IoD Midlands Spring

SPRING 2021 

www.iod.com 

Midlands 

The official membership magazine for the Institute of Directors in the Midlands 

Back to work... 

Focus on mental wellbeing as 

we start to return to the office 

EVENTS DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT ADVICE AND INFORMATION NEWS

Welcome 

A warm welcome to the Spring issue of the IoD 

Midlands membership magazine. 

The two Midlands regions of the IoD are 

continuing to work together to produce this 

publication, which we hope you will find useful. 

It is full of information and advice from a wide 

range of authoritative sources, covering 

everything from IoD services, events and training 

through to information that directors need to 

have in their locker on a host of issues, from 

cyber crime to HR, exporting advice, mental 

health and employment law. 

You will notice we have tried to focus a little on 

‘moving on’ from Covid-19. That is not to say 

that the crisis has passed: it certainly has not. But 

we are at a stage where we can see the virus in 

retreat and we need to start creating a landscape 

in which businesses can operate once more. 

Key to this new landscape is looking after our 

people, and we have a special feature on mental 

health and workplace wellbeing in this issue. We 

would urge you to read it and consider some of 

the points raised; the pandemic may have 

impacted very seriously on your employees’ 

mental health, particularly if you have 

furloughed staff or perhaps have not seen them 

in person for some time. There is only so much 

information you can pick up from Zoom 

meetings. Many may be anxious about returning 

to work, or have personal issues that need 

addressing. Our special feature will give you 

some pointers as to what to look for and what 

you must do, from page 34. 

Despite the restrictions imposed on us all by 

Covid-19, the IoD’s work has never stopped. We 

have continued to press the government 

Contents 

IoD News 4-13 

Technical briefing: 

Post-Brexit trade 14 

Big data 16 

Energy issues 18 

Nottingham Trent 

University 20 

Professional Development 

with the IoD 22 

IoD Ambassadors and 

Committees 28 

Events schedule 44 

Brian Hall 

throughout, making the case for business and 

the support measures you need. On page 7 we 

highlight some of the decisions taken recently 

that have the IoD’s stamp on them. 

We have also been hosting training and 

professional development seminars online, and 

the take-up of these has been very high. From 

comments expressed, members have 

appreciated the support they’ve received. We 

have also seen a large number of members 

making use of the IoD’s business research, 

information, tax and legal helplines. These are all 

free to core members, and you can find more 

about them on pages 10-11. 

Finally, while we do not have any in-person 

events planned just yet, it is hoped that by 

summer that will have changed. When we get the 

chance, we look forward to meeting you again. 

Brian Hall 

Chair, IoD West Midlands 

Gary Headland 

Chair, IoD East Midlands 

36 

Covid-19: 

The workplace mental 

health wake-up call 

of a generation. 

Special feature on 

protecting workforce 

wellbeing, pg 34-43 

Gary Headland 

Please note... 

Although every effort is 

made to ensure the 

accuracy of material 

contained within this 

magazine, neither the IoD 

nor Chamber Media 

Services can accept any 

responsibility for omissions 

or inaccuracies in its 

editorial or advertising 

content. The views 

expressed in this 

publication are not 

necessarily those of the IoD. 

The carriage of adverts in 

this publication does not 

constitute an endorsement 

of the products or services 

advertised. 

All articles within this 

publication are copyright 

IoD West Midlands. Editorial 

consent must be obtained 

before any are reproduced 

either in printed form or 

electronically. 

CONTACTS 

IoD East Midlands 

Nottingham Trent 

University, Burton St, 

Nottingham NG1 4BU 

Chair: Gary Headland 

e: chair.eastmids@iod.net 

t: 07787 484448 

Branch Manager – 

East & West Midlands 

Cari Grice 

e: Cari.Grice@iod.com 

t: 0115 857 8170 

Student Placement – 

Branches Tasha 

MacGilbert 

e: Tasha.Macgilbert@ 

iod.com 

t: 0115 857 8168 

IoD West Midlands 

A new members’ business 

hub will be opening soon. 

Watch this space/ the IoD 

website for details. 

Chair: Brian Hall 

e: chair.westmidlands 

@iod.net 

Senior Branch Manager – 

IoD East & West Midlands 

Sophie Breeden 

e: Sophie.Breeden@ 

iod.com 

t: 0121 281 5530 

The Institute of Directors 

Midlands membership 

magazine is published on 

behalf of the IoD by: 

Chamber Media Services, 

4 Hilton Road, Bramhall, 

Stockport, Cheshire SK7 3AG. 

Advertising sales: 

Colin Regan 

t: 01942 537959 / 07871 444922 

e: colinregan001@yahoo.co.uk 

Production enquiries: 

Rob Beswick, 

t: 0161 426 7957 

e: rob@chambermedia 

services.co.uk 

Cover image: As we start 

the big return to 

work, have you 

considered the 

mental wellbeing 

of your employees? 

See from pg 34 

www.iod.com/westmids/events 

03

Keep up to date at www.iod.com/westmids and at www.iod.com/east-midlands 

Welcome 

Covid has been wake-up call to 

look after the things that matter 

Gary Headland 

Chair, IoD East Midlands 

I hope you are all safe, and well. 

My introduction for this issue of our IoD 

regional magazine focuses on two 

important issues which are high priorities 

for me in my own business, both of which 

relate to safety. 

Our People 

First is the safety of our people: I am 

really concerned about the impact the 

past 12-18 months has had on them. 

My primary role is a people business. 

With around 1,200 staff, we deliver 

education to approximately 18,000 students 

each year, based in three countries on three 

continents. Combined, that is a lot of 

people, all of whom have felt the impact of 

Covid (and to a lesser extent, Brexit) in a 

range of different ways. Our operating 

model has been turned upside down and 

while aspects of our culture have 

strengthened during the crisis, many of 

our customs and working practices, 

systems and routines have effectively 

become void. 

My concern about people relates to 

assumptions I hear being made across 

many businesses about what ‘the right 

thing to do is’, with very bold statements 

about what people want or how people 

have fared: “People are happier working 

from home”; “people are more productive 

working remotely”. With some fairly 

gentle scratching of the surface, many (but 

by no means all) people really mean when 

they ask what the right thing to do is, is 

‘what the business needs’ – ie, a financially 

driven decision – but they are rationalising 

their thinking as a result of a data bias, 

more on which below. 

The current financial year for my own 

business has been very hard but I am 

resisting the urge to make urgent 

operational decisions that involve people 

until we have a better understanding 

about the genuine impact the past 12-18 

months has had on the health, wellbeing 

and productivity of our workforce. 

As a young military officer in the early 

‘90s, the OODA loop (Source: USAF Col 

John Boyd; see above) formed part of my 

leadership training and it has stayed with 

me throughout my professional working 

life. 

In my experience, crisis management 

can sometimes cause us to take shortcuts. 

This can mean that we observe and then 

use our knowledge, experience and 

intuition to decide without proper 

orientation (analysis). Those preferring a 

dynamic, seat-of-their-pants approach 

might think we can’t afford ‘paralysis by 

analysis’: we need to make decisions now. 

To a point I agree but equally I have 

never felt that expediency is an excuse for 

poor judgement. 

The danger with our knowledge, 

experience and intuition is the risk of data 

biases: eg, confirmation bias, framing bias, 

over-confidence bias, availability bias and 

short-termism. 

Human beings are not predictable in 

the way that machines and systems are. 

In the rush to make decisions, I feel 

strongly that we as company directors 

need to make the OODA loop work as fast 

as possible, not to move rashly from 

‘observe’ to ‘decide’. 

Our Information and Systems 

My second concern is the safety of our 

information and systems. 

Unfortunately, I have first-hand 

experience of a major cyber attack in the 

past six months. The attack was made 

with military precision in terms of 

reconnaissance, intelligence and 

execution. The disruption was immense 

and cost of recovery significant, despite 

having excellent insurance in place. 

These despicable attackers are highly 

organised and capable and could not give 

a fig about our worthy purpose and civic 

contribution. Many other education 

establishments and businesses have been 

attacked very recently. It is on the rise! 

We felt that we were well prepared, we 

had a cyber security mindset, 

accreditation, as well as two recent audit 

inspections providing a clean bill of health 

– yet even so, we were a victim. 

Our attack took place close to midnight 

“The attack was made with military 

precision in terms of 

reconnaisance, intelligence and 

execution... the disruption was 

immense and costly...” 

04 

www.iod.com/emidlandsevents

on a Saturday night. Frankly, what we 

needed (and I believe what all of us need) 

was round-the-clock cyber protection 

through a cyber-security managed service, 

which we now have. 

During our time of crisis, a local 

company called KryptoKloud came 

immediately to our aid. I was so impressed 

by their attitude and professionalism that I 

reached out to them to become a regional 

sponsor of the IoD to help other businesses 

across our region. Without KryptoKloud, 

we could easily have made immediate 

decisions in the wake of the attack that 

could have made the situation very much 

worse. They helped us to recover very 

quickly and this included rebuilding all of 

our servers and wiping and reimaging all of 

our end points (PCs, laptops, etc). 

Cybersecurity is obviously an unwelcome 

overhead but I just don’t see it as optional. 

Rather like car seatbelts in the ’60s and the 

introduction of health and safety, cyber 

security needs to be an essential part of our 

operations and our corporate governance. 

It is, of course, surrounded by language 

unintelligible to many of us. 

Since our attack and full recovery, I have 

met with many directors from a range of 

sectors and asked the following questions: 

n Has your organisation been attacked 

by a hacker already? If you answered ‘no’ 

to this you are probably misinformed or 

unaware, as it is almost certain you have! 

n Do you ‘honestly’ know the extent to 

which you are protected from cyber-attack 

or is this a delegated task? 

n Is cyber-attack managed as a strategic 

risk for your organisation, discussed by 

your Board, with a comprehensive 

mitigation strategy in place? 

n How would you know if you are being 

attacked? 

n Do you have an immediate action 

‘drill’ to mitigate damage? I don’t mean a 

business recovery plan, I mean a plan to 

guide you through the immediate actions 

you need to take. 

n Do you have a detection system that 

works during evenings, weekends and 

holidays (when attackers are most likely to 

strike) or does it rely on your technology 

staff actually being at work? 

n Have you got adequate insurance 

against cyber-attack? How do you know it 

is adequate? Have you actually read it and 

stress-tested it, or did someone procure it 

for you? 

n How could your business operate 

without access to your data and/or your 

operating systems for weeks, potentially 

months. 

So far, not a single person I have spoken 

with, or written to, can answer these 

questions to their own satisfaction. Can you? 

Andy’s the ‘right man 

to take IoD Greater 

Birmingham forward’ 

A warm IoD West Midlands welcome to 

Andy Wilkinson who has been 

appointed chair of the newly formed 

Greater Birmingham branch. 

The new branch – created following a 

major restructure of the IoD West 

Midlands network – incorporates 

Birmingham city and Solihull. 

“I’m looking forward to the challenge 

of leading this exciting new branch,” 

said Andy. “Outside London, 

Birmingham is the largest city economy 

in the UK. We have all the key 

ingredients for business including a 

large population, a well-connected and 

thriving city centre, excellent 

universities and fantastic culture.” 

Andy is a well-known figure in the 

region. The joint founder and managing 

director of Birmingham-based 

marketing communications agency 

Oakley Wilkinson Bryan (OWB Creative), 

in 2017 he was named SME Director of 

the Year by IoD West Midlands. 

He is a former non-executive director 

of St Giles Hospice Group and Business 

Link West Midlands, where he was also 

ambassador for creative industries. 

He previously held senior marketing 

positions with TNT United Kingdom, 

Blagden Industries and Burgess Group 

and agency roles in London, Bristol, 

Birmingham and South Africa. 

He has nothing but praise for 

the way IoD members have 

responded to the challenge of 

the pandemic: “They have been 

forced to draw upon all their skills 

and resilience over the past year 

“IoD members have 

been forced to draw 

upon all their skills and 

resilience, but it’s good 

that there is light at the 

end of the tunnel...” 

but there is light at the end of the 

tunnel. The IoD is on hand to provide 

connections, learning opportunities 

and influence over the coming months, 

with fantastic new member benefits 

and enhanced offering for existing 

members including training, new 

business research facility, virtual 

events, lobbying initiatives and 

critically networking to get business 

moving.” 

Andy will work alongside a branch 

team to ensure that the views of local 

directors are represented within the 

IoD’s influential policy voice. During 

the pandemic the IoD has helped to 

secure vital support for businesses, 

including financial assistance for wage 

bills and changes to insolvency rules. 

Brian Hall, IoD West Midlands 

regional chair, said: “Our new structure 

has removed outdated boundaries and 

created a branch that gives one of the 

UK’s most dynamic business 

communities the status and influence 

that it deserves. 

“As the economy begins its recovery 

from the pandemic, Andy is the right 

person at the right time, to take this 

dynamic community forwards.” 

The restructure has also seen new 

IoD branches established in 

Worcester and the Marches 

and the Black Country and 

Staffordshire. 

The existing Coventry 

and Warwickshire branch 

remains unchanged. 


05


News 

I’m proud of the IoD’s role 

in the Covid-19 response 

Brian Hall 

Chair, IoD West Midlands 

Hello, and welcome to the Spring issue of 

the IoD Midlands Magazine. 

I hope you and your teams are faring 

well as – fingers crossed – we near the end 

of restrictions and look forward to some 

sunnier times ahead. 

It goes without saying it has been an 

incredibly tough period for everyone, and 

many have suffered grievously, through 

human losses or financial ones created by 

the lockdowns. But it’s hard not to feel 

that the end is within our grasp and if we 

hold our resolve, by summer we could be 

viewing society as operating far closer to 

normal. 

During this past year the demands 

placed on the IoD have been immense, 

but I am very proud of all that we have 

achieved. We’ve had to change the way 

we work and how we serve our members, 

but I’ve been pleased with the result and 

what we have been able to offer. We 

worked collaboratively across the region, 

with the Mayor, the Midlands Engine and 

with Chambers of Commerce, to make the 

business case to power and ensure that 

necessary support mechanisms were in 

place. When the Government was looking 

to understand the needs of business at the 

start of the pandemic, the West Midlands 

was a leading contributor to the IoD’s 

response, and our suggestions helped 

formulate Government business recovery 

and employee funding packages. 

The West Midlands has also been 

instrumental in the creation of a new IoD 

Export Group to help businesses looking 

to trade overseas, and led the challenge to 

insurers over how they were interpreting 

business interruption insurance policies. 

Throughout our engagement with 

members it was clear that business leaders 

understood the nature of the crisis and 

their role within it, and while shutting 

operations down and furloughing staff 

was painful, it was necessary. All they asked 

in return was clear information from which 

they could make informed decisions. 

Away from the bigger picture of a 

national response, other parts of the IoD’s 

membership service have also flourished. 

I know from my own contacts with 

members that many of you have used the 

06 

IoD’s legal and tax helplines during this 

challenging time, as you looked to 

understand the options available to your 

businesses – with one member describing 

the help he received as “simply brilliant” 

– while the IoD research team has been 

kept busy with inquiries. 

What next? 

However, now we are edging towards 

the end of the crisis, what next? It’s clear 

directors want to reconnect with the wider 

business community. We are hopeful that 

by summer we will have in place a full 

schedule of events – both virtual and in 

person – as well as a comprehensive diary 

of local professional development 

programmes. I’m sure I’m not the only 

one who is looking forward to meeting up 

once more. 

To help you reconnect, we have 

made some changes to the 

branch structure of IoD West 

Midlands over the past 12 

months, to bring it closer to 

its members and position it 

to better match your 

regional needs. You will see 

details of this in this 

magazine. First, on pg 5 we 

introduce Andy Wilkinson, the 

new chair of our city branch, IoD 

Greater Birmingham. In many ways 

Andy typifies the IoD membership in the 

region: ambitious, digitally savvy and 

youthful, brimming with ideas and driven 

by a desire to make his business more 

successful. 

His branch is one of four that now 

covers the West Midlands, alongside 

Coventry & Warwickshire, Worcester & 

“It was clear that business leaders 

understood the nature of the crisis 

and their role within it, and while 

shutting operations down and 

furloughing staff was painful, 

it was necessary...” 

More on IoD 

membership 

benefits, including 

the information 

service and tax and 

legal helplines, see 

pages 10-11 

the Marches and the Black Country and 

Staffordshire. 

Second, our drive for IoD Ambassadors 

continues, with a number of high-profile 

appointments made. These hugely 

experienced men and women are our 

figureheads to whom you can turn for 

guidance and advice on a host of issues 

affecting your business. 

You will also notice a call to arms for 

more members to come forward and help 

lead the IoD. There are more ambassador 

roles available if you wish to contribute. 

See more, from pg 28. 

Finally, there is one more role we are 

looking to fill: my own. My term of office 

expires this summer and the search is on 

for my successor. Whoever takes on the 

role will be very fortunate; I’ve had a 

marvellous time, despite the shadows 

of first Brexit and then Covid 

peering over my shoulder 

throughout. It’s certainly 

made it challenging – but 

nevertheless, hugely 

enjoyable. The best part 

has been getting out and 

about, meeting members 

and hearing their stories 

about leading their 

businesses and how much 

they achieved. 

Hopefully, the new chair will take 

over with Covid retreating in the rear view 

mirror, with exciting opportunities on the 

horizon such as the Commonwealth 

Games and new opportunities for 

overseas trade and exports through an 

outward-looking ‘Global Britain.’ 

I look forward to introducing that 

person to you in the summer issue. 


IoD secures key policy 

wins from Chancellor 

The IoD Policy team scored a number of 

notable wins for businesses from the 

Chancellor in his Budget, including the 

continuation of Covid-19 economic support. 

The Chancellor matched or even 

exceeded IoD calls on some points, 

particularly around the discretionary grant 

fund for local authorities and the more 

gradual taper of the Coronavirus Job 

Retention Scheme and the Self-Employed 

Income Support Scheme. 

It was also encouraging to see the 

introduction of a recovery loan scheme, 

through which firms of all sizes are eligible 

for loans of between £25,000 - £10 million, 

with the Government guaranteeing 80 per 

cent of the funding. 

Away from Covid, a number of other 

initiatives the IoD had been calling for were 

confirmed. The need for a new digital and 

green recovery credit incentive for SMEs 

was backed with the announcement of the 

Help to Grow: Digital scheme, and new 

R&D tax reliefs. There was also an incentive 

to invest in new plant and machinery with 

a ‘super-deduction’ which allows companies 

to cut their tax bill by up to 25p for every £1 

they invest in qualifying new plant. 

A request for increased funding for R&D 

and green-led regional growth also came to 

fruition. The IoD had also called for the 

extension of the VAT cut for heavily 

impacted sectors – which now sees the new 

5% VAT rate for the tourism and hospitality 

sectors continuing until end-September – 

while the extension of the apprenticeship 

hiring incentive until September and an 

increase of payment to £3,000 was another 

policy win for the IoD. 

As ever, you never get everything you 

asked for. The IoD has called for funding to 

boost knowledge transfer and commercial 

The SME Brexit Support Fund has been 

established to help businesses with 

changes to trading regulations with the 

EU, including new customs, rules of 

origin, and VAT arrangements. 

