IoD Midlands Autumn

The official membership magazine 

for the Institute of Directors 

in the East and West Midlands 

iod.com 

Midlands 

Autumn 2021 

Government told ‘show your 

workings’ on proposed tax rises 

Warning over rise 

in ransomware 

Reservists in 

the workplace 

Hitting the 

right notes 

Inez Brown is ready to roll out 

her vision for IoD West Midlands

Contents 

IoD News 

Who’s looking after the directors, asks 

IoD East Midlands Chair Gary Headland – pg 4 

New Chairs for IoD West Midlands and IoD 

Worcester & Marches and Black Country & 

Staffordshire branches – from pg 5 

Birmingham’s new members’ hub hosts its 

first IoD event in style – pg 6 

IoD Midlands Director of the Year Awards – pg 13 

Focus interview 

New IoD West Midlands Chair Inez Brown talks 

about her pride in leading the region and her 

priorities for the next three years 

– from pg 8 

Technical briefings from pg 12 

Chancellor told to ‘show his workings’ over 

proposed tax rises – pg 14 

Education and training – pg 16 

Warning over sharp rise in ransomware 

attacks on businesses – pg 22 

Role of Reservists – and how they can 

help your employees – pg 24 

The Elite approach to eliminating 

back-office admin hassles – pg 26 

More than just books in libraries! – pg 28 

Workplace anxiety – pg 30 

A legal path to hybrid working – pg 32 

The IoD 

Helping you Connect, Develop and Influence 

Member benefits and special offers – pg 18 

Student Mentoring – pg 20 

Mastermind Groups – pg 34 

Events diary – pg 36 

Director Development – pg 38 

IoD Ambassadors – pg 40 

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 Midlands. Editorial consent must be obtained before any are 

reproduced either in printed form or electronically. 

06 

22 

24 

04 

08 

31 

CONTACTS 

IOD EAST MIDLANDS 

Nottingham Trent 

University, Burton St, 

Nottingham NG1 4BU 

Chair: Gary Headland 

e: chair.eastmids@iod.net 

t: 07787 484448 

IOD WEST MIDLANDS 

Grand Hotel, Colmore Row, 

Birmingham B3 2BS 

Chair: Inez Brown 

e: chair.westmidlands@iod.net 

IOD TEAM 

Senior Branch Manager – 

IoD Midlands 

Pam Kaur 

e: pam.kaur@iod.com 

t: 0121 281 5530 

Branch Manager – 

East & West Midlands 

Cari Grice 

e: Cari.Grice@iod.com 

t: 0115 857 8170 

Branch Manager – 

West Midlands 

Frances Fairclough 

e: frances.fairclough@iod.com 

t: 0121 281 5531 

IoD Student Placements 

Anna Hicks 

e: anna.hicks@iod.com 

t: 0115 857 8170 

Joshua Whitehead 

e: joshua.whitehead@iod.com 

t: 0115 857 8169 

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: 

IoD West Midlands’ 

new chair Inez 

Brown - pg 8 


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

03

News 

As our workload hits the roof, who’s 

looking after the directors? 

Gary Headland FIoD 

Chair, IoD East Midlands 

The last thing I did 

before going to sleep 

at around 11pm last 

night was read my 

emails. Among them 

was a task from Cari to 

produce my input for 

this magazine by the 

end of the week. Knowing the state of 

my diary for the week, my reaction was 

probably best described as a ‘flat spin’. 

Obviously, I woke up four hours later 

at 3am thinking about the task and after 

five minutes of pretending I might stand 

a chance of going back to sleep, I got up 

to put pen-to-paper, or rather fingertipto-keyboard. 

The irony of my theme for this month 

won’t be lost on you… 

It is a question I have been discussing 

with my executive leadership team this 

week… 

Who looks after the leaders so that 

the leaders can look after their teams 

and individuals? 

The level of stress that my senior team 

have operated under for the past couple 

of years has been immense. “Deliver the 

same outcomes (continuously improve 

them, if you can) with significantly fewer 

financial resources, fewer staff because 

of skills shortages and higher wages 

elsewhere and, oh, by the way, do it all 

remotely until you need to be physically 

at work doing it, and then do it all 

remotely again”. 

I know I am characterising but, really, 

this description isn’t too far off. 

And forgive me a blinding glimpse of 

the obvious. Brexit, Covid, sustainability 

are not done. I make this statement 

because although the world of 

business has to move on – it 

always does – it would be folly 

to think we have dealt fully 

with the impact of those 

strategically impactful 

issues. Skills shortage, supply 

chain challenges, flexible 

working, wage inflation, 

utilities inflation, reducing our 

impact on the environment, 

people not wanting to return 

to offices, etc, now dominate 

our working lives. 

I have spoken to many 

business leaders recently and 

most of us are either back in the 

workplace full-time or have 

adopted a hybrid model with some 

remote working. Most of the time is in the 

office with clients or other stakeholders. 

In all of my conversations, we are 

universally agreed that face-to-face 

communication is welcome again and 

really enjoyable but somehow we are 

now about 20 per cent busier (by which I 

am mean our working time is 20 per cent 

longer) than we were in the past. 

The explanation for that is fairly 

simple: we are now travelling, we are 

now communicating in the margins of 

meetings or around water-coolers and 

we are now once again immediately 

accessible for those office drop-ins 

which always start with the fatal, 

productivity-sapping words, “Can I just…” 

As one of my direct reports put it 

yesterday when he rushed panting into 

the meeting room: “Sorry I’m late, boss. I 

had to walk to this meeting and have 

become so used to dialling out of one 

meeting and into the next within 60 

seconds.” Healthy stuff! 

It appears we learned quickly to fill the 

gaps in our diaries with more meetings. 

Which of us didn’t experience days of 

literally back-to-back Teams or Zoom 

calls? 

Business is always challenging. But I 

would suggest that we as business 

leaders have rarely experienced the 

volume and complexity of risks and 

issues that we are having to manage 

concurrently. The world is faster than 

ever with an expectation that we are 

always available through technology; the 

workplace and home paradigm has 

changed, boundaries and working 

time-zones are blurred. 

So back to the question: who looks 

after the leaders so that the leaders 

look after the team and 

individuals? 

Answer, we 

do! Stick it on the 

ever-expanding 

to-do list and 

we’ll get to it 

at some 

point. Or 

perhaps we 

won’t. 

For me, the 

‘health and 

well-being’ of directors and business 

leaders is a ‘grey rhino’. It is not 

something we can simply pop on to the 

risk register and throw some cash at (if 

we have any left!) to mitigate the 

likelihood or impact. We need healthy 

business leaders to lead our businesses 

to the future. 

If you are not familiar with the greyrhino 

concept, I am essentially saying 

that it is a major issue, probably high in 

impact and liability that we have known 

about for some time but failed to 

address. 

It could also be described as being the 

elephant in the room: we know it is huge 

and important but we choose to ignore 

it. Unlike other risks and issues, grey 

rhinos don’t need contingency planning, 

they need scenario planning. This takes 

leadership and management time – our 

well known enemy – but unless we really 

think about the care of those who we 

need to lead, the impact on productivity 

could be immense. 

So that’s my thought, dare I say 

recommendation, of the quarter. Against 

the backdrop of everything that you 

have to do as a director and a leader, 

please make sure you take some to look 

after your own physical and mental 

health. Run some scenarios in your 

business context. The scenarios might be 

something like this: 

n Scenario One – Be stoic and carry on 

n Scenario Two – Breakdown of 

leadership capability and capacity 

n Scenario Three – Taking care of leaders 

n Scenario Four – Proactively investing 

in the health and well-being of leaders 

Getting sick is a not a positive sign of 

your commitment to your company, it is 

getting sick! Losing you will have a 

profound impact on the health and 

well-being of your company. You are 

altruistic and put the service/others 

before self, but be just a little bit more 

selfish and make sure you look after you: 

your families, staff and customers need 

you! 

Just checked the time: it is 04:43. Time 

to dress and head off for a 100-mile 

journey to visit a client… 

Thought for the day: physician, heal 

thyself! Not easy this… 

“ 

Getting sick is not a positive sign of your 

commitment to your company... just be a 

little more selfish and look after yourself... 

04 


Autumn 2021

New appointments: IoD West Midlands strengthens its team 

with three new directors, including a new Chair, Inez Brown 

Inez hits ground running as she is 

appointed chair in West Midlands 

Inez Brown took over the chair of IoD 

West Midlands during the summer, 

succeeding Brian Hall after the successful 

completion of his term in office. 

Inez, one of the leading figures in the 

region’s legal business community, has 20 

years’ experience as a solicitor, after 

spending the first 20 years of her career 

as a legal secretary. 

She is partner and head of clinical 

negligence at the Medical Accident 

Group, part of Harrison Clark Rickerbys. 

In July 2020 she was inaugurated as 

president of Birmingham Law Society, the 

first black president in its 202-year existence. 

She has grown the society’s 

membership and set up its first diversity 

inclusion scheme, providing scholarships 

to students from disadvantaged backgrounds 

and under-represented groups. 

Inez has a long-standing connection 

with management and governance and 

was a non-executive director of the Child 

Brain Injury Trust, the Society of Clinical 

Injury Lawyers and the SDA Conference 

Charity. 

Inez will be the voice for business in the 

region, working alongside a regional team 

to support West Midlands directors by 

providing connections, world-class 

professional development and an 

influential lobbying voice. She will lead 

members across four branches: Greater 

Birmingham; Worcester and the Marches; 

Black Country and Staffordshire; and 

Coventry and Warwickshire. 

Inez said: “I am honoured to be 

selected as IoD chair and look forward to 

representing directors across this 

fantastic region. The IoD is committed to 

supporting our members as they recover 

from the pandemic and lead the 

economic revival. 

“I am also looking forward to building 

on my work advocating diversity and 

inclusion within the workplace, together 

with providing mentoring and support to 

junior members of the Institute as we 

create the skilled directors of tomorrow.” 

Natalie Sykes, Head of English Branches, 

IoD, (currently on sabbatical) said: “Inez is 

an outstanding leader and we are 

delighted to welcome her to the IoD. The 

past few years have been challenging as 

directors navigated Brexit and the 

pandemic but we are now looking ahead 

to supporting our members to thrive. 

“She joins at an exciting time for the 

IoD, with a renewed focus on empowering 

our regional teams.” 

Introducing Inez Brown: See pg 8 

HR boss takes helm at 

Worcester and Marches 

Michael Doolin has been appointed to 

lead its Worcester and the Marches 

branch as a successor to Jo Hodgetts. 

Michael is managing director of Clover 

HR, which employs 25 people. He has 

more than three decades of experience 

in managing business growth, change 

and development in HR, working for 

companies including Ford, British 

Airways, PwC, DHL and DPD. 

An Associate Lecturer at Warwick 

Business School for the past 10 years, 

Michael was previously a lay member of the Birmingham and 

Bristol Employment Tribunal panels. 

Michael said: “It is an honour to become Branch Chair for 

this dynamic part of the Midlands business community. Our 

members are like-minded individuals seeking to make a 

difference. We are engaged in changing the face and perception 

of business among an ever more diverse society.” 

Privilege to lead Black 

Country and Staffs 

Paul Wood has been appointed to lead 

the IoD Black Country and Staffordshire 

branch. 

Paul has amassed more 40 years of 

experience in manufacturing, 

distribution and investment businesses, 

and is the founder and board member 

of three businesses that specialise in 

tax allowances. Working alongside his 

son, he manages a team of ten and 

works with top ten accountants and 

quoted companies. 

Paul said he felt “privileged to take on the role of branch 

chair for this diverse and exciting business community. 

“I want to pass on my experience to help others and I can’t 

think of a better place to do this than within the IoD. It’s not 

been the easiest time for anyone leading an organisation but I 

look forward to the challenges ahead and believe that we are 

stronger together.” 

INEZ BROWN, CHAIR OF IOD WEST MIDLANDS, said of the two appointments: “We are delighted to welcome Michael and 

Paul on board. They will be the standard bearers for local directors, providing support and inspiration as we provide 

members with the tools to not just recover and rebuild but prosper, post-pandemic.” 



05

News 

A Grand 

welcome 

awaits at 

IoD West 


new hub 

The IoD has teamed up with The Grand 

Hotel, Birmingham to create a business 

hub for members across the Midlands. 

IoD members can use the hotel’s 

facilities as a drop-in local base for 

working and benefit from discounted 

rates on private meeting rooms, as well 

as preferential rates on room bookings. 

The partnership gives members free 

access to the hotel’s conferencing and 

events lounge and complimentary tea 

and coffee facilities. There is also free 

access to WiFi. 

The facilities are open to members 

on Tuesdays from 3pm - 5pm, and 

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 

from 9am – 5pm. 

Andy Wilkinson, IoD chair for Greater 

Birmingham, said: “Our partnership with 

the Grand Hotel is an excellent addition 

to the benefits we offer to members. 

“As restrictions continue to ease and 

the economy bounces back, directors 

will be looking for flexible, safe and 

professional locations to work and meet 

that help them to rebuild and recover 

from the impact of the pandemic.” 

Peter Kienast, General Manager for 

The Grand Hotel, Birmingham said: 

“Further to opening our doors after 

almost 20 years this spring, I am thrilled 

to welcome West Midlands Institute of 

Directors to The Grand Hotel. 

“Our team are looking forward to 

providing the IoD’s members with a truly 

one-of-a-kind destination in one of the 

city’s most iconic buildings; the ideal 

backdrop for networking and businesses 

meetings.” 

Full details of the new hub and 

business lounge at https://www.iod. 

com/events-community/regions/ 

west-midlands/premises 

A ‘Grand’ affair for West 

Midlands members 

Pam Kaur, 

Senior Branch Manager, IoD Midlands 

There was a definite buzz around the 

Grand Hotel, Birmingham when IoD West 

Midlands held a launch event for its new 

members’ hub on Monday 27 September. 

With over 100 people in attendance, 

the evening kicked off with welcome talks 

and introductions from Inez Brown, 

recently appointed IoD West Midlands 

Regional Chair; Andy Wilkinson, IoD 

Greater Birmingham Branch Chair; 

headline event sponsor Jaspaul Bains, 

Senior Business Development Manager 

for Rational FX; and the General Manager 

for the Grand Hotel, Peter Kienast. 

Inez Brown said, “We are so pleased to 

have partnered with The Grand Hotel and 

be able to offer a fabulous, centrally 

located member facility such as this. What 

an evening and what a beautiful hotel! 

“It was also great to speak with local 

members in one of our first face-to-face 

events. The pandemic has definitely 

impacted business in one way or another, 

so it was good to have the opportunity to 

Over 100 

members 

and guests 

attended the 

IoD West 

Midlands hub 

launch event 

at the Grand 

Hotel in 

Birmingham 

speak with and reiterate to both members 

and non-members that the IoD has a 

voice on government policies which will 

help us come out the other side of this 

difficult time.” 

Following formal talks, guests were 

ushered to the beautiful Cathedral and 

Colmore rooms for celebratory drinks, 

canapés, networking and guided tours of 

member and hotel facilities. 

Jaspaul Bains of Rational FX, headline 

sponsor for the event, said, “This is the 

second IoD West Midlands event my 

organisation has supported, and I just 

wanted to thank everyone who attended. 

The event was an absolute success! This 

was all down to IoD staff and everyone 

from the Grand Hotel whose full support 

and co-operation is much appreciated.” 

He added: “I’m looking forward to a 

long and fruitful partnership with the IoD 

going forward.” 

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


And there’s a warm welcome 

too, to newcomers at the IoD 

IoD East Midlands and West Midlands are delighted to welcome four new members 

of the team, who will be leading our support for members in the coming months. 

Here they introduce themselves 

About the hub: 

Facilities available 

IoD members can use the hotel’s facilities 

as a drop-in or local base for working and 

benefit from discounted rates on private 

meeting rooms. Members will have free 

access to the hotel’s conferencing and 

events lounge and complimentary tea 

and coffee facilities. There is also free 

access to WiFi. 

In addition, when booking directly, 

there is a 15% discount on guestrooms* 

either room only or breakfast included. 

In order to book this, members can 

use the corporate code ID DIR002 on 

the hotel website or by contacting the 

reservations team. Please produce your 

IoD membership number at reception 

during check-in. 

Opening times and contact 

The facilities are open to members on 

Tuesdays, 3pm - 5pm, and Wednesdays, 

Thursdays and Fridays, 9am – 5pm. 

