Public Presentations, Teaching and Advisory

Speaking engagements

Teaching at London Business School

• The Proteus Programme
• High Performance People Skills
• Biography
• Communications Audit
• Executive Programmes and Advisory

Family Business

Speaking engagements

Recent keynote speeches include:
In the USA: the Forbes CEO Forum; the Business Week CEO Summit
In the UK: the Institute for Personnel Development annual conference, the Young President's Organisation, the CEO Circle, the Euromoney 4th Annual Forex Forum; IFB National Forum Conference 
In Asia: Singapore the International Congress for Applied Psychology, the FBN International Family Business Conference; the Asian Family Business Congress.
In South America: the World Family Business Forum
In Europe: The European Congress of Psychology; the IFERA World Family Business Conference
Topics have included evolutionary psychology, leadership, executive development, , diversity and corporate culture, office design, risk in finance, rogue traders, and various topics around family business.

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Teaching at London Business School  

Open Programmes:

The Proteus Programme. This is a "legacy" programme for very senior executives, which I developed and directed for the first time in 2002. It offers time and space for individuals to reflect with peers on their contribution and career/life development, via the catalyst of a programme of field trips and experiences that take them across the boundaries of cutting edge knowledge in science, technology and the humanities. In the company of experts we visit the zoo, walk the streets of the East End of London, meet scientists in their workplace, explore ideas in a theatre-arts space, and talk to teenagers about leadership. Running through the programme are autobiographical and philosophical/ethical strands. The programme culminates in a biography workshop which allows participants to take stock and contemplate future directions.

An encounter on the Proteus Programme...

High Performance People Skills for Leaders.  Many senior managers and professionals have insufficient opportunity to get feedback on, practice and improve their interpersonal skills. HPPS offers this in a dynamic and supportive context, helping participants to make sure that they formulate strategies for achieving tangible benefits and solutions to their current significant work challenges. The framework for the programme involves linking techniques in three areas: self-discovery, analysis of others, and interpersonal problem solving. This programme (directed alternately by me and Professor Randall Peterson) is one of the School's most successful and longest running open enrolment programme.

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Degree Programmes:

Biography.  This is a new programme was developed specifically for the Sloan Fellowship Programme, in which students use a variety of tools to think about their own and other people's lives. This is designed especially for mid-career professionals who are potentially in the midst of major life and career transitions. It involves a mix of outward analysis of prominent and historical leaders, and inward consideration of themes in their own lives to aid constructive life and career planning.

Communications Audit.  I designed this exercise for the overseas field trip of the Executive MBA class, with whom it has been running with great success since 1994 in the USA, India and South Africa. Small teams of students are trained undertake an intensive programme of interviews and focus groups in firms and then to deliver a presentation to the executives of the business, all within a single week. It is free for the companies and gives unparalleled benefits as a learning experience for students and organisations. In South Africa alone we have worked with over 150 organisations of all types, including public sector institutions and NGOs. Variations of the audit are used on various other programmes, so any reader in the UK or other parts of the world who thinks their firm might benefit is welcome to see if can work with you.

Family Business.  I am offering for the first time a full 10 session elective on Family Business for London Business School students.  This is a complete guide to the management of family businesses, with an array of guest speakers - many of them leaders - to ensure that the programme is close to the realities of the sector.  We focus on the most difficult challenges facing firms and the methods and strategies that regularly propel the successful ones to the top of their class in their business sectors.

Executive Programmes and Advisory: 

I direct and teach on company-specific executive development programmes for many organisations and given consultancy advice to others. The focus of this work includes organisation culture change, leadership development, managerial skills, corporate communications, employee attitude survey design, team development, creativity and innovation, and strategic direction.

Clients include:
Shell International, British Telecom, Wiley, Prudential, Halifax Building Society, BP, South Yorkshire Police, Trustee Savings Bank, First Direct, Lloyds Register, Heineken, Confederation of Wool Textile Employers, the Kalchas Group, Pfizer International, Barclays Bank, the Winchester Partnership, New Islington & Hackney Housing Association, IBCA, Egon Zehnder International, Forward Trust Finance, Alloy Wheels, CIPFA, Dentsply, Kone, Coca-Cola, CMPi, Merck, Salomon Smith Barney, Goldman Sachs, Paribas, Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, UBS, Trafigura, Old Mutual, Société Générale Investment Bank, Bank of Ireland, RBS-GBM, KPMG, Whitehead Mann/Change Partnership, Danone, Royal Numico, Zain, Kenya Airways and various family businesses.

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