The fund will help businesses 

prepare for import controls which 

come into force from April and July. 

The Government is introducing these 

in stages, allowing traders and hauliers 

time to adjust to new processes. 

This means businesses do not have to 

complete new import declarations for 

between universities and business for some 

time, and it was disappointing to see no 

action taken on this issue in the Budget. 

Equally, a temporary reduction in NI 

contributions by employers was rejected. 

Perhaps the biggest disappointment was 

that support for businesses hit by Brexit 

saw some movement but perhaps not as 

much as the IoD would have wished. On a 

number of issues the IoD made it clear that 

more support was needed for those 

businesses adversely affected by Brexit, and 

it would continue to keep pressing on a 

number of fronts, including reducing the 

minimum threshold for UK content in 

contracts eligible for UKEF assistance and 

for significant increases in DTI resources, 

to help business make better use of existing 

and future trade agreements. 

Last chance to access Brexit fund 

up to six months, unless they are 

moving controlled goods. 

This is a £20 million programme. 

SMEs that trade only with the EU, and 

are therefore new to importing and 

exporting rules, can apply for grants of 

up to £2,000 for each trader, to support 

importing and exporting, including 

training and advice to ensure they 

continue trading effectively with the 

EU. Applications can be made HERE... 

but hurry, the funding programme 

closes on June 30. 

Membership 

inquiries 

Should you have any questions 

regarding your IoD membership or 

renewal then please contact your local 

Branch Manager in the first instance. 

In the East Midlands: 

Cari Grice 

e: Cari.Grice 

@iod.com 

t: 0115 857 8170 

In the West Midlands: 

Sophie Breeden 

e: Sophie.Breeden 

@iod.com 

t: 0121 281 5530 

Raise your profile 

with prestigious 

Pall Mall address 

Do you need a central London office 

address but you don’t want to pay high 

rent for a physical space? Do you want 

help on mail and call handling? Then the 

IoD Virtual Office can offer you and your 

business all of that and so much more! 

Choosing to work with IoD Virtual 

Office and registering your company in 

Pall Mall will raise the profile of your 

business and give it a much sought-after 

SW1 postcode and London phone 

number, positioning you right in the 

heart of the capital. 

You can tailor this address with other 

IoD support services, such as call 

handling and a hot desk facility available 

on a full or half-day basis. 

IoD Virtual Office prices start from £90 

plus VAT a month for members, while a 

dedicated London telephone number(s) 

with professional call handling from our 

London based IoD Virtual Office team 

starts from £75 plus VAT a month 

(members). Click on the logo 

for more details, or call 

0207 451 3300. 


07


News 

Coming soon: The IoD Director 

of the Year Awards 2021 

IoD Midlands is delighted to announce 

that the 2021 Director of the Year awards 

will be opening for entries very soon. 

Last year this annual event was held 

online, courtesy of our partners at the DRP 

Group in Kidderminster. 

Expertly compered by IoD West and 

East Midlands chairs Brian Hall and Gary 

Headland, it offered “a truly inspiring 

insight into the hard work that has gone 

on to keep businesses moving throughout 

2020,” Brian said; “the perfect antidote to 

all the doom and gloom surrounding the 

pandemic.” 

Big winners in 2020 were Jonathan 

Hemus of Insignia Crisis and Reputation 

Management, and Peter Jarvis of 

Comtechs, who were named Director of 

the Year in the SME Business and Large 

Business (over £50m t/o) categories 

respectively, while the prestigious Chairs’ 

Awards went to Dr Clive Hickman in the 

West Midlands and Pat Doody 

in the East Midlands. 

This year the event will 

highlight those directors 

who have flourished 

despite the constraints 

of Covid-19, inspiring 

their organisations to 

growth and expansion 

will keeping their 

DIRECTOR 

OF THE YEAR 

AWARDS 2021 

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR 

LARGE BUSINESS 


SME 


FAMILY BUSINESS 


START-UP 


THIRD SECTOR 

Entries will be open soon! 

employees focused, positive and 

motivated. 

See the graphic above for 

this year’s awards 

categories, and look out 

for more information 

about how to enter 

and/or nominate 

other directors at 

www.iod.com. 

A celebration of leadership talent, success and achievement 


INTERNATIONAL 


INNOVATION 


YOUNG 


AGILITY & RESILIENCE 


EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION 


CSR 


NON-EXECUTIVE 


PUBLIC SECTOR 


SUSTAINABILITY 

“It was such an honour to be a finalist in the Family Business sector, and I am now 

absolutely thrilled to be the winner. I accept this award on behalf of my whole 

team at Wathall’s who work so hard to provide the services we offer.” 

Helen Wathall, Founder & Director, Wathall’s; 

Winner, Midlands Director of the Year Awards 2020 

Alternatively, if you would like to 

keep up-to-date with the awards 

process, email Cari Grice at 

Cari.Grice@iod.com. 

2020 Winners: Dr Clive 

Hickman (far left) and 

above, Pat Doody 

Information at your fingertips 

One of the most popular benefits of IoD membership is the Information 

Advisory Service, through which members can ask our research department 

for information on 25 occasions through the year. One member contacted the 

IoD West Midlands office to record their satisfaction: “I contacted the 

Information Service to help research export opportunities within Asia and 

Africa, two sectors we had never looked at before. I was allocated a specific 

contact in the research team who took the time to understand the nature of my 

request, to ensure that the output met with my requirements. The answers were 

delivered within 48 hours of my initial request and far exceeded my expectations. 

“It will also play a key part in delivering growth for my business! ” 

Make your voice heard...! 

The IoD runs Policy Voice, a way to gauge 

the opinions and thoughts of its members, 

which it then uses to formulate policies to 

be fed back to the Government in 

Westminster. To get involved and have your 

say, register now at 

iod.com/policyvoice 

Members’ magazine 

Tell us what’s happening in your world: we are always 

looking for interesting and relevant editorial for the 

magazine and online, so please speak to 

Cari Grice or Sophie Breeden about any content you may 

have. There are also opportunities to advertise in this 

magazine. For more details speak to Colin Regan at 

Chamber Media Services (details on pg 3) and see how the IoD Midlands 

magazine can be part of your marketing plan. 

08 



IoD Midlands: Membership 

Making the most of 

IoD membership 

The IoD in numbers: Did you know as a core member^ you get... 

Free business advice, 

research and 

information 

Find out more at www.iod.com/services/information-and-advice 

4 

25 

25 calls to our legal 

enquiries to the Business 

Information Service 

sessions with our 

business advisers 

helpline and 25 calls 

to our tax helpline 

Business Information 

As an IoD member, you have access to top professional researchers 

through the IoD Business Information service. 

They can provide you with valuable information on topics ranging 

from market forecasts and industry trends to trading abroad and 

employee salaries. 

Directors’ Advice 

No matter how well connected you are, sometimes you need 

independent and confidential business advice from a specialist. 

The Directors’ Advisory Service provides IoD members with just 

that, free of charge. Our expert advice covers issues from raising 

finance to board appointments and shareholder disputes. 

Key details 

1. Free and exclusive service to you as an IoD member 

2. Accessible from all over the world by email or phone 

3. Up to 25 enquiries* per calendar year with 30 minutes of research 

time on each occasion 

4. Bespoke answers within 24 hours or soon thereafter during 

exceptionally busy periods 

*According to your membership package 

Key details 

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2. Free, independent & confidential advice on a vast range of issues 

3. Advice is given by appointment either in a face-to-face 

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4. Up to four appointments per calendar year, 30-45 minutes each. 

^ 

Full Members and Associates have full access to our digital business library and guides as well as our archive of research and reports. 

Covid-19: Support for you 

and your business 

Government Support 

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Make your thoughts heard: sign up to 

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10 


Membership grades 

and criteria 

IoD membership is open to anyone with 

senior-level responsibilities – you do not need 

to be a registered director or working in a 

commercial entity to be eligible for Associate 

status but only practicing directors can obtain 

Member and Fellow status of the IoD. 

Associate (AIoD) 

Associate status with the IoD is for those who 

are not a practising director, including those: 

• Working closely with directors, such as 

intrapreneurs 

• Aspiring to be a director 

• Studying as undergraduate students 

• Who have been a director and are unlikely to 

be a director again but wish to stay in touch with 

the director community 

Associate members receive a reduced benefits 

package to full members, but can use the AIoD 

post-nominal to denote their membership. 

Member (MIoD) 

Member status with the IoD is for those who are 

practising directors and meet the below criteria: 

• Are a practising director – or have been and 

intend to be again in the near future 

• Have never been disqualified as a director 

Member status is for both executive and 

non-executive directors and also their 

equivalents (in terms of responsibility/ 

authority) within the public sector, third sector, 

trustees and the military. 

Members of the IoD can use the MIoD 

post-nominal to denote their level of 

membership with the IoD. 

Fellow (FIoD) 

Fellow status with the IoD is for those who are 

practising directors and meet the below criteria: 

•Satisfies all requirements for Member (cited 

above) 

• Invited to be a Fellow based on 

demonstrated commitment to be a ‘better 

director’, through one or more of: 

- Professional development – reaching 

Diploma or CDir level 

- Been a Member of the IoD for a minimum of 

five years demonstrating good performance and 

behaviour either professionally as a director, or 

in the Institute 

• Made an extraordinary contribution to the 

Institute at discretion of the admissions process 

Fellows of the IoD can use the FIoD postnominal 

to denote their level of membership 

with the IoD. 

If you would like to discuss membership 

grades and fees or require further 

information, please contact your local 

membership team: 

East Midlands: 

Cari.Grice@iod.com 

West Midlands: 

Sophie.Breeden@iod.com 

Member 

benefits 

The IoD has negotiated 

special discounts on key 

services for our members. For 

more information, click on the 

IoD logo by the offer 

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Indemnity Insurance 

Supplied by Hiscox 

Save five per cent on 

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(subject to criteria) 

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only you) 

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52 

Visits to IoD 

premises UK-wide, 

including Pall Mall 

“Membership has given me 

access to a network of 

other Directors in my local 

area and elsewhere, as well 

as some great training 

opportunites.” 

Carole O’Neil, Partner, 

HR & Training 

900 

IoD events up and 

down the country – 

including hundreds 

on your doorstep 

“My favourite thing is the 

sense of belonging to a 

strong community of 

business leaders; a 

community of strong 

leaders empowered to 

influence the business 

landscape in the UK and 

beyond.” 

Dr. Yahya Shakweh CDir, 

Vice President, Advanced 

Electronics Company 

1 

Step away from 

achieving your full 

potential 

“Becoming a member of 

the IoD is a great boost to 

your career. The IoD gives 

you a platform to interact 

with like-minded 

individuals and share 

ideas.” 

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Member 

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11


News 

IoD Enterprise Challenge is creating 

next generation of business leaders 

by Tasha MacGilbert 

The IoD Enterprise Challenge is a new 

version of the IoD £10 Challenge which 

has been running in the East Midlands for 

over five years, raising money for charity 

while helping students from Nottingham 

Trent University build their business 

experience. 

What is the IoD Enterprise Challenge? 

Students are split into small groups, 

with each group assigned a business 

mentor drawn from the IoD membership. 

They then bid for a seed capital of up to 

£50, and aim to turn this into as much 

profit as possible. 

The students are expected to use their 

business and entrepreneurial skills to 

reinvest their seed capital to raise money 

for the chosen charity. 

It is a challenge that gives the students 

an opportunity to gain first-hand 

experience in the world of business. 

They are helped along the way by IoD 

mentors, who guide the students through 

the challenge and provide support where 

needed. They assist student groups in 

reaching the best possible outcome by 

sharing valuable experiences that the 

students can apply in their own microbusinesses. 

Mentors offer a friendly approach, with 

unbiased support and direction, providing 

guidance and feedback. They facilitate 

brainstorming, by providing personal 

insight to guide the students, as well as 

ongoing support and encouragement 

throughout the challenge. 

Throughout the challenge the 

important thing is for the students to gain 

vital skills, with perhaps the most 

important, the value of teamwork and 

leadership. 

For the outset, small groups of students 

are formed from different courses. Often 

the students will be meeting for the 

first time at the launch event and 

will need to get to know each 

other and learn how to 

communicate effectively to get 

the critical tasks done. 

They will also need to learn the 

importance of leadership. Roles 

will be assigned in each group with a 

single leader appointed. We expect the 

students to take ownership of all tasks and 

roles – not the mentor! 

Want to get 

involved as a 

mentor? 

Email tasha. 

macgilbert 

@iod.com 

Other key aspects of the Challenge 

include time management and enterprise. 

At the end of the Challenge each group 

is expected to discuss their journey and 

generate a reflective video to represent 

this, with presentations on display at 

the Celebration Event. 

Students will also have the 

opportunity to grow their digital 

literacy capability, including 

the ability to find, evaluate and 

compose clear information 

through writing and other 

mediums on various platforms. 

Where does the profit go? 

Profits generated are donated to the 

Students find their own winning formula 

Previous student winners of the 

£10 Enterprise Challenge explain their 

business plans 

A Drag Show and Lip Sync 

Extravaganza! 

“We bet on originality for this year’s IoD 

Enterprise Challenge, and it paid off, 

managing to win the award for the ‘most 

money raised’. 

“We organised a Lip Sync Competition in 

Drag, in a cocktail bar in Soho with a 

professional DJ for free. We had three acts 

and a four-prize raffle, as well as donations 

and tickets revenue. 

“Our secret was knowing how to 

effectively use our networks and thinking 

outside the box. Doing it for a good cause 

made it even more rewarding” 

This group raised £1,000 for the John 

van Geest Research Centre. 

Our approach: selling glow sticks 

outside nightclubs! 

“Our group successfully completed the 

IoD East Midlands Enterprise Challenge, 

raising the most money for the chosen 

charity. 

“We hit upon the simple idea of selling 

glow sticks outside night clubs. 

“For our team, winning the challenge 

showed that the simplest ideas, good team 

work and organisational skills are 

sometimes the most effective and key to 

any activity! 

This team raised £1,546 

12 


IoD supporting university students in the West Midlands 

John Phillips MBE FIoD 

First, I would like to thank our friends at 

the University of Wolverhampton who 

have worked tirelessly throughout the 

pandemic to allow IoD members to 

facilitate virtual student mentoring. 

This has been supplemented by group 

sessions with the students, looking at 

CVs, selection interviews and the current 

job market. 

IoD members have acted as mentors to 

undergraduates studying business 

subjects with an emphasis on future 

employability and soft skills. We will be 

staying close to the students this summer 

with the aim that they should all find 

employment which is commensurate 

with the academic qualifications they 

will shortly be receiving. 

I would like to thank Dr Jenni Jones 

from the University of Wolverhampton 

for her outstanding work and 

enthusiasm in supporting us through 

what is our 11th Year of this fantastic 

programme. There have been extra 

challenges during the pandemic and it 

has not been easy for many of our 

students. We have, however, arranged as 

much extra support as possible and it is 

our intention that all our young people 

will eventually find high value 

employment. 

I would also like to thank Dean 

Kavanagh, Chairman of IoD Coventry 

and Warwickshire Branch who has taken 

the programme with Coventry University 

in a slightly different but important 

direction by supporting postgraduate 

business students. 

Finally, a huge thank you to our 

marvellous IoD mentors who have given 

of their time so freely and with so much 

enthusiasm! 

We very much hope that the academic 

year for 2021/2 will see us returning to 

near normality. 

If anyone would like to help with our 

work please do not hesitate to contact me 

personally through Sophie, our Senior 

Branch Manager. Our mentors all say 

they get huge satisfaction from being 

part of the scheme – gaining as much 

from it as the students do. 

Giving something back: the 

buzz of being an IoD mentor 

John van Geest Research Centre. Founded 

by John and Lucile van Geest, the research 

centre seeks to “save lives and speed 

recovery by improving the diagnosis and 

treatment of cancer.” 

The Centre at Trent University has been 

made possible through the donations 

totalling £17 million from the John and 

Lucille van Geest Foundation. 

Upon completion of the challenge, all 

students participating receive free IoD 

Student Membership, which gives them 

access to the IoD Regional Event schedule 

as well as national student events. 

They also gain access to an unrivalled 

network of business acumen through the 

contacts they make throughout the event. 

We are looking for IoD East Midlands 

members to get involved with our student 

groups on the £10 Challenge. 

The amount of support the students 

need will differ from group to group, but 

from experience they usually meet their 

mentor initially on launch night, perhaps 

once mid-way through the Challenge and 

then at the celebration event. 

Between those dates they keep in touch 

via WhatsApp or email. 

The student helpline is something new 

that we are trying with student members, 

where our members are encouraged to help 

students from time to time with queries 

they might have. 

This will be a good way to support young 

people and an amazing thing to participate 

in. It will be an opportunity to offer the 

students practical real-world advice and 

help them understand more about the 

business world and the role of directors. 

We’re sure that it will also enable them to 

be more prepared for the world of work 

once they graduate. 

If you are interested in supporting this 

year’s Enterprise Challenge or know of 

someone who would, email 

tasha.macgilbert@iod.com with your 

details. If you have any questions then 

please feel free to get in touch! 

What do mentors involved in previous 

Enterprise Challenges think of the 

experience? We asked Clive Bridge to offer 

some pointers to other IoD members. 

“The IoD Enterprise Challenge is a great 

example of how business can partner with 

education and help build awareness of 

what running a company is all about. 

“This was my first year as a Mentor. As 

well it being hopefully helpful for the 

students, it was great fun. The Group I 

worked with,‘Calm Candles’, chose to 

manufacture and sell a variety of scented 

candles. This meant they had to think 

about a whole range of issues: design, 

procurement, manufacturing & packaging, 

marketing, finance, etc. They then had to 

present a credible business plan in order to 

be allocated their initial seed money. 

“While the competitive element gives 

students that added motivation and 

interest, the real benefit is that it provides 

invaluable learning about the various 

aspects of the business world. This 

brings to life the challenges and excitement 

of being in business far more than lectures 

and texts book can. The fact that all money 

raised goes to the Van Geest cancer charity 

makes it even more worthwhile. 

“Overall, a great initiative and one that I 

would definitely recommend to others for 

next year!” 


13


Technical Briefing: Brexit and exporting 

Post-Brexit trade: Short-term 

headache or long-term pain? 

Pharma boss and Chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 

Dr Nik Kotecha obe, examines whether the current challenges 

posed by the post-Brexit trade deal and the end of the Transition 

Period are temporary hiccups or a more permanent problem. 

When the 11th hour Brexit Trade Deal 

arrived at the back end of 2020, most 

businesses hailed it as a breakthrough, 

largely because the prospect of No Deal 

would have been so damaging to UK 

businesses. 

On the one hand, the deal has given 

most UK businesses certainty, which will 

enable companies to finally be able to 

make long-term plans, as well as invest for 

the future. 

I am a great admirer of how UK 

businesses are able to adapt and innovate 

as their operating environments evolve, 

and this skill will provide many 

opportunities to grow into new markets as 

the UK continues to sign trade deals 

around the world. 

However, on the other hand and despite 

the business community’s initial 

enthusiasm, the devil was always in the 

detail. Indeed, some sectors weren’t 

included in the deal, such as financial 

services. 

