of roles and you will probably come second quite a few times before you land a board. Don’t expect everyone to be supportive, roll with the punches and seek out great people who are on boards as this will expand your network and increase your chances.

After STA and the long struggle for another board, I was mentally prepared not to land one. I persevered though and now I am in demand. A little tenacity will get you a long way.

The moral is to use your network to help you to craft your story, as others’ objectivity can be really helpful.

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