Welsh business leaders gather to discuss growth
THE Welsh giant, Admiral Group, and Wales Fast Growth 50 companies, ASW and Wolfestone, will be catalysts to initiate the Leadership Conversation 2018.
Swansea University’s flagship business development programme ION Leadership, formerly LEAD Wales, will facilitate a series of three events at the beginning of 2018.
The Leadership Conversation events will be opportunities for businesses, social enterprises and charities of all sizes and from all sectors across south Wales to share ideas and best practice of successful business growth.
Jo Bishop, programme manager of ION Leadership, said: “We are planning a series of collaborative learning opportunities to act as a catalyst for growth in Welsh businesses. The aim is for business leaders who join the Leadership Conversation events in January, February and March 2018 to take away action plans to initiate real and positive change in their organisations.”
The influencers who will lead the first Leadership Conversation event in Swansea on January 18 at the Village Hotel, include Stuart Morgan, head of talent at the multi-national, highlyawarded and Welsh financial services colossus, Admiral Group. Stuart has a wealth of experience from steering the Admiral Group of companies through expediential business growth over the last 25 years. His key role at Admiral is to ensure that talent is spotted and nurtured and the company has an environment where such talent can flourish and advance.
Mr Morgan will be joined by two highly-successful and experienced influencers in Alex-Michelle Parr and Anthony Thomas, managing directors of Wolfestone Translation and ASW Property Services respectively.
Alex and Anthony have both driven periods of rapid business growth in their Wales Fast Growth 50 companies and will add their stories to the Leadership Conversation 2018.
The team of ION Leadership development specialists will coordinate these Leadership Conversation events as they do in the hugely effective ION programme masterclasses. The team will utilise its highly successfully and dynamic “experiential learning” methods. The main objective is for the participants to leave the events with action plans to positively impact in their organisations’ effectiveness.
Gary Walpole, director of leading business growth in research, engagement and innovation services of Swansea University, added: “The ION Leadership programme is an excellent example of the innovative ways Swansea University is supporting business in Wales.
ION and previously LEAD Wales has positively affected more than 800 businesses in Wales by developing the essential soft business skills in over 1,200 leaders. While the university is a global player, it also demonstrates how we also think locally and regionally in terms of the support and knowledge we offer to ultimately benefit the Welsh economy.”
Established eight years ago and led by Swansea University in partnership with Bangor University, the Lead Wales project’s evolution – ION Leadership – is supported by the European Social Fund through Welsh Government to raise skills and drive business growth in companies throughout Wales.
The ION team invites other influencers and leaders from commercial and third sector businesses to join the Leadership Conversation by confirming their attendance through Eventbrite.