It’s also clear that the new arrangements 

are not without their challenges. I talk to 

many business leaders and every 

company and sector is having to adapt 

– and to adapt very quickly. My company, 

Morningside Pharmaceuticals, is no 

different, as we import and export our 

pharmaceutical products globally, as well 

as to the EU. 

So the question to really ask is whether 

these are short-term teething problems or 

a longer term fundamental challenge? 

Pre-Brexit, we made extensive 

preparations for every eventuality, such as 

increasing buffer stocks and off-site 

warehousing; agreeing post-Brexit 

processes with freight forwarders; and 

ensuring EU supplier and customer 

readiness. 

But inevitably there have been some 

issues since the new arrangements began, 

although it’s still too early to say whether 

these are all down to the new post-Brexit 

landscape, or are being amplified by the 

ongoing Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. 

Trucks parked at one of the 

temporary parks set up in 

Kent to accommodate 

Dover overflow traffic. Was 

this event at the turn of the 

year a sign of things to 

come, or a one-off? 

A few of the challenges we’ve faced so 

far include additional paperwork, which 

has slowed turn-around times for 

shipping arrangements; extra shipping 

costs; customs brokers refusing work 

because of increased demand; and a 

shortage of haulage firms and drivers able, 

or willing, to take UK deliveries. 

Some of the consequences of the UK/ 

EU Trade Deal have also affected our 

supply chain. One example is around 

specific Incoterms, which specify 

who is responsible for paying for and 

managing the shipment, insurance, 

documentation, customs clearance, and 

other logistical activities. This has led to a 

‘‘ 

Additional paperwork has 

slowed turn-around times... 

but we worked closely with 

our EU partners and freight 

forwarding companies to 

refine our processes... 

‘‘ 

substantial amount of paperwork needing 

to be carried out by our EU suppliers, at a 

time when their resource time is inhibited 

by the pandemic. 

To work through these issues we have 

taken a number of actions, including 

working closely with our EU partners and 

freight forwarding companies to refine 

shipping and customs processes and 

continuing our export strategy to focus on 

the rest of the world, as well as the EU. 

We will also continue to work closely 

with the Department of Health & Social 

Care (DHSC), which is keen to support our 

sector where possible, as well as look to 

engage Government directly and through 

trade associations such as the IoD and the 

Chambers of Commerce, to whom I would 

encourage all businesses to provide 

feedback to. 

So to come back to the question, the 

majority of the current challenges we face 

should be short- to medium-term bumps 

in the road that get resolved in time as we 

learn to adapt. A longer term fundamental 

concern is the new trading arrangement 

with Northern Ireland and the issues 

around rules of origin, which must be 

14 


esolved quickly. 

As a business that has exported to more 

than 120 countries since our inception in 

the 1990s I have seen first-hand the 

opportunities which are out there, and the 

huge benefits on offer for UK Plc. It’s clear 

the new trade deals negotiated by the 

Department for International Trade (DIT) 

will offer UK businesses a real long-term 

advantage, including the potential for the 

UK to join trading blocks like the Comprehensive 

and Progressive Agreement for 

Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). 

So, despite all of the headwinds we face, 

there are green shoots ahead and 

businesses must bear in mind that Brexit is 

a process, rather than a complete package 

from day one. 

One very useful way to get a personalised 

list of actions for your business is through 

the Brexit Checker on www.Gov.uk 

website, which provides a quick ‘gap 

analysis’ of your business activities to help 

navigate through the new trading 

environment. 

In time UK businesses will adapt to the 

new arrangements with the EU and begin 

to grow into exciting international markets, 

which offer huge growth potential for 

‘Brand UK’. 

It may just be a bit bumpy along the way. 

DIT targets exports growth 

The Department 

for International 

Trade (DIT) has 

launched a new 

campaign to help 

UK agriculture and food & drink 

companies to take advantage of new 

trade deals and explore new market 

opportunities overseas. 

There is a huge demand for quality and 

premium British food and drink produce 

around the world, with growing 

opportunities across emerging markets 

for products including meat, seafood, 

alcohol, spirits and dairy. 

Overall, the UK’s agriculture, food and 

drink industry represents one of the UK’s 

vital manufacturing industries, with the 

agri-food sector contributing £120 billion 

to the UK economy in 2018 alone and 

supporting around four million jobs. In 

2019, nearly 8,000 businesses in the 

agricultural and food industries exported 

their goods, supporting the jobs of over 

500,000 employees up and down the UK, 

demonstrating the value of trade. 

The Government has so far negotiated 

trade deals covering 64 countries plus the 

EU – to cover £889 billion of trade - and is 

looking to build a network from the 

Atlantic to the Pacific. 

And with new trade deals being 

finalised globally, there is a huge 

opportunity for British agriculture, food 

and drink businesses – of all sizes, and 

from all regions of the UK – to grow. 

To increase the number of businesses 

looking to exploit this huge export 

opportunity, the DIT is offering bespoke 

exporting advice and support. 

Whether it is Welsh lamb to Qatar and 

the UAE, Cornish clotted cream to Japan 

or a growing demand in the USA for the 

drinks industry, there are opportunities 

everywhere. 

In March last year, access to the US was 

granted for UK beef exporters for the first 

time in 20 years, with the industry 

estimating beef exports to be worth £66 

million over the next five years. In the 

last 10 years cheese exports have more 

than doubled to the UAE, demonstrating 

the appetite for UK dairy products across 

the Gulf, as well as Japan and across 

south east Asia. 

For more information, visit gov.uk/ 

grow-by-exporting to learn how you can 

tap into new opportunities abroad. 


15


Technical briefing — Big data 

It’s the era of big data, and with claims that ‘data is the new oil’*, what is 

the value of data analytics to today’s directors and leaders, and how can 

they navigate this complex world and derive sustained competitive 

advantage? Graham Harrison, IoD Member and Ambassador for Digital 

for the Greater Lincolnshire & Rutland Branch, explores this fascinating 

subject and reaches some surprising conclusions about the continuing 

role that directors and leaders play in this brave new world. 

Having the data helps – but so 

does asking the right questions 

What are the benefits to firms 

leveraging data analytics? 

It’s worth beginning by asking whether 

firms that leverage data analytics have 

access to a capability that differentiates 

them and gives them an edge over their 

competitors. 

It turns out that there is a wide body of 

evidence that confirms that the answer to 

this question is “yes”, including a report 

from Wegener & Sinha showing that firms 

using data analytics are twice as likely to 

be top-quartile financial performers, while 

another from McKinsey & Company 

showed that data-analytic firms increase 

their earnings before tax by 20 per cent 

compared with those who did not. 

Beyond these two examples there is a 

wide body of research and evidence 

supporting the view that embracing data 

analytics will improve business outcomes 

and deliver competitive advantage. 

But what are the strategic benefits? 

There is a traditional view that firms 

* Intro quote courtesy of Clive Humby 

16 

with good data analytics maturity start 

every meeting by reviewing the corporate 

data dashboard, with every decision 

maker having immediate access to reams 

of spreadsheets detailing the minutiae of 

company performance. 

There may be some truth in that but at a 

higher level directors and leaders of firms 

that have a mature data analytics 

capability know how to ask and answer 

the right questions giving them unique 

insight and an ability to make the right 

decisions to drive company performance. 

Victor Kiam famously “liked the shaver 

so much, he bought the company” – in his 

case, shaver maker Remington – but in 

hindsight this decision was an example of 

something called “substitution”, a famous 

psychological effect that has ramifications 

for data-driven firms. 

There are many questions that should 

be asked during a corporate acquisition 

but in asking the question “by how much 

is Remington company stock undervalued?” 

Victor appears to have answered 

the question “how much do I personally 

like just one of its products?”. 

The substitution effect can be addressed 

in data analytics firms simply by seeking 

the data and information that will inform 

the decision. In the Remington example it 

is likely the main data required would have 

been on historical stock market 

performance and sales trends, not a single 

sample product survey, and this would 

have led to correctly answering the right 

questions relating to the acquisition 

decision. 

As well as avoiding substituting a 

different question to the one being asked, 

data analytic directors and firms are far 

more likely to frame the right question in 

the first place. 

During the ‘Cola Wars’ one of the two 

leading firms produced a new, attractive 

glass bottle and raced ahead of its main 

competitor in terms of sales. The 

competitor swiftly formed a task force to 


design and produce its own even more 

attractive bottle to win customers back. 

Having failed in this task the team 

stepped back from the problem to ask, 

“what is the right question?” and “what 

data do we need?”. 

It turns out the right question was “how 

do we sell more cola?”; the right data 

related to customer needs and the answer 

was to develop the plain old two-litre 

plastic bottle which led to increased sales 

and profits. 

This is a classic example of framing the 

right question and data analytic directors 

and firms are much more likely to be 

aware of this and to frame business 

challenges in a way that improves their 

outcomes. 

Data vs. Intuition 

In ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’ , Nobel Prize 

winner Daniel Kahneman puts forward 

many arguments against purely intuitive 

decisions and makes a strong case for 

using data analytics to augment, inform 

and support important business decisions. 

Roger Federer can hit a forehand in 

tennis intuitively; he doesn’t have to think 

about the stroke or process any thoughts 

before or during the task, it just happens 

automatically. However, Roger can 

execute 1,000s of shot-related decisions 

quickly and get instant, accurate feedback 

as to whether he has got it right or wrong. 

Now consider an advanced business 

decision like a corporate merger. It is likely 

that directors will make a handful of 

decisions of this magnitude during their 

careers and even then, the feedback 

indicating success or failure will not be 

known for many years. 

The first example is a good fit for 

intuition, the second example requires 

that intuition be combined with accurate, 

consistent, timely and applicable data to 

triangulate and verify the thoughts and 

views of the leadership team. 

Data analytics does not mean that the 

intuition of directors and leaders should 

be ignored or is unimportant, but it does 

provide an invaluable way to check it and, 

if the two views do not triangulate, to ask 

searching questions about which view is 

right. 

What role is left for directors 

and leaders? 

With evidence that data-savvy 

companies significantly outperform the 

data ‘have-nots’ and research 

demonstrating that intuitive decision 

making is flawed, what role is there for 

directors and decision makers, and could 

managers ultimately be completely 

replaced by artificial intelligence algorithms? 

Not only would such an approach raise 

serious morale and ethical concerns but 

the available evidence strongly suggests 

that not only do directors and leaders have 

a role to play but that their role is critically 

important in deriving business value from 

data analytics. 

My very favourite data science 

quotation is by Dr Mike Schmoker who 

said: “Things get done only if the data we 

gather can inform and inspire those in a 

‘‘ 

We can have the top data 

but all of that comes to nought 

if leaders and managers do not 

use it to influence and inform 

critical business decisions 

‘‘ 

position to make a difference”. 

My interpretation of this famous data 

quotation is that we can have the top data 

scientists, the most accurate, timely and 

consistent data, the most visually stunning 

graphs and charts, and the very best 

machine learning models, but all of that is 

for nought if leaders and managers do not 

use them to influence and inform critical 

business decisions. 

In data jargon there are three types of 

data analytics: 

• Descriptive Analytics looks backwards 

in time at things that have already 

happened and captures them in graphs, 

charts and reports. 

• Predictive Analytics uses historical 

data and statistical techniques to make 

predictions about what is likely to happen 

The ‘VRIO’ framework 

in the future. 

• Prescriptive Analytics takes the 

outputs and outcomes of the first two and 

applies them to commercial decision 

making to drive and optimise business 

outcomes. 

Prescriptive analytics is the most 

important step because without it those 

complex and clever descriptive and 

predictive models will sit on the shelf and 

will not have any impact on business 

outcomes. 

To achieve the benefits that have been 

highlighted, including top quartile 

financial performance and 20 per cent 

earning increases, directors and leaders 

must be fully engaged, know what 

questions to ask the data experts and then 

use the insight generated by data analytics 

to inform high quality decisions and this 

will be the subject of a future article. 

Conclusions 

We have explored what benefits can 

accrue to companies that acquire a 

mature data analytics capability, what the 

strategic benefits are, how data complements 

and augments intuitive decision making 

and how directors and leaders play a 

critical role in translating all that potential 

into realised business benefits. 

The ‘VRIO’ framework suggests that a 

business capability must be valuable, rare, 

costly for its competitors to imitate and 

that the firm must be organised to capture 

value from it, and that if these things hold 

true a firm will realise sustained 

competitive advantage. 

If directors can influence their firms to 

obtain and grow a data analytics capability 

that passes these four tests then there is a 

significant opportunity to achieve 

sustained competitive advantage – and 

then maybe data really will be the new oil. 


17


Technical briefing: Energy and 5G 

Buyer beware: there are sharks 

in the energy market 

Is your business looking to sign 

off on a new energy contract? 

Before you do, read this 

cautionary tale, as told to the 

IoD by Liam Conway, Head of 

Business Development at 

Control Energy Costs. 

A number of businesses have complained 

that they have been mis-sold energy 

contracts. Unfortunately, due to lack of 

regulation within the industry, it is very 

much a case of buyer beware. 

This example concerns a member of IoD 

West Midlands. We are unable to name the 

company, but the FD was keen for the story 

to be shared and to ensure others did not 

fall foul of such blatant mis-selling and 

misrepresentation. The FD of the business 

would also be happy to talk this through on 

an IoD webinar session with other directors. 

Liam met with the finance director of the 

business which operates a single site heavy 

manufacturing facility in the Black Country 

and spends in the region of £500,000 pa on 

energy. 

The FD expressed concern at the recent 

energy invoices they had received, which 

were significantly different to those that 

had been ‘sold’ to them. Although this was 

arranged before the FD’s tenure, the 

company was keen to explore what had 

gone wrong as the impact to them in terms 

of budget was significant. 

Liam uncovered that this business had 

been mis-sold a pass-through contract by 

an energy broker. 

The business had been approached by 

this energy broker who proceeded to send 

them numerous letters of authority (LOAs) 

to sign. Letters of authority are legal 

documents that enable a third party to act 

on your behalf. 

The letter of authority, once signed, gave 

the broker the ability to sign contracts on 

their behalf and extend them multiple 

times. 

Pass-through contracts 

A pass-through contract is one that 

covers just the energy element of the bill. 

This typically only accounts for around 40% 

of charges, with the additional 

transportation, distribution, taxes, and 

levies all passed through at cost. 

Any proposal you are given based on a 

pass-through contract might represent 

good face value, but it is only covering a 

percentage of the total you will need to pay; 

you need to understand the consequences 

fully. 

There is nothing wrong with a passthrough 

contract, however, unscrupulous 

energy brokers use them as a way of hiding 

increased commissions within the unit rate. 

Significant increase in energy costs 

In this case, the business had unwittingly 

signed a pass-through energy-only contract 

and, due to hidden commission within that 

proposal, saw significant increases in 

energy costs. 

The broker in question refused to disclose 

the amount of commission that had been 

built into the contract. The broker also 

continually extended the contracts by six 

months as soon as the opportunity arose, 

and the chosen supplier allowed them to do 

so. This was done again to maximise their 

gain, not in the best interest of the client. 

The energy broker has a fiduciary 

obligation to act in the client’s interest this 

is a typical example where they are lining 

their own pockets rather than providing 

worthy advice to the client. 

Hidden commission 

To put some context to this, the broker 

had hidden circa £100,000 per annum of 

commission across both electricity and gas. 

They extended all contracts to five years, so 

took virtually £500,000 in hidden 

commissions over the contract term. 

As the business had been misrepresented 

at the point of signing the contract, they 

only became aware of this when the 

contract started. We were clearly able to 

demonstrate to them the likely commission 

built in by showing where the market was 

when they signed, versus the rates secured. 

This is broadly 20% of the business’s 

energy costs going straight to the broker! 

It would vary depending on the services 

provided, however, a fair and transparent 

broker would likely earn 2- 5% of energy 

costs. 

Conclusion 

While by their own admission the 

business should have been more aware of 

the ‘salesmanship’, this example is a £40m 

t/o business so not lacking in commercial 

awareness. The point being if they can be 

‘hoodwinked’, anyone can, as the energy 

brokers in question are slick in their 

operations. 

We are keen to highlight the issues and 

while we would love nothing more than to 

name and shame a number of the larger 

prolific offenders, it’s difficult to do so 

publicly, so our approach is to educate as 

many businesses as possible so they don’t 

18 


fall foul of the tactics. 

KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK 

If you are approached by an energy 

broker, ask the following questions: 

Are their fees transparent? 

The vast majority of energy brokers will 

be earning a commission that is built into 

the supplier proposal they are 

recommending you accept. If their fees are 

truly transparent, you should know what 

that rate is. There is no such thing as a free 

service although there are many energy 

brokers who will market themselves on this 

basis. 

Do they offer good value for money? 

A good energy broker will have a 

document that explains what services they 

are providing. Think about these services 

in the context of the commission they are 

earning and consider whether it is 

appropriate to the support they provide. 

Research who works for them and what 

relevant experience their key people can 

offer. Lots have energy experience, but 

relatively few have the expertise to deliver 

specialist tasks your business may require. 

If they are earning a reasonable 

commission, at the very least you should 

have a dedicated point of contact and 

access to a variety of reporting functions. 

How much commission have they 

earnt from me in the past 12 months? 

If you are working with an energy broker 

who is completely transparent about their 

fees, ask them and they should be happy to 

tell you. Alternatively, ask them to confirm 

the annual consumption (in kWh) across 

your portfolio and their commission rate so 

that you can work it out for yourself. 

The figure may surprise you. 

Do they do anything other than 

contract renewals? 

A good energy broker should be 

providing a holistic service looking at all 

aspects of your energy and water 

expenditure and any energy-related matter 

and leave you feeling confident that you 

are in safe hands. If that is not the case, 

something is wrong. 

When did you last benchmark your 

arrangements? 

In running a business, you will have lots 

of priorities and it is often easier just to 

leave things as they are. Not looking at 

alternatives could be costing you more 

than you think. 

You can talk to Liam about this and 

other energy matters on 01737 556631 

or see cec.uk.com. 

5PRING and Ferrovial 

challenge innovators to 

help lead 5G revolution 

5PRING – the consortium delivering the 

UK’s first 5G commercial application 

accelerators – has partnered with leading 

global infrastructure operator Ferrovial 

to launch a new challenge for innovative 

start-ups and small businesses to shape 

the future of the construction sector. 

With construction output in the UK 

valued at more than £110 billion, 

accounting for 7% of GDP and employing 

around 10 million people, the sector is 

well positioned to benefit from the 

impact of deploying 5G solutions to 

increase efficiency and optimise 

processes such as asset monitoring, as 

well as reducing costs and emissions. 

The Future of Construction challenge 

will provide start-ups and other small 

businesses with support in developing 

and scaling innovations targeted at the 

construction sector which harness the 

power of 5G to create a safe, dynamic 

and efficient construction industry, with 

a specific focus on: 

• Health & Safety and security 

• Logistics and site operations 

Applicants with 5G-enabled solutions 

which leverage augmented reality, 

computer vision, IoT, artificial 

intelligence and machine learning, and 

robotics, and are still relevant to the 

construction sector, are also encouraged 

to apply. 

The Future of Construction challenge 

offers successful companies access to 

cutting-edge technology via a private 5G 

network, a tailored acceleration 

programme, as well as coaching, 

mentoring and expertise provided by 

experts from Ferrovial and the 5pring 

consortium partners Telefonica UK (O2), 

Deloitte, Wayra and Digital Catapult. 

