Serco Gropu plc Annual Review and Summary Financial Statement ...

a n d w e c o n t i n u e t o t a k e o u r m a n a g e m e n t s k i l l s i n t o n e w f i e l d s . B y i t s n a t u r e , o u r b u s i n e s s b r i n g s a f l o w o f n e w m a n a g e m e n t t a l e n t
We are well placed to identify and make the most of people’s talents.
John Rusling (right) began his career in the British Army, transferring to us
as a satellite communications engineer in 1970 after we won a contract at
the Royal Signals Research Establishment. Quickly recognising his talents,
we’ve kept him on the move – to the US… Hong Kong… Australia, where
he was our Far East Group Manager and helped lay the foundations of
Serco Australia… the European Space Agency… back to the UK... and
now Germany. He is currently responsible for operational matters relating
strong man
to the government services division of our recent acquisition in Germany.
ST R ONG M AN AGE ME NT S UC CE SSION It isn’t easy to grow fast
without overstretching your management team. To avoid this pitfall we’ve carefully managed
the pace of our growth. But at the same time we’ve been able to grow our own managers in
abundance – successfully extending and replenishing the team with little recourse to external
recruitment. How come?
The answer lies in our devolved structure. As we take on new contracts, we constantly acquire
new talent. We provide a framework of highly developed processes and controls, train people
to use them – and then, in effect, liberate them to run their own businesses better.
So now we have over 450 people who are effectively managing directors, running their own
contracts with their own management teams. Our style of operation is based on giving managers
the tools to do the job – and then the freedom to manage. Short decision chains keep us agile as
a business and make us attractive to entrepreneurial managers: when we take over a contract, the
most dynamic people tend to stick around. And our emphasis on small working units and close
relationships means we are usually well placed to identify and make the most of people’s talents.
In short, continued steady growth is an opportunity rather than a threat to Serco’s management
capability. The bigger we get, the stronger we grow.
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