For meeting room bookings, contact the 

Sales Team 

e: Sales@grandbirmingham.co.uk 

t: 0121 827 9641 

For guest room bookings, contact 

e: reservations@grandbirmingham.co.uk 

t: 0121 827 9600 

How to find it: 

The Grand is located just a short walk 

from New Street and Snow Hill stations, 

and easily reached by road too. 

You’ll find the hotel on Colmore 

Row. Full address is The Grand Hotel 

Birmingham, 1 Church Street (off 

Colmore Row) Birmingham B3 2BS 

Pam Kaur 

Senior Branch Manager, 


Hello and a warm 

welcome to this issue 

of the IoD Midlands 

magazine. 

I joined the Midlands 

team as Senior Branch Manager on the 

12th July, and will be covering the role 

while Sophie Breeden is on maternity 

leave for 12 months. 

I bring with me over 25 years of 

industry experience and a background in 

marketing and communications, in both 

private and public sectors. 

During my short time with the IoD 

Midlands, I have seen a steady increase 

in membership across the region which 

is fantastic news, and look forward to 

working alongside and meeting many of 

you soon. 

You can contact Pam at 

Pam.kaur@iod.com 

IoD Student placements 

Anna Hicks 

Hi, I’m Anna and I am really looking 

forward to my year on a student placement 

for the IoD in the Midlands. I am 

from Rickmansworth, in Hertfordshire 

and I’m studying BA Hons Business 

Management and Marketing at 

Nottingham Trent University. 

For the past two years at NTU I have 

been involved with various societies 

including the marketing society and the 

cheerleading society. NTU has been a 

great place to continue my learning, and 

I’ve really enjoyed my course, 

particularly modules on Buyer Behaviour, 

Integrated Marketing Communications 

and Principles of Marketing. 

I am excited to put the theory that I 

have learned from my degree into 

practice and real-life business scenarios. 

I am excited to learn new skills, 

connect with members and colleagues 

and develop professionally and 

personally within the IoD. I know this 

year will provide me with a challenge, 

one that I cannot wait to get involved 

with! If you ever need anything, please 

message me and I will do my very best 

to help you! 

You can contact Anna at 

Anna.hicks@iod.com 


Branch Manager, 

IoD West Midlands 

I’m excited to be 

joining the IoD team 

in the Midlands and 

personally getting to 

know everyone. 

A bit about my background: I 

completed my bachelor’s degree in 

Japanese Studies and spent time living 

in Japan. After returning to the UK and 

a short stint in hospitality, I worked as 

an area manager for franchise tuition 

centres in the Midlands where I found 

that I loved supporting adults to develop 

their skills and working lives. 

On a weekend you’ll either find me 

cooking, knitting, walking or out on a 

motorbike – it’ll be nice to hear if we 

have any common hobbies! 

Oh, and please feel free to call me Fran. 

I’m looking forward to meeting you soon! 

You can contact Fran at 

Frances.Fairclough@iod.com 

Josh Whitehead 

I’m a student at Nottingham Trent 

University, studying for an 

undergraduate degree in Business 

Management and Marketing, on my 

placement year with the IoD. My 

background before university is in 

transport planning and communications 

which has prepared me well for my role 

here as I understand the day-to-day 

workings of an events-based 

organisation using CRM systems and 

the effective communication needed to 

plan and execute a successful event. 

I am looking forward to working with 

the IoD team across the Midlands and 

elsewhere and I hope I can make a 

difference in the region this year. 

You can contact Josh at 

Joshua.whitehead@iod.com 



07

The IoD’s new chair in the West Midlands, 

Inez Brown, is determined to build on the institue’s 

outstanding reputation for positive change by 

increasing membership engagement and boosting 

diversity, as she explains to Rob Beswick 

08 Keep up to date at iod.com/westmids and iod.com/east-midlands Autumn 2021

In profile: IoD West Midlands’ chair, Inez Brown 

The IoD is leading 

the way on 

positive change 

There’s busy, there’s director busy… 

and then there’s Inez Brown busy… 

Fresh from a year as President of the 

Birmingham Law Society, Inez, a partner 

at the Medical Accident Group, part of 

Harrison Clark Rickerbys, is the new chair 

of IoD West Midlands, succeeding Brian 

Hall – and it’s clear she has no intention 

of letting herself into the new role gently. 

It’s definitely a case of hitting the ground 

running… 

“My time in office with the Law 

Society only ends on 30th October,” 

she says, “and in last few weeks I have 

been incredibly busy, but I was also 

determined to get my feet under the 

desk at the IoD, too. I’ve had really 

positive meetings with all the branch 

chairs and the office team, we’ve 

planned out our roles and we’ve got 

some exciting ideas in the pipeline 

already. 

“I’m a great believer in working as a 

team and there’s already been so much 

support, it’s got my time as chair off to 

a flyer.” 

Inez jumped at the chance of taking 

over the helm at the IoD this summer. 

“This is such a marvellous organisation, 

it has such a great reputation and can 

achieve so much. It was a great honour 

to be asked.” 

As one of the country’s leading 

medical negligence lawyers and an 

accredited member of Action for Victims 

of Medical Accidents (AvMA), it would 

be true to say Inez hasn’t followed the 

usual career path of her sector. “I was a 

legal secretary for 18 years before taking 

the step to qualify as a solicitor. I joined 

Anthony Collins in 2000 as a trainee, and 

then qualified in clinical negligence.” 

Inez moved to Harrison Clark 

Rickerbys at the start of 2012 to build its 

clinical negligence team and was made 

a partner later the same year. Today she 

leads a hugely respected 22-strong team 

which specialises in all types of claims 

resulting from birth and brain injuries. 

“I work closely with the families of 

victims of medical negligence, securing 

the best possible financial compensation 

package for them. It’s important to 

realise that some of these children who 

suffer catastrophic injuries at an early 

age can live until they are 75-80, and 

will need 24-hour care all that time. It’s a 

really emotional situation for all involved; 

I just try to obtain the best possible 

outcome for the family.” 

Perhaps it is understanding how harsh 

life can be for others that has driven Inez 

to always look to give something back 

to society. She has been a trustee/board 

member on a number of charities with 

links to her work, including the Child 

Brain Injury Trust and the Society of 

Clinical Injury Lawyers. In addition, away 

from the legal world she has also served 

as a non-executive director for the North 

England Conference of Seventh-day 

Adventists Churches. 

She has also helped create a 

diversity inclusion scheme for the legal 

sector, alongside the University of 

Wolverhampton. It’s a cause close to 

her heart as it encourages young people 

from under-represented ethnic minorities 

to consider a career in law. 

Finally, she is also a member of Law 

Society’s Law Tech Committee, which 

helps to raise awareness on technology 

within the legal sector. 

Busy? Yes, and then we get to the 

Birmingham Law Society. After a year 

as Deputy Vice President and then Vice 

President, she took over the helm in 

2020 in the depths of the pandemic… 

“They called me the ‘Lockdown 

President’,” she laughs, “It was 

impossible to organise in-person events 

and on paper, that made the year seem 

really challenging. But we worked hard 

to maintain member engagement, 

hosted more events than ever before 

and our membership grew, too. Best of 

all, I raised over £22,000 for my chosen 

charity for the year. 

“I was delighted with how it went.” 

Her focus is now firmly on IoD West 

Midlands, though she will retain one 

other voluntary role: “I am still a board 

member of the Child Brain Injury Trust. 

It’s a cause I’m very close to.” 

Inez is the first to admit to being a bit 

of workaholic – and it’s that energy she’s 

determined to bring to the IoD for the 

next three years. 

From the outset, she has been 

impressed by the structure in place and 

the people who make the IoD tick. 

“The IoD has so much to offer. 

Its levels of engagement across 

the business community are really 

impressive, but when you dig down, 

it’s so much more than being a 

representative voice.” 

“The director development and 

training arm brings real value to 

members and Chartered Director is a 

qualification with real standing. Then 

you add in the tax and law helplines, 

the meeting spaces, the events… it’s 

a package that goes far beyond what 

other business groups offer.” 

Continued on page 10 

You can contact Inez via chair.westmidlands@iod.net 



09

In profile: IoD West Midlands’ chair, Inez Brown 

Continued from page 9 

However, it is the access to policy 

making and government that really 

stands out for Inez. “The IoD delivers 

change and improvements to the 

business landscape through its 

engagement with government,” she 

says. “It’s on a different level. We 

saw that during the pandemic, when 

the employee support packages 

and bounceback loans were directly 

influenced by the IoD’s representations 

to government.” 

Inez sees its USP, then, “as this ability 

to bring about positive change at the 

highest level.” 

But if that’s where it works, what 

doesn’t it do so well? Where does the 

IoD need to improve? 

“We’ve got to up our game on 

membership engagement. It’s been 

difficult over the past 18 months to reach 

out to members, but that changes now.” 

IoD West Midlands has got off to a 

good start with the opening of the new 

members’ lounge and hub at the Grand 

Hotel, Birmingham, she points out; “that 

is a real signal of intent that we want to 

get closer to our members. 

“I’m hoping we will add to this hub, 

with similar set-ups in Coventry, 

Worcester and the Black Country in the 

future. Our strategy is to make ourselves 

more visible both to the members and 

the wider community.” 

Events will be back on schedule, with 

a focus on business sectors in which 

membership is strong but events may 

have been weak in the past, such as 

science and manufacturing. As well as 

conferences on these areas, there will 

be events to tie in with Coventry’s City 

of Culture “to make sure the IoD flag is 

flying in the arts.” 

She is also keen to deepen the IoD 

links with the region’s universities. “The 

University of Wolverhampton student 

mentoring programme is excellent and 

I would like to see it expanded and 

promoted to a wider audience.” 

Inez is also determined to improve 

the IoD’s grip on social media, and 

to address any generational gaps by 

welcoming younger business leaders into 

the fold. “There is a real concern that the 

IoD doesn’t shout about itself enough. 

We need to change that dynamic.” 

Diversity is another key focus. “The 

IoD is nowhere near diverse enough. It 

does not reflect the nation; we know 

that. The definition of any organisation’s 

diversity is to ask, can people from 

outside see people inside who look like 

them. We have to face facts; that isn’t 

true for enough people, whether it is 

through gender, ethnicity, disability or 

sexual orientation. 

“The positive is that the first step to 

change is to acknowledge the problem in 

the first place. The IoD is taking diversity 

seriously. There has been a lot of work 

done, and more to do. But when we have 

female directors still making up only 19 

per cent of the total, we know we’ve got 

a long way to go.” 

“We’ve made changes. They aren’t 

enough, and lots more work needs to 

be done, but I’m determined to lead the 

way so that we become an organisation 

that truly reflects the nation.” 

What Inez is also keen to be is a voice 

for those businesses still struggling 

as we emerge from the worst of the 

pandemic. “The past 18 months have 

been really painful for everyone. While 

some businesses have managed well 

– indeed, have thrived – others are still 

trying to get back on their feet. 

“The IoD is here to help. Talk to us. 

Our regional ambassadors have a wealth 

of information on where support can 

be found, advice on training or ideas 

“The IoD delivers change 

and improvements to the 

business landscape 

through its engagement 

with government... it’s 

on a different level... 

for growing back stronger. If there is a 

problem in your sector, tell us about it. 

We can communicate to government 

what’s stopping you getting on with 

business and see if we can unblock the 

system.” 

She highlights IoD Policy Voice as “a 

“The IoD delivers change 

and improvements to 

the business landscape 

through its engagement 

with government ... It’s on 

a different level...” 

great vehicle for communicating the 

issues affecting you.” 

Is she confident business can get back 

to the levels pre-pandemic, particularly 

with the extra challenges that Brexit is 

throwing up? “Yes, we can. I’m a born 

optimist and my attitude is, we can do 

this. 

“It’s been hard for us all – no one is 

going to say different – and we’re not 

out of the woods yet either, but I’m 

convinced that there are opportunities 

around the corner for us all. We’ve got to 

pick ourselves up and work together to 

make the most of them.” 

On Brexit, Inez thinks we have to get 

away from a mindset of looking back. 

“Whatever your views, whether Remain 

or Brexit, it’s behind us. I don’t think 

anyone seriously thinks the situation will 

change. So it’s up to us, the business 

leaders, to make the most of the 

opportunities it brings. One of the IoD’s 

goals is to help business leaders see the 

positives and take advantage of them.” 

Inez is happy to chat to members – 

just pick your time! “For a workaholic 

I’m surprisingly strict on my time 

management and my personal time. I 

think it is down to all those years as a 

legal secretary, being ultra organised… 

I’ve a routine that I stick to, to create 

some ‘me time’. I walk through the door 

at home and the work bag goes down, 

not to be touched until the next day. No 

phone calls once I get to 7pm.” 

No surprise, however, that she doesn’t 

relax by sitting still. “On no, I fill my time 

constructively. Cinema, theatre, holidays 

– I have to have my holidays – and I’m a 

member of an eating group that tries out 

all the different restaurants in Birmingham. 

I reckon we’ve tried them all…” 



News 

Firms offered help to tackle 

banking complaints 

Ian Priest 

IoD members with unresolved 

complaints against their bank are 

reminded that they can seek recourse 

through the Business Banking Resolution 

Service (BBRS) 

48,000+ SMEs across the West 

Midlands could potentially use the BBRS 

to find solutions to their unresolved 

banking complaints, dating back to 

December 2001. It’s an independent 

body, providing a high quality, free-ofcharge 

dispute resolution service. A 

‘Customer Champion’ will provide free, 

personalised support from highly skilled 

and experienced dispute resolution 

specialists. 

Businesses can find out if they could 

be able to use the service on its website, 

including a quick online checking tool: 

www.thebbrs.org/register 

Businesses that meet these broad 

criteria may be able to apply: 

• You have an unresolved business 

banking complaint against one of these 

banks or their subsidiaries: 

• Barclays Bank PLC and Barclays Bank 

UK PLC 

• Danske Bank 

• HSBC UK Bank plc 

• Lloyds Banking Group (Lloyds Bank 

plc and Bank of Scotland plc) 

• NatWest Group (including The 

Royal Bank of Scotland Plc, National 

Westminster Bank plc, Coutts & 

Company and Ulster Bank Limited 

(Northern Ireland)) 

• Santander UK plc 

• Virgin Money (including Clydesdale 

Bank PLC and Yorkshire Bank) 

• You made a formal complaint to your 

bank from December 2001 onwards, 

and have not had (or been able to have) 

an independent review, nor agreed a 

settlement, or gone to court 

• At the time of the complaint, you had 

a turnover of: 

• 2001 - 2009: between £1 million and 

£6.5 million 

• 2009 - 2019: between £2 million and 

£6.5 million 

• 2019 onwards: between £6.5 million 

and £10 million 

About the author 

Ian Priest spent 31 years in banking before starting his business as a 

commercial finance broker, assisting businesses to source the right 

finance for their needs on the best possible terms. 

He Is Chair of the Institute of Directors in the Black Country and 

has been on both the Midlands Engine Investment Funds 

Regional Advisory Board and the Strategic Oversight Board. 

Ian is a trustee of Groundwork West Midlands, which is part 

of the Federation of Groundwork Trusts. 

He can be contacted on ip@independentbankers.co.uk 

PKF Smith Cooper welcomes a new roster of 

graduates into their ranks 

A new cohort of graduates has joined 

PKF Smith Cooper, adding a wealth of 

talent to its accounting, audit and tax 

teams as they begin training for future 

success. 

Located across PKF Smith Cooper 

offices – Nottingham, Derby, and 

Birmingham – and the Smith Cooper 

Independent Financial Solutions (Smith 

Cooper IFS) office in Burbage, the 

graduates have a diverse range of skills, 

qualifications, and attributes. 

With the most recent cohort induction 

occurring in parallel with the formulation 

of company values – Engage, Empower, 

Excel – there has been an emphasis upon 

the ways in which both the company and 

new graduates embody these values. 

John Farnsworth, Corporate Finance 

Partner, commented: “This year’s cohort 

aligns with PKF Smith Cooper’s ‘Excel’ 

value, being one of the strongest we’ve 

ever recruited. We look forward to 

working with all of them in developing 

their careers.” 

Through this recruitment and training 

process, graduates are introduced into 

the world of business and finance, 

engaging with clients and colleagues on 

a regular basis to learn the ropes and 

demonstrate the professional, transparent, 

and trustworthy environment created 

within PKF Smith Cooper. 

All graduates are empowered to 

perform at the height of their potential 

through regular praise and constructive 

feedback, as well as being encouraged 

to develop productive relationships with 

clients and colleagues for personal 

development. 

