Wednesday Keynote: Inspiring those around you and motivating your team: lessons business can learn

Dame Katherine Grainger is Britain’s Most Decorated female Olympian of all time. 

A peerless leader both on and off the water, Katherine is the newly appointed Chair of UK Sport – one of the most powerful positions in UK sport.  In this role, she will focus on sustaining success and creating a positive environment and culture in which athletes and support personnel can perform at their best.

Katherine’s personal story is one of hard work, holding firm, pursuing the dream over two decades, and achieving glorious success!

She is the only female athlete in any sport to gain medals in five consecutive Olympic Games, in 2013 she received a CBE for services to rowing and became Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2017 New Year’s Honours for services to sport and charity.

Join us to hear the compelling tale of her journey, what sustained her and what motivated her to achieve her goals. Learn how the principles that guided her can be used in your own business and personal stories.

Dame Katherine Grainger took up rowing at Edinburgh University in 1993 and in 2009 was named as Scottish Sportsperson of the Year and awarded the Emirates Lonsdale Trophy by Commonwealth Games Scotland, the first female to win this prestigious award and, in the process, leaving such Scottish sporting luminaries as Andy Murray and Sir Chris Hoy in her wake. In 2012, her dreams were realised when she won the elusive Olympic Gold medal alongside teammate Anna Watkins in the double sculls in London.

At the 2015 World Rowing Championships, Katherine and Victoria Thornley qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games and on the 11 August 2016, she became the most decorated female Olympian of all time winning a silver medal, narrowly missing the gold after leading for 3/4 of the race. For many who had not expected this pairing to even qualify for Rio, their result was outstanding and propelled Katherine into the history books.

During a two-year break, Katherine completed her PhD and wrote her autobiography ‘Dreams Do Come True’. She has worked as a BBC co-presenter on the Rowing World Cup coverage, the BBC "Inspire" series and as a pundit during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

She graduated in law from the University of Edinburgh, has an MPhil in Medical Law and Medical Ethics from Glasgow University, and a PhD in the sentencing of homicide at King's College, University of London. She is Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University and holds honorary doctorates from The Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, and the University of Edinburgh.

In July this year, she was appointed Chair of UK Sport.

Thursday Keynote Address: “Understand your mind, change your world.”

Friday Keynote Address: Mars One -It’s out of this world!

Mars One invites you to learn more about the next giant leap for humankind!

The mission goal is to establish a human settlement on Mars as the stepping stone for the human race on its voyage into the universe!  As with the Apollo Moon landings, a human mission to Mars will inspire generations to believe that all things are possible and anything can be achieved.

Bas Lansdorp has never been one to let bold ventures intimidate him. A born entrepreneur, he sees potential and opportunity where others shy away. Gifted with an articulate vision and genuine enthusiasm, he moves people with his passion for science and the human mission to Mars.

Since starting Mars One in March 2011, this project has received support from scientists, engineers, businessmen and –women and aerospace companies from all over the world and applicants are queuing to take part in the astronaut selection programme.

To prepare for this settlement the first unmanned mission is scheduled to depart in 2020. Crews will depart for their one-way journey to Mars starting in 2031; subsequent crews will depart every 26 months. Mars One is a global initiative aiming to make this everyone's mission, including yours.  Everyone is invited to join Mars One’s efforts to make mankind a multiplanetary species.

Join Bas to hear his inspiring story!

Bas Landorp is CEO and co-founder of Mars One, a not for profit foundation with the goal of establishing a permanent human settlement on Mars.
Bas is responsible, among other things, for investor relations, public outreach and for initial contacts with potential suppliers, sponsors and partners. He is an entrepreneur with an engineering background, interested in visionary technological business cases.
 

Business partnering: The Kama Sutra guide to breaking down corporate silos

Do you feel people in your organisation really recognise the value your department adds? Do they understand the things you do just to keep the boat stable? Do they give your ideas and suggestions the real attention they deserve?

Functional silos were great when businesses first needed people to develop specialist skills. While those skills are still necessary, the silos aren’t. In fact, they get in the way of teamwork and collaboration.