Javier Vaca de Osma, technology and 

processes director at Ferrovial 

Construction, said: “5prinG will give 

Ferrovial the opportunity to explore 5G 

potential to leverage innovation for our 

businesses by accessing a new ecosystem 

of startups and disruptive solutions. 

“With this partnership we are looking 

to foster the digitisation of our 

construction sites integrating, through 

5G, technologies such as augmented 

reality, edge computing or IoT systems to 

boost efficiencies while ensuring the 

safety of our working environments. 

5prinG will allow us to identify and test 

cutting-edge solutions on a real test-bed 

of innovation.” 

Last year, West Midlands 5G (WM5G) 

and partners O2, Deloitte, Digital 

Catapult and Wayra announced the 

launch of the UK’s first commercial 

accelerators – 5PRING – to develop the 

first region-wide 5G testbed. 

Robert Franks, Managing Director at 

WM5G, said: “It is through partnerships 

such as those that 5PRING is developing 

that we will truly be able to understand 

the real potential that 5G has to 

revolutionise the UK’s major industries. 

The guidance and expert advice that our 

5PRING teams can provide both virtually 

and through our dedicated Accelerator 

hubs in Coventry, Wolverhampton and 

Birmingham are leading the way. 

“Ferrovial’s decades of experience will 

be vital in helping to shape and guide the 

innovative solutions that we are hoping 

to see delivered through this programme, 

transforming their ambitions into 

reality.” 

Applications for the accelerator are 

now open and should be submitted by 

midnight on the May 14, 2021. 

Successful applicants will start working 

with 5PRING from July 5, 2021. 

For participation in the Incubator, 

registration should be submitted by the 

May 7, ready to start on the May 10. 

A series of engagement events will 

run throughout the 5PRING 

programme known as Engage, 

Explore and Exploit. 

For more information, visit: 

https://5pring.org/ 


19


Technical briefing – Productivity 

Improving productivity – 

how partnering with a 

University can unlock 

funding and innovation 

Businesses are facing more challenges 

than ever because of the impacts of 

Covid-19 and Brexit, with a need to 

regularly assess their performance, be 

dynamic and remain competitive. All are 

key to promoting business growth, 

profitability and sustainability. 

Productivity is one of the key drivers of 

economic growth and prosperity. As a 

region, the East Midlands is 

underperforming in this metric when 

compared to the national average. 

To tackle low productivity in the local 

area and to drive business growth, 

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is 

working in partnership with the University 

of Nottingham and the University of 

Derby to deliver the Productivity through 

Innovation (PtI) programme, which is 

part-funded by the European Regional 

Development Fund (ERDF). 

The programme gives SMEs in 

Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire access 

to a free business ‘health check’. 

Conducted by experts at NTU, this service 

evaluates business performance, enabling 

business leaders to make informed strategic 

decisions on how to move forward. 

Participating businesses receive a tailored 

package of funded support, including 

access to a grant to fund a graduate’s salary. 

They also benefit from resources, academic 

and technical expertise and facilities that 

they would not ordinarily have access to. 

The University then provides tailored, 

innovative and sustainable productivity 

solutions, the simplest of which often have 

the biggest impact. 

The programme is open to SMEs in 

Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. To date, 

NTU has successfully supported 

businesses in industries such as 

manufacturing, architecture, life sciences, 

engineering, pharmaceutical, IT and food 

and drink. 

One recent example of the programme 

in action saw NTU partner with local 

businesses needing to develop their 

supply chains in the wake of the effects of 

Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In response, industry experts from the 

world-renowned Nottingham Business 

School (NBS) – part of NTU – successfully 

delivered a series of online supply chain 

workshops, empowering businesses to 

critically assess their existing supply chains, 

identify areas to review and develop, and 

decide on new measures to introduce. 

FSG Tableware Ltd, importers and 

innovators of food service products with a 

focus on reusable and healthcare adapted 

dinnerware, was just one of the 

companies that attended our workshops. 

Managing Director Lynn Johnson told 

us: “We found the supply chain strategy 

support provided by NTU academic Jayne 

Adams (pictured right) to be invaluable. 

We worked together to develop a 

toolkit giving an in-depth analysis 

of supplier relationships, costs, 

quality, and risk mitigation, which 

I will continue to use and update 

on a quarterly basis. 

“This process has given me more 

confidence to engage with suppliers to 

discuss pricing and ensure sustainable 

practices are adhered to, both of which 

are important to my vision and values as a 

business.” 

Rob Johnson, lead NBS lecturer on 

supply chains (and former Global 

Purchasing Director at Jaguar Land 

Rover) (pictured right), said: “When 

businesses are looking at their 

strategies and priorities for the 

post-pandemic world, no matter 

what size they are, or whether they 

sell goods or services, it’s well worth 

thinking about the supply chain.” 

We are facing an uncertain future, and 

supply chains around the world are under 

pressure. How are you managing in these 

turbulent times? What is involved in 

adopting a more strategic approach with 

your suppliers, and how will this benefit 

your company? 

NTU plans to run a supply chain 

workshop again in June 2021. 

Other consultancy support the University 

has provided includes marketing strategy 

and brand development; the introduction of 

production planning and control systems; 

software development and strategy; value 

stream mapping; product research, 

development and testing; process mapping, 

and more. 

Director Ben Thompson from sports PR 

agency and sector specialist Macesport is 

impressed by the consultancy support 

he received from NTU. “Complex 

problem solving requires expertise 

from a wide variety of specialist 

areas,” he said. “To be able to call 

on the help of Nigel King [NTU’s 

Senior Lecturer in Computing and 

IT, with 25 years’ experience as a 

Tech Executive in Silicon Valley] and the 

wider PtI support has been invaluable to 

keep driving the business forward and 

future-proofing ourselves. 

“It’s vital to be able to surround yourself 

with experts who are able to dissect the 

challenge quicky and not only 

understand the technical challenge, 

but also the business goal, and the 

team have been incredible from 

taking a concept to delivery.” 

Want to know more? 

If you have a business challenge 

you want to address, we’d love to hear 

from you. Email PTIadmin@ntu.ac.uk 

or visit www.ntu.ac.uk/pti if you’d like to 

apply or find out more. 

20 



IoD Mastermind Groups 

The perfect environment to develop 

and challenge: IoD Masterminds 

The IoD’s Mastermind groups are unique 

sessions that give directors and senior 

business leaders the chance to discuss the 

key issues and challenges they face in an 

open, constructive and confidential 

environment. 

Mastermind groups originated in the 

West Midlands and are a combination of 

brainstorming, education, peer 

accountability and support, a unique 

advisory panel of trusted, experienced 

businesspeople you can bounce ideas off. 

For many members, these meetings can 

act as a surrogate board meeting, 

particularly for those who run their own 

business or who are part of an SME 

without non-executives sitting with them 

on their boards. 

Each group is made up of directors from 

non-competing industries, combining 

SMEs and larger businesses. 

They meet once a month for dinner to 

discuss any topic that a member brings 

forth. Topics have varied from employee 

relations, directors’ duties, hot topics in 

business, whether to expand the 

company, and work-life balance. Topics 

for meetings are often tied to IoD CPD 

topics that are being run at the time. 

East Midlands 

In the East Midlands region, we 

currently have four Mastermind groups – 

Leicester, Nottingham, Lincoln and 

Derby. At present all are run via Zoom but 

we hope to return to face-to-face sessions 

at some point later this year. 

The Leicester Mastermind group is 

facilitated by John Tucker. It is held on the 

third Tuesday of every month. 

The Nottingham group is facilitated 

by Carole Harvey. 

The Derby group is 

facilitated by Andy Leask. 

The Lincoln Mastermind 

group is facilitated by John 

Hebblethwaite. 

It is hoped that venues 

will be confirmed as soon as 

possible once face-to-face 

meetings are allowed. 

If you wish to be a part of an East 

Midlands Mastermind group, please send 

a short biograpy to cari.grice@iod.com. 

These groups 

are strictly member 

only and before joining 

every member must 

submit a short biography, 

to ensure there are no 

competing 

organisations. 

West Midlands 

The West Midlands is currently running 

three Mastermind Groups, in 

Birmingham, the Black Country and 

Worcester & the Marches. Each one is led 

by an experienced and respected IoD 

member, who facilitates the session. 

Ian Priest is the facilitator of the Black 

Country Mastermind; Michael Donaldson 

is the facilitator of the Worcester & the 

Marches group; and Glenn Cameron is 

the facilitator of the Greater 

Birmingham Mastermind. The 

first two groups meet monthly; 

Birmingham meets fortnightly. 

Michael Donaldson said the 

groups, “have an ethos of 

sharing collective knowledge, 

experience and expertise to 

address the issues, challenges 

and opportunities members bring 

to the table... no rapid-fire questions 

and solutions from people I don’t know, 

who don’t know me. It’s a relaxed, friendly 

atmosphere that helps build respect and 

trust.” 

In addition to these groups, a number 

of dormant groups plan to resume their 

activities in 2021. For a listing of the active 

groups, IoD members can submit an 

application of interest via the IoD website, 

or for further information please contact 

Sophie.Breeden@iod.com 

What members say about 

Mastermind Groups 

‘‘ 

I have been attending IoD Mastermind events for 

a couple of years now. I find them really excellent 

in a couple of ways. For those participants that 

have a problem that they want advice on, it is a 

confidential forum, with uninvolved but intelligent, 

experienced people from different backgrounds 

and with different skillsets who can often 

provide a helpful new perspective on the 

problem. For others, it is an excellent way to 

develop meaningful business relationships as 

it provides scope to hear a new contact’s 

views on a range of topics, which is a 

great way to get to know people ... 

Alexander May, Mastermind group 

member, West Midlands 

‘‘ 

22 



Director development 

IoD: Helping you improve as a director 

The IoD Professional Director 

Series is now available online 

free of charge to members 

To help you understand your role as a 

director, and future-proof your board and 

organisation, the IoD has developed the 

Professional Director Series to be 

delivered virtually – bringing accessible 

and digestible CPD straight to you. 

The whole series is mapped to the IoD 

Director Competency Framework, keeping 

your learning relevant, up-to-date and in 

line with your professional development 

ambitions. Whether you’re embarking on 

the Certificate in Company Direction or 

are a qualified Chartered Director, this 

CPD series is the perfect accompaniment 

– or refresher – to your existing knowledge. 

You’ll be part of a group of leaders from 

organisations of all shapes and sizes from 

across our regions and nations, allowing 

you to connect, learn from each other, 

share your setbacks and successes, and 

encourage each other at the most senior 

level during these difficult times. 

Our Professional Director Series is now 

available complimentary to all full IoD 

members including CDir and FIoD. 

Find out more at https://www.iod. 

com/training/professional-directorseries 

Forthcoming sessions 

Leading from 

the Chair 

Course Dates: April 28, June 23, 

September 15 and November 10 

Times: 10am-12 noon 

Location: IoD Virtual Development, 

Virtual Classroom 

Cost: Members, CDir, FIoD, Free 

Non-members: £100 + VAT 

The role of the Chair in an organisation is 

often misunderstood and regularly 

becomes confused with the role of the CEO. 

It is far more than managing the process 

of board meeting execution. Analysis of 

successful organisations shows that the 

leadership role of the Chair is vital in order 

to ensure that the board as a team makes 

decisions and discharges its duties 

effectively. This session will clarify the 

Chair’s leadership role in order to unleash 

the value creating potential of the board. 

Delegates will be able to: 

• Outline the purpose of the Chair 

• Describe the skills, attributes and 

characteristics of an effective Chair 

• Identify how the Chair can add value 

both in and out of the boardroom 

With special thanks to our Leading from 

the Chair sponsor for 2021 - OnBoard by 

Passageways. OnBoard is a comprehensive 

and secure board management software 

that helps you govern more effectively. 

More details, contact the 

Event manager: 

t: 0208 142 9066 

e: professional dev@iod.com 

24 

Strategic Decision Making 

Date: May 27 

Time: 9am-11am 



Cost: Members, CDir, FIoD: Free 


This workshop will equip delegates with 

ways of strengthening their strategic 

decision-making ability, with insights into 

the ingredients of effective strategic 

decision-making and practical solutions to 

the main challenges. 

Having completed this session, delegates 

should be able to: 

• Identify the ingredients of and challenges 

around effective strategic decision-making 

• Apply techniques to strengthen the 

quality of strategic decisions 


IoD Professional Development 

t: 020 7766 2601 


Company purpose and ESG 

– driving long-term value 

Date: August 5 




Cost: Members, CDir, FIoD: Free 


This workshop explores how meaningful 

purpose statements at the heart of an 

organisation’s business model bring 

benefits and drive long-term value creation. 

It also examines what influences 

stakeholder demand and introduces 

different reporting and disclosure 

frameworks that will help organisations 

report and communicate their ESG 

credentials effectively to their stakeholders. 


IoD Professional Development 

t: 020 7766 2601 



Want to know more about 

IoD training and director 

development 

programmes ? 

Our training team are here to 

answer your questions. 

Call us: 

020 7766 2601 

or email 

developing@iod.com 

IoD Certificate in Company Direction 

Whether you’re a newly appointed director, 

aspiring to a seat on the board, or want to 

improve performance with fresh insight, 

the IoD Certificate in Company Direction, 

Level 9 (SCQF) qualification will equip you 

with the core knowledge and awareness 

needed to function effectively as a director. 

The programme covers the key areas of 

governance, finance, strategy and 

leadership providing you with a foundation 

in effective directorship: 

n An in-depth view of the role, 

responsibilities and legal duties of a director 

n An understanding of the characteristics 

of an effective board 

n Sound knowledge of financial terms 

and concepts 

n The issues and processes associated 

with formulating strategic business plans 

and achieving strategic leadership 

n Enriched peer learning with directors 

across the globe 

n A qualification that is respected 

world-wide and sits as an equivalent to 

degree level 

Take advantage of a range of flexible 

routes to qualification available across the 

UK, featuring a blend of digital and 

interactive virtual learning tailored to your 

level of experience, prior qualifications, 

career aspirations and learning style. 

Find out more at https://www.iod.com/ 

training/qualifications/certificate 

Award in Role of 

the Director and 

the Board 

Understand your duties and 

legal responsibilities as a 

director and examine the 

board’s role in corporate 

governance. 

Two-day course 

Next dates: 

April 26-27 

April 28-29 

May 6-7 

May 20-21 

June 7-8 

June 24-25 

Cost: Member: £2,475 + VAT 

Non-Member: £2,975 + VAT 

For more details and to 

book, click on the logo 

Award in Finance 

for Non-Finance 

Directors 

Get the skills required to 

evaluate the director’s role and 

responsibilities in relation to 

finance, and the relationship 

between financial and 

corporate strategies. 

Three-day course 

Next dates: 

April 21-23 

April 28-30 

May 5-7 

May 24-26 

June 7-9 

June 21-23 

Member: £2,745 + VAT 




Award in Strategy 

for Directors 

Get the knowledge and skills 

required to create, implement 

and evaluate your 

organisation’s strategy and 

lead the strategic process. 

Three-day course 

Next dates: 

April 22-24 

April 26-28 

May 12-14 

June 7-9 

June 23-25 





Award in 

Leadership for 

Directors 

Brush up on the latest 

leadership techniques from 

real world leaders and learn 

how to create influence, 

engagement and impact. 

Two-day course 

Next dates: 

April 22-23 

April 17-18 

June 3-4 

June 14-15 






25


Director development 

Accelerated Certificate in Company Direction: 

The IoD pathway to business success 

Business pressures can make it difficult to 

take time out to focus on personal and 

professional development. But the IoD 

has a course that lets you take control of 

your professional development and 

become a Certified Director with this 

intensive fast track residential designed 

specifically for the time-poor leader. 

Using a blend of online and face-to-face 

learning, the IoD Accelerated Certificate in 

Company Direction offers directors the 

same expert training and knowledge 

available through our traditional 

approach, but requiring only five 

consecutive days away from the demands 

of your business. 

This fast-track residential programme 

provides you with fresh insights into the 

key areas of strategy, leadership, 

governance and finance, thus covering the 

subjects of the Certificate in Company 

Direction modules: 

n Role of the Director and the Board 

n Finance for Non-Finance Directors 

n Strategy for Directors 

n Leadership for Directors 

Why attend? 

n Achieve the IoD Certificate in 

Company Direction in a flexible way 

n Share experiences with your peers in 

an environment conducive to intensive 

learning 

n Minimise the amount of time spent 

away from the office 

n Learn from leading industry 

professionals whose talent and ability has 

been proven in the marketplace 

n Available for individual directors as 

well as groups of directors from the same 

organisation 

Who will benefit? 

n Busy directors who cannot take too 

much time away from the demands of 

their business and who are looking for a 

fast track method of achieving the 

certificate in company direction 

n Overseas directors who are looking to 

complete the full programme. 

n Leaders who want to bring specific 

competences and credibility to their 

businesses 

Those who wish to gain further 

qualifications will be able to progress to 

the Diploma in Company Direction and to 

Chartered Director status. 

To find out more about the Accelerated 

Certificate in Company Direction and to 

book your place(s), speak to the 

Professional Development team on 

020 7766 2601 or via email to 

developing@iod.com 

FUTURE COURSE DATES 

Woodlands Park Hotel, 

Surrey, IoD South 

May 23 - 28 

June 13 - 18 

July 04 - 09 

September 19 - 24 

November 07 - 12 

Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa, 

Northamptonshire, 


August 22 - 27 

October 17 - 22 

November 28 - December 03 

Ettington Park Hotel, 

Warwickshire, IoD West Midlands 

December 05 - 10 

The Mere Golf Resort & Spa, 

Knutsford, IoD North West 

July 18 - 23 

Prices: Member: £9,775 + VAT; 

Non-member: £11,875 + VAT 

Prices are inclusive of course 

materials, five nights 

accommodation including 

breakfast and group meals. 

FIND OUT MORE: 

https://www.iod.com/training/ 

qualifications/acceleratedcertificate-in-company-direction 

The Role of the Non-Executive Director course 

Phil Webster, Pragmatiks Consulting Limited 

I had been thinking about developing a portfolio career for a while when I came across the IoD’s 

‘Role of the Non-Executive Director’ one-day course. The course aims were to provide insight 

into the roles and attributes of a NED, to help understand how to find suitable NED roles and 

to provide delegates with the knowledge and skills needed to prepare for being a NED. 

For obvious reasons, the course was run ‘virtually’ and the course started with 

introductions and a run through of the agenda. What then followed was a combination 

of case studies which we discussed in smaller break-out groups and then as a group; 

sharing of real-life experiences and examples and Q&A sessions in breakout rooms 

with an experienced portfolio NED and a head-hunter. A hamper of cheese and 

biscuits was provided to enjoy during the networking session at the end of the course. 

If you are unsure about the legal implications of being a NED and how to best 

position yourself for success, I would strongly recommend attending the course. 