One of the new graduate Financial 

Planning Analysts, Aman Matharu, said: 

“Smith Cooper IFS has created a very 

friendly and encouraging atmosphere 

that will help me to achieve my potential.” 

It was a view endorsed by a newcomer 

to the Birmingham team, Graduate Audit 

Assistant Helen Bonsmann: “I’m really 

excited about starting my new role at 

PKF Smith Cooper, which will give me 

the opportunity to learn new skills, learn 

about clients’ needs, and meet new 

people.” 

Three of this autumn’s 

new graduate recruits: 

Helen Bonsmann, Lewis 

Coles, and Manryan Singh 



It’s time to celebrate the IoD 

Midlands Directors of the Year 

IoD Midlands Director 

of the Year Awards 

Date: November 4 

Venues: 

West Midlands: Grand Hotel, 

Birmingham 

East Midlands: The National Space 

Centre, Leicester 

• The event will also be live-streamed 

to a limited audience 

who cannot make the live event 

We are getting ready to host our first 

major in-person event in 18 months – 

and it’s going to be a great night! 

We are delighted to announce that 

the 2021 IoD Midlands Director of the 

Year Awards will be held in person as a 

live event once more, giving us a chance 

to personally acknowledge and applaud 

the efforts of our region’s business 

leaders and directors. 

The Awards ceremony will take place 

on Thursday, November 4. 

We’ve had a bumper crop of highquality 

entries to this year’s awards, with 

shining examples of directors who have 

led their businesses steadfastly through 

the worst of the pandemic, inspiring 

growth against the odds while all the 

time keeping their employees focused, 

positive and motivated. 

As in 2021, the awards are a joint 

project between IoD East Midlands and 

IoD West Midlands. We’re stripping back 

DIRECTOR 

OF THE YEAR 

AWARDS 2021 

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR 

LARGE BUSINESS 


SME 


FAMILY BUSINESS 


START-UP 


THIRD SECTOR 

ENTER NOW AT 

www.iod.com/ 

the frills this year, in a nod to Covid-19, 

and the ceremony will be a very informal 

affair over drinks and canapés. 

But thanks to our brilliant media and 

tech partners at DRP Group, we will be 

hosting the event in not one but TWO 

locations. Award nominees from the 

West Midlands will join us in Birmingham 

at our new hub in the Grand Hotel, while 

the event for nominees from the East 

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 

Midlands will be at Leicester’s National 

Space Centre. Even better, the events 

are FREE. 

Places are limited and we are 

reserving them in the first instance for 

award nominees and their guests. But 

contact cari.grice@iod.com if you wish 

to be placed on a reserve list if there is 

space. 

‘‘ 

We will be celebrating directors who have led their businesses steadfastly 

The Grand Hotel, Birmingham 

National Space Centre, Leicester 

through the worst of the pandemic, inspiring growth against the odds while 

all the time keeping their employees focused, positive and motivated 



13

News 

IoD: Government must ‘show its 

workings’ as tax rises planned 

Warning over 

impact on jobs 

and investment 

In its submission to the 

Spending Review and 

Autumn Budget 

2021, the IoD has 

urged the government 

to reduce the planned 

level of business tax 

rises, now that the economic outlook is 

more positive than was expected at the 

time of the last Budget. 

With the Office of Budget Responsibility 

expected to revise its GDP growth 

forecasts for 2021 upwards, resulting in 

stronger tax receipts, the need for 

government borrowing has lessened. 

Consequently, the government will have 

more room for manoeuvre than 

previously expected, without 

jeopardising the essential need for a 

reduction in government debt as a 

proportion of GDP. 

ONS data on government spending 

had again come in below the level 

expected by the Office of Budget 

Responsibility at the time of the March 

Budget. Then, the projected stabilisation 

of government debt levels was primarily 

achieved through a decision to raise 

corporation tax from 2023, described at 

the time by the Institute of Fiscal Studies 

as “the biggest tax raising budget since 

1993”. 

Since then, the announcement of a new 

Health and Social Care Levy has 

further raised taxation on business 

through an increase in employer’s 

National Insurance contributions. 

However, despite rushing the legislation 

through Parliament, the government’s 

own impact assessment does not 

quantify the effects beyond saying there 

is expected to be a “significant 

macroeconomic impact”. 

The IoD is calling on government to: 

• Reduce the planned level of business 

tax rises now that the economic outlook 

is more positive than was expected at the 

time of the last Budget. 

• Conduct, and publish before the 

March 2022 budget, its own 

macroeconomic assessment of the 

proposed rise in employer’s national 

insurance including, but not limited 

to, the effect on GDP, private sector 

investment and employment, on a 

national, sectoral, regional and 

demographic basis. 

• Commit to taking account of the 

results of this assessment before the end 

of the 2022-23 transition period to the 

new levy system. 

IoD’s new Chief Economist Kitty Ussher 

said: “When the National Insurance 

increases were announced, we were 

surprised about the lack of analysis as to 

the effects of these decisions. 

“Parliament is being asked to agree 

legislation with significantly negative 

economic and business impacts, without 

having the evidence before them of the 

extent of that impact. 

“The way this decision has been made 

and implemented falls well short of good 

government practice, as well as their own 

commitment to put real-world impacts at 

the heart of its decision-making. We are 

Pictured above: Kitty Ussher 

You can read more about the IoD’s policy views at 

https://www.iod.com/news-campaigns/news 



“ 

“When the National 

Insurance increases 

were announced, we 

were surprised about 

the lack of analysis as 

to the effects of these 

decisions... 

therefore urging government to show its 

workings-out of the effects of tax rises 

on jobs and the economy.” 

In its submission, the IoD has 

also suggested a number of specific 

measures that the government should 

adopt to support business investment, 

improve business access to skills, reform 

business rates and support our shift to a 

low carbon economy. 

Help spur business investment 

• Commit to extend the 130% 

investment super-deduction beyond 

March 2023 to give companies the 

confidence to engage in longer-term 

investment planning. 

• Expand the scope of the R&D tax 

credit system to give greater weight to 

digital innovation, new applications of 

cloud computing and innovation of all 

kinds that will reduce carbon emissions. 

• Inject significant capital into 

the dedicated regional funds managed 

by the British Business Bank, now 

that European Commission structural 

funding is no longer available. 

• Double the maximum investment a 

new company can receive through the 

Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme 

from £150,000 to £300,000. 

• Consult on expanding the definition 

of qualifying activity on tax relief for 

investments in venture capital schemes 

to include professional 

services, hospitality and low-carbon 

energy. 

• Introduce a more 

generous company tax incentive for the 

specific purpose of upskilling on certified 

professional development courses, 

including for board directors. 

A five-point plan to improve business 

access to skills 

1. Increase the resourcing and mandate 

of Sector Skills Councils to ensure 

high-quality industry-specific accredited 

and modularised training and progression 

paths are available at every level of 

every type of work, online and in person. 

2.Reintroduce lifelong personalised 

training budgets to be used on such 

accredited vocational and professional 

training to ensure nobody is prevented 

from obtaining high-quality industryspecific 

skills they need to progress, 

regardless of their age, 

seniority or employment status. 

3. Widen the uses to which firms 

deploy their apprenticeship levy funding 

pots to fill skills gaps at all levels within 

the organisation. 

4. Introduce tax allowances for sole 

traders and the self-employed to 

incentivise investment in accredited 

professional and vocational training. 

Crucially this should include vocational/ 

professional upskilling and reskilling as 

opposed to the refresher and CPD 

courses that are already tax deductible. 

5. For those out of work 

(a) extend the Kickstart apprenticeship 

scheme beyond December 2021 and 

remove the age restrictions and 

(b) reinvigorate the Enterprise 

Allowance by involving a wider range of 

organisations in the mentoring aspect of 

the scheme. 

Business rates, digital sales tax and 

levelling-up 

• The tax system should be neutral as 

to whether an item is sold online or in a 

physical shop. 

• The business rate system should 

reward investment in those geographic 

areas that have greatest need 

of regeneration. As part of this it should 

be sufficiently flexible that local 

authorities can use it to ‘placemake’: 

incentivising the types of 

retail and commercial environments that 

communities say they want to see. 

• Any tax on commercial premises 

should be designed to incentivise 

investment in the quality of buildings, 

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has a big job to 

do in the coming months 

including reducing their carbon 

footprint, improve accessibility and 

introducing high standards of building 

quality and ventilation that business 

leaders and staff find necessary in a 

post-Covid world. 

• Valuations should be more frequent, 

and in line with the business cycle. 

The green opportunity 

• TCFD requirements around financial 

disclosures of environmental impact 

should apply to all UK companies that 

are currently required to produce a 

non-financial information statement, and 

over time to a wider range of companies. 

• Section 172 of the 2006 Companies 

Act should be amended in order 

to require directors to have regard to, 

among other things, “the impact of the 

company’s operations on the community 

and the environment,” in line with the 

Better Business Act campaign. 

Kitty Ussher further commented: “The 

economic shock of the 

pandemic, combined with Britain’s 

decision to leave the European 

Union, has compounded an underlying 

structural problem in the labour market, 

namely the mismatch between the needs 

of firms and the level of skills in the 

economy. 

“Now that we’ve left the EU, people 

running businesses up and down the 

country are looking to government 

to finally sort this out with a Budget that 

causes a permanent step change 

in people’s desire and ability to reskill.” 



15

News 

East Midlands SMEs and universities take 

a lead in boosting business growth 

In March 2021, Chancellor Rishi Sunak 

announced a new scheme to support 

SME leaders to develop the management 

tools needed to innovate and grow 

their business. Since Help to Grow: 

Management launched nationally in 

summer 2021, universities in the East 

Midlands have taken a lead by running 

some of the very first courses. 

SMEs across the East Midlands now 

have an opportunity to join the Help 

to Grow course with 30,000 places 

available for businesses over the next 

two years. The region’s universities have 

come together with a co-ordinated 

schedule to support Help to Grow, with 

a variety of start dates on offer hosted 

by the University of Nottingham and 

Nottingham Trent University. 

Boosting productivity 

Help to Grow: Management is a 12- 

week programme for SME senior leaders 

and decision-makers who are seeking to 

boost productivity and growth in their 

ventures. The programme has been 

designed by a national consortium of 

universities holding the Small Business 

Charter – an award for those universities 

demonstrating engagement with SMEs. 

Help to Grow: Management is about 

supporting SME leaders to make a 

difference in their businesses and 

modules include strategies for growth 

and innovation, financial management, 

branding and marketing, leading a highperformance 

workplace, and digital 

adoption. The course has been designed 

to be manageable alongside full-time 

work and places an emphasis on being 

relevant to SMEs. 

New ideas and established expertise 

Help to Grow combines insights from 

Business School academics specialising 

in the topics studied, alongside business 

practitioners who ensure that the 

knowledge shared is communicated 

in a relevant manner. There is also an 

important role for course delegates 

to share ideas through peer-to-peer 

networking as an integral part of the 

learning experience. 

A particular highlight of the 

programme is the inclusion of ten hours 

of expert mentoring for each individual 

delegate on the course, underlining the 

applied nature of the course. By taking 

part in Help to Grow: Management, SME 

leaders can apply what they learn to 

advance their businesses. 

Dr Lynn Oxborrow, Programme 

Director, Nottingham Business School, 

said that “the whole course has been 

put together with examples and real-life 

case studies based on SMEs that have 

innovated, taken advantage of market 

opportunities, effectively engaged their 

teams, and ultimately grown as a result. 

It is all designed to help experienced and 

new SME decision-makers to enhance 

their leadership effectiveness.” 

By the end of the programme 

delegates will have developed a tailored 

business growth plan to help lead their 

businesses to their full potential with 

further access to an alumni network and 

the contacts they have built through the 

course. 

Government support 

Help to Grow is 90% subsidised by the 

government as part of its Plan for Jobs 

to help businesses drive growth and 

protect jobs. Delegates pay £750 to join 

the course. 

Small Business Minister Paul Scully 

said: “Seizing opportunity is what being 

a business leader is all about, and our 

Help to Grow Management Scheme gives 

entrepreneurs the chance to access the 

very best advice on how to innovate, 

reach new customers and boost profits. 

Find out more gov.uk/helptogrow 

“We would encourage IoD 

members that work with 

SMEs to highlight this 

programme as a great 

opportunity to take their 

business to the next level” 

Dr Robert Wapshott, Nottingham 

University Business School. 

“The practical training scheme is 90% 

funded by the government and designed 

around busy business owners’ schedules, 

so I would encourage entrepreneurs 

across the UK to get involved and 

maximise the potential of their business.” 

The IoD perspective 

The IoD has a track record of 

supporting SMEs through its 

membership and lobbying activities. 

“We would encourage IoD members 

that work with SMEs to highlight this 

programme as a great opportunity to 

take their business to the next level,” 

said Programme Director, Dr Robert 

Wapshott, Nottingham University 

Business School. 



Leadership and 

governance 

development 

programmes 

for FE sector 

In partnership with the Education and 

Training Foundation (ETF) and the 

Department for Education (DfE), the IoD 

will be working with college Chairs and 

governance professionals across England 

to deliver an enriching development 

experience. 

Our approach will not only develop the 

knowledge, skills and mindset of 

participants but also have a positive and 

lasting impact on the effectiveness of 

college corporation boards and the sector 

overall. 

The Chairs’ Leadership Programme 

provides a unique opportunity for college 

Chairs and aspiring Chairs to reflect on 

their role, develop their performance, and 

ultimately enhance the value they add to 

the board and their wider organisation. 

This will support the government’s strategy 

of developing a highly trained cadre of 

board members of FE and sixth form 

colleges, thereby enhancing performance 

and strengthening governance within the 

sector. 

Find out more. Click HERE for details 

The Governance Professionals’ 

Leadership Programme is designed for 

clerks to boards, company secretaries and 

those fulfilling similar roles. 

The governance professional has a 

critical role to play in meeting the 

administrative and procedural 

requirements of the board, as well as being 

the trusted adviser – enabling efficient, 

effective discussion and decision-making. 

Find out more. Click HERE for details 

Training fund opens for 

businesses’ Covid fightback 

As we embark on the road 

to recovery from Covid-19, 

does your business need 

staff training and upskilling? 

A new fund has opened, offering 

support for businesses as they look to 

upskill their workforce as part of their 

post-pandemic recovery. 

The Supplier Skills Programme is 

offering grants £500 - £18,000 for 

SMEs to upskill new and existing 

employees. 

The £12m Supplier Skills Programme 

is part-funded by the European Social 

Fund (ESF) and is managed by 

Birmingham City Council. 

This programme is available to SMEs 

which are: 

n Based within, or locating to, the 

‘More Developed’ areas of The Greater 

Birmingham and Solihull Local 

Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP), 

namely Birmingham; Redditch; 

Bromsgrove; Solihull; and Wyre Forest 

n Operating within the priority 

growth sectors within the GBSLEP 

IoD East Midlands recently 

welcomed an intern for six 

weeks called Ben Rampling... 

Hello, my name is Benjamin Rampling. 

I recently graduated from Nottingham 

Trent University with a Master’s 

in Media & Globalisation. 

After my graduation, I had the 

opportunity to attend a six-week 

Internship through Nottingham 

Trent for the IoD. It was a fantastic 

opportunity to gain an insight of 

leading directors to good governance, 

marketing, and networking. 

I also enjoyed meeting our team 

from the East and West Midlands 

branches as well connecting and 

working with other branches with 

projects and events. 

I’m sorry this opportunity was short 

but I hope to meet you all with my 

student membership with the IoD. 

I am also looking for further 

opportunities to use my skills 

‘More Developed’ areas as outlined in 

the eligibility criteria 

n Able to match fund the training 

costs (50% of training costs will be 

match funded by the SME and the 

remaining 50% by ESF) (Note: Match 

funding cannot be sources from public 

funds) 

All training must be accredited by 

the Ofqual Framework or recognised 

by industry and professional 

accrediting bodies. 

The grant will enable employees to 

achieve any of the following: 

n Full qualifications level 1-7, or 

equivalent 

n Units or a unit of qualification at 

basic level 

Further details of this programme, 

including full eligibility criteria are 

available on 

www.birmingham.gov.uk/ssp 

If you would like to register your 

interest, please email: 

SSP@birmingham.gov.uk 

• The Supplier Skills Programme is 

part funded by European Social Fund 

(ESF) 

IoD helps Ben on learning journey 

and knowledge gained within 

the IoD start on my career goals. 

Thank you everyone at the IoD for this 

opportunity and hope to see you in 

the future. 