But how can you get anyone to listen to you and to realise why they should spend their precious time working with your department? This entertaining and thought-provoking presentation by Christopher Barrat, TED Talk regular on the topic of networking skills, is open to delegates from all the Forums participating on board: Finance, IT, Communications and Marketing Directors. First question: Who’s got the sexiest function? Who’s the most attractive department in the company?

In this session you will learn how to ‘sell’ your department in a way that creates ‘pull not push’ for what your department can offer.

Lessons from going into and out of Chapter 11

Andy Gifford was in the treasury team when Global Crossing embarked on an extensive capital plan to build a global optic fibre network, to meet anticipated bandwidth requirements. Telecommunication services demand lagged behind expectations leaving the industry in an over capitalised position. After completion of the build-out, in 2001, Global Crossing filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors.

It took two years to emerge from a restructuring – and it wasn’t long before the company was ready for growth through acquisitions.

In this session Gifford shares his experience of that time. More importantly, he tells of the ongoing lessons about cash management, working capital, paying suppliers and making cash part of the culture of the organisation.

Andy Gifford was born in England but spent his formative years in South Africa after his family emigrated in 1970. He initially entered the accounting profession, but quickly moved to commerce to put theory into practice. After spending time in technical accounting roles he joined the Howden Group where he rose to become managing director of one of the main divisions. Soon after relocating back to England in 1997, he joined Global Crossing which was ultimately acquired by Level 3. During his time with the company Andy held treasury operations as his primary mandate, but has also undertaken special projects including procurement, shared services and real estate.

Cyber-security breach: Why you’re more vulnerable in more places than you thought

Time and again we see companies having to admit that they and their customers have been the victim of a cyber-attack, with vast amounts of customer data put at risk.

This session, co-presented by a chief information security officer, gives an entertaining and horrifying overview of the risks of cyber threats to your business, explaining where the threats really lie: it's often not in your systems – human error and poor IT policies are often to blame. And don't think that having a back up will help you – everyone backs up their data, but very few test trying to get it out of storage again. That can take weeks.

Then there’s the damage to corporate reputation – from both the breach itself and how you handle it – which can have a direct effect on revenues and the share price. That requires an additional strategy thread, at least as important as the technology response. As this session demonstrates, finance directors need to challenge their own perceptions about data security, what constitutes a safe IT environment and the impact on the bigger financial picture.

Phil Cracknell is global chief information security officer of FTSE-250 company HomeServe plc. He is widely regarded as one of the top information security specialists in Europe, and was named the Cyber Security Industry Personality of the Year in 2015. As an industry thought-leader and seasoned security evangelist, Phil has occupied a number of high-profile roles in the UK, Europe and the Middle East spanning a 25 year career in technology and security.

Tom Berry is a director of ClubCISO, a private members’ forum for FTSE-350 chief information security officers. He is also CEO of Chameleon, a brand, communications, PR and content agency dedicated to disruptive businesses.
 

The changing world of geopolitics: Failing institutions in a post-Bretton Woods world

This big picture view of the global geopolitical scene provides a fascinating insight into some of the most important but often overlooked seismic shifts in the world. Marshall argues that long-serving Western institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, Nato, EU and the UN are all struggling in the world of 2017. Meanwhile, other institutions are developing in the East that are better placed and better equipped to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.

This enthralling, often amusing explanation of how power is shifting and what it means for corporations is presented by the author of the best-selling books Prisoners of Geography and Worth Dying For, a former diplomatic editor for Sky News who has the contacts and expertise to put these power shifts into context.

The politics of flags in an age of renewed nationalism

Tim Marshall draws on his best-selling book Worth Dying For to explain the history of national symbols and why they still matter as the nation state makes a comeback. The talk also features the symbolism of non-state flags such as Hezbollah and ISIS and explains why the images on them are so powerful that people believe they are worth dying for. This fascinating talk by a former diplomatic editor for Sky News is about political volatility rather than vexillology (the study of flags!) and helps us understand why we live in a turbulent world where political passions still provoke spasms of horrific violence.

Journalist, author and broadcaster Tim Marshall is a former diplomatic editor and foreign affairs editor for Sky News, known for his analysis of developments in foreign news and international diplomacy. He is a guest commentator on world events for the BBC, Sky News and a guest presenter on LBC.

