This blog also appeared on The Huffington Post. Last week a handful of men experienced, at first hand, what it is like to be outnumbered at senior levels. The Women’s Business Forum attracted more than 420 high powered delegates from the UK and America.  Of these just 13% were men.  According to the Davies Report, [...]

“If you have two people who think alike, one is unnecessary” What a great quote! Linda Emery, Talent and Diversity Director at BP referred to this when I met her recently, following up on Bob Dudley’s invitation at the CBI Conference. In October I wrote a blog on the conference, “Bob Dudley, new group chief [...]

Peter Finnegan and Filiz Ozakinci are the Chartered Institute of PR’s student reps at Leeds Metropolitan University.  They attended a guest lecture on ‘PR in the Boardroom’ given by Northern Lights PR’s chief executive Victoria Tomlinson as part of an autumn lecture series celebrating 20 years of the PR degree at the university   Northern [...]

We have spent the summer helping The Directorbank Group to carry out research into What makes an Outstanding FD? This has been done in association with Grant Thornton. When you mention the word ‘finance director’, many will have that old image of an accountant in the Monty Python sketch trying to tame a lion.   Forget [...]

René Carayol was the inspiration at this year’s Yorkshire International Business Convention (YIBC). The headlines were all about Brian Blessed – and you have to admire the fact that this famous actor climbed Mounts Everest and Ararat in his 60s and 70s.  But I felt like the little boy with the Emperor’s clothes – was [...]

The Guardian this weekend reports “The archbishop of Canterbury has said the Catholic church in Ireland has lost “all credibility” because of its poor handling of the scandal of paedophile priests.” Two weeks ago the pope made an unprecedented move and issued a letter of apology to Irish Catholics.  No doubt he thought this would silence [...]

Why has this phrase become so widely used and accepted in everyday life and relationships – yet its principles overlooked in the workplace? Michael Skapinker of the FT last week wrote about the continuing lack of women at senior levels in the workplace and covers the current debates on when and how women will make [...]

Toyota drivers ‘should not panic’.  That was what Miguel Fonseca said at 7.50am on Friday morning. Painful. Toyota UK’s managing director admitted the Prius hybrid had brake problems, but there was no need for a recall. The interview was unconvincing and as part of a crisis management strategy, hopeless. Coming on the back of sticking accelerators, the [...]

Sometimes the days you most dread are the most stimulating! Northern Ballet Theatre was offered a day on corporate governance from the Clore Leadership Foundation. The deal is that if you accept, the whole board absolutely HAS to take part in this. As a board member, I went along this morning thinking a whole day [...]

A number of clients have recently been mentioning variations on a theme. That in a recession you have to talk to your teams more than ever – even if there is nothing particularly new to say. Stephen Martin, chief exec of Clugston, a leading construction company, took part in the Channel 4 programme, Undercover Boss [...]