17

About the IoD: Members’ benefits and services 

Membership cards dropped as 

IoD improves sustainability 

As part of the IoD’s environmental drive, 

we are delighted to announce that we have 

received the Planet Mark certificate to underline 

our efforts to promote sustainability 

and a low carbon agenda. The IoD remains 

determined to ensure climate change 

climbs the agendas of boardrooms across 

the country, and our work with Planet Mark 

is proof of this. 

One consequence is that we have decided 

to stop sending out IoD membership 

cards and we are cutting down on other 

paper products. 

As part of our Planet Mark commitment 

we have reduced our absolute carbon reduction 

by 42.6 per cent, and the absolute 

carbon reduction per employee is 22.5 per 

cent. 

For more details, see 

https://www.planetmark.com/member/iod/ 

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 

Making a difference 

to the environment 

The IoD is proud to launch its new Sustainable Business Hub. It brings 

together all the IoD’s sustainability related events, news, educational 

content and other initiatives occurring across our community into a single, 

easily searchable location. 

Check it out now at: https://www.iod.com/news/sustainable-business/ 

In the West Midlands: 

Pam Kaur, 

Senior Branch Manager, 


e: Pam.kaur@iod.com 


Branch Manager, 

IoD West Midlands 

Frances.Fairclough@iod.com 

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 Frances 

Fairclough 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. 

A London address for your 

business – without the rent! 

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). 

Call 0207 451 3300 for details. 



The IoD 

Helping you Connect, Develop and Influence 

Did you know as a full IoD member* you get... 

Free business 

advice, 

research and 

information 

25 enquiries to the 

Business 

Information 

Service 

Four sessions with 

our business 

advisers 

25 calls to our legal 

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. 

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 

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. Exclusive to IoD members 

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

issues 

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

consultation at 116 Pall Mall or over the telephone, depending 

on adviser availability 

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

each. 

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

* Full Members have full access to IoD Business Information and Advice services. Associate members have access to our digital 

business library, guides and archive of research and reports only. 

IoD Members’ Professional Benefits Programme 

The IoD has a host of carefully chosen, 

specially negotiated discounts on key 

services for IoD members 

Professional Indemnity Insurance 

Ensure you are protected against 

claims from unhappy clients. 

Office Insurance 

Save five per cent on policies covering 

you against damage on your business 

premises, such as through flooding or 

fire. 

Cyber and Data Risks Insurance 

Save five per cent on policies 

protecting you against data breaches, 

viruses and other attacks from hackers. 

Personal Private Health Insurance 

10 per cent discount on Bupa By You 

health insurance 

Car and Van Hire 

Save 10 per cent on global car hire 

and get free membership of Hertz’s 

VIP membership scheme, the Gold Plus 

Rewards Five Star 

Home and Contents Insurance 

Save 12.5 per cent for life of our policy. 

Private Client Insurance 

If you have a high-value home and / 

or contents, this IoD offer can save up to 

five per cent on bespoke insurance cover 

in the first year. 

International Payments 

The IoD’s International Payments 

Service, provided by WorldFirst, has now 

expired. Call the IoD membership team 

on 020 7766 8866. 

Busines Sales, Acquisitions and 

Strategy Services 

Whether you are buying or selling 

a business, careful preparation and 

expertise is critical to success. Find out 

how the IoD can help. 

To access all of these discounts and 

services, click the link below. 

https://www.iod.com/services/ 

iod-professional-benefits-programme 



19

IoD - Student partnerships / Mentoring 

Midlands’ next generation of 

business leaders need your help 

Enterprise Challenge 

on look out for new 

IoD mentors 

IoD East Midlands members are being 

asked to get involved with our student 

groups from Nottingham Trent 

University on the Enterprise 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. 

We’re sure that this support will make 

them more prepared for the world of 

work once they graduate. 

If you are interested in supporting 

this year or know of someone who 

would, please email 

joshua.whitehead@iod.com or 

anna.hicks@iod.com 

and let us know what you would prefer 

to assist with. 

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 

“A great initiative 

and one that I 

would definitely 

recommend to others” 

they had to think about a whole range of 

issues: design, procurement, 

manufacturing and 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!” 

Want to get involved? If you would like to be one of our IoD mentors for an upcoming Enterprise Challenge 

with NTU students, contact joshua.whitehead@iod.com or anna.hicks@iod.com 

Coventry Univeristy MBA programme offers 

exciting student cohort for IoD mentoring 

IoD-Coventry University MBA Mentoring Programme closing event 

IoD West Midlands and Coventry 

University have a long-standing 

relationship supporting undergraduates 

through a mentoring scheme. 

This summer, a new partnership was 

established to offer mentoring to MBA 

students. The programme allows IoD 

members to work alongside full-time 

MBA students from Coventry University, 

for a period of three months. The 

mentoring programme offers a unique 

chance for IoD members to engage with a 

diverse student cohort in terms of their 

work experience, background, 

geographical expertise and knowledge, 

with many of the cohort being 

international students. 

The initial pilot of the programme ran 

from May to August this year and was a 

resounding success, celebrated in an 

online closing event at the beginning of 

August. 

Rod Tompsett, one of the mentors, 

spoke at the event to highlight the 

benefits he had accrued, which included 

seeing the world through younger eyes 

and being able to profit from viewing 

both sides, from different experiences. 

He also valued the cultural differences 

and the merit of developing a relationship 

to share advice, and being able to 

experience your guidance as a mentor 

being put into action through your 

mentee. 

The student representatives who 

contributed at the event shared how 

valuable and rewarding they had found 

the programme. They had developed 

excellent relationships with their IoD 

mentors, and spoke about how motivated 

and encouraged they were by their 

mentors, gaining confidence from the 

relationship and sharpening their career 

goals. The students all felt the mentoring 

programme supported their personal 

development, and the opportunity to work 

with experienced, professional individuals 

provided a unique and value-added 

element to their MBA programme. 

Owing to the success of the pilot run, 

the IoD MBA mentoring programme is 

now being offered to the next cohort of 

MBA students at Coventry University. It 



Vintage Trains is latest business to appreciate 

what UCB students have to offer 

Could your business benefit 

from taking on a bright business 

student to complete a project, 

asks John Phillips FIoD? 

I recently travelled courtesy of Vintage 

Trains to Stratford-upon-Avon with 

a large group of business students, 

lecturers and family members from 

University College Birmingham. 

Vintage Trains is a not-for-profit 

organisation operating steam-hauled 

special trains across the UK. They 

play an important role in the West 

Midlands’ tourism offer, both regionally 

and nationally, by supporting other 

preserved railways with engineering 

services. 

A group of UCB students – led by 

the Deputy Dean of UCB’s School 

of Business and Tourism, Professor 

Michelle Callanan, and UCB tourism 

lecturer Helen Joyner Harris – had been 

asked to assist Vintage Trains’ board of 

trustees with a wide range of fresh ideas 

designed to keep marketing plans well in 

tune with a young, diverse and growing 

customer base. This communication was 

made possible via UCB’s programme 

of live industry projects where young 

Pictured above are Helen Joyner Harris, 

Tourism Lecturer with her two boys, 

Professor Michelle Callanan, Deputy 

Dean, School of Business and Tourism, 

and three of our most wonderful UCB 

students Daniel Jennifer and Tia. 

people can assist companies with reallife 

business problems and opportunities. 

Our host, Michael Whitehouse, 

Chairman of Vintage Trains, was hugely 

impressed by the help the company had 

received from the students. He said: “It’s 

been a fantastic experience to work with 

Michelle and Helen and all the students. 

My board has been really impressed with 

many of the ideas and suggestions we 

have received for improving our ongoing 

customer experience. 

“We are passionate about preserving 

railway heritage but we are equally keen 

to move with the times by providing a 

high level of service to all our customers” 

University College Birmingham has a 

long and successful history with ‘live’ 

industry projects, both in the UK and 

overseas. From the 1990s, UCB students 

(with the support of their expert 

lecturers) have supported numerous 

organisations across the Midlands, UK, 

Europe and Asia. 

This is a real win-win situation with 

no money changing hands. Students 

benefit hugely by being exposed to the 

real-life problems business face, while 

companies can tap into the views of a 

very diverse, young and well-educated 

cohort whose views should be of interest 

to any board of directors 

Our local IoD Chairman Andy 

Wilkinson and I have recently taken on 

ambassador roles at UCB and we are 

determined that both organisations 

should work more closely together for 

future mutual benefit 

If you would are interested in 

accessing UCB services via the live 

projects initiative, please contact 

Professor Michelle Callanan via 

M.Callanan@ucb.ac.uk 

is hoped it will become a permanent 

feature going forward. If you would be 

interested in being an IoD mentor, 

please contact Jody Holland at 

aa3361@coventry.ac.uk for further 

information. 

Dean Kavanagh, Chair of IoD Coventry 

and Warwickshire commented: 

“Supporting the MBA programme 

renews our opportunity to provide an 

enriching experience for both the 

mentors and the mentees, with our 

members being able to share their vast 

and varied expertise and knowledge to 

help students reach their full potential. 

“The MBA course is one that we think 

our members can add full value to and 

we are excited to be able to continue 

our long-standing and successful 

relationship with Coventry University, 

who, even in these challenging times, 

continue to go from strength to strength.” 

The online closing event gave some of the mentors and their 

mentees to share how they had benefitte 



21

Technical briefing: Cyber security 

Ransomware: the modern day 

cyberthreat facing all businesses 

Ransomware, one of 

the fastest-growing 

malware hazards of 

the 21st century, 

threatens businesses 

and public institutions around the world. 

A particularly virulent and fast-evolving 

species of malicious software, it infects 

computers and mobile devices, often 

spreading across networks to other 

devices. 

Once it compromises a system, it 

encrypts every data file it finds, then 

displays a ransom note to the user 

demanding an online payment of 

hundreds or thousands of pounds - to be 

paid in cryptocurrency like Bitcoin - in 

return for the decryption keys needed to 

restore the user’s locked files. 

In recent months ransomware attacks 

have become headline news. It is not 

new but it is a threat to all businesses. 

A notorious example of a ransomware 

attack that hit companies worldwide was 

the spring of 2017 WannaCry outbreak, 

which affected over 200,000 computers 

in over 150 countries. It cost the UK £92 

million and ran up global costs of a 

whopping £6 billion. 

In 2017, the NotPetya ransomware 

variant ensnared thousands of business 

and public institutions in a global net. 

Despite letting victims pay a ransom, it 

caused unrecoverable damage to 

thousands of systems. 

However, these are examples of the 

large-scale attacks that we read about in 

global publications. Of greater concern 

are the daily ransomware attacks that 

affect individuals, and businesses of all 

sizes across all sectors. Ransomware 

attacks have increased by nearly 500% 

since the start of the pandemic and the 

ransom costs have increased by 43%. If 

ransomware was a disease, it would be a 

pandemic. 

What is ransomware? 

Malware is a blanket term for any type 

of malicious software designed to harm 

or exploit any programmable device 

service or network. If able to run, 

malware can cause irreversible damage. 

Ransomware is a form of malware 

which typically prevents users from 

accessing systems or personal files by 

encrypting the information. Ransomware 

is a moneymaking scheme. The attacker 

will demand payment of a ransom, and in 

return they will publish encryption codes 

so the affected business can get their 

information back and resume businessas-usual 

operations. 

Attackers normally demand ransom is 

paid in cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin. 

Cybercriminals use this method as it is 

difficult to trace. Transactions can be 

anonymised and instantly sent across the 

world without leaving an obvious trail. 

“ 

While it’s generally in the cybercriminals’ best 

interest to hold up their end of the bargain, there is 

no guarantee you’ll receive the promised encryption 

codes. Sophisticated cyber attackers won’t 

necessarily follow moral principles or ethics! 

For advice on preventing ransomware and other 

malicious cyber attacks, see www.kryptokloud.com 



“ 

Homeworking has exposed 

new access points for cyber 

criminals to gain entry to 

corporate systems. Employees 

using remote computers 

connect to corporate networks. 

These can be outdated or lack 

the security tools needed to 

mitigate against a cyber-attack 

... businesses are practically 

handing themselves over to 

cyber criminals for exploitation. 

What are the statistics? 

The UK encountered 14.6 million 

ransomware attack attempts in the first 

half of 2021. The surge in attacks can be 

put down to numerous factors: 

Homeworking has exposed new access 

points for cyber criminals to gain entry to 

corporate systems. Employees using 

remote computers connect to corporate 

networks. These devices can be outdated 

or lack the security tools needed to 

mitigate against a cyber-attack. By 

extending the traditional network 

perimeter to unsecure homeworking 

locations, businesses are practically 

handing themselves over to cyber 

criminals for exploitation. 

Businesses experiencing a ransomware 

attack have been shown to pay the 

ransom, contrary to popular belief. 

Evidence suggests that large organisations 

who don’t have time to wait for a solution 

to be identified will pay their attackers to 

return to business-as-usual. This is 

understandable when a health service is 

breached, and lives are at risk. However, 

some organisations will find that their 

insurance becomes obsolete if they pay 

the ransom. 

What does an attack feel like? 

Look around your workplace and see 

how many different systems are linked to 

computer networks: servers, desktops, 

laptops, and telephones – these are the 

obvious ones. But think a little further. 

E-commerce websites, payment portals, 

documents, CCTV, door entry systems, 

security alarms… the list is long, and the 

impact is deep. Just imagine a workplace 

where none of these things are 

accessible. What would you do to 

continue running your business? 

Why ransom payment isn’t a good idea 

Paying a ransom might feel like a quick 

and easy solution – but in reality, you are 

funding criminal activity. This money 

helps criminal gangs target more 

organisations, reinforcing the idea that 

ransomware is a business model which 

works. 

While it’s generally in the 

cybercriminals’ best interest to hold up 

their end of the bargain, there is no 

guarantee you’ll receive the promised 

encryption codes. Sophisticated cyber 

attackers won’t necessarily follow moral 

principles or ethics! 

Paying ransom, although potentially 

better in the short term, can a lead to 

long term implications. Failure to secure 

the organisation’s cyber security after a 

breach can led to repeated attacks on 

your business. If criminals know you will 

pay the fee, they can and will do 

everything in their power to hack into 

your business network. 

Don’t be the next victim 

Following a ransomware attack, file 

recovery becomes next to impossible 

without a tried and tested back-up or a 

pro-active cyber security provider. 

At KryptoKloud we offer a suite of 

services to help businesses navigate their 

way safely through the cyber landscape. 

Visit www.kryptokloud.com today or 

email us at sales@kryptokloud.com to 

find out more. 

Let us help you sleep more easily at 

night. 

For advice on preventing ransomware 

and other malicious cyber attacks, see 

www.kryptokloud.com 

Yes, this starts 

with a ‘T’ 

Ransomware attacks are believed to 

have occured every 11 seconds so far in 

2021, at a cost of $20 billion to victims. 

That’s down from an attack every 14 

seconds in 2019, highlighting how 

cyberthreats are intensifying. 

It is estimated that global damages 

related to cybercrime will reach 

$6 trillion. 

Yes, that is Trillion, with a ‘T’! 



23

Profile: The Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (RFCA) 

Reservists’ military bearing can 

make a difference to your business 

Rob Beswick chats to Major 

(Retd) Bruce Spencer about his 

work with the Reserve Forces 

and Cadets Association, and 

how businesses can benefit from 

having Reservists on their books. 

Army Reserves being shown the 

ropes on a training exercise by 

the Army Training Regiment, 

part of 7 Brigade 

After a 38-year career 

in the army, it’s 

perhaps no surprise 

that Major Bruce 

Spencer (left) is a 

strong advocate for 

how the military life 

can develop and 

improve people’s skills and life chances. 

A former officer in the Worcester and 

Sherwood Foresters before transferring 

to the Adjutant General’s Corps in the 

1990s, his various roles included tours of 

Iraq and Afghanistan, a spell as the 

Military Attaché in Kathmandu, Nepal 

and running the Reserves Mobilisation 

centre in Nottingham. 

But in his current role as Regional 

Employer Engagement Director of the 

East Midlands Reserve Forces and 

Cadets Association (RFCA), he’s really 

keen to stress to IoD members the 

benefits that come from employing 

military Reservists and dispel some of 

the concerns directors can have over 

their commitments. 

To start with, exactly what is a 

Reservist? Bruce, a member of the IoD, 

explains: “It is basically someone who 

commits a small part of their time every 

year to support the military – whether 

Army, Navy or RAF. They receive the 

same standard of training as regular 

service personnel, it’s just delivered 

around their working lives in short doses. 

“We have a ‘One Army’ perspective 

that puts Reservists on the same level as 

regular troops; it gives them the chance 

to gain the same extraordinary skill-set 

of their regular counterparts.” 