He has written four books, including Prisoners of Geography – a New York Times and Sunday Times best-seller – and Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags.
Marshall is founder and editor of news web platform thewhatandthewhy.com, a site for journalists, politicians, foreign affairs analysts and enthusiasts to share their views on world news events.
 

How FDs can make every business a ‘people business’

Businesses such as law firms, consultancies and accountancy practices are the sort of ‘people business’ where the assets really do go home at night. Partners and other fee-earners have a real vested interest in how their firm is run and how it’s financially-managed. Communication between finance and the stakeholders is absolutely crucial.

But why shouldn’t the same be true for every business?
How can finance bring about a culture where everyone feels connected with the business and fully-invested in its success?

In this session, an FD with many years’ experience in people businesses shares his experience and insight into the role that finance plays in helping these firms grow.

Neil is a CFO with wide ranging experience across Europe as well as the US, Middle East and Asia, now with over 25 years' experience operating in global, dynamic, professional service organisations dealing with a wide range of often conflicting stakeholder requirements.

Adept at simplifying complex financial data, he helps shape corporate strategy and improve performance through commercial and financial insight.

Recently Neil was a part of the Olswang LLP leadership team that secured the iconic, tripartite merger with Nabarro LLP and CMS LLP to form the 6th largest global law firm which becomes effective in May 2017.
 

Betting on Blockchain – stick or twist?

It’s hard to miss the Blockchain hype in 2017.  Deloitte UK report that banks have invested $1bn in proving the concept, EY say the concept has ‘significant implications’ for the accounting and auditing professions.

But what is Blockchain technology? 

What are the applications right now, and what are the implications for organisations of all shapes and sizes? 

The potential of blockchain lies in its ability to create a distributed ledger of transactions, of which all participants have an identical copy that can be accessed and viewed in real-time. There are huge implications for payments, and therefore accountants, but also for any industry or process relying on the sharing of information in a secure and timely fashion.

Chris Weston is a technology adviser and IT leader of many years standing, with a track record of spotting and implementing disruptive technologies. With a simple, no-nonsense style, Chris explains the technology, the key use cases and how and when organisations should consider a move to Blockchain ledgers.
 

Turning things around: corporate rescue and strategic redirection

Uncertain times for business - a political and economic update.

Recent events have shown us that anything can happen and we are now in an era of ‘surprise politics’ with knock-on effects for the economy.  Who knows what’s in store in the short term, never mind the next few years!

Dr Jamie Whyte, Research Director at the Institute for Economic Affairs will interpret the situation as it stands in October for better or worse … join us for a ‘state of the nation’ political and economic update at that time.

Jamie Whyte is Director of Research at the IEA. In 2014, he was leader of the ACT Party of New Zealand, a position he resigned upon failing to be elected to parliament in the September general election.

Jamie has previously worked as a management consultant and as a philosophy lecturer. He is the author of Quack Policy (2013), Free Thoughts (2012), A Load of Blair (2005) and Crimes Against Logic (2004). He won the Bastiat Prize for Journalism in 2006 and was runner up in 2010 and 2016.
 

How to make working capital everyone’s business

Finance directors and treasurers are paying ever greater attention to working capital these days. Even the most cash-rich companies with negative working capital are still on a quest to find ways to improve liquidity even more.

This isn’t just a matter for FDs and treasurers, however. As Andy Gifford explains, working capital is everyone’s concern. So how does the FD communicate with other functions – procurement in particular but others, too –  to get working capital on the corporate agenda across the organisation? This discussion group enables participants to share their experience and ideas in a session led by a former European treasurer of a multibillion dollar telecoms group.
 

You’ve had a security breach: now what?

Despite all your best efforts and preparations, it’s probably only just a question of time before your organisation suffers a data protection breach. So what do you do about it? How bad is the problem? Can it be fixed before you have to go public? How quickly will this escalate? Can it be stopped from spiralling out of control? How much will this cost – in terms of cash and reputational damage? And how do the financial and compliance obligations of the FD conflict with the needs of IT? Where does corporate communications fit into the picture? This discussion group brings together delegates from all three functions to deal with a real-world situation, testing their responses and their awareness of the full picture.

What are FDs not doing that we should be doing?

