You could refer to me as an advisor, a consultant, a supporter, a mentor, a non executive Director or an investor, or indeed any of those things, and you’d be right. The approach changes depending on the circumstances of the business and the management team I am working with.
However, whatever the description, I am an experienced executive with 30 years of global corporate leadership under my belt. I am an enthusiast who delights in the game of business and seeing committed entrepreneurs grow their companies.
I don’t hide my thoughts or my opinions though. My approach of strategy development and deployment has its roots in the success stories of large, global companies, but my unique and practical application of these strategies has been proven to work over and again in the smaller business environment. The big story though, comes from the people I work with; they trust me with their success.
I am also a Visiting Teaching Fellow in Entrepreneurship and Strategy for Lancaster University – ranked number one in the world for corporate strategy by the Financial Times.
I developed the Excellence Test over ten years to fully evaluate if the competencies exist for high growth within a business; a company doesn’t have to pass every section of the Excellence Test, but the more the better.
Surely manufacturers are interested in growth and disruption? But no, it appears that the art of fast, strategic growth is being championed by companies that deal only in intangibles. Manufacturers are currently missing the growth revolution.
With so much information at your fingertips online, including specifications, reviews and price comparisons, are the days of visiting multiple dealerships for a series of test drives over?
The politics of Brexit are one thing, but for the leaders of our UK manufacturing companies there is now a real opportunity.
It doesn’t have to be a choice between making money and doing good – the two can exist side by side. Simply turning a profit is no longer enough for most of us. Instead, we want to feel we are actively contributing to society.
Gousto is a British online grocery service that provides recipe kit boxes to subscribers. Each box includes fresh ingredients with meat, fish and vegetables, along with a step-by-step recipe guide. And as all the ingredients provided are measured out in the quantities needed, nothing is wasted.
The ride-sharing service BlaBlaCar is challenging the perception of car sharing, using mobile technology to make it easier and more appealing than ever to offer a ride or seek a lift with a fellow traveller.
Today, you are more likely to pick up your phone to access the internet than sit down at your desktop. It’s why Google always build for mobile first. Today, mobile is more important than ever and to succeed, a mobile-responsive site is no longer enough: a fully-functioning app is essential.
From its name to its business model; nothing about Lemonade resembles a traditional insurance company. That’s why it’s been capturing the interest of younger consumers looking for a fairer alternative to traditional insurance.
From MacDonald’s to Barclays, brands are keen to tell us how they are protecting the planet, treating staff fairly, and generally being open about their activities.
But one industry that, so far, has struggled to demonstrate transparency is the insurance industry.