It’s this skill-set that Bruce believes 

makes military people great employees. 

“People ask what skills life in the regular 

military gives people, and I’m always 

happy to explain them. But what I stress 

is that you can expect those very same 

skills in Reservists. The training is the 

same, and the qualities military people 

bring to the party are identical, whether 

they are full-time or on the reserve.” 

“I sum these qualities up as integrity, 

loyalty, robustness and contingency.” 

He’s happy to add depth to those 

words. “Service personnel bring a 

certain level of confidence. Military 

training breeds it in people, of being 

comfortable with what they’re asked to 

do. There is an integrity in military men 

and women. They apply themselves to 

the best of their ability at all times, and 

take ownership of their duties.” 

As for loyalty, “if you are fair to 

ex-Forces or Reservists, they’ll be fair to 

you. Military life hinges on loyalty and it’s 

true that if you show loyalty to military 

people, they’ll give it you back in spades.” 

How does this manifest itself in the 

workplace? “They’ll be in the office first, 

leave it last, respect management and 

the chain of command and will 

understand what the rules are and why 

they are applied. They’ll work hard and 

look to deliver results. Military people 

are, by their training, very rules driven.” 

But you’ll get more than that. “People 

ask what I mean by ‘robustness.’ You’ll 

see it both in their views and how they 

conduct themselves. If you ask them for 

a view, pin your ears back, as you’ll get 

it. At times it might be uncomfortable 

but it will never be delivered with malice, 

but rather, from a real desire to change 

things for the better. They’ll never be shy 

about coming forward and will provide 

challenge, but always in a way that is 

looking for improvements.” 

Finally, contingency. “The military way 

is to teach something, and then test it. It 

embeds learning but gives people the 

ability to develop that learning so they 

are flexible and can think on their feet. If 

something goes wrong, the military 

approach is to solve the problem and get 

on with the job. There’s no room for feeling 

sorry for yourself; get the job done.” 

In addition to these soft skills, Reservists 

can also gain a host of practical skills to 

take back to the workplace, too. “Whether 

it is driving qualifications or the logistical 

skills needed to keep an army supplied, 

Reservists come back to the office 

brimming with confidence and the ability 

to improve your business. That’s why so 

many companies value their links with 

Reserve forces.” 

‘Reservists will find a way’ 

Andrew Dickson, an HR Business Partner at Balfour Beatty in Derby in his day 

job, has served with the Army Reserve for 20 years and is now second in 

command at the East Midlands University Officer Training Corps. He shares 

Bruce’s enthusiasm for what Reservists bring to the table. “Military life brings 

with it an unparalleled set of transferrable skills,” Andrew said. “Any Reservist in 

your team will have received training that is a long way above that of other 

members of the workforce – particularly in leadership.” 

He added: “The values Reservists gain from their military training drive a 

‘can-do’ attitude. Reservists won’t be put off by a challenge; they will find a 

solution. I always think it comes from seeing a problem in a different way. They 

live military values; they are part of their culture, their DNA, and it manifests 

itself as always trying your hardest, always maintaining standards, and always 

trying to find a solution to what’s been put in front of you.” 



There is even a cash equivalent to the 

training received. “The Chartered 

Management Institute looked at military 

training and calculated that at the level 

of Sergeant, it is worth £14,000 a year. 

For officers, the training is worth up to 

£18,000. That’s how much you would 

expect to pay for one of your team to 

receive training at the same level as a 

Reservist – but with the Reservist, you’ll 

get it for free.” 

This presents itself particularly in people 

management. “The armed forces depend 

on superb people management skills 

from top to bottom. It’s about getting 

people to do what is needed and stop 

them from doing the things they shouldn’t.” 

So what does being a Reservist 

entail? “28 days training a year, but most 

of it takes place in the evenings or at 

weekends. That means that as far as 

your business is concerned, it won’t 

impact on day-to-day activities. 

Sometimes Reservists may need a little 

bit of flexibility – perhaps the chance to 

leave early on a Friday before a training 

camp, for instance, but apart from that, 

your business won’t be affected.” 

A 16-day training camp makes up the 

lion’s share of the total, which is taken by 

your employee as annual leave. Depending 

on what branch of the military they are 

in this could be anything from an infantry 

exercise to joining a military logistics 

team on a working base. 

This is one area where employers can 

step in and really make a difference to 

the country’s Reserve Forces, as Bruce 

explains. “The RFCA’s Employer 

Recognition Scheme highlights those 

employers who go the extra mile to help 

Reservists. To be part of the scheme, 

employers will grant additional leave for 

employees to attend training camps. To 

gain a Silver Award, the employer would 

give the Reservist an extra five days paid 

leave a year; for the Gold Award, an 

extra 10 days leave.” 

Businesses involved in the Employer 

Recognition Scheme can highlight it as 

part of their CSR policy and in marketing 

and publicity material. 

While there is clearly little in all this to 

A Reservist from 4 Company 3rd 

Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment 

assisting with Operation RESCRIPT, 

supporting the NHS with Covid 

trouble most business owners, one big 

question remains: what happens if one of 

my team is called up for active duty? 

Bruce doesn’t shy away from this. “It 

happens,” he acknowledges. “We’ve just 

been through a period of extraordinary 

military involvement in overseas ops, in 

Afghanistan and Iraq, and both theatres 

saw Reservists in action. But mobilising 

Reservists is a very manageable process 

in which businesses are involved right 

from the start. 

“If a Reservist is called up, they usually 

receive a year’s notice so all parties can 

plan the mobilisation. You’ll know well in 

advance if we’re taking one of your team.” 

Businesses aren’t left unsupported 

either. “The Ministry of Defence will fund 

any costs linked to recruiting a stand-in 

employee to cover for the Reservist, and 

any training costs you incur. The 

Reservist receives the appropriate 

military wage for their rank while on 

active service, which means you don’t 

have to pay their salary, and there’s help 

if there are any extra costs incurred 

when employees overlap. You shouldn’t 

lose out financially.” 

The only exception to this lengthy 

notice is when natural disasters dictate 

emergency mobilisations. “When we’ve 

had severe flooding in recent years, 

Reservists have been called up at short 

notice to assist regular troops,” he says, 

citing the flooding in the South-West in 

2014 which washed away the main 

railway line as an example: Royal 

Engineer Reservists assisted in the repair 

of what was a vital communications link. 

The same was true in 2019 when the dam 

in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, threatened 

to collapse, and Reservists supported 

the emergency repair work. 

It may be a bit inconvenient but as 

Bruce points out, “I like to think employers 

will see it as their duty to respond 

positively if a staff member is asked to 

help out in a crisis for a limited time.” 

Overall, Bruce meets a lot of business 

owners who are proud to have a veteran 

or Reservist in their ranks. “There is a lot 

of respect for the military in this country.” 

Sometimes, directors are surprised just 

how many veterans they have on their 

payroll. “I was chatting to a representative 

of a pharmaceutical company recently 

who told me that when Armed Forces 

Day was held this year, they organised a 

meeting for former service personnel via 

Zoom. They expected 20-30 to take 

part, but were surprised when over 200 

attended. It shows people’s loyalty to 

their old unit and military life.” 

The overall message is that business 

leaders should not be wary about having 

a Reservist in their ranks – indeed, 

should welcome the idea. “You’ll see the 

difference if one of your team joins the 

Reserve Forces, or you recruit someone 

who is in the Reserve Forces,” Bruce 

said. 

“Whether it is their bearing, their 

attitude, their contribution or their ability 

to go the extra mile, the qualities that 

have made Britain’s armed forces the 

respected organisation they are today will 

shine through, and you’ll reap the benefits.” 

• To find out more about how Reservists 

operate and how they can help your 

business, contact Bruce Spencer at 

em-empsp@rfca.mod.uk or see 

www.eastmidlandsrfca.co.uk 

About the Employer Recognition Scheme 

Organisations can sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant to showcase 

their desire to support the military. The Covenant states that no-one 

should ever be disadvantaged by being a former member of the 

armed forces, and that from time to time they can be advantaged 

because of their service record. An example could be offering a 

guaranteed interview to a veteran applying for a vacancy. 

Signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant makes you eligible for a 

Bronze Award. 

To gain a Silver Award, organisations agree to offer Reservists five 

days extra paid leave per year, so they can undertake military training. 

To receive a Gold Award, you agree to give Reservists 10 extra days 

paid leave a year. In the past 10 years 1,100 companies have received 

the Silver Award, and 480 the Gold Award. 

Find out more at https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk 

The benefits of Cadets 

The RFCA covers the activities of the various 

cadets organisations and are “another example 

of the benefits of military training and discipline,” 

says Bruce. A survey by the University of 

Northampton revealed that, for those who had 

spent a year in the Cadets: 

• On average, Cadets do better academically than 

non-Cadets 

• Cadets collectively added value of £95m to the 

nation, through taxes paid, fewer benefits drawn 

down, less sickness, etc 

• Cadets earn over £100,000 more throughout 

their career, compared to non-cadets. 



25

Company Profile: Elite PA Solutions 

The Elite approach to getting rid of 

those back-office admin hassles 

For many SME business owners, 

independent consultants and sole 

traders, the lament of “I’m working in 

the business, not on the business” is a 

daily one – and when true, it cripples 

strategy, planning and growth. 

There are just too many operational 

duties to complete during the working 

day to keep the wheels turning, and they 

stop you making your business the best 

possible. 

So how can you change that dynamic? 

The simplest way is to leave the backoffice 

tasks that underpin a successful 

business to experts in that field, leaving 

you to focus on the things that are 

important to your overall goals. 

But that’s easier said than done: 

finding the perfect fit to the duties you 

need attending to can be hard, and 

finances may not stretch to a permanent 

extra member of your team just to get 

administrative hassles off your back. 

And that’s exactly where Elite PA 

Solutions comes in: their team allow 

clients to off-load those day-to-day 

administrative duties, leaving you free to 

focus on the tasks that really matter. 

As Sandy Hearn, the company’s 

founder, explained to IoD Midlands, “my 

goal is to ensure your life runs more 

smoothly. Our work lets you prioritise 

what’s important to you. By delegating 

tasks to us, you will have the time you 

need to grow your business, focus on 

new products or nurture existing clients.” 

“We look at what you do and 

how you are doing it and 

suggest ways to improve your 

operations. We streamline your 

work, make you more efficient, 

offer solutions and add value 

across the board. Ultimately, 

we’re there to change how you 

work for the better.” 

Sandy Hearn (right) 

Elite PA Solutions was established 

by Sandy in 2014 but its genesis came 

considerably earlier. In 2004, while 

working for an executive search firm 

in London, Sandy found her life turned 

upside down by a firm that couldn’t 

accommodate the full scope of the role 

on a flexible basis or play by today’s 

rules as far as working mums are 

concerned. 

“I had my first child that year and 

always knew that a return to the role I 

had left behind would not be an option. I 

did return part-time, working from home 

to make ends meet in a different role, 

which absolutely served its purpose. But 

ultimately it led me to look for a way 

to claim back the core areas of a role 

I loved, all while juggling a successful 

career and my family commitments.” 

From that came Elite PA Solutions – 

though it was a long journey. “I started 

the company in 2012 while I was still 

working for the executive search firm 

part-time, but it wasn’t until 2014 that I 

had the financial confidence to give that 

job up and focus solely on Elite.” 

Her goal is to offer a complete suite 

of services for busy professional people 

“who know how to delegate and are 

looking for a premium level of business 

support, happy to pay to see day-to-day 

business tasks out-sourced.” 

“We cover every task you can think 

of – too many to list here, really. But 

principally, all tasks completed within 

an office environment in the traditional 

sense can be delivered virtually. We 

will run your diary, manage your 

emails, schedule and co-ordinate 

meetings, teleconferences and subcommittees, 

provide minute-taking, 

prepare presentations for pitches and 

proposals and handle business travel 

arrangements, including booking 

flights, airport transfers, car hire, hotel 

accommodation. 

“We’ll also take care of and manage 

your social and lifestyle engagement and 

tackle ad hoc projects such as research, 

as well as run your social media.” 

It’s a comprehensive list that’s 

delivered by Sandy’s associates – 

currently standing at 10, with more to 

add as the company continues to grow. 

All are career executive assistants who 

have worked at board level and c-suite 

within a variety of industry sectors for 

many years, and they offer a myriad 

of skills to make clients’ business and 

personal lives run smoother. 

“From the outset my goal is to match 

our associates with the client’s brief,” 

Sandy explains. “Each associate has a 

different skill set. My task is to work with 

the client to ensure a perfect alignment 

of needs, skills and values.” 

While one-off projects are undertaken, 

“we aspire to build long-term 

relationships between the PA and our 

client. Some of my clients have been 

with me for over five years, and that’s a 

longevity I aim for with all our clients.” 

When a client request doesn’t look 

like it can be handled by an existing 

associate, Sandy will work through 

her extensive network of contacts to 

find someone who is an ideal fit and 

can satisfy the brief – though it’s not a 

recruitment process that sees Sandy 

sacrifice her standards simply to bring 

another associate on board. From the 

outset, she has recruited only applicants 

who align strictly to her values. “We 

pride ourselves on our values at Elite PA: 

transparent, open, honest and very much 

results-driven and proactive.” 

It is the latter that is perhaps the USP 

separating Elite PA Solutions from the 

many other PA agencies on the market. 

“There are plenty of PAs you can bring 

in to help with your administration. The 

You can find out more at www.elitepasolutions.com 

or via office@elitepasolutions.com 



“We cover every task 

you can think of ... we 

will run your diary, 

manage your emails, 

schedule and coordinate 

meetings ... 

all tasks completed 

within an office 

environment in the 

traditional sense can 

be delivered virtually” 

difference with us is that we’re not there 

just to tick off a list of ‘to-do’ tasks; 

we’re there to proactively improve the 

way your business works. We look at 

what you do and how you are doing 

it and suggest ways to improve your 

operations. We streamline your work, 

make you more efficient, offer solutions 

and add value across the board. 

“Ultimately, we’re there to change how 

you work for the better.” 

So what type of people turn to Elite 

PA Solutions for assistance? “The 

majority of our clients are business 

owners in their own right. Many are now 

consultants who have come from large 

corporates where they might have had 

a PA and now they’ve set out on their 

own, they miss that same right-hand 

back-up and support. Others have built 

a business from scratch; typically, oneperson 

start-ups that have grown. The 

problem is, all those admin tasks they 

used to do when it was just them on 

their own, are still with them. It’s time to 

get them off your back!” 

Flexibility is an important part of the 

Elite PA Solutions’ offer. “We have some 

clients who need an executive assistant 

across the full working week for a few 

hours a day, every week, while others 

just need a handful of hours across any 

given month. What’s important is that 

you have the same PA no matter what 

your demands are; you won’t find your 

work handed around from associate 

to associate. You’ll be matched with a 

dedicated PA who will be in your corner 

throughout, who will get to know you 

and your business.” 

To Sandy, the reason to engage a PA is 

obvious. “You need to be focused on the 


core skills that generate your income. 

We allow you to focus on your primary 

skill, to give you back your valuable time. 

“Your time has immense value. Think 

of your hourly rate… would you not be 

better off working at that rate for a client 

rather than spending your valuable time 

managing your emails for free?” 

There is no minimum time you can 

engage an associate for, and there is 

total flexibility built into the contract. For 

instance, “over the summer, we expect 

some of our clients to step back a little, 

perhaps take a breather before the 

workload ramps up again in autumn. It’s 

the same over Christmas. That’s fine; we 

work round your commitments.” 

While long-term relationships are the 

goal, ad hoc requests can be catered for. 

For example, “we’ve just had a client ask 

us to handle a telemarketing campaign,” 

Sandy said. “One of our associates has 

made incredible progress and we were 

pleased to be in a position to take it on.” 

Invoicing is done monthly in arrears, 

but clients receive weekly itemised 

accounts showing what they will be 

billed for and time spent on their duties 

“so there are no unpleasant surprises.” 

One exciting recent development has 

been the addition of the ‘Clarity Hour’ 

– a one-to-one mentoring session for 

a fixed £99 fee that is proving popular 

with over-burdened executives. “It 

gives directors a chance to discuss 

the organisational difficulties they are 

facing.” 

In the Clarity Hour, Sandy draws on 

her many years of experience to see 

if she can offer a clearer path through 

the maze. “Too many people today 

are becoming overwhelmed by the 

complexity of business; we offer simple, 

practical steps to bring clarity to your 

work and put in place a simplified backoffice 

operational structure. 