This discussion group is an opportunity for FDs to share thoughts with their professional peers to discuss the big issues that we’re all too busy to start thinking about.
You set the agenda. The discussion could include all, some or none of the following – but it works on the principle that many heads are better than one.

• How should we be thinking about talent retention in a competitive market where cash is tight?
• What are the global trade issues that we ought to be working on and preparing for?
• How do we get the business into a position of resilience in the face of uncertainty?
• What should we be asking our board colleagues about IT threats and opportunities?
• What questions should we be asking?

Ken Sutherland is director of finance and business services for The National Farmers Union. Born and raised on a raspberry farm in Perthshire, he attended University of Edinburgh then qualified as a chartered accountant in London. He joined the NFU as FD in 2002 and controls the back office and commercial activities as well as property and investment portfolios. He is also secretary of the NFU, director of NFU Staff Pension Trust Company, and chairman of the audit committee at Royal Bath & West of England Society. He was named UK Finance Director of the Year in 2013.

Tax strategy in a post-avoidance world

The long-established ground rules for international tax planning are changing and will continue to change with the emergence of an international government consensus that the old laws are no longer fit for purpose. The BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit-Shifting) project, a G20 initiative managed by the OECD, now has full or partial support from at least 100 countries.
The European Union has adopted two Anti-Tax Avoidance Directives that will come into force in 2019 – and is working on further measures that will go beyond BEPS. Others such as the UK and Australia are taking unilateral actions that also go beyond BEPS.

But the implications for global companies go far beyond dealing with the regulatory burden as such: the new measures are impacting group tax strategies.  Investors and boards are now paying much more attention to tax and its potential negative effect on reputation and corporate brand value.
This ‘closed doors’ discussion group will examine what corporates need to do in an environment in which even legitimate tax planning measures seem to run the risk of regulatory or public disfavour as public and political interest in international tax continues to increase, while public understanding of tax and business remains limited.

Currently a Senior Tax Director with Caterpillar Inc, based in the UK and with responsibility for International Tax Policy and for the Global Indirect Tax and Customs Advisory functions for Caterpillar, the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines.

Prior to taking up this role, he was for 10 years Director of European Tax for Caterpillar, based in Geneva, Switzerland and was previously a Tax Senior Manager and later Director with Price Waterhouse in the UK East Midlands offices.  Educated at the Universities of Cambridge, Essex and Leicester and was an assistant lecturer at Leicester University before training as an Inspector of Taxes with the UK Inland Revenue.
 

The company doctor will see you now

Executive Coaching

Having a dedicated coach is an invaluable pillar of support for any business leader. An executive coach helps individuals identify paths of professional & personal progress and act on the desire to learn & grow.

Whilst the coach can only offer you a short one-on-one session, it is hoped this initial informal discussion will help you, amongst other things to:

• Review and clarify your personal and business goals, shorter term and longer term.
• Reflect upon what is currently working and not working, and what is important to you.
• Explore options and consider what could change, what would make the biggest impact and how to move forward.
• Come away with some high level actions and commitments that will make a real impact for you.

Understanding the psychology of higher performing teams: what’s really going on?

Whereas Tim’s keynote address was focussed on individuals this session is all about teams. Every team that Tim has worked with - in business and in sport - identifies and develops its Inner Story as it is the most important lever for performance. In this practical session Tim will help you to analyse the Inner Story of your team and offer advice on how to change it in order to create a culture of high performance.
 

Join Tim to find out what is really going on in your team, explore the challenges that you face and identify real solutions that you can apply in your own workplace.

How your mind can make you more successful.

Defining what success means and looks like for you is critical if you want to succeed. However, controlling what is going on inside your head is even more critical in getting you to where you want to be. Successful people are focused – but do you know the one thing that everyone must focus on to be successful? Successful people are motivated – but are you aware why motivation is not enough?  We are told that setting goals is essential to success – but are you are aware that forgetting them could be even more essential?

Join Tim for this interactive session and identify how understanding your conscious and unconscious mind can increase the inevitability of achieving success on your terms.

How to launch your ‘impossible’ enterprise

The power of persuasion is vital to launch any new endeavour, business or personal.

How do you get the backing for your mission? Join Bas on an incredible journey and discover that ability within yourself!
 

How to make a great presentation every damn time!