E: phil@pragmatiksconsulting.co.uk T: 07816 906039 

Find out more at https://www.iod.com/training/open-courses/role-of-thenon-executive-director 


Your Brexit contract checklist 

Christopher Buck, Associate Partner & Corporate Solicitor at Franklins 

Solicitors LLP, considers how Brexit might affect your commercial 

contracts and what measures you can take to protect your position 

On December 30, 2020, the UK Government 

and the European Commission signed the 

EU–UK Trade and Co-operation 

Agreement (TCA) which now governs 

the trade relationship between the UK and 

the EU following the end of the transition 

period on 1 January 2021. 

The following checklist sets out some of 

the key provisions of a commercial 

contract that will need to be considered. 

Definitions 

The UK is no longer an EU country and 

so references to the EU or the European 

Economic Area (EEA) will not include the 

UK. To define a territory, references to the 

EU or EEA will need to expressly state that 

this includes or excludes the UK. Another 

option would be to list each individual 

jurisdiction separately. 

References to EU Law 

The TCA is an international treaty. 

Retained EU law is EU legislation up to 31 

December 2020 and which will continue 

to apply in the UK. References to EU law 

should to be amended to ‘Retained EU 

law’ or EU law which forms part of UK 

domestic legislation. 

Tariffs and Quotas 

There will be no import tariffs or other 

customs duties or quotas on imports of 

UK-origin goods into the EU or EU-origin 

goods into the UK. The TCA contains 

rules of origin which outline the criteria to 

determine a product’s origin. Potential 

issues may arise in relation to products 

made in the UK or the EU, but which use 

materials from outside the UK or the EU. 

GDPR and Data Protection 

EU GDPR has been incorporated into 

UK data protection law. Data transfers 

from the UK to the EEA are not restricted. 

The EU has agreed to delay transfer 

restrictions from the EEA to the UK for a 

period of time. Therefore, businesses can 

continue to transfer personal data from 

the EEA to the UK during this period. 

Termination / Suspension Events 

The end of the transition period may 

create financial hardship and uncertainty 

for a business, making performance of a 

contract difficult or impossible. The 

possible Brexit impacts include: increased 

risk of insolvency for some businesses; a 

contract is no longer needed due to Brexit; 

and unpredictable market conditions. It is 

unlikely that these situations will be 

covered by a general force majeure clause. 

Consider including express clauses into a 

contract to include: 

• termination on shorter notice; 

• a right to terminate for convenience; 

or 

• link termination rights to performance 

factors, for example service levels/KPIs. 

Change Control 

Change control or variation procedures 

refer to clauses which govern how and in 

what circumstances a contract may be 

varied or amended. The possible 

consequences of Brexit are that current 

contractual obligations become 

unenforceable or that there are increased 

costs to ensure compliance with 

contractual obligations due to changes in 

the law. Incorporate clauses into contracts 

to allow changes to be made to the 

contract to ensure compliance with 

changes to the law and include provisions 

to regulate how the cost of any changes 

will be met, for example, pricing adjustments. 

Consents and Permissions 

New consents, permissions or licences 

may be needed to supply goods or provide 

services under a contract. For example, 

there will be a need for export and import 

declarations and other administration for 

cross-border trade. It will need to be made 

clear in the contract which party is 

responsible for obtaining and filing any 

additional documentation. There may 

also be a requirement for product 

conformity assessments to ascertain 

whether a product can be sold in both the 

EU and UK. 

TUPE 

The Transfer of Undertakings 

(Protection of Employment) Regulations 

2006 (SI 2006/246) (TUPE 2006) 

implements EU law. However, the impact 

of Brexit on TUPE is likely to be limited 

given that TUPE is a widely used 

mechanism in the UK. 

Governing Law and Jurisdiction 

UK contract law is largely unaffected by 

Brexit. Nevertheless, it is still important to 

incorporate a clause that states the 

contract is governed by the exclusive 

jurisdiction of the courts of England and 

Wales. 

For advice on your commercial 

contracts, contact Christopher 

Buck, Associate Partner & Corporate 

Solicitor on 01908 660966 or 

email him at christopher.buck@ 

franklins-sols.co.uk. 


27


IoD Midlands Structure, Ambassadors and Committees 

Your IoD in the Midlands 

The IoD across the Midlands has reorganised its structure 

to better reflect regional priorities and improve members’ 

identification with their local branch. 

The move towards a more localised structure mirrors 

central government experience with the creation of Local 

Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). 

In the West Midlands, the four branches are: 

IoD Greater Birmingham 

IoD Coventry & Warwickshire 

IoD Worcester & the Marches 

IoD Black Country & Staffordshire 

In the East Midlands, the three branches are: 

IoD Leicestershire & South 

IoD Greater Lincolnshire & Rutland 

IoD Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire 

Each branch is run by a volunteer committee, headed by 

an experienced Chair. 

In addition, we have created Ambassador roles to act as a 

focal point for key issues, under the headings: 

Comms/Events/Membership Ambassador – a PR, media 

and marketing expert who will help us better CONNECT 

with members 

Chartered Director Ambassador – a Chartered Director 

who will support members to DEVELOP their skills as 

directors 

Governance and Policy Ambassador – a well-connected 

member who will manage branch governance, connect 

members and enable them to INFLUENCE the national 

agenda 

Over the next five pages we will introduce you to some of 

the IoD members in these roles, and signpost 

opportunities for you to get involved with the IoD team 

and make more out of your membership. 

Each issue of IoD Midlands will include a focus on selected regional ambasadors/committee members 


Regional Chair: Gary Headland 

Regional Ambassadors 

Dr Craig Marsh 

Skills & Education 

Carole Harvey 

Diversity and Inclusion 

Andy Leask CDir Chartered Director & 


James Pinchbeck Policy and Governance 

Peter Watson 

PR & Communications 

Clive Bridge CDir Manufacturing and Engineering 

We are actively recruiting for these 

Ambassador roles in the East Midlands. 

Greater Lincolnshire & Rutland 

Chartered Director and Professional 

Development Branch Ambassador 

Leicestershire & South East Midlands 

Chartered Director and Professional 

Development Branch Ambassador 

Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire 

Policy and Governance Branch Ambassador 

If you are interested to know more, contact 

Cari Grice at cari.grice@iod.com 

Andy Leask 

Andy’s professional life is shared between the 

engineering consultancy he co-founded in 1984 and 

a ground improvement business, both based in 

Derby. He achieved Chartered Director in 2007 and 

sees the qualification as the Gold Standard to which 

all directors should aspire. 

He is passionate about improving the competence of directors, 

particularly in the construction sector, where the reputation of the 

industry has been damaged by several high profile failures and 

poorly considered director rewards. 

James Pinchbeck 

James Pinchbeck is Marketing Partner with mid-tier, 

top 40 UK accountancy and tax practice Streets 

Chartered Accountants, and is principally 

concerned with the company’s marketing, growth 

and development. 

A Fellow of the IoD, James has a broad interest in education and 

enterprise and is a non-executive director of the regional enterprise 

agency NBV Enterprise Solutions Ltd. He is Chair of Lincoln 

College of Further Education, Board of Corporation and is also 

Chair of the University of Lincoln International Business School 

Advisory Board. 

Craig Marsh 

Craig has 32 years’ experience in the field of 

management learning and development, as a 

teacher, consultant, researcher, and senior manager. 

After graduating from Oxford University in 1987, 

Craig joined the RAF as a pilot; he then spent the early 

part of his career in Organisation Development, working on HR 

transformation projects in BP and Marconi, where he acquired a 

particular interest in the performance and development of 

operational leaders. This expertise he then developed into his own 

consulting business, designing and delivering leadership 

development, change management, culture change and strategic 

change projects to public and private sector clients across the UK. 

28 


Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire 

Paul Eele 

Vice Chair and Interim Chair, 

Branch Ambassador, 

Skills and Education 

Stacey Green Diversity and Inclusion 

Julie Pomeroy Chartered Director and 


Greg Simpson Marketing and Communications 

John Jennings Employee and Business Engagement 

Lindsey Newman-Wood 

Innovation & Creativity 

Phil Webster Business Improvement 

Peter Wingrove Mental Health & Wellbeing 

Sam Kirk 

Young 

Paul Eeles 

Paul has over 33 years’ experience in the post-16 

skills sector, including seven years as a lecturer and 

13 years leading work-based learning within colleges 

and independent providers. During that time, he has 

set up and led an independent apprenticeship training 

provider business. For the past nearly two decades, he has been on 

the senior teams of all the key membership bodies across the 

further education and skills sector, representing apprenticeship 

providers and colleges to government and their agencies. 

Peter Wingrove 

Peter started his career as an executive recruitment 

consultant before returning to South Africa in the 

early 2000s to set up Southacre Consulting, a 

boutique marketing services firm consulting to 

several large clients for several years. He then joined 

Walmart subsidiary Massmart where he gained 

extensive retail management experience. 

Having experienced mental health issues within his family, Peter 

has a deep understanding of how debilitating this can be and is a 

staunch advocate for early intervention. In 2019 he was head-hunted 

to lead Shawmind, a young charity on a mission to ensure that 

everyone has access to mental health & wellbeing support when 

they need it. 

Julie Pomeroy 

Julie is an experienced finance director of quoted 

and private companies. She was director of 

corporate finance at East Midlands Electricity plc 

and had a key role in two main list flotations and also 

led a reverse onto AIM. For the the last 10 years Julie 

has been Group Finance Director of Dillistone Group Plc, an 

Aim listed company specialising in recruitment related software. 

Julie also spent eight years as a non-executive director of 

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. She holds the 

Chartered Director qualification. 

Stacey Green 

Stacey is the co-founder of Freedom Foundation 

CIC and the TIRED Movement (Trying to Improve 

Racial Equality in the Dance industry). She is also 

the Principal of Freedom Dance & Performance in 

Nottingham. With over 25 years of experience working 

within the performing arts industry teaching children and young 

people, Stacey has a passion and drive to improve equality and 

inclusion within businesses and organisations and works 

extensively in schools across the East Midlands to improve mental 

health and wellbeing. 

LEICESTERSHIRE & SOUTH-EAST MIDLANDS AND WEST MIDLANDS - SEE PAGE 30 

Greater Lincolnshire & Rutland 

Michelle Allison Vice Chair 

Louise Malcolmson Skills and Education 

Emma Olivier-Townrow Diversity and Inclusion 

Richard Wills 

Policy and Governance 

Kate Strawson 

Marketing/Communications* 

* Currently on maternity leave; 

Emma Van Nieuwenhuijzen covering 

John Hebblethwaite Financial Planning and 

Wealth Management 

David Thompson Professional Services and Finance 

Tom Marsden 

Defence and Vice Chair 

Mike Simpson 

Health 

Graham Harrison Digital 

Craig Topley 

Construction and Engineering 

Kerrin Wilson QPM Co-opted Branch Ambassador 

Policing and Criminal Justice 

Tom Marsden 

Tom is an experienced senior leader with 25 

years’ experience in leading high performing 

teams, delivering tasks in the most challenging 

environments, including national and local 

government. 

Roles as strategic planner with both international coalition 

and cross-Whitehall experience required deft communication 

skills, complex stakeholder management and policy 

compliant decision making, skills which readily translate to a 

fast-paced business environment. 

Louise Malcomson 

Louise is an experienced education 

professional with a passion for developing the 

skills of young people and adults. 

She is an ambitious and committed senior leader 

accountable for providing clear and consistent leadership 

within education and skills to ensure a high level of quality in 

the delivery of educational programmes across all phases of 

learning. She has extensive experience in Quality Assurance, 

Teaching, Learning and Assessment and a strong knowledge 

and understanding of the educational landscape. 

Mike Simpson 

Michael Simpson is the Ambassador for Health 

for the Lincolnshire & Rutland Branch and 

over the past 19 months has been the 

Associate Director for Strategic Development 

and the lead Director for the Urgent and 

Emergency Care Capital Reconfiguration Programme at 

Northern Lincolnshire & Goole NHS Foundation Trust. 

Kate Strawson 

As one of the co-founders of Shooting Star, 

Kate has worked on many of the agency’s key 

accounts over the past 13 years including 

Midlands Enterprise Universities and the 

Greater Lincolnshire LEP. A qualified journalist 

who has worked in print and broadcast as well as in public 

and private sector PR, Kate completed her degree in 

Journalism at the University of Lincoln in 2001 and worked in 

PR for bespoke kitchen manufacturer Scottwood of 

Nottingham and as a journalist at Lincs FM Group before 

returning to the University of Lincoln as press officer in 2005. 


29




IoD East Midlands continued 

Leicestershire and South East Midlands 

Sarah Canning 

Shamir Ghumra 

Gareth Thomas 

Rhiannon Stafford 

Craig Bentley 

Nicola Moss 

Mark Eydman 

Kyra Williams 

Branch Chair 

Vice Chair 

Skills and Education 

Diversity and Inclusion 

Policy and Governance 

PR & Comms 

Employee Engagement 

Digital & Creative Ambassador 

Sarah Canning 

Sarah is an award-winning solicitor and 

dual accredited mediator. With over 25 

years’ experience in dispute resolution, 

Sarah works with corporates and 

individuals to achieve their best solution to 

a problem. 

In addition to her role as Branch Chair, 

she is also an External Associate at the 

University of Northampton’s Centre of 

Sustainable Business Practices. 

Shamir Ghumra 

As Head of Building 

Performance Services at BRE, 

Shamir is well connected to 

both industry and academia 

and his is a hugely respected 

voice within industry associations. 

Shamir is a former board member and 

co-founder of the Supply Chain 

Sustainability School and also former 

co-chair of the Construction industry 

coalition on Modern Slavery. 

He plays an active role in standards and 

is involved with both European and 

International work. 

Craig Bentley 

Craig is director of Bentley 

Management & Consulting, a 

small consultancy helping 

organisations improve 

performance through 

building capability and 

supporting design and implementation of 

improvement programmes. 

Craig’s career includes leadership roles in 

operations, marketing, and commercial 

development, and consulting experience 

across numerous sectors including 

construction, logistics, education and 

financial services. 

He is also a mentor and an Enterprise 

Advisor. 

Nicola Moss 

Nicola has many years of 

experience in operations 

events marketing comms 

and PR. Having most recently 

supported small businesses 

while working for the FSB, she 

understands the challenges businesses face 

and the role of the membership 

organisation in supporting its members by 

providing signposting, familiarisation with 

new business regulations, compliance, 

learning and networking opportunities. 

Nicola is proud to be the ambassador for 

PR and Comms in the Leicestershire - 

Northamptonshire area. Contact her 

on 07432 766001 or via nicola@mosssocial. 

co.uk if you have stories you feel your fellow 

IoD members would be interested to hear. 

Rhiannon Stafford 

Rhiannon is a leadership development 

and talent management consultant. Her 

career spans over 20 years working in HR, 

resourcing and leadership development 

roles for large corporate companies. 

Now Rhiannon works independently 

with organisations who want to grow or 

transform, providing bespoke leadership 

development programmes, coaching, 

personal development and team 

effectiveness solutions. 

At the heart of her work is a belief that a 

diverse and inclusive organisation is 

innovative, creative and high performing. 

She can be contacted via rhiannon@ 

bluegrape talent.co.uk 

Kyra Williams 

Kyra has worked in media 

production in various guises 

for 25 years, with experience 

editing videos for broadcast 

TV, music videos and 

documentaries. She runs a small 

production company and provides a varied 

range of media services for a mixture of 

SMEs and Corporate businesses. 

Kyra frequently works in an advisory 

role to support communication goals, often 

using multimedia to achieve objectives, and 

has taught and run workshops on media 

and communication. 

She is keen to use her ambassador role to 

improve communication with current IoD 

members, particularly in the creative 

industries, and find out how ‘leadership’ 

differs in the creative industries. 

Mark Eydman 

An IoD Member since 2015, 

Mark is a passionate 

advocate of quality, customer 

loyalty and employee 

engagement as drivers of 

business success. Originally trained as an 

engineer, Mark has held operational, 

management and leadership posts in 

complex international settings and is 

especially experienced in commercial 

construction. In addition to current 

consulting and NED positions, Mark now 

lectures at two universities and supports a 

quality related apprenticeship scheme. 

Gareth Thomas 

Following 15+ years working 

in public sector roles 

managing skills policy 

implementation for the 

Government, Gareth set up his 

own consultancy in 2014. Supported by a 

couple of trusted freelance associates, we 

advise businesses, training providers and 

public sector bodies on skills programme 

development and implementation such as 

Apprenticeship programmes. 

His aim with the IoD is to ensure 

members are aware of local opportunities 

to influence public sector business and 

skills investment decisions (such as through 

LEPs) and raise awareness of different skills 

and employment support opportunities 

that are available, as well as raise the profile 

of the IoD. 

30 


IoD West Midlands 

Coventry & Warwickshire 

Dean Kavanagh Branch Chair 

Zeynep Turudi Connect: Trade/Export 

Paul Fairburn Develop: Education & Skills 

Jenny Bettany Diversity & Inclusion 

Denise Taylor Connect 

TBC 

Develop (CDir) 

We are actively recruiting for these 

Ambassador roles in the West Midlands. 

Coventry & Warwickshire 

Chartered Director Ambassador 

Worcester & the Marches 

Comms/Events/Membership Ambassador 


Greater Birmingham 

Policy and Governance Branch Ambassador 


If you are interested to know more, contact 

Sophie Breeden at sophie.breeden@iod.com 

Zeynep Turudi 

Zeynep has been an active 

member of the IoD since 

2016, and a committee 

member since 2019. She is the 

founder & MD of Truede Ltd, a 

confectionery company that has been in 

business since 2003 and now exports its 

products to 20 countries. 

A DIT Export Champion, an awardwnning 

entrepreneur and an alumni of 

Barak Obama’s New Innovation & 

Entrepreneurship Program, she sits on the 

Advisory Board of Coventry Business 

School. 

Paul Fairburn 

Paul is an experienced 

Director of Innovation, with 

a background in the 

pharmaceutical industry, 

healthcare, utilities, and higher 

education. 

With significant experience of leadership, 

organisational change and strategy 

implementation, Paul has a deep 

understanding of supplier/client 

management, building value propositions, 

collaborative partnerships, innovation 

management, and the development of 

large-scale projects. 

A member of the Coventry & 

Warwickshire Branch Committee since 

September 2015, as an IoD Ambassador 

Paul is looking forward to building on 

previous activities in what is a challenging 

economic environment, but an exciting 

time of change for the IoD. 

Jenny Bettany 

A Chartered Occupational 

(Business) Psychologist, 

Jenny has worked extensively 

with organisations all over 

the world to help them bring 

out the best in their people and 

create positive high performance 

environments. 

She strongly values diversity and 

inclusion and is keen to support the IoD to 

create an organisation that works for and 

embraces all of its members. 

Denise Taylor 

Denise is a sustainability 

practitioner, strategic 

marketing specialist, and 

educator. Her business, Wylde 

Connections Limited, brings 

these three professional areas together in a 

unique blended approach of consultancy, 

learning and communications aimed at 

helping clients achieve their business goals. 

Denise has been a proactive member of 

the IoD for the past four years and has 

regularly delivered workshops on the 

business case for sustainability and writing 

compelling winning awards applications. 

As the Coventry & Warwickshire branch 

communications ambassador, Denise will 

be putting her many years’ experience in 

marketing communications to good use for 

branch members. 

Worcester & the Marches 

Jo Hodgetts 

John Painter 

Michael Doolin 

Vacancy 

Vacancy 

Branch Chair 

Influence 

Diversity & Inclusion 

Connect 

Develop 

John Painter 

John Painter has been a Chartered Accountant for 

over 40 years. For almost 30 of those years he has 

been an equity partner, and was Managing Partner 

for 13 years, until he merged the practice with 

Haines Watts in 2018. He also developed a business 

advisory business with the aid of Mindshop, an Australian 

company. 

John joined the IoD in 2017. He regularly contributes to the 

Mastermind groups for both the Black Country and Worcestershire 

and the Marches. As Ambassador for Governance and Policy, John 

says he hopes to influence the policy of local and national 

governments, and is looking forward to rekindling some old 

contacts as well as making new ones. 

Michael Doolin 

Having led global HR Teams within a number of 

blue chip companies, across a number of sectors, 

Michael’s experience has given him the 

opportunity to provide SMEs with flexible access to their own HR 

teams. 

He has been involved with the IoD for a few years and has 

thoroughly enjoyed the experience of leveraging from the 

experiences of colleagues as well as developing my own 

Professional Network. 

As the Ambassador for Inclusion and Diversity, Michael says he 

is “excited to bring new ways of thinking to the table to help raise 

awareness and understanding of key issues and challenges that 

employers and their businesses face today. 

“I am keen to meet as many of you as possible. ” 

See overleaf for Greater Birmingham 

and Black Country & Staffordshire 


31




IoD West Midlands continued 

Black Country & Staffordshire 

Ian Priest Branch Chair: 

Paul Wood Connect 

April Pearson-Myatt Influence 

Jackie Casey Diversity & Inclusion 

John Phillips Develop: 

Education & Skills 

Peter Suddock Influence: Tourism 

& Visitor Attraction 

Richard Bisiker Develop 

Roger Fairhead Connect: Staffs & Stoke 

Paul Wood 

Paul has achieved success as 

a business owner, director, 

commercial, project and 

sales manager, and enjoys 

using his experience and skills to 

help other business owners achieve their 

dreams. He feels that the IoD is a perfect 

area through which to engage with 

directors to pass on his experiences. 

April Pearson-Myatt 

April is Financial Director 

with a difference, combining 

financial management skills 

with a strong business 

acumen. Her career portfolio has 

seen her work within the manufacturing, 

distribution, aviation, IT, and internal 

communications industries. Her particular 

passion is for transforming finance 

functions through business process 

re-engineering. 

April sees immense value in the wealth of 

knowledge, professional development, 

networking and policy influence that the 

IoD has to offer. 

Jackie Casey 

An IoD member since 2012, 

Jackie was the founding 

facilitator and Vice Chair of the 

IoD Women as Leaders 

committee. She has over 30 years’ 

experience of running small businesses, 

with a focus on helping business owners 

develop, change or realign direction. Jackie 

is passionate about equality, diversity and 

inclusion. 

Richard Bisiker 

Richard is a Chartered 

Director and Branch 

Ambassador of the IoD. He 

provides guidance and support 

on governance and his own director 

development programmes, that involve 

both board assessment reviews and director 

coaching. 

Roger Fairhead 

After a career spent managing 

engineering projects, Roger 

switched tracks to speak, train 

and coach on leadership. He 

published his first book PRIZE 

Winning Leadership to describe the 

methodology that he uses with clients. He 

joined the IoD to improve his skills as a 

director and to network with other directors 

in a similar position. 

Dr John Phillips MBE FIoD 

John served as Regional 

Director for IoD West Midlands 

until retiring in 2016. He 

continues to lead the student 

mentoring scheme he started 11 

years ago at the University of Wolverhampton 

and maintains a keen interesting in helping 

young people seeking business careers. 

Peter Suddock 

A varied career path has 

enabled Peter to transform 

organisations ranging from a 

manufacturing business to an 

NHS Trust and even a zoo! The IoD 

Regional Director of the Year 2013, Peter’s 

role as an ambassador will be to share his 

vast experience with others. 

Greater Birmingham 

Andy Wilkinson 

Gary Simpson 

Trudi Beswick 

Branch Chair 

Connect 

Diversity & 

Inclusion 

Paul Hooper-Keeley Develop 

Vacancy 

Influence 

Trudi Beswick 

A successful textiles 

entrepreneur and projects 

director in the private 

sector, since 2000 Trudi has 

been the driving force at UK charity 

Caudwell Children, which has grown 

under her leadership from a small local 

charity to a national organisation helping 

over 50,000 children. She has also become 

an influential voice in the voluntary sector. 

As a champion for the rights of 

disabled children and families and an 

ambassador for inclusivity, Trudi sits on 

the Board of the Design In Mental Health 

Network, the Children’s Activities 

Association and the steering committee 

for building guidelines at the British 

Standards Institute. 

Paul Hooper-Keeley 

Paul has over 37 years of 

experience in the SME 

sector, the last 25 at board 

level as CFO/Finance 

Director, in both plc and 

private company environments in 

businesses up to £400m turnover. 

A member of the IoD since 1997, he 

qualified as the IoD’s 25th Chartered 

Director in 2000, is a Chartered Manager 

with the CMI and is currently undertaking 

the Financial Times Non-Executive 

Directors Diploma. He is also a Fellow of 

the Chartered Institute of Management 

Accountants and was Chairman of CIMA 

West Midlands from 2014-2018. 

Gary Simpson 

Gary has been working as a 

recruiter across the UK and 

EMEA for nearly 30 years, 

sourcing candidates for 

technical or sales roles at a 

mid to senior level. He is also a 

qualified coach with the International 

Coaching Federation and works with a 

number of clients specifically on 

performance. 

He is a keen networker, a long time IoD 

member and has served on the regional 

committee for the past three years, as well 

as ran two successful Mastermind groups. 

32 


Employment law update: host of 

changes to rules around payments 

April 2021 will see a number of changes to 

current UK employment law which will 

impact you, your team and your business. 

The following areas will see an increase, 

effective April 2021: 

n National Minimum Wage 

n Statutory Redundancy Calculations 

n Family Related Pay 

n Unfair dismissal compensation 

n Statutory Sick Pay 

n National Minimum Wage: 

Minimum & Living Wage 

In November 2020 Chancellor Rishi 

Sunak announced that the National Living 

Wage would increase to from £8.72 to £8.91 

– a 2.2% increase, from April. 

The National Living Wage is the highest 

band of the National Minimum Wage. The 

age threshold for National Living Wage has 

been changed. Prior to 1st April 2021 this 

level of minimum wage was only for those 

aged 25 and over. This changes to apply to 

23- and 24-year-old workers. 

There are also changes to the National 

Minimum Wage, in line with Low Pay 

Commission recommendations. Workers 

aged 21 to 22 see their national minimum 

wage increase from £8.20 to £8.36; those 

aged 18 to 20 see it rise from £6.45 to £6.56; 

and those aged 16 and 17 see it increase 

from £4.55 to £4.62. The rate for 

apprentices under 19 or in their first year 

of apprenticeship rises to £4.30. 

Statutory Redundancy Calculations 

New limits of statutory redundancy pay 

will come into force from 6th April 2021. 

Employers who dismiss employees with 

over two years’ service for redundancy 

must pay an amount based on the 

employee’s weekly pay, length of service 

and age. 

Half a week’s pay for each full year they 

were aged under 22. 

One week’s pay for each full year they 

were aged 22 or older, but under 41. 

One and half week’s pay for each full 

year they were aged 41 or older. 

Length of service is capped at 20 years. 

The weekly pay is the average earned per 

week over the 12 weeks before the day they 

received the redundancy notice, to a new 

maximum of £544 a week. 

Family Related Pay 

Statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, 

shared parental leave and parental 

bereavement leave pay have all increased, 

to £151.97. 

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid 

for up to 39 weeks. Claimants receive 90% 

of average weekly earnings (before tax) for 

the first six weeks, followed by the 

statutory rate or 90% of your average 

weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for 

the next 33 weeks. The statutory rate will is 

now £151.97. 

On Paternity Leave Pay, claimants can 

choose to take either one or two weeks, at 

£151.97. 

Statutory Adoption Pay is paid for up to 

39 weeks at the same rate as maternity pay. 

Where a child dies before they turn 18, 

or if you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of 

pregnancy, employees can claim Parental 

Bereavement and take two weeks’ leave 

from the first day of your employment for 

each child who has died or was stillborn. 

This week rate increased to £151.97. 

Unfair Dismissal Compensation 

The new maximum Compensatory 

award for Unfair Dismissal is £89,493. 

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) 

The new rate of SSP is £96.35. SSP 

payable for up to 28 weeks from the 4th 

day of absence. If are in self-isolation 

related to the Coronavirus, you will receive 

SSP from day one of absence. 

IR35 

Reforms to the IR35 rules on off-payroll 

working in the private sector come into 

force on 6th April 2021. This has been 

delayed by a year due to the coronavirus 

pandemic. 

The purpose of the IR35 rules is to aid 

the reduction of tax avoidance for 

contractors employed via personal service 

companies. Under the new rules, the 

organisation engaging with a contractor is 

responsible for determining their 

employment status and assessing whether 

IR35 applies. If IR35 does apply the 

organisation that pays that individuals fees 

are deemed to be their employer for tax 

and National Insurance purposes. 

Once the organisation has determined 

an individual’s classification, it must 

provide a status determination statement 

to the individual and to the party with 

which the organisation has contracted. 

For the statement to be valid, the client 

must also provide reasons why they have 

reached that determination. Employers 

should review contracts and put in place 

necessary procedures to ensure compliance. 

As an employer, you should be ensuring 

that your business has updated policies 

and pro-formas with the new statutory 

amounts and ensure that pay increases for 

minimum wage employees have been 

processes. 

Check whether IR35 applies to you and 

your business. 

• Clover HR can provide support and 

guidance in relation to both the changes 

to UK Employment Law and new IR35 

rules and ensure you are fully compliant. 

See www.cloverhr.co.uk 


33


Covid-19: The business response 

COVID-19: Returning to work safely 

Staying 

Covid secure: 

HSE advice 

– and watch 

out for 

spot checks 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has 

issued updated reminders of the rules 

around operating in a Covid-secure 

fashion – and warned that it is preparing 

its inspection teams to carry out spot 

checks on business premises to ensure 

everyone is following the rules. 

The HSE said: As lockdown restrictions 

are eased, we will see a host of sectors 

re-open over the coming months, but it is 

important that we all remain vigilant of 

the risks. 

April and May will see the return of 

non-essential retail, personal care services 

and the re-opening of hospitality venues, 

most outdoor attractions and settings, and 

indoor leisure facilities. This reopening of 

the economy creates many challenges 

across the UK requiring businesses and 

workers to continue to follow new ways of 

working. 

The Health and Safety Executive has 

worked throughout the pandemic to 

provide advice and guidance to help 

businesses put Covid-secure measures in 

place, and reassure their workers, 

customers, partners, and community, that 

they are managing the risks appropriately. 

Being Covid-secure means being 

adaptable to current government 

guidance, putting measures in place to 

control the risk of coronavirus to protect 

workers and others. There are a number of 

key actions to take to help make your 

workplace Covid-secure. 

Risk assessment 

Every business should have a risk 

assessment in place which includes 

managing the risks from Covid-19. This 

will help you to understand what you 

should do to work safely and protect 

people. 

Social distancing 

Where possible workers and visitors 

should stay two metres apart, or one 

metre if other measures are in place to 

reduce the risk. 

Cleaning, hygiene and 

handwashing 

Ask workers and visitors to wash their 

hands frequently, and provide hand 

sanitising stations for when that isn’t 

possible or practical – especially in places 

where people will touch the same items 

frequently. Increase how often you clean 

surfaces, equipment and facilities. 

Ventilation 

Take simple steps to improve airflow in 

enclosed spaces as good ventilation helps 

reduce how much virus is in the air. 

Talk to workers and provide 

information 

Consult and involve your staff in the 

steps you’re taking to become Covidsecure. 

Working from home 

If staff can work from home, they 

should. 

34 


Vulnerable workers 

Make sure you consider the risk to 

workers who are clinically extremely 

vulnerable to Covid-19 and put controls in 

place to reduce that risk. 

These measures will help businesses to 

manage the risk of Covid-19, but they will 

only work if everyone observes them. 

Employers should make sure their workers 

know they should always follow these 

measures while at work, whether they’re at 

their workstation, on a break, or anywhere 

else carrying out work activities. 

HSE Covid spot checks and 

inspections 

To minimise the risk of infection in the 

workplace, HSE is carrying out spot checks 

and inspections to check businesses have 

Covid-secure measures in place. This is 

done by calling, visiting and inspecting 

businesses across all sectors, in all areas, to 

check the measures in place are in line with 

the current guidance. 

During the checks and inspections, HSE 

provides advice and guidance to manage 

risk and protect workers, customers and 

visitors. Where businesses aren’t managing 

the risks from coronavirus, HSE will take 

action. 

Please ensure your workplace is safe 

by following the HSE guidance on 

being Covid-secure. There are also 

guides available on gov.uk for making 

workplaces Covid-secure. 

Assessing the risk: HSE 

offers new insights 

Managing Risk: From Assessment 

to Control. Bringing your Risk 

Assessment to Life 

Date: May 25, 

Time: 10:30am 

Location: Online 

The Health & Safety Executive is hosting a 

series of free risk management webinars. 

Supported by Western Business Media 

(WBM), the webinars will help 

organisations understand and control 

different types of risks in their workplaces. 

Effective risk management systems 

allow an organisation, large or small, to 

meet its legal requirements in protecting 

workers by not only identifying risk but 

putting in place measures to ensure 

adequate risk controls. Too often, risk 

assessment becomes a tick-box exercise 

but it’s vitally important that the 

organisation is mindful of the risks that 

are identified and takes ongoing action to 

monitor and manage them. 

This strong focus on worker health and 

safety, in turn, benefits organisational 

performance. 

This webinar will feature a panel of 

experts from HSE including HM Health 

and Safety Inspectors, and NEBOSH who 

will discuss current guidance and 

principles in tackling risk. 

We’ll be taking questions during the 

webinar and highlighting resources, 

products and services that can help you 

build a successful risk management 

programme that protects employees from 

harm. 

Read more information and register at 

solutions.hse.gov.uk 

For further information on spot 

checks and inspections visit the HSE 

website. 

RETURN TO WORK: 

What impact has Covid has on 

mental health and wellbeing, and 

what steps do you need to take to 

help your employees? 

See our special feature, from pg 36 

Covid-19: Support for you and your business 

Government Support 

Information & Advice 

Directors & 

Governance 

Remote Wellbeing 

Learning & 

Development 

Community Content 

All available at 

www.iod.com 


35


Covid-19: Employee mental wellbeing 

The workplace mental 

health wake-up call 

of a generation 

Rob Beswick talks to Tracey 

Paxton, managing director of 

The Employee Resilience 

Company Ltd and winner of 

the Start-up category in 2020’s 

IoD Midlands Director of the Year 

Awards, about the impact of 

Covid-19 on employee mental 

wellbeing and its likely legacy 

If there is one thing the Covid-19 

pandemic has reminded us, it’s the 

importance of resilience, because never 

before has our ability to take setbacks 

been challenged as it has since March 2020. 

Indeed, when you consider how many 

blows we’ve all taken, from losing family 

and friends to long-term ill health, job 

losses, furloughs and disruption to many 

of the positive aspects in life, it’s a miracle 

that the whole of society isn’t on its knees. 

It’s a point I put to Tracey Paxton, 

Managing Director of The Employee 

Resilience Company Ltd (TERC) and an 

expert on, among other things, mental 

wellbeing in the workplace. “Covid left 

no-one untouched. Whether it’s your 

health, that of your loved ones, your job, 

your children’s education or just your 

personal wellbeing and mental health, 

we’ve all had something to challenge us.” 

What was also striking was the speed 

with which the pandemic arrived. “All of a 

sudden, it was upon us and we had to 

respond at a moment’s notice. It’s no 

wonder people’s mental health struggled.” 

The Employee Resilience Company Ltd 

– perhaps unsurprisingly, given its name – 

offers a 360 degree package of mental 

health; physical; financial; legal and carer 

support that builds resilience and 

mindfulness in employees. Its services 

include counselling and psychological 

support on everything from trauma, stress, 

work-life balance, anxiety or any of the 

conditions that can affect mental health. 

Another unsurprising fact: its workload 

has risen sharply over the past 12 months, 

36 

Tracey Paxton 

with her 

Director of the 

Year award 

during which time TERC has dealt with 

the full gamut of concerns from its clients. 

“Our focus is employee wellbeing,” says 

Tracey, “but that definition covers a huge 

amount of ground. We offer employees 

fast track, targeted support, counselling 

and psychological interventions when 

they are struggling.” 

TERC’s services are accessed through 

two of the UK’s best known companies 

running workforce health and wellbeing 

benefits programmes: BHSF and Vivup. 

Both have broad and diverse client bases, 

all of whom are united in wanting to offer 

their employees a package of benefits that 

improve their physical, financial and 

mental wellbeing. 

Tracey explains how the relationship 

works. “Businesses who sign-up to BHSF 

or Vivup’s employee benefit packages 

have access to TERC’s services. Employees 

are signposted to contact us direct when 

they have problems with mental wellbeing, 

or we take referrals when people are 

identified as being in need of support. It’s 

a private, confidential counselling service 

that offers ‘in the moment support’ to 

people going through personal crisis.” 

Under Tracey’s leadership TERC has 

grown to a core staff of 60 with 587 full 

trained counsellors around the country 

ready to offer specialist help. “Our 

psychological team is a mix of counsellors, 

psychotherapists, psychologists, 

psychiatrists and mental health educators, 

with experts on trauma, stress, mediation 

and resilience. Our USP is our ability to 

respond promptly: TERC offers a genuine 

24-7 service, with fully trained mental 

health personnel ready to help as soon as 

your employees get in touch.” 

This immediacy is crucial, Tracey says. 

“If someone is in crisis, being told they can 

access mental health support in a few 

weeks is no good; they need help there 

and then. If one of your employees has a 

mental health issue, we can assist and get 

them the support they need straight away. 

Ours is a comprehensive secondary 

mental health support package that 

conforms with stringent NHS standards of 

clinical excellence.” 

It’s support and fast-track access that’s 

needed now more than ever; as Tracey 

points out: “In 2019-2020, over 828,000 

employees are believed to have a workrelated 

mental health issue causing stress, 

depression or anxiety. Those conditions 

led to 17.9 million lost working days every 

year – and that was before the pandemic.” 

The onset of Covid-19 has created a 

huge increase in demand for TERC’s 

services. “People were anxious about the 

outbreak, were facing feelings of 

loneliness caused by self-isolation and 

social distancing and struggling to adjust 

to new routines. 

“A big part of this was coping with the 

technology – remote workers told us they 

were feeling inadequate at not being able 

to use essential IT to communicate, while 

at the same time they were juggling caring 

responsibilities and worrying about the 

financial impacts,” Tracey recalls. “A lot of 


‘‘ 

Our USP is our ability to 

respond promptly: TERC 

offers a genuine 24-7 service, 

with fully trained mental 

health personnel ready to 

help as soon as your 

employees get in touch... 

‘‘ 

the consultations my team handled were a 

need to talk through those worries. Calls at 

the beginning of the pandemic were 

one-offs, and of a short duration.” 

The pandemic forced many businesses 

to work online with digital contacts, but 

for Tracey, that’s business as usual. “We 

have always been geared up to provide 

services remotely. We have a strong IT 

infrastructure in place and excellent 

digital outreach. Our counsellors and 

therapists are based around the UK, as are 

our clients, so it’s always made sense to be 

able to reach out to people through secure 

online systems. We offer confidential 

GDPR compliant single session-use 

platforms that people are comfortable 

talking to our counsellors through.” 

As the pandemic evolved, so did the 

nature of TERC’s work. “Once we got over 

the initial shock of lockdowns, people’s 

needs changed. They became more 

nuanced and required more structured 

interventions. People were still concerned 

about their immediate health but to that 

was added worries about mixing with 

others again. We also saw calls around 

employee perceptions of bullying to get 

workloads completed. People reported 

feeling ‘burnt out’, stating they couldn’t 

achieve any kind of work/life balance. 

“There were people worrying about job 

security, and asking questions on legal 

and financial issues. Others were struggling 

to cope with caring responsibilities. It was 

incredibly stressful for many.” 

Sadly, TERC also handled calls around 

domestic abuse, relationship breakdowns 

and, tragically, suicidal ideas and self harm. 

By the time the second lockdown was in 

place in late autumn, cries for help had 

shifted again. “By that stage we were 

taking calls around grief and bereavement, 

particularly where people hadn’t been 

able to say goodbye to their loved ones.” 

Worryingly for the future, TERC 

counsellors were also reporting a huge 

increase in clients who had developed 

poor coping mechanisms such as OCD, 

and there was an increase in clients 

reporting alcohol and substance misuse. 

Indeed, the areas TERC was asked to 

cover became so broad as to appear 

all-encompassing. “Parents were calling 

for advice on special educational needs 

issues for their children. It just gives you 

some idea of the weight the world was 

carrying. Everything was pressing down 

on our clients’ employees; some were 

desperate for help.” 

She had high praise for the team at 

TERC who delivered support “at a level I’d 

never anticipated,” admits Tracey. “So 

many people worried, anxious, stressed… 

but at the same time it was great to be able 

to help and support people at a time they 

needed it most.” 

Other challenges came from clients who 

had been furloughed. “Their mental 

health was affected by changes in their 

financial status and the uncertainty 

around their economic future, and that is 

completely understandable.” 

Her fear is that we’re not out of the 

woods yet, either. Yes, the direct threat of 

Covid may be receding, but “a lot of 

companies are sat on a time bomb,” says 

Tracey. “We’ve helped the mental 

wellbeing of so many people in the past 

year – but there are many more in your 

workforces who have carried all that stress 

and anxiety without reaching out for help. 

Some people are storing up stress and it 

will come to a point where they will not be 

able to function. They’re in ‘survival 

mode’. My hunch is we’re sat on a huge 

amount of pressure that will reveal itself in 

increased absenteeism and presenteeism 

over the next year or so.” 

Broadening the conversation, what the 

pandemic has shone a light on workplace 

culture and mental health, and it’s about 

time, Tracey believes. “Businesses need to 

take employee mental health seriously.” 

“Traditionally, UK businesses haven’t 

been good at early interventions when 

people struggle. Too often our counsellors 

and therapists get involved when 

someone has reached a crisis point; what’s 

needed is a culture whereby people can 

flag up issues, particularly around stress 

and anxiety, early; be open and say ‘look, 

X is struggling, can we get them some help’.” 

She’s concerned about an increase in 

‘presenteeism’ – employees coming into 

work when they are ill. Increased 

presenteeism is associated with rises in 

reported common mental health 

conditions as well as stress-related 

absence, which are the top causes of 

long-term sickness absence. 

Tracey also stated that ‘leavism’ is an 

increasing problem, whereby people are 

using annual leave to work as they feel the 

need to be visible in the workplace at all 

times and to be perceived as constantly 

working hard. Continued on page 38 


37



‘The workplace mental health 

wake-up call of a generation’ 

Continued from page 31 

Yet while businesses may think offering 

support to their teams such as that 

available through TERC and BHSF / Vivup 

may be a costly extra, Tracey points out 

the huge financial benefits it brings. “Put 

simply, better mental wellbeing equals 

better productivity. Businesses that aren’t 

looking after all aspects of their 

workforce’s wellbeing are missing a trick.” 

This might not be the only mistake the 

pandemic has exposed, either. “I have a 

lot of worries around how we’re going to 

reintegrate people back into the office. 

“Employers will have to devote time to 

reintegration; it will be a big project. We 

have received calls from employees who 

feel aggrieved at the money and time they 

have spent on commuting to their 

workplace when their co-workers have 

remained at home.” 

“Will people who have been working 

from home settle in the office again? Will 

there be clashes between those who have 

been furloughed, those who worked from 

home and those who stayed in the office? 

“Bringing your teams back together 

might not be easy; even the most united 

group may not gel after a year apart. TERC 

offers a mediation service to smooth out 

differences in your team.” 

In such situations, good communication 

is vital. “It’s long been recognised as a key 

skill of leadership, but communicating well 

to your people has never been more 

important than it is today,” she says. 

“We know people will be worried about 

the future landscape of the office and their 

confidence will be fragile. The traditional 

model of how we work has been blown 

away, and it will leave some people very 

anxious. They’ll need careful handling; it’s 

another area where TERC can help.” 

But there are other worries to consider. 

“How are your HR people?” Tracey asks. 

“One of the things we’ve noticed is just 

how hard HR teams have been working 

throughout. In many cases they are at the 

coalface, dealing with initial staff 

problems, relocations, IT resources and 

keeping people settled. They have been 

under a huge amount of pressure. Are you 

looking after them?” 

And there is another group that Tracey 

feels has been left exposed, too – directors. 

“We must support our leaders. Most 

directors and senior managers have been 

spinning plates like never before; who’s 

got their back? They have been at the 

forefront of the crisis, carrying an 

38 

unprecedented workload. No leave, long 

hours, always on hand to help their teams, 

they are building up a lot of stress. They 

need help, too.” 

One of TERC’s key offers is help in 

building resilience and managing stress 

within leadership. “It’s important we start 

to do this better,” says Tracey. “Every 

business should have stress management 

policies. You need to create a culture of 

attendance where people go into work 

feeling well but know that there is support 

when needed. Companies must go above 

and beyond what’s expected and invest in 

their employees’ mental health.” 

‘‘ 

Better mental wellbeing 

equals better productivity... 

businesses that aren’t 

looking after all aspects of 

their workforce’s health are 

missing a trick 

‘‘ 

Tracey sees the Covid-19 pandemic as 

the “wake-up call for our time”. “Covid 

has highlighted how vulnerable many 

people are; confidence is at a low ebb and 

we’ve never needed to support each other 

more than at present.” 

So how does Tracey view the recent 

media furoré around Goldman Sachs’ 

alleged 95-hour week, after employees 

complained about the company’s 

punishing schedules? A weary shake of the 

head says everything. “You hear stories 

like that and just sigh. It’s so wrong. It’s 

unsustainable. You will burn staff out and 

lose them. No-one can work at that level 

and keep going indefinitely; in the end, 

people will crash. 

“They’ll either be ill, their performance 

will drop off or they will walk away. Either 

way, you’ve lost them. And once people 

start hearing about that kind of culture, 

you’ll struggle to recruit good people to fill 

their shoes, too.” 

It all goes back to that old-fashioned 

phrase of ‘work-life balance’. “In my 

training I studied Maslow’s hierarchy of 

needs. It’s a theory in psychology 

comprising a five-tier model of human 

needs, depicted as a pyramid. 

“From the bottom up, the needs are: 

physiological (food and clothing); safety 

(job security); love and belonging needs 

(friendship); esteem, and self-actualisation. 

The stuff at the bottom – the base – must 

be in a place in order for you to become a 

more rounded, fulfilled person. Working a 

95-hour week cannot give anyone the base 

needs – rest, security, safety – that are 

required if we’re going to go on and reach 

our full potential. Cultures like the one at 

Goldman Sachs can’t win.” 

If we agree the pandemic taught us 

something, it was perhaps the time has 

come to take our foot off the accelerator. 

“Step back and smell the flowers. Perhaps 

literally; during lockdowns we had time to 

go for walks, to reconnect with our 

families and with nature, and improved 

our mindfulness. It’s important we keep 

that spirit as we emerge from Covid-19.” 

And that philosophy of looking after 

mental wellbeing has to start at the top. 

“One of the things I always stress to 

business leaders is that if they want their 

employees to acknowledge when things are 

not going well and they need support, 

nothing makes that happen more than 

when those at the top do it themselves. It’s 

all very well thinking you must stay strong 

and that weakness isn’t allowed, but that 

sends a message to your team that that is 

how they have to behave, too. It’s 

counterproductive. If directors are seen 

looking after themselves and their mental 

wellbeing, it sends a powerful message that 

everyone should do the same. 

“Best analogy for this? Think back to the 

last time you were on an airplane, and the 

steward demonstrated what happens if 

the cabin depressurises. 

“The oxygen masks fall from the panel 

above. Put yours on; don’t try to help 

others around you first, including your 

children. You have to look after yourself 

first, and only if you are okay, can you look 

after those around you. 

“It’s the same with mental wellbeing; 

look after yours, and it will help you look 

after your team’s.” 

WANT TO KNOW MORE? 

To speak to Tracey about your 

employees’ mental wellbeing, 

email her at 

tracey.paxton@tercltd.co.uk 

For more on BHSF see 

www.bhsf.co.uk 

For more on Vivup see 

www.vivupbenefits.co.uk 



39



Covid’s last laugh: 

destroying the team 

As the threat of Covid-19 

recedes, so businesses are 

thinking of how they will 

return to normal operating. 

IoD Member Phil Simmons 

thinks it could be as 

challenging as the initial 

response to the pandemic 

Covid-19 has changed everything, from 

the way we interact, to the way we shop 

and socialise, the way the Government 

supports the wider economy – and the way 

directors run their businesses. Who would 

have thought hand sanitiser would be 

such a key product? 

Every day seems to bring with it a new 

challenge, often ones that directors will 

not only never have faced before, but will 

possibly not even have contemplated. 

But now, as we near what we all pray is 

the end – or at least, to mangle a famous 

Churchillian saying, perhaps the 

beginning of the end – directors are being 

forced to look again at their operating 

practices and the way they lead their 

teams, to see what lessons can be learned 

from the pandemic and more crucially, 

how they can continue to trade successfully 

in a post-pandemic landscape. 

Top of directors’ priority lists will be 

getting their people back to the workplace, 

feeling reassured, secure and ready to 

work. For some, the return to the office 

will be a huge culture shock after 12 

months on furlough or working from 

home, and a lot of media attention has 

been focused on how they will react. 

But what of the unsung heroes of the 

pandemic – those employees who stayed 

in the office throughout and kept the 

lights on, but for whom the media 

spotlight tends to have missed? 

We’re not talking frontline workers here, 

rather those people working diligently in 

the background in a host of sectors for 

whom work from home was never an 

option. How will they feel when the work 

from homers/furloughed staff arrive back 

in the office? 

It’s a situation that’s been taxing Phil 

Simmons of Simmonsigns, Staffordshire, 

recently. His business was in a curious 

position from the outset of the pandemic, 

as he explains. “My board and I grasped 

early that the pandemic was going to have 

a huge impact on the UK, as soon we saw 

the news coming out of China,” he 

explains. “I made sure we understood all 

of the Government advice and regulations 

from the outset, to see whether our 

business had to close.” 

His decision was to stay open, with good 

reason. “Our manufacturing facility makes 

safety equipment for roads. Road 

maintenance crews kept going through 

‘‘ 

It will be a huge challenge for 

those returning to the office... 

they will recognise their 

surroundings and the people 

in it, but in many ways 

everything will have changed 

‘‘ 

the lockdowns to take advantage of the 

quiet conditions. As a board we decided 

we had a moral imperative to continue 

supplying our products to those essential 

workers.” 

It was a decision backed in April when 

the company became aware of open 

letters from the Business Secretary and 

Minister for Transport, thanking 

businesses for ensuring the economy and 

essential works continued. 

As a result, the majority of Phil’s staff 

stayed in post. “We furloughed a few 

people, and had some others working 

from home, particularly our sales team. 

But we kept them focused on the job 

throughout, looking at our marketing and 

sales strategies.” 

So for Phil, the task of reintegrating his 

workforce as a united body is one of 

getting the handful of outliers back into 

the team. “But it will be a huge challenge 

for them. They will recognise the office, 

and the people in it, but in many ways 

everything has changed. The lay out will 

be different, where people sit and how 

40 


Even the 

most united 

teams 

could find it 

a challenge 

to get back 

to normal 

once all the 

restrictions 

are lifted 

and we are 

back in the 

office 

together 

they interact will have changed. The 

‘office rules’ are different. Perhaps more 

importantly, roles will have changed. 

Those who have continued to work in the 

office may have taken on new duties and 

there needs to be a sensitive handling of 

that situation once the whole team is back 

together.” 

But Phil thinks that while these are 

serious issues to be handled sensitively, 

many businesses may be missing an even 

bigger problem: how will those who stayed 

in post throughout feel as the returnees 

arrive? 

“The focus in the pandemic has been on 

frontline workers – quite rightly – but also, 

there’s been huge amount of sympathy for 

those forced to stay home. We’re 

inundated with comment on how working 

from home has been challenging, how 

well people have coped. 

“But few have asked how those who 

kept going to the office feel. They are the 

people who ‘kept the lights on’, but there 

has been no or little recognition of their 

contribution.” 

“I worry that those who kept working 

through feel over-looked and undervalued. 

They will have heard stories of 

furloughed staff taking long walks in the 

spring, of reconnecting with their families, 

of getting on top of household chores or 

learning new hobbies and skills. There’s 

been nothing like that for the staff who 

stayed in post. Will they resent the 

returnees? I think there is a good chance 

they will.” 

Phil thinks some companies could find 

themselves with a split workforce: those 

returning, for whom the landscape, while 

familiar, is very different; and those who 

never left, who may resent those returning 

and their struggles to get used to the new 

ways of operating. “Returnees, for 

example, will have to learn a whole new 

‘‘ 

I worry that those who kept 

working through feel undervalued 

and over-looked.... will 

they resent returnees? there is a 

good chance some will 

‘‘ 

office culture. Where to sit, how to operate 

in the office environment to stay safe and 

Covid-free. It’s been hard for everyone to 

get used to but now returnees will have to 

get up to speed in no time flat, otherwise 

those who have stayed-put may become 

very dissatisfied or even anxious that 

colleagues don’t know the new rules.” 

There could be issues too if returnees 

haven’t kept ‘match fit’ during their 

absence from the office. “Companies may 

find some employees returning to be very 

different to the people they were prepandemic. 

Perhaps they have battled grief, 

or the virus, or the isolation of lockdown 

was a real bind for them. They could 

return without the focus they once had. 

How do you get them refocused?” 

You may also find workers from both 

sides of the divide with less loyalty to your 

organisation. “Good people are always in 

demand and the essential ties that bind 

your team to you could have been 

weakened by the lockdown. 

“Those who weren’t in the office could 

feel their attachment to the company has 

been weakened, while those who stayed 

may feel their contribution overlooked. 

Either way, we could see a lot of people 

switching jobs in the next few months and 

headhunters could have a field day.” 

In short, Phil sees the dynamic as 

similar to the one that occurs when 

businesses amalgamate or are acquired. 

“The period of assimilating businesses, or 

integrating working practices across two 

companies, can take a long time. It’s said 

that a change of culture can take as long as 

three years,” Phil points out. “Some firms 

could be about to undergo a similar 

situation, where it will take them some 

time to re-integrate everyone back into 

the office smoothly. 

“We have come through a very bumpy 

time but it’s not over; for many 

businesses, very choppy waters could still 

be ahead of us.” 

The solution, Phil says, is to recognise 

that everyone’s contribution has been 

significant. “There are too many people 

trying to compare contributions; that is 

the wrong approach. Everyone is 

significant and we should celebrate 

everyone’s contribution. 

“There will be opportunities to learn 

from each other; in looking after all their 

people, businesses are more likely to 

recover quicker and emerge from the 

crisis stronger.“ 


41



Navigating the new normal to 

help your business thrive 

Simon Garcia of Freedom 

Wellbeing Inc offers some 

timely advice on the steps 

businesses need to take to 

improve the home-working 

experience for their employees 

So, it looks like homeworking is here to stay, 

but even after a year in this situation, 

organisations and workers are still 

struggling with the adjustment. It’s a 

situation that isn’t likely to settle down for a 

while either, as a reintroduction to officelife 

will be thrown into the mix in the 

coming months. 

With the imposed homeworking 

situation, organisations, whether pro 

agile-working or very much against, were 

left to “suck it and see”. Generally, there has 

not been much of an argument against how 

well it’s worked overall. To ensure that it 

remains a positive development, however, 

there needs to be a proactive approach to 

workplace wellbeing from both employers 

and employees, with equal focus given to 

mental and physical health. 

Freedom Wellbeing Inc has completed 

around a thousand homeworking 

assessments during the pandemic. Over the 

first six months, the emphasis of discomfort 

was on the physical side. A majority of those 

assessed had worked from home a day or so 

a week pre-pandemic and for that, a dining 

table and chair, though not ideal, was 

sufficient as a workstation. When suddenly 

using it for five days straight, 

musculoskeletal disorders kicked in. 

But for the six months that followed, the 

pendulum swung toward mental health. 

The novelty of being home and not forking 

out for your annual train ticket had worn 

off, the psycho-social impact of no physical 

interaction with colleagues, staring at the 

same four walls, plus the added stress of 

increased restrictions, home-schooling and 

Home-working 

can induce 

stress, which 

manifests itself 

physically into 

muscle tension 

through 

hunched 

shoulders and 

stiff neck 

where we 

resort to our 

fight or flight 

instinct. 

winter weather all piled pressure on our 

mental state. Anyone that has experienced 

stress will know it manifests into muscle 

tension (hunched shoulders, stiff neck), 

where we resort to our fight or flight instinct. 

Here are five steps for employers to adopt 

to help ensure everyone stays physically 

healthy, mentally strong and at their most 

productive. 

• Homeworking assessments are essential 

to ensure your staff have everything they 

need to perform their role as safely as 

possible and remaining productive. 

• If you have any form of EAP (Employee 

Assist Programme), promote it constantly. 

If you do not have an EAP, look into ad-hoc 

stress and anxiety counselling. 

• Train managers in mental health first 

aid, so they can recognise warning signs 

within their team. 

• Send out a wellbeing survey every six 

months to gauge how people are coping 

with the new ways of working. This will be 

incredibly beneficial for forward planning. 

• Initiate shorter video meetings. If you 

book 60-minute meetings as standard, 

make it mandatory that they are 50 

minutes. This will allow for breaks in 

between back-to-back sessions. 

For support with homeworking 

assessments, counselling, MHFA training or 

implementing a suitable wellbeing 

programme for your organisation, contact 

Freedom Wellbeing Inc today. 

The psycho-social impact of no physical interaction with 

colleagues, staring at the same four walls, plus the added 

stress of increased restrictions, home-schooling and 

winter weather, all piled pressure on our mental state. 

42 

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IoD Events 

The IoD’s events calendar remains restricted by the ongoing Covid-19 regulations. We are still offering 

members free online events, however, including professional development sessions, interviews with highprofile 

business leaders and networking opportunities. Details of some of the forthcoming ones can be 

found on these pages, with more at www.iod.com. We are hoping to be able to return to face-to-face 

events by summer/autumn, and we will have full details of the schedule in the summer issue of IoD Midlands. 

Women as Leaders Convention 

‘Inclusivity isn’t just a nice to have, 

it’s a must-have’ 

Date: April 23 

Time: 1pm-4pm 

Venue: Online 

Cost: Free of charge 

This event is a continuation of IoD East 

Midlands’ Annual Women as Leaders 

Convention. It is a showcase of female 

leadership, highlighting the importance of 

women being in leadership roles and the 

need for increasing women’s presence in 

top roles within businesses and on boards. 

This year we go beyond gender diversity 

and look at diversity as a whole; the 

progress made within the workplace and 

the gaps that still need to be filled. 

Diversity on boards lead to more creative 

and varied ideas. As a result organisations 

with more diversity in decision making 

roles are more likely to build successful 

organisations. This convention focuses on 

the importance of diversity for encouraging 

innovation and growth, bringing speakers 

from across the nation with varied 

backgrounds and inspirational stories. 

We all sit within an organisational 

culture whether it is one we create ourselves 

in our own businesses or one that we work 

in that’s evolved over time. But do we make 

proactive decisions to recruit for diversity 

and inclusion, understanding that there is 

strength in varied viewpoints? 

You may be yet to employ someone in 

your business or you may already have a 

significant workforce so what do you look 

for in your team? Do you tend to look for 

someone just like you or do you appreciate 

that bringing complementary skills and 

thought processes builds a stronger 

business? 

At this convention we want to address the 

opportunities a diverse and creative 

workforce can bring you and how you can 

cultivate that as a leader. 

You will hear from speakers with 

inspirational stories who have faced 

adversity but have also broken through the 

diversity glass ceiling and fought for 

inclusion. 

44 

Keynote Speakers 

Ruchi Aggarwal, Director of Business 

Development at Lincoln International 

Business School 

Sophie Turner, Founder of #YesSheCan 

Sophie is a qualified D&I professional 

and coach who founded #YesSheCan, an 

organisation that helps women to break 

their career glass ceiling and works 

alongside progressive businesses to 

positively impact diversity & inclusion. 

Panel speakers 

We will also be joined for our panel 

session by: 

Mark Esho, Director of Easy Internet 

Services; Easy Internet; Dreme. 

Mark has overcome disability brought on 

by contracting polio as a child to forge a 

dazzling business career. His positive, 

can-do mindset seen him start a number of 

successful businesses, including Easy 

Internet Services,Easy Internet Solutions, a 

web hosting company, Dreme, a property 

investment company and Access Rating, a 

Community Interest Company (C.I.C). 

Kerrin Wilson QPM, Assistant Chief 

Constable Lincolnshire Police 

Kerrin has been Assistant Chief Constable 

with Lincolnshire Police for more than two 

years. Prior to this, she headed Cleveland & 

Durham (Police) Special Operations Unit. 

She has also worked overseas in a policing 

capacity in Iraq, Australia and USA. 

Her background includes operational 

uniform, CID and specialist roles. Kerrin 

has also worked in hostage negotiating 

across the world and is a strong advocate 

for BAME and women’s aspirations. 

Debra Charles, CEO & Founder of 

Novacroft 

Debra is an expert in integrating people, 

processes and technology to help transform 

organisations to be fit today to thrive 

tomorrow, Debra is passionate about 

harnessing technology to make a 

meaningful impact on society. 

Joe Fitzsimons, Head of Education and 

Skills Policy at the IoD 

Joe is passionate about supporting 

organisations and their leaders to improve 

on these policy areas. In his role he also 

seeks to promote higher standards in 

education, as well as a skill system that 

genuinely prepares people to meet the 

needs of the business community. 


Ms Cari Grice 

T: 0115 857 8170 

E: cari.grice@iod.com 

Or click here 

for details 


National IoD 

IoD Director General offers national 

view at virtual event 

Virtual Members Event 

Venue: Online 

Date: May 7 

Time: 12.30-2pm 


• Join us for an exclusive briefing from 

IoD Director General Jon Geldart (right) 

• Join your local chair and ambassadors 

to hear about the latest IoD benefits 

• Build connections with fellow directors. 

The IoD puts its members first and we 

want to make sure that your issues, 

challenges and observations are shared as 

widely as possible. 

With this in mind, we’re delighted to 

invite you to our Virtual Members Event 

on May 7, which will feature a live address 

from the Director General. 

Jon will highlight the IoD’s new strategy 

and outline how the Institute is 

fighting for greater support for 

you, our members. 

After Jon’s update, guests will 

join their local IoD chairs and 

ambassadors in breakout rooms 

to discuss the business agenda, 

hear about the latest IoD member 

benefits and expand their network of 

connections in a relaxed, virtual 

environment. 

This is a great opportunity to meet your 

regional team and discover what they have 

planned in your area. You can also learn 

how to get more closely involved by 

becoming an IoD ambassador. 

We welcome your views on IoD 

membership and top priorities for 

local directors. Guests can also 

learn more about professional 

development and how we make 

your voice heard through Policy 

Voice. 

Following this, all delegates 

will return to the main room for a 

panel discussion. 

Event manager: Ms Polly Buckley 

T: 0208 398 9643 

E: polly.buckley@iod.com 

Take a bite out of the IoD Chartered 

Director qualification 

Dates: April 29 

September 9 

December 2 

Time: 9am-10.30am 

Price: Free of charge 

Join us for this bite-sized, informative 

session on how to kick-start your 

professional development journey with the 

IoD, facilitated by a course leader and 

Chartered Director. 

Have you been considering how you can 

enhance your impact and performance as 

a director? Do you want to gain the latest 

tools from expert practitioners who have a 

wealth of experience in board rooms 

across the globe? 

If you answered “yes” then this may be 

the most useful session you take this year, 

in which you can find out more about our 

professional development programmes 

and how they are being delivered in 

today’s virtual environment. 

Whether you’re a new director, aspiring 

to a seat on the board, or want fresh 

insight, the IoD Certificate in Company 

Direction, Level 9 (SCQF) qualification will 

equip you with the core knowledge and 

awareness needed to function effectively 

as a director. 

Influential figures from business and 

beyond continue to recommend IoD 

professional development programmes for 

executive and non-executive directors. 

The session will be interactive featuring 

a Q&A with the course leader and 

Chartered Director and will also include a 

teaser activity from one of the Certificate 

in Company Direction modules. 

It will include details of the following 

IoD director development courses: 

• The Role of the Director and the Board 

• Finance for non - Finance Directors 

• Leadership for Directors 

• Strategy for Directors 

Programmes can be taken individually 

or as part of the full Certificate, forming the 

first step towards the Chartered Director 

journey. You will discover also what it 

means to be a Chartered Director, and we 

will be joined by an Alumni Chartered 

Director who will offer their thoughts and 

experience of the programme. 

Event manager: Natasha Ure 

t: 0131 460 7681 

e: natasha.ure@iod.com 

For more details, click the IoD logo 

next to the appropriate event date 

April 29 

September 9 

December 2 

Greed is dead 

In Conversation with 

economist John Kay 

Venue: Online 


Time: 12.30-2pm 


Join in with an IoD conversation with 

renowned economist John Kay as we ask, 

Is Greed Dead? 

John will look at ‘individualism’ and ask 

whether we need a new approach based 

around morality and mutuality. Covid-19 

has shown that the people felt the need to 

pull together in a national crisis. But can 

this goodwill continue? 

John will look at the political and 

business worlds and analyse the rise of 

individualism and its impacts. He will 

also study ‘extreme individualism’ 

embraced by many successful people in 

recent decades, who sought justification 

in terms of merit or celebrity, but John 

believes this is no longer tenable. 

John believes that markets can function 

effectively only when embedded in a 

network of social relations, and will show 

us how a reaffirmation of the values of 

morality could refresh and restore 

politics, business and the environments 

in which people live. 

Event manager: Julie Jones 

t: 0208 078 4009 

e: julie.jones@iod.com 


45



IoD Online Global Conference 

Connecting the World: 

Tackling our global 

challenges together 

September 2-3 

Time: TBA 

Venue: Online 

Cost: TBA 

The Institute of Directors is holding its 

online Global Conference 2 & 3 

September 2021, with the theme 

Connecting the World: Tackling our 

global challenges together. 

Building on the success of its 2020 online 

conference, IoD Scotland is excited to 

announce that this year it will be hosting an 

online conference on behalf of the whole of 

the IoD. 

This Global Conference is taking place on 

2 & 3 September 2021, ahead of COP26 in 

Glasgow, and will explore how 

organisations can step up their 

responsibilities to tackle climate change 

and build sustainable businesses for a fairer, 

greener world. 

Our fragile planet is under threat: how 

can business be part of the solution? 

The conference will offer a platform to 

world-renowned figures drawn from the 

spheres of politics, civic action and 

business, whose thoughts will illuminate 

our own discussions on the event’s theme. 

And while our delegates will be drawn from 

across the business sectors – young 

entrepreneurs, owners of family businesses, 

CEOs of charities and NGOs, directors of 

SMEs and large corporates – what will bind 

them is a desire to move from rhetoric to 

collaborative action and to actively engage 

in the need to find solutions today for our 

world of tomorrow. 

The two days will be an outstanding CPD 

opportunity in a forum that will stimulate 

debate, discussion and offer practical 

policies for the future. The conference is 

open to IoD members and other business 

individuals who value being challenged and 

who value the opportunity to make 

connections so that new ideas can flourish. 

To register your interest or if you have a 

question, please email 

conference@firstcityevents.co.uk 

Event manager: Patricia Huth 

t: 0131 557 5488 

e: patricia.huth@iod.com 

Don’t waste time 

on that cloud! 

April 27 


Venue: Online 

Cost: TBA 

Join us to hear more aboutwhy you 

should not waste YOUR time 

thinking about the Cloud. 

Cloud transition has been further 

accelerated by recent events and this 

trend is likely to persist. 

As remote working demands the 

urgency for scalable, secure, reliable, 

cost-effective off-premises technology 

services. 

Cloud, in its many shapes and sizes, 

is here to stay but we do not believe 

that the Cloud is THE answer to every 

business issue. 

It is an answer, or possibly part of an 

answer but we believe in putting 

business needs first. 

Join us at this webinar to hear Terry 

Moore, CEO, Outsource Solutions 

and Brian McCrory, COO, OSG 

Cloud, explain how to make sure the 

cloud works best for you, your 

organisation and your team. 

Event manager: Chelsea Brennan 

t: 0289 068 3224 

e: chelsea.brennan@iod.com 

An interview with... leading figures under the spotlight 

Alderman Alastair King, Chair of IoD City 

of London, is conducting interviews with 

prominent business leaders and 

politicians in a new series of online events 

held in conjunction with Rathbones. All 

events run from 6-7pm 


General Sir Richard Barrons 

KCB CBE – recently retired 

military commander (right) 

Date: May 10 

Jess Phillips MP, Shadow Cabinet 

Member (far right) 

Date: May 24 

HRH Prince Khalid bin Bandar 

Al Saud – Saudi Arabian 

Ambassador to the UK 

46 

Date: June 21 

Lisa Nandy MP, Shadow Foreign 

Secretary (right) 

Date: June 7 

Alderman Sir Roger Gifford and 

Dr. Rhian-Mari Thomas OBE 

– Chair and CEO, Green Finance 

Institute 

October 12 

Lord Grimstone, (right) 

Minister for Investment. 

Alastair will ask Lord 

Grimstone on his views on 

the end of the EU Transition 

Period, his role as HM Government 

Minister for Investment, how he 

will seek to attract inward 

investment in to the UK, what 

measures HM Government is taking to 

improve the UK’s traditionally 

sluggish productivity growth rates, 

the “levelling up” agenda for the UK 

regions and what now for UK 

financial services companies dealing 

with the EU. 

Event manager: Ms Polly Buckley 

t: 020 8142 8835 

e: london@iod.com 

To book on any of these 

events, contact the event 

manager or click the logo 



Strategic Leadership: A 

practitioner’s perspective 

Charity spotlight 

Linking society in 

Lincolnshire 

IoD members were treated to a fascinating 

insight into how the RAF operates when Air 

Marshall Andy Turner joined an online 

event looking at Strategic Leadership: A 

Practitioner’s Perspective. 

Air Marshall Turner has been tasked with 

guiding the RAF through a period of 

significant change at a time when the force 

faced a disaggregating enemy that did not 

play by the norms of warfare, and in an era 

of technological revolution that threatened 

to make every design thought up now 

obsolete by the time it is introduced. 

He described himself as ‘clearly 

institutionalised’ by the RAF. The son of an 

RAF base commander, he had spent his 

entire career in the service. He described 

the RAF as rather like an airline – though 

one where you were actively encouraged to 

take weapons on the flight, and where a 

surprisingly large number of your 

passengers jumped out before you got to 

your airfield! 

Joking aside, the changes that were 

coming to the RAF were profound, and 

required real leadership to push through, 

he said. 

He considered the two disciplines of 

‘leadership’ and ‘management’, breaking 

them down to the military world’s 

‘command and control’ philosophy. 

Leadership was command; generating 

inspiration and getting people to do 

remarkable things. It was the part of his job 

that involved vision and strategy, of ‘ends 

- ways - means’. Management was 

ensuring adherence to that vision; it was a 

focus on KPIs and data, and holding people 

to account. 

To Andy, leadership is a combination of 

biology and chemistry; management, of 

maths and physics. 

There is a bridge between the two and it 

Event host and 

former RAF man, 

Gary Headland 

Air Marshall 

Andy Turner 

required careful negotiation, which was 

something Andy was very aware of at the 

moment as he tried to steer arguably the 

RAF’s most exciting strategic 

transformation since its outset: the Astra 

programme. 

Aimed at making the RAF a service fit for 

the future, it was tasked with scanning the 

horizon to see what threats to the UK 

would emerge in the decades to come, and 

from where. 

As with any business, Andy’s task was 

made harder by conservatism and 

resistance to change from within the 

service’s own ranks – and paymasters 

within Whitehall that were always looking 

for budget savings. However, with foresight 

and backed by a team determined to see 

the programme through to completion, Air 

Marshall Turner saw nothing but positives 

from Astra, which would create an air force 

capable of responding to the threats of 

tomorrow. 

Other challenges that would be familiar 

to directors in business came from his new 

recruits: Generation Z were, he said, more 

demanding of its employer and expected 

more than recruits when he had joined the 

service. 

Lincolnshire Community Foundation 

was founded in 2002 and is part of a 

network of 46 Community Foundations 

across the UK delivering 

environmental/societal 

change and, most 

importantly, positive 

outcomes for people and 

places. 

Our work is grounded 

in the value of #ChangeNotCharity, and 

to date we’ve distributed over £16M to 

community groups, charities and 

organisations across Greater 

Lincolnshire, reaching people from 

Grimsby to Sutton Bridge and 

Mablethorpe to Grantham, with 

emphasis on small grants delivering a 

big difference. 

Our team offers support and advice 

and delivers grant funding providing 

local people with access to food, 

warmth, good work and resources, 

whilst improving their physical and 

mental health and reducing social and 

economic inequalities. 

As well as delivering grant funding, 

we have adapted and flexed alongside 

the emerging needs of our 

communities, convening a range of 

resources (both financial and 

developmental) to support small, but 

vital, organisations that have the 

greatest positive local impact. 

Since lockdown, the Foundation has 

awarded 250+ grants worth over £1.5M 

to a variety of orgnisations ensuring 

vulnerable residents are kept safe, well 

and connected. 

Our ambition in 2021 is simple and 

links back to our values. We want to 

continue to focus on and support local 

communities in a fair and equitable way 

to rebuild now and in the future. 

We want to achieve this through 

working together with local people, 

communities, organisations, and 

investors to grow bigger and create long 

lasting change for the communities we 

work for and with. 

For more details, see 

www.lincolnshirecf.co.uk 


47


Charity appeal 

Businesses urged to help 

Vulcan experience fly 

Executive Alliance lifts 

off in bid to rehome 

iconic Vulcan bomber 

and inspire a new 

generation of engineers 

The charity behind the iconic Avro Vulcan 

XH558 is urging IoD members to support 

its new fundraising initiative for the 

business community. 

The Vulcan to the Sky Trust has created 

the ‘Vulcan 558 Executive Alliance’ – a 

membership group open to businesses 

from across the UK. Supported by CBE+, 

specialist process and precision 

manufacturer, the Executive Alliance will 

help fund the build of the new Vulcan 

Experience at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, 

where XH558 will be housed. 

The Vulcan Experience will focus on 

educating and inspiring the next 

generation of engineers and will also 

house a Green Technology Hub which will 

seek to find solutions to climate change 

through innovation and aerospace 

technology. 

The project was the brainchild of Dr 

Robert Pleming, CEO of VTST, who sadly 

passed away in early February this year, 

having dedicated more than two decades 

of his life to preserving the memory of 

XH558. 

John Sharman, chair of VTST, said: “We 

were proud to recently launch the new 

Executive Alliance group and invite 

businesses to join us in our mission to 

create a truly immersive and educational 

experience for the next generation of 

engineers, here in South Yorkshire – a 

place that will without doubt inspire 

young people to consider careers in STEM 

in the future and preserve the legacy of 

XH558 for years to come. 

“Robert, who passed away unexpectedly 

last month, was so passionate about this 

project and it is heartbreaking that he will 

not get to see his vision come to life. 

“We’re hoping the business community 

will get behind the project and help us 

fulfill Robert’s ideas, engaging with young 

people across the region and capturing 

the imaginations of tomorrow’s engineers 

through the power and legacy of XH558.” 

The innovative Green Technology Hub 

will inform and educate the public, in an 

easily-understandable way, about the 

causes of climate change, especially those 

arising from aviation, and what engineers 

are doing to devise new solutions to 

reduce and eliminate these causes. 

Youngsters will leave the Green 

Technology Hub understanding that; 

• Scientists, engineers and technicians 

can help to solve climate change 

problems. 

• Energy comes from a variety of sources 

of differing characteristics. 

• Aviation has a future, but it may well 

look different from today. 

Businesses that join the Executive 

Alliance will, in return for sponsorship, 

receive a package of benefits including 

having their name displayed on a 

dedicated members’ wall in the new 

hangar. 

John, added: “This is a great chance for 

businesses to play a part in history, as we 

set out to create a new home for XH558, 

preserving her legacy and allowing new 

generations to be inspired by her presence 

and story.” 

A variety of sponsorship opportunities 

are available. For further information, 

visit www.vulcantothesky.org/ 

executive-alliance 

Alternatively, call Michael Trotter on 

07803 141483 or e-mail him at 

mtrotter@vulcantothesky.org 

48

IoD Midlands Spring

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