“Sometimes all we need is the space to 

focus our minds, receive a little direction 

and hear new ideas to overcome the 

hurdles that are holding us back from 

achieving our goals.” 

Sandy is keen to meet IoD members 

over the next few months as she looks to 

grow the business further. “Our clients 

and associates come from throughout 

the UK including the Midlands, 

Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and 

London. Working from our home offices, 

we are delighted to provide our clients 

with flexible access to the skills we have 

all honed throughout our professional 

careers.” 

Most importantly, Sandy is keen to 

stress how her business is focused 

on “allowing you to prioritise what’s 

important to you. 

“By delegating tasks to us, you will 

have the time you need to grow your 

business. We’ll ensure you are left 

to focus on what’s really important: 

developing new products, generating 

additional revenue streams and 

nurturing new client relationships.” 

Want to know more? 

For more information on Elite 

PA Solutions, contact Sandy via 

office@elitepasolutions.com 

01788 521 970 07961 792 705 

Or www.elitepasolutions.com 


27

Business profile 

Libraries aren’t just full of books! 

Free advice available for 

start-ups from the team at 

the Library of Birmingham’s 

Business & IP Centre 

Yvonne Barker 

The Business, Employment & Learning 

team, in partnership with the British 

Library and libraries across the UK, 

are inspiring a thriving community of 

new and existing business owners and 

entrepreneurs. 

Located on Level 3 of the Library of 

Birmingham, the Business & IP Centre 

team support entrepreneurs from the 

first idea, to setting up a business and 

protecting intellectual property, to 

successfully launching and growing a 

business. 

Delivering free 1:1 business advice, 

workshops, webinars and local events, 

the Birmingham BIPC team advise 

and guide throughout a potentially 

overwhelming and challenging time. 

BIPC Birmingham has one of the 

most comprehensive range of free 

business databases, with qualified 

and experienced staff on hand to 

guide customers through the range of 

resources needed to start a business. 

Market research databases, company 

information, patent searches plus books 

available for loan enable our customers 

to successfully pinpoint their customers, 

competitors and find an opportunity in 

the market. 

Working alongside the GBSLEP 

Growth Hub and Government Intellectual 

Property Office ensures that customers 

are made aware of our services 

plus effective signposting to other 

organisations. 

Peter Hill, Entrepreneur in Residence, 

along with our other business partners, 

deliver 1:1 business advice, workshops 

and webinars to complement the range 

of resources offered by the team. 

Enterprise for Success: ERDF/ 

EU Funded Business Support: 

The Enterprise for Success project 

complements the work undertaken by 

the BIPC service, but directly supports 

those living in Birmingham. The project 

provides access to a minimum of 12 

hours free business support for pre- and 

new start-ups. 

The Library Shop 

Run and managed by the Business 

& Reception team, the Library Shop 

concentrates on selling all Birmingham 

related souvenirs, with over 70 per cent 

of merchandise having a Birmingham 

connection through design, production 

and/or development. 

One key aspect of the Library Shop is 

to offer a platform for any new business 

established through the BIPC Centre or 

Enterprise for Success project. 

With over 4,000 – 6,000 visitors per 

week, the Library Shop provides an ideal 

opportunity for new businesses to enter 

the market place, with the full support 

of a business team to advise on how to 

develop their business further. 

Employment & Learning: 

Whether applying for a job, 

researching career options, writing a CV 

or completing a job application, Level 3 

has 24 dedicated PCs for employment 

and online learning and applying for 

college or university. 

With a comprehensive Job Library 

focusing on all job-related matters, 

plus being the only organisation in 

Birmingham providing free access 

to GRANTFINDER, the Library of 

Birmingham supports any person 

The stunning Library 

of Birmingham, home to 

the Business & IP Centre 

“Delivering free 1:1 business 

advice, workshops, webinars 

and local events, the 

Birmingham BIPC team 

advise and guide start-ups 

throughout a potentially 

overwhelming and 

challenging time...” 

looking to find a job or upskill through 

learning. 

Extensive English for Speakers of other 

Languages (ESOL) resources along with 

IELTS and Citizenship Test books/CDs 

plus Functional Skills ensures that free 

access to resources is available enabling 

people to develop, learn and enhance 

their skills. 

To find out more, contact Yvonne 

Barker, Library Services Manager, 

Business, Reception, Retail & Tourist 

Information Services / Centre Manager: 

BIPC Birmingham, via 

businessandlearning@ 

birmingham.gov.uk 

Find out more at 

www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50162/ 

business_advice 



Technical briefing: Workplace anxiety 

Increase in workplace anxiety makes 

it imperative leaders know the signs 

Peter Wingrove 

Most of us are likely to feel anxious or 

stressed at work occasionally. However, 

if your anxiety is constant or increasingly 

frequent you’re likely dealing with some 

degree of workplace anxiety. 

It’s not altogether unexpected, given 

what we’ve all just been through with 

Covid. If you’re a small business owner 

or work for a small organisation at the 

moment, probably even more so. 

What is workplace anxiety? 

Workplace anxiety is specifically 

related to the work environment. While 

the anxiety doesn’t have to occur in the 

workplace, workplace anxiety is caused 

by workplace triggers. 

The causes and level of severity are 

different for each individual but in 

the most severe instances, workplace 

anxiety can be debilitating and stop 

employees from carrying out their 

duties. 

What causes workplace anxiety? 

There are many causes of workplace 

anxiety and the specifics will always vary 

by each person, however some common 

causes of workplace anxiety include: 

• Workplace bullying or discrimination 

• Minimal or no support from 

managers 

• Tough working conditions, eg, unsafe 

environment or long hours 

• Lack of relationships with colleagues 

• Fear of inadequacy or judgement 

• Tight deadlines / overwhelming 

workload 

• Lack of control over your work 

Many people don’t seek help for 

anxiety soon enough for fear of 

judgement or because they feel their 

problem is not severe enough – this is 

unfortunate because early intervention 

can in most cases prevent more 

serious mental health conditions from 

developing. 

What effect does workplace anxiety 

have? 

Anxiety can be debilitating. When 

someone is struggling with anxiety they 

may be less productive, miss deadlines, 

produce lower quality work, or make 

mistakes that can be costly to the 

business. This can lead to stress, and 

ultimately to depression. 

Anxiety can also lead the employee to 

take sick leave. Aside from the impact 

on the individual, this has financial 

and productivity implications for the 

businesses – a November 2020 report 

published by the HSE found that 55% of 

work days lost over a one-year period 

were directly linked to workplace-related 

anxiety, stress or depression. 

How to manage workplace anxiety? 

• Look out for signs of anxiety 

Knowing the signs of workplace 

anxiety can help you spot them in 

yourself and others so that you can make 

adjustments to your working life before 

the anxiety becomes more severe. 

• Learn about anxiety 

Completing some basic training can 

help you learn why anxiety occurs, how 

to handle it and how to prevent it. Make 

sure your line managers are trained, too. 

For example, have a look at Shawmind’s 

self-paced online Understanding Anxiety 

course. 

• Implement mental health first aiders 

Mental health first aiders (MHFA) are 

one of the tools an organisation can 

use to spot and support those with 

workplace anxiety. A MHFA acts as the 

first point of contact for any employees 

who want to discuss their mental 

health. These conversations are always 

confidential. 

• Learn how to manage workplace 

anxiety 

While dedicated individuals such as 

mental health first aiders can suggest 

support options, the decision to take 

action always lies with the person 

suffering from anxiety. This can be a 

difficult first step. 

Some ways to self-manage anxiety are: 

• Talk to colleagues 

• Build relationships at work 

• Treat mental and physical health 

the same 

• Keep notes 

• Make changes to accommodate 

your anxiety 

• Set realistic deadlines 

• Practice mindfulness 

• Practice healthy habits 

• Focus on facts 

• Create a mentally healthy work culture 

Creating an environment where 

employees feel safe to speak up 

about their mental health starts with a 

commitment from senior management 

and meaningful actions demonstrating 

that this commitment is more than just 

words... 

Peter Wingrove is the IoD Derbyshire 

& Nottinghamshire Ambassador for 

Mental Wellbeing 

Peter Wingrove is CEO of SureMind - https://www.suremind.co.uk 



How laser 

focusing on 

hierarchal 

barriers 

improved my 

business 

Will Jackson 

Hierarchy has been in 

rigid existence 

throughout my career. I 

have always had a love/ 

hate relationship with it, 

balanced between the 

belief that structure is 

vital, yet hierarchical rigidity invites 

weaknesses. 

I fully appreciate that a business needs 

a clear chain of command, defined 

escalation points, roles, controls, 

governance, responsibility, 

accountability, etc, but on a general 

day-to-day or task-to-task basis it really 

doesn’t. I believe that it creates barriers, 

discourages collaboration and 

information sharing, flexibility, 

communication and ultimately a fear to 

challenge. I also think it breeds power 

struggles, cliques, point scoring and 

increases segregation and operational 

silo’s. 

So I decided to focus on flattening the 

hierarchy within the business and see 

how I could introduce a more horizontal 

structure – achieve an environment with 

zero hierarchical barriers. 

My aim was to introduce a working 

environment where everyone in the 

business stands together, with the same 

set of values and targets. Everyone 

would be empowered, fully trusted 

within their area of expertise, given total 

ownership and responsibly for whatever 

area of the business they were 

supporting. Everyone would be provided 

with the transparency they needed to 

make their uniformed decisions, without 

any vertical steps of approval. Most 

importantly, everyone would have access 

to anyone within the business who would 

add the most value to the task in hand. 

I discussed this within my peer group 

and network, and although many liked 

the idea of nice floaty organisational 

bubbles versus pyramids, many thought I 

would be introducing an environment 

where employees would feel 

unsupported or would cause confusion. 

Some suggested it would reduce the 

respect that was much associated with 

vertical hierarchy structures. Others 

showed concern about key decisions 

being made by the wrong people. 

Although these were all valid, it didn’t 

discourage me and it made me realise 

that there was another major factor that 

needed to supplement what I was trying 

to achieve – and that was culture. 

Having the correct culture was the 

vital ingredient and introducing an 

“employee centric” culture was the key. I 

realised that increasing empowerment, 

trust, transparency, responsibility, 

ownership is only ever going to be 

successful if done within the right 

cultural environment. And the only way 

introducing a flat hierarchy would work 

would be to focus on an employeecentric 

culture where all employees are 

recognised and celebrated as the most 

important members of the business. 

What I found was that respect became 

a horizontal existence, and no longer just 

a vertical one. Empowering employees 

to do the right thing became the right 

thing for the business. 

Ultimately, what I realised is that 

whatever role you have in a business and 

whatever you are responsible for within 

it, you never have all the answers. And 

when you look up the chain of command 

in a vertical hierarchy, the misconception 

is that those senior to you know all the 

answers. The reality is that they don’t. 

They actually need everyone in the 

business, at any one time, to help them 

run the business, so by empowering 

everyone around you to support you, 

challenge you and be creative around 

you, is only ever going to enable your 

business to be successful, healthy and 

grow. 

If you would like to hear more about 

how I implemented employee centric 

culture and flattened the hierarchical 

barriers, I would be happy to share the 

journey. 

Thanks for reading. 

Will Jackson is an IoD Ambassador for 

Derbyshire and Nottnghamshire 

“Ultimately, what I realised is that when you look up 

the chain of command in a vertical hierarchy, the 

misconception is that those senior to you know all 

the answers. The reality is that they don’t. 



31

Technical briefing 

From home to hybrid: How to 

navigate a change to ways of working 

As the country moves forward from the 

Covid-19 pandemic, many employers 

have been gradually welcoming teams 

back into the workplace after operating 

remotely for more than a year. 

According to The Office for National 

Statistics (ONS), 85 per cent of adults 

currently homeworking said they 

wanted to use a ‘hybrid’ model of both 

home and office working in the future. 

This is reflected in the job market, with 

three times as many online job adverts 

referencing to home or hybrid working 

in May 2021 compared to the February 

2020 average. 

With employee priorities changing, this 

transition is something not to be taken 

lightly by bosses. 

LAURA KEARSLEY, partner and 

solicitor specialising in employment 

law at Nelsons, shares four areas for 

employers to consider when making the 

switch from home to hybrid working. 

Implement policies 

When we look at the hybrid form 

of working, it is, in essence, a flexible 

approach. Therefore, employers may 

need to consider updating any existing 

policies to include or introduce a specific 

hybrid working policy. 

This will vary slightly for every 

business, as it depends on the specific 

context, and, as with all new policies, 

should be accompanied by supporting 

guidance and information for effective 

implementation. 

When developing policies and 

procedures organisations should 

consider: 

n Setting out who is eligible for hybrid 

working, or what role types; 

n Explaining how to request hybrid 

working; 

n Clarifying roles and responsibilities 

for hybrid workers and people managers; 

n How hybrid working intersects with 

other forms of flexible working; and, 

n Reviewing other related 

policies, such as expenses, IT usage, 

homeworking and data protection. 

Updating contracts 

Hybrid working may bring about 

contractual changes for employees 

if it is to be implemented on a formal 

basis. This is something that requires 

transparent communication between 

the organisation and employee to 

consider how hybrid working may alter 

the terms and conditions of someone’s 

employment. 

If it is a more informal arrangement, 

changes to contracts may not be 

needed, but it’s important for workers 

and management to understand the 

differences between both and ensure 

they’re in agreement from the offset. 

However, if the employer or employee 

is unsure, it is advisable to seek legal 

advice on the specific implications of 

hybrid working as this will guarantee 

peace of mind for both parties. 

Open lines of communication 

As we have learned from working 

through the pandemic, homeworking 

can only be successful through effective 

communication. For hybrid working, 

this is just as crucial when it comes to 

staying on track as a business. Failure 

to manage the flow of communication 

and exchanging of information can 

result in gaps or mistakes, which can be 

detrimental to team working and even 

exclude members of the team who are 

not in the office at certain times. 

Each member of an organisation 

needs to take responsibility for, and 

make time for, communication, as well 

as casual conversation to maintain 

“ 

working relationships. There is no ‘one 

size fits all approach’ when it comes 

to communication, as this will depend 

on various factors such as your team 

size, the different roles, and the type of 

hybrid work, and is something that will 

likely evolve as companies settle into a 

new rhythm. 

Employee participation – feeding back 

or into policies 

This has never been more important 

than after a year where so much has 

changed in the way we work and links 

in with keeping lines of communication 

open. Employee participation can help 

reintegrate workers who’ve either been 

on long-term furlough or who are going 

to be spending more time in the office. 

This could manifest in a number 

of ways, from simple, informal 

conversations through to conducting 

formal surveys or holding one-to-one 

meetings. All of these enable employers 

to answer questions, gather feedback 

on how people are feeling and identify 

areas that are working as opposed to 

those that maybe need to be improved 

or altered. 

After decades of office working being 

the norm, there’s no doubt that the 

Covid-19 pandemic has led to a shift in 

working attitudes that will see a change 

in the way we work for generations 

to come. Therefore, getting all of the 

policies and procedures in place straight 

away is vital, to ensure a smooth and 

successful transition into what will be a 

new era of working. 

Tailored hybrid policy 

n Nelsons is currently offering a 

tailored hybrid working policy that 

will deal with all of the issues outlined 

above for a fixed cost of £300 + VAT. 

For more information about this or for 

advice on any other employment law 

matter, please contact Laura Kearsley 

on 0116 214 6889 or by email: 

Laura.Kearsley@nelsonslaw.co.uk 

Find out more at www.nelsonslaw.co.uk 

Hybrid working may bring about contractual changes 

for employees if it is to be implemented on a formal 

basis. This is something that requires transparent 

communication between the organisation and employee 



NBS support for SMEs 

leading to success 

Nottingham Business School (NBS), at 

Nottingham Trent University, is always 

proud of the support we have delivered 

to small and medium sized businesses 

(SMEs), and never more so than during 

the Covid-19 pandemic. 

But one thing that business leaders 

may not realise is the range of support on 

offer, and how deep engagement can 

help to make a real difference to your 

SME. 

This has been emphasised by recent 

events. In 2019-2020, just before the 

pandemic really started to bite, NBS was 

one of a group of Business Schools taking 

part in a small UK Government funded 

initiative known as Leading to Grow. 

What distinguished Leading to Grow was 

the objective of engaging SMEs which 

had not previously participated in 

Business School programmes. 

Naturally, this was a challenge at the 

time because of the pandemic, but of the 

SMEs that participated in the project 

workshops and mentoring at NBS, more 

than half have gone on to join other 

programmes. 