Fast Asleep - Wide Awake: the link between sleep, productivity and performance

This seminar will address stress, pressure, performance optimisation, burnout prevention and offer practical solutions to deal with 21st century insomnia.
The following will be covered:

• Sleep, productivity and performance – What’s so important?
• Typical patterns of sleep disruption
• An introduction to the physiology of sleep, circadian rhythms and energy recovery
• Sleep vs. rest
• How your time management can affect sleep
• The Optimal Sleep Toolkit: Practical techniques for optimising sleep quality
• The 5 non-negotiable sleep power tools.

Nerina Ramlakhan is a physiologist and sleep therapist.  She is the author of ‘Tired But Wired: How to Overcome Your Sleep Problems: The Essential Toolkit’, and also ‘Fast Asleep Wide Awake’.  She is also Silentnight's "sleep expert".

She is a physiologist and sleep therapist who has specialised in maximising individual and organisational performance for over two decades. Nerina uses her academic background to guide her teaching, but her approach is highly practical. She obtained her B.Sc. and Ph.D. from King's College London.

Nerina works with the Nightingale Psychiatric Hospital in London on their sleep, energy & physical health programmes that are designed to support mental wellbeing.  She also runs regular sleep/energy workshops for women recovering from cancer at the Haven Centre in Fulham.

Nerina’s work has been featured widely in the media and she has talked about power napping on the Radio 2 Chris Evans show, appeared on GMTV, CNN and more recently, SKY NEWS talking about technology addiction.  She recently appeared on ITV’s This Morning show, teaching the nation how to sleep peacefully.

As the original founder of BUPA’s Corporate Wellbeing Solutions, she is a regular speaker at many City groups and has worked in various industries including sport (Chelsea Football Club), legal, insurance, accountancy, management consultancy, various sections of the police services, media, investment banking, telecommunications, healthcare and pharmaceutical, oil, TV, defence, engineering and IT. 
 

The World’s Best Wines and Cheeses.

To mark the occasion of Richmond Events’ last ever ship-based forums, we are bringing you a very special tasting event.

For the past 5 years, Steve Parker has entertained our clients with his lively and entertaining ’talks with samples’.

We have brought Steve back for this landmark event to present a true Luxury Tasting.

You will be taken on a journey of tasting, history and anecdotes covering some of the world’s best known and favourite fine wines and cheeses including vintage Champagne, top class Burgundy, Hungarian Tokaji, traditional handmade Stilton, Farmhouse Cheddar and many other delights.
 

Tour de France.

To mark the occasion of Richmond Events’ last ever ship-based forums, we are bringing you a very special tasting event.

For the past 5 years, Steve Parker has entertained our clients with his lively and entertaining ’talks with samples’.

We have brought Steve back for this landmark event to present his most popular tasting: Tour de France.

You will be taken on a journey of tasting, history and anecdotes covering some of France’s best known and favourite wines and cheeses including Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux paired with world renowned cheeses such as Camembert, Brie and others.

Steve Parker has 30 years’ experience in FTSE-100 FMCG drinks companies, at all levels of management. He has wide and varied experience in a number of business and commercial disciplines. Since leaving big business in 2010, Steve founded and built Hampton Cheese and Wine Company, an award-winning cheese shop, deli, wine bar/shop and Tasting Room in South-West London.

In addition to running Hampton Cheese and Wine Company, Steve has founded Cheese and Wine Tasting Events, providing tasting events and talks for companies large and small.

Steve also judges in a number of international food and drink awards: The World Cheese Awards, British Cheese Awards and Independent Wine Merchant Awards and has also featured in a number of industry publications including Speciality Food, The Wine Merchant. Decanter, Off Licence News and the Fine Food Digest.

Steve’s lively and entertaining presentation style is informal and informative meaning you will taste some amazing cheeses and wines whilst learning a wealth of information at the same time.
 

Geoff Miller: After dinner speaker (Thursday 5th October)

Geoff Miller spent 20 years on the professional cricket circuit representing Derbyshire, Essex, Natal and England. He travelled to all the major Test-playing countries and played with or against some of the greatest players in the game.

Geoff played in 34 Test Matches; 25 One Day Internationals; 7 Overseas Tours; Scored over 14,000 