So, from the humble beginnings of this 

pilot programme, participants have 

benefitted from other initiatives, such as 

our European Social Fund-supported 

courses to train Women in Leadership, 

or to promote Sustainable and Inclusive 

Leadership. Others have participated in 

our European Regional Development 

funded projects, UpScaler, to support 

their growth journey, or Productivity 

through Innovation, which provides 

bespoke expert support. Yet more have 

benefitted from grant funding to access 

subsidised graduate talent or business 

coaching. Some have benefitted from all 

of these things! 

The cumulative effect of this level of 

SME engagement has become 

increasingly apparent over recent 

months – not surprisingly since there 

have never been more challenging times 

for SMEs. During lockdown our most 

engaged SMEs have proven themselves 

to be more resilient, more innovative and 

able to pivot their offer to target new 

markets with relevant products and 

services. Some have also worked on 

developing their teams to integrate 

graduate talent into key roles as their 

SMEs grow. 

One SME that progressed from 

Leading to Grow at NBS on to the 

UpScaler programme, is FSG Tableware, 

a company that supplies sustainable, 

reusable alternatives to single-use food 

and drink containers. Lynn Johnson, 

Managing Director, said: “Joining the 

D2N2 UpScaler programme was a bit like 

opening a Pandora’s Box. The amount of 

support I’ve received has been 

overwhelming and has really helped me 

to focus my efforts on the future of the 

business and what I need to do to get 

there. 

“Thanks to the programme, I feel that 

we have grown as a business, but I have 

also grown as a person too.” 

FSG has since gone on to explore 

opportunities in their supply chain with 

the Productivity through Innovation 

Project – all as part of a drive to be more 

sustainable, while dealing with the 

challenges that still face many 

businesses. 

Another SME that has benefitted from 

a range of support at NBS is Wing 

Electrical Ltd. With the aid of workshops 

and a coaching grant from the UpScaler 

project, the team at Wing Electrical have 

progressed their ambition to introduce a 

new Powerwall fitting service, which 

enables domestic and commercial clients 

to ‘time-shift’ or store sustainable energy 

from periods of high generation or 

low-cost supply, to be used in periods 

where demand exceeds supply. 

Director, Shaun Taylor, said: “The 

support from NBS has helped the 

business to focus and implement its 

long-term strategy.” 

As a result, the Nottinghamshire SME 

has been awarded an IEEE Nikola Tesla 

Award for its Outstanding contributions 

to the generation and utilization of 

electric power. 

Lynn Oxborrow, Associate Professor in 

Management, who leads the SME 

engagement at NBS said: “Over the last 

year we have seen how valuable Business 

School support can be to SMEs. 

“Recently we have launched our first 

cohort on the UK Government ‘Help to 

Grow: Management’ programme. This 

combines a programme of SME 

workshops with mentoring, and further 

opportunities to take advantage of the 

additional support on offer through the 

wider university.” 

Email grow@ntu.ac.uk for the latest updates 

and offers, or to register your interest in Help 

to Grow: Management, at Nottingham Trent 

University, click the logo and follow the links 

“ 

Joining the D2N2 

UpScaler programme 

was a bit like opening 

a Pandora’s Box. The 

amount of support 

I’ve received has been 

overwhelming and has 

really helped me to 

focus my efforts on the 

future of the business 

and what I need to do 

to get there. 

Lynn Johnson, 

Managing Director, 

FSG Tableware, 



33

IoD Events 

Mastermind: the perfect environment 

for director development 

What are IoD Mastermind Groups? 

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 

brain-storming, 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. 

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. 

How can you join? 

You have to be a member of the IoD! 

To ensure that members can have candid 

conversations, these groups are made up 

of non-competing industries and every 

meeting is under Chatham House rules. 

If you are interested in joining a local 

group, please contact 

East Midlands 

In the East Midlands region, we 

currently have three Mastermind 

groups – Leicester, Nottingham and 

Lincoln. At present all are run via 

Zoom but we hope to return to 

face-to-face sessions by the beginning 

of 2022. 

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. 

joshua.whitehead@iod.com. Potential 

members are sent to the group 

facilitator, who makes sure we build 

groups that don’t have members from 

the same disciplines/sectors. 

How do they work? 

Masterminds are currently held via 

Zoom but this will change to in-person 

events in the future. The dates/times 

are set by the facilitator and group and 

can be held as frequently as you wish, 

but is usually once a month. 

When life is back to normal, 

Masterminds will revert to taking place 

in hubs situated where each branch is. 

Discussions are held over a two-course 

The Lincoln Mastermind group is 

facilitated by John Hebblethwaite. It is 

hoped that venues will be confirmed 

as soon as possible. 

If you wish to be a part of an East 

Midlands Mastermind group, please 

send a short biography to 

Joshua.whitehead@iod.com. 

meal, and usually a glass of wine, but 

this can be dependent on the group’s 

requirements. 

The cost of this is £30 + VAT per 

person. 

Are there any rules? 

We ask that when attending 

Masterminds, you don’t use it as a sales 

pitch. We want members attending each 

group to be genuine and want to help 

with/discuss business queries that they 

or members of the group might have. 

We also ask that members, where 

possible, are consistent with attending 

these meetings, as it helps the group 

build a solid foundation with each other. 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 

Lincoln 

Date: October 19 

Time: 4pm-6pm 

Location: Online 

Cost: Free 

Nottingham 


Time: 6.30pm-8.30pm 

Location: Online 

Cost: Free 

For more details, contact Joshua Whitehead 

on 0115 848 6190 

or via joshua.whitehead@iod.com 

Mastermind rules: 

To join a Mastermind Group in the East Midlands, we request 

that you send us a short biography so we can ensure no 

competing organisations are represented on any group. 

All groups in East Midlands and West Midlands are strictly 

member only, and we always aim for as broad a cross-section 

of business sectors/disciplines as possible. 



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, an experienced facilitator 

for IoD Masterminds, runs 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. 

Our Greater Birmingham group has 

returned to face-to-face meetings, 

with our venue the Hotel du Vin in 

Birmingham. Enjoy a two course meal, 

starter and main with a glass of wine, 

where you can discuss business issues 

or concerns and support each other. The 

cost is £30 + VAT. 

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. 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 

Black Country 

Date: October 20 

Time: 9.30am-10.30am 

Cost: Free 

Birmingham 


Time: 6pm-8pm 

Cost: £30 + VAT 

Black Country 


Time: 9.30am-10.30am 

Cost: Free 

Birmingham 

Date: December 6 

Time: 6pm-8pm 

Cost: £30 + VAT 

IoD West Midlands Golf Day 

Connecting on the Course 

Monsoon-like conditions at the start 

didn’t dampen enthusiasm for the 

IoD West Midlands’ fantastic second 

Regional Golf Day. 

The Belfry was the venue, and eight 

teams took to the world-famous Derby 

Course to play the annual golf day. 

“What an amazing group of people, 

fantastic buzz and stunning golfing 

performances….on the whole!” 

commented Andy Wilkinson, Chair, IoD 

Greater Birmingham. 

“Not only were we oversubscribed for 

the event with each team quickly selling 

out, everyone wanted to get back to 

networking and coming together for a 

great corporate day. 

“The golf day certainly provided that 

this year.” 

We were very grateful to Rational 

FX for agreeing to be our sponsor 

and Jaspaul Bains, Senior Business 

Development Manager was on hand to 

offer his thoughts and congratulate the 

players during the evening dinner. He 

commented: “We love our association 

with IoD West Midlands and hope that 

our partnership as the leading provider 

of foreign exchange and international 

payment services and a member of 

the Institute of Directors will develop 

a long-term partnership, both around 

golf and through other events in 2022 

and beyond.” 

The event raised £710 for Ronald 

McDonald House and we were joined 

by Joanne Howe and Katie West from 

the charity who outlined the fantastic 

work that Ronald McDonald House 

does every day to ease the burden of 

families when their child is in hospital. 

IoD West Midlands was thrilled to 

have been able to support them. 

Dean Kavanagh, Chair Coventry & 

Warwickshire announced the winners: 

Individual winner: Ben Daniels 

Winning team: Jaz Khunkun’s team 

Nearest the pin: Shari Bryan, 

OWB Creative 

Longest drive: Ross Patten 

A great day for all involved and we 

will soon be announcing the dates for 

next year. 

Pictured left are 

Jaspaul Bains of event 

sponsors Rational FX and IoD 

Greater Birmingham Chair 

Andy Wilkinson as the golfers 

prepare to tee off 

Below, the winning team, which 

was led by Jaz Khunkun, receive 

their trophy from Rational FX 

For more details, contact Anna Hicks 

on 0115 857 8168 

or via anna.hicks@iod.com 



35

Events Diary 

Events Diary 

IoD East & West Midlands are running a number of events between now and the end 

of the year. The majority will be online but some are face-to-face as the business 

community edges closer to life as it was before the pandemic. 

For more details on all the events listed here, simply click where specified 

IoD Peterborough: October Mastermind 

Date: 25th October 

Time: 3pm 

Support, challenge, and grow. Mastermind groups are designed 

to provide a support system for Directors. Contact the event 

manager for more details, or see pages 34 in this issue of IoD 

Midlands. 

Event manager: Richard Holdaway 

t: 01223 739387 e: east@iod.com 

Click here for details 

An introduction to the Chartered 

Director Qualification 

Date: 28th October 

Time: 9am 

Bite-sized, informative session on how to achieve the final stage 

of your professional development journey with the IoD. 

Event manager: Ms Cari Grice 

t: 0115 848 6190 e: Cari.Grice@iod.com 


IoD East Midlands: Nottingham Mastermind 

Date: 3rd November 

Time: 6:30pm 




Make the most of your membership 

Date: 4th November 

Time: 12pm 

We want you to get maximum value from your membership, so 

please join us for this virtual event as we explore the full range 

of benefits that come as part of your membership – including 

some you might not be aware of. 

This Virtual Members Event will include bitesize, informative 

guides from IoD experts. Did you know that our Information 

Advisory Service provides specialist information and business 

advice, tailored to you, including legal and tax helplines and a 

comprehensive business library? 

Our professional development team will be on hand to highlight 

IoD learning opportunities, including our Digital Academy, 

in-house assessments and our Chartered Director qualification – 

the world’s leading qualification for directors. 

Event manager: Ms Lesley Bennett 

t: 02080784128 e: Lesley.Bennett@iod.com 


With Schroders Personal Wealth: 

Directors Masterclass: Powers, duties and 

liabilities of directors 


Time: 9am 

This virtual session is for new Directors, anyone soon to be appointed 

to a board or any Directors who would like to brush up 

on their legal responsibilities. It will be appropriate for Directors 

in any sector – private, social enterprise, charity and public. 

You will be able to assess your knowledge level in the role of 

director, including legal and financial responsibilities and learn 

how to avoid issues that can lead to spectacular corporate governance 

failures. 

This session will be led by IoD tutor, Sheelagh Duffield. 

Event manager: Chelsea Brennan 

t: 02890683224 e: Chelsea.Brennan@iod.com 


Branding: Intellectual property considerations 

for an increasingly online world 


Time: 8:30am 

This event is held in conjunction with IoD East Midlands longstanding 

partner, Nelsons 


Attracting and hiring the right talent 


Time: 9.30am 

The Leicester Business Festival is an annual fortnight of business 

events, held right across Leicester and Leicestershire in the 

Autumn. This event is part of IoD East Midlands’ engagement 

with the festival. Events are free and anyone can attend. 


IoD Peterborough: November Mastermind 


Time: 3pm 

Event manager: Richard Holdaway 

t: 01223 739387 e: east@iod.com 


An Introduction to the Virtual Certificate 

Date: 2nd December 

Time: 9am 

Bite-sized, informative session on how to kick start your professional 

development journey with the IoD. 

• Free - information session 

• Meet a course leader and Chartered Director 

• Enhance your impact and performance as a director and gain 

the latest tools and techniques from expert practitioners. 

Event manager: Mrs Juliet Rushent 

t: 02080784127 e: Juliet.rushent@iod.com 



Birmingham Mastermind 

Date: 1st November & 6th December 

Time: 6pm-9pm 

Venue: Hotel Du Vin, Birmingham 

Cost: £30 +VAT 

We are delighted that Glenn Cameron, an experienced 

facilitator for IoD Masterminds, will be hosting this Mastermind 

for members based in Birmingham. 

The event includes a two-course meal with a glass of wine or 

other refreshment. 




Black Country Mastermind 


Time: 9.30am-10.30am 

We are delighted that Ian Priest, an experienced facilitator for 

IoD Masterminds, will be hosting this Virtual Mastermind for 

members based in the Black Country. 




Lessons in Leadership and 

Life with Peter Shergold 

Date: 18th Nov 

Time: 12.30pm-2.30pm 

Don’t miss this joint event with the Chartered Institute of 

Management Accountants, where you’ll have the opportunity 

to link up with Peter Shergold, former company commander in 

the British Army and currently, Director of Operations, Public 

Health England (West Midlands). 

He will run through his leadership experiences while serving in 

the British Army in Iraq, Oman, Eastern Africa and Afghanistan, 

which haven been just as complex in civilian life after he led 

the St John Ambulance pandemic response and in his current 

role as Director or Operations (West Midlands) for Public 

Health England. 




Cyber Curry Lunch 

Date: 1st December 

Time: 12.30pm-2.30pm 

Venue: Chutney Ivy, Leicester 

Cost: £25 + VAT member, £32 + VAT non member 

Learn more about the threats to your cyber security from IoD 

East Midlands partners kryptokloud at this special themed 

lunch event. 

Hosted by our regular Professionals Lunch partners in Leicester, 

the Chutney Ivy. 




• More on kryptokloud: see page 22 

To keep up-to-date on what events are added in the East 

Midlands, follow us on LinkedIn and check out our Events Page: 

https://www.iod.com/events-community/regions/ 

east-midlands/events 

For events in the West Midlands, see 

https://www.iod.com/events-community/regions/ 

west-midlands/events 

Annual Lincolnshire Lunch 

Date: 3rd December 

Time: 12pm 

Cost: Members, £35 + VAT; Non-Members, £45 + VAT 

Table of 8, £245 + VAT; Table of 10, £315 + VAT 

We invite you to join the IoD Greater Linconlshire & 

Rutland Branch at their popular Annual Lunch, which we 

are pleased to say is now back face-to-face! 

This promises to be a lively and informative afternoon, 

offering members and the wider business community 

and opportunity to enjoy an excellent lunch experience 

and relaxed networking. A perfect atmosphere for 

entertaining clients and colleagues. 

Tickets include a delicious festive themed three-course 

Christmas lunch with an arrival drink and tickets are 

available for both individuals and tables. 

Speakers and more information to be announced soon! 




The Professional Lunch series 

is back on the menu! 

We are delighted to announce 

that IoD East Midlands’ popular 

Professionals Lunch series is 

back – and with same superb 

hosts who used to treat us so well before the pandemic! 

One of the most popular events in the regional diary, the 

Professionals Lunch is networking at is best, with great 

food and drink served in an informal, convivial atmosphere 

that’s just made for getting the networking going. 

This is the best reason you’ll find to step outside the office 

and take a proper lunch once in a while. 

A reception drink is included in the price with thanks to our 

sponsors, Nelsons Solicitors. 

In LEICESTER, our hosts are the Chutney Ivy. You’ll enjoy 

a delicious Indian food buffet right in the heart of Leicester 

while meeting fellow directors and professionals from the 

region. It’s a great opportunity to discuss hot topics in 

business right now in an informal setting. Share ideas on 

best practice and hear from those in different industries 

with new prospective. Build your rapport with Leicester 

business owners and professionals over food and drink at 

Chutney Ivy. 

Date: 16th December, Time: 12:30 - 14:30 

Venue: Chutney Ivy, Leicester 

Click here for detail 

In NOTTINGHAM our hosts will be, once again, the 

Memsaab Restaurant in the heart of the city. As with the 

Leicester lunch, we will be serving a delicious Indian buffet 

that will cater for all tastes. 

Date: 16th November & 15th February 15, 2022 

Time: 12:30 - 14:30 

Venue: Memsaab, Nottingham 

Click here for detail 

Prices for both events: Student: £20 + VAT; 

Member: £25 + VAT; Non Member: £32 + VAT 






37

Director Development at the IoD 

IoD: Helping you improve 

as a director 

Professional Director 

Series 

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-todate 

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 to all full IoD members, 

including CDir and FIoD, as a free of 

charge online resource.* 

* Please note, this is not available free 

of charge to associate members. 

Find out more at https://www.iod.com/training/professional-director-series 

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, your 

responsibilities and legal duties 

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 

Leading from 

the Chair 

Course Dates: 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: 

t: 0208 142 9066 

e: professional dev@iod.com 

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 



Five steps to becoming a better director 

Role of the Director and the Board* 

Duration: Two days 

Cost: Members £2,475; 

Non-members £2,975 

Dates: See website 

This is an essential introduction to the 

role, duties and legal responsibilities of 

a director and the workings of a board. 

The training offered within this course will 

help you to examine your own professional 

liabilities, the board’s role in corporate 

governance, and learn how to improve 

board effectiveness. 

More at iod.com/rdb 

Finance for Non-Finance Directors* 

Duration: Three days 



Dates: See website 

This course, designed specifically 

for non-finance directors and senior 

managers, will demystify the world 

of finance, helping you to assess the 

financial health of your organisation in 

the context of its strategic objectives. 

Evaluate business plans with confidence, 

question financial information and 

See www.iod.com/training/open-courses 

contribute more effectively to boardroom 

decision-making. 

More at iod.com/ffd 

Strategy for Directors* 

Duration: Three days 



Dates: 10th-12th November 

Strategic planning is essential for 

every board of directors. Explore 

the relationship between strategy, 

governance and risk and learn how to 

use tools and frameworks that support 

strategic thinking and decision-making to 

create, implement and future- proof your 

organisation’s strategy. 

More at iod.com/sfd 

Leadership for Directors* 

Duration: Two days 



Dates: 29th-30th November 

This course will help you to brush up 

on the latest leadership techniques based 

on real-world leader examples and learn 

how to create influence, stakeholder 

engagement and impact, with an 

opportunity to reflect on and explore 

your own leadership style. 

More at iod.com/lfd 

Role of the Chair 

Duration: One day 

Cost: Members £880; 


Dates: 23rd November 

The chair has a critical influence on a 

board’s style, composition, balance and 

performance. This course provides you 

with the knowledge, skills and tools to 

be an effective chair and successfully 

lead and develop a board. It gives you 

an opportunity to review your role and 

update yourself on current good practice. 

More at iod.com/rcc 

*These modular courses are part of the 

Certificate in Company Direction and can 

be taken individually or as part of the 

Certificate. 

All dates given are local Midlands 

sessions; Virtual courses will be run at 

regular dates throughout rest of year. 

Accelerated 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 faceto-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 

n Minimise time away from the office 

n Learn from leading professional 

n For individual directors and 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, 7th-12th November 

Ettington Park Hotel, Warwickshire, IoD 

West Midlands, 5th-10th December 

Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa, 

Northamptonshire, IoD East Midlands 

Dates to be confirmed 

Prices: Member: £9,775 + VAT; 

Non-member: £11,875 + VAT 

Prices are inclusive of course materials, 

five nights accommodation including 

breakfast and group meals. 

Virtual courses will be run 

28th November - 3rd December 3 



39

Ambassadors 

IoD: Working for you 

across 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 East 


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. 

Here we 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. 

IoD East Midlands 

Regional Chair: Gary Headland 

Regional Ambassadors 

Dr Craig Marsh 

Vacant 

Andy Leask CDir 

James Pinchbeck 

Clive Bridge CDir 

Alexandra Slack 

Paul Burrows 

Michelle Allison 

Vacant 

Emma Olivier-Townrow 

Richard Wills 

Kate Strawson 

John Hebblethwaite 

Tom Marsden 

Mike Simpson 

Graham Harrison 

Craig Topley 

Kerrin Wilson QPM 

Skills & Education 

Diversity and Inclusion 

Chartered Director & 

Professional Development 

Policy and Governance 

Manufacturing and Engineering 

Connect & Events / PR & 

Communications 

Cyber Security 

Greater Lincolnshire & Rutland 

Vice Chair 

Skills and Education 



Marketing/Communications 

Financial Planning and 

Wealth Management 

Defence and Vice Chair 

Health 

Digital 

Construction and Engineering 

Co-opted Branch Ambassador 

Policing and Criminal Justice 

Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire 

Dr Rona Mackenzie Chair 

Paul Eeles 

Vice Chair, Branch Ambassador, 


Stacey Green Diversity and Inclusion 

Julie Pomeroy Chartered Director and 

Professional Development 

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 

Will Jackson Entrepreneurship 

Leicestershire and 

South East Midlands 

Sarah Canning 

Shamir Ghumra 

Gareth Thomas 

Rhiannon Stafford 

Craig Bentley 

Nicola Moss 

Mark Eydman 

Kyra Williams 

Adrian Pryce 

Neil Campbell 

Paul Kelly 

Branch Chair 

Vice Chair 




PR & Comms 

Employee Engagement 

Digital & Creative Ambassador 

CSR 

Risk Management 

Cyber 

IoD Ambassadors: Want to get involved? 

IoD East Midlands is currently seeking Ambassadors for a number of 

roles, as specified above. If you see a role that is marked Vacant and 

you are interested in filling it, please contact cari.grice@iod.com for 

more details. 



IoD West Midlands Chairs and Ambassadors 

Black Country & Staffs 

Paul Wood 

Branch Chair 

April Pearson-Myatt Policy & Governance 

Vacant 

Diversity & Inclusion 

John Phillips Develop: 

Education & Skills 

Peter Suddock Business improvement 

Develop 

Roger Fairhead Influence 

Andrew Thompson Sustainability 

Worcester & the Marches 

Michael Doolan Branch Chair 

John Painter Influence 

Julie Hayden Diversity & Inclusion 

Vacant 

Connect 

Vacant 

Develop 

Coventry & Warwickshire 

Dean Kavanagh 

Zeynep Turudi 

Paul Fairburn 

Jenny Bettany 

Denise Taylor 

Greater Birmingham 

Branch Chair 

Connect: Trade/Export 

Develop: 

Education & Skills 

Diversity & Inclusion 

Connect 

Andy Wilkinson Branch Chair 

Gary Simpson Connect 

Trudi Beswick Diversity & Inclusion 

Paul Hooper-Keeley Develop 

Russell Jeans Influence/Governance 

Yiannis Maos Technology 

Abid Khan 

Commonwealth Games 

Opportunity, Legacy & 

Communities Ambassador 

IoD Ambassadors: Want to get involved? 

IoD West Midlands is currently seeking Ambassadors for a number of 

roles, as specified above. If you see a role that is marked Vacant and 

you are interested in filling it, please contact Pam Kaur at 

pam.kaur@iod.com for more details 

Meet our Ambassadors 

Alexandra Slack – Regional PR & 

Communications Ambassador 

Alex’s mission across all 

her businesses and in 

life is “Better together 

through reciprocity” 

Due to her ‘black 

book’ of contacts Alex 

has been positioned as 

the East Midlands 

regional IoD ambassador (Connect, PR 

and Events). 

Alex is the founder and MD of The 

Circle Club, a Private Members Business 

Club, and founder and CEO of The House 

of Lifestyle Management, a Luxury 

Lifestyle Business. She has an extensive 

career background in events 

management, charity management and 

fundraising and network creation. 

Alex believes firmly in giving forward 

as well as giving back. She is currently 

Chair of Trustees for Alex’s Wish Charity. 

This isn’t personally related and by 

coincidence is her namesake, and she is 

helping others find a cure for the horrible 

disease of Duchenne in boys. 

Kate Strawson 

Greater Lincolnshire & Rutland, 

Marketing & Communications 

Ambassador 

Kate started her career 

in newspaper journalism 

after leaving school in 

1997 before studying 

BA (Hons) Journalism in 

1999. 

She worked for the 

Lincs FM Group at Trax 

FM in Doncaster before travelling to 

Australia and New Zealand in 2002, 

returning to her job at Lincs FM before 

starting up her own PR and Marketing 

Agency Shooting Star in 2005, working 

with many public and private sector 

organisations in the county. 

Kate hopes to raise awareness of the 

work the IoD do and the positive 

contribution it makes to the local 

business economy. 

Will Jackson 

Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire, 

Entrepreneurship Ambassador 

Will Jackson is the IoD 

Derbyshire & 

Nottinghamshire 

Ambassador for 

Entrepreneurship. He is 

currently the Managing 

Director & Executive 

Vice President of 

Zalaris, an award-winning international 

HR & payroll technology and outsourcing 

company, and a non-Executive Director 

to a range of UK based businesses. 

His professional experience has 

predominantly been in technology 

solutions and services across a wealth of 

industry verticals such as oil & gas, 

finance, manufacturing, engineering, 

local government, healthcare, 

distribution, higher education and 

automotive. Will has proven fluency and 

expertise in managing international 

businesses P&L, budget, forecasting, 

sales & marketing, business 

development, strategy and execution. 



41

Spotlight: Value of the Commonwealth – and Expos 

Don’t underestimate value and 

power of the Commonwealth 

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, Chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals and the Randal Charitable Foundation, 

looks at how the Olympics and next year’s Commonwealth Games bring out the best in nations, and 

examines the modern relevance and benefits to the UK of the concept of ‘Commonwealth’. 

This summer’s Olympics 

and Paralympics 

showcased the very 

best of humanity under 

the most difficult of 

circumstances; but I’m 

not just talking about 

the exceptional 

performances of the athletes. 

The Games have come to celebrate 

and symbolise all that is great about 

diversity and inclusion, where multiculturalism 

takes centre stage and wins 

gold. 

As I watched this summer’s Japan 

games I was reminded that we now have 

less than a year to go until for the next 

sporting extravaganza begins – the 2022 

Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. 

But for many, the concept of 

‘Commonwealth’ is outdated and 

consigned to Britain’s much maligned 

colonial past, so what is its reverence to 

today’s world? 

For me, the Commonwealth Games 

and the diversity and inclusivity of the 

Commonwealth and the whole Olympic 

movement are particularly meaningful, 

as they have run like a thread through 

my life, both personally and as an 

entrepreneur. 

I was born in East Africa, my family 

heritage is from India, while I am now 

proudly British, having lived here for 

almost 50 years. I have done business 

throughout the world and in particular 

the Commonwealth. I think there are 

three key elements to focus on. 

First, the Commonwealth has been 

helpful to many entrepreneurs and small 

businesses looking to expand. While it 

does not offer a single market like the 

European Union, it is instead a powerful 

economic network, accounting for over 

15% of global exports and 14% of global 

GDP. 

When I set up my pharmaceuticals 

company in 1991 from my home garage, 

it was before the internet and the world 

was much less connected. We looked for 

exporting opportunities to emerging 

markets. Some of the first countries we 

exported to were Commonwealth ones, 

such as Barbados, Guyana and many 

African nations. 

The Commonwealth contains 

emerging economies which, when they 

recover from Covid, are set to grow fast. 

It offers a network through which 

companies can grow and entrepreneurs 

can find opportunity. This will be 

particularly important as countries look 

to rebuild from the ravages of Covid. The 

Commonwealth has a very young 

population, with 60% of people under 

the age of 30. We need to provide skills, 

jobs and hope to the next generation. 

Second, the Commonwealth is an 

important part of the UK’s post-Brexit 

identity and role in the world. Following 

the Brexit deal, the UK is refreshing its 

trading relationships. There are great 

opportunities here. 

As an example, India is the giant of the 

Commonwealth, and is set to become 

the world’s third largest economy by 

2025. I was part of the PM Theresa May’s 

Trade delegation to India five years ago, 

and have done business there. I know 

that there is an appreciation of UK 

standards, services and products, as well 

as a shift towards regulatory alignment 

on things like law and accounting 

procedures. UK-India trade is worth £24 

billion, supporting half a million jobs, and 

is set to grow. 

The UK has been busy negotiating and 

finalising new trade deals, including an 

Enhanced Trade partnership with India, 

which the Department for International 

Trade (DIT) is working to expand into a 

comprehensive free-trade agreement. 

We are applying to join the 11 

‘‘ 

The Games 

have come 

to celebrate 

and symbolise 

all that is 

great about 

diversity and 

inclusion, 

where multiculturalism 

takes centre 

stage and 

wins gold. 

The Tokyo Olympics were a symbol of togetherness, celebrating all that is great 

about diversity and inclusion 



nation Comprehensive and Progressive 

Agreement for Trans-Pacific 

Partnership (CPTPP), which includes 

Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We 

are also in advance discussions bilaterally 

with these countries and other 

Commonwealth nations. 

There is a rationale for prioritising 

Commonwealth countries. Research shows 

that intra-Commonwealth trade is 19% 

cheaper, largely due to similar legal and 

regulatory systems, which is sometimes 

labelled ‘the Commonwealth advantage’. It 

is therefore not surprising that the trade of 

Commonwealth countries tends to be 

proportionately greater with members than 

non-members. 

While trade, investment and capital 

flows are important, the third factor I’d like 

to discuss are the people-to-people links, 

across the 2.4 billion people of the 

Commonwealth, which brings me back to 

the real achievements of the entire 

Olympic movement. The association, 

whether it’s through the Commonwealth or 

sporting achievement, spans every 

continent and has diversity at its heart, 

with people unified through common ties 

cemented by language and shared 

experiences and history. For Commonwealth 

countries these bonds are reflected in 

the strong diasporas in London, the Midlands 

and the rest of the UK. 

The success of celebrating diversity and 

inclusion has certainly been one of the 

stand-out accomplishments of the 

Olympics movement, and this will be 

continued when the UK hosts the 

Commonwealth Games next year. It should 

also be recognised that trade brings 

people together, and facilitates 

cooperation and understanding between 

nations. 

Perhaps we underappreciate how 

important the Commonwealth Games and 

our ties to Commonwealth countries are to 

our history, but also to our present and 

future; and how together we will continue 

to play a key role in championing global 

trade, diversity and inclusion. 

As Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth, 

the UK is in the hot seat for now but over 

the longer term we must capitalise on the 

powerful network it provides, and the 

opportunities to enhance business, trade 

and people-to-people ties. 

Events definitely back on the 

agenda for the Expo Queen 

With lockdown now officially over 

Sheila Smith, Expo Queen and owner 

of Your Leicester Business Expo and 

Your Northamptonshire Business 

Expo, has been quick off the mark 

confirming dates for two of the 

region’s favourite and most 

prestigious business exhibitions. 

Your Leicester Business Expo will 

take place at the King Power Stadium 

in Leicester on the 9th November 

2021, followed shortly afterwards by 

Your Northamptonshire Business 

Expo, back again at the Holiday Inn 

Corby on the 25th November 2021. 

However, these exhibitions, says 

Sheila, are more than a little bit 

different! 

“While we’re all so excited that 

face-to-face is finally back we’re 

offering a fabulous hybrid 

opportunity to businesses at both our 

exhibitions this year. 

“Our exhibition hybrid offer ensures 

exhibitors can enjoy both the 

opportunities of face-to-face 

interaction with attendees as well as 

our online Expo securing absolute 

maximum exposure. 

“I put this in place due to the 

phenomenal success our Virtual 

Business Expo enjoyed in October 

2020 when we were still in lockdown. 

Going virtual attracted 960+ visitors 

from eight different countries along 

with 35+ exhibitors and five great 

guest speakers. It was a huge success 

and I wanted to ensure we kept a 

Your Leicester 

Business Expo 

virtual element for these first two in 

person exhibitions. 

“It works for visitors who are 

located at a distance as well as for our 

exhibitors who, let’s be honest, can 

never get to see everyone who 

attends however hard they try. This 

way exhibitors who choose to take 

part in our hybrid expo will be found 

online for an additional 10 days! 

“It’s such an innovative and exciting 

way to network, connect, listen to 

great speakers and do business. 

“Whether at Leicester or 

Northamptonshire – or both,” adds 

Sheila, “Our expos will feature 60+ 

exhibitors showcasing a wide variety 

of business products and services. 

Each business always brings 

something different to each exhibition 

and I cannot wait to see them and our 

visitors in November.” 

Both exhibitions are free to attend 

on the day. Exhibition stand spaces 

cost from £275 (no vat) and can be 

booked online at www. 

yourbusinessexpo.co.uk. 

Adds Janette Weedall of The 

Holiday Inn, Corby: “We’re delighted 

to once again host the 

Northamptonshire Business Expo. 

We’re really looking forward to 

welcoming exhibitors and visitors 

alike to network in a relaxed and 

enjoyable environment. It will be a 

great opportunity for businesses to 

make new connections and showcase 

their products and services.” 

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE is founder 

and Chairman of Morningside 

Pharmaceuticals Ltd and the Randal 

Charitable Foundation. He is also a 

Department for International Trade 

(DIT) Export Champion and a CBI 

Regional Councillor. 



43

IoD Midlands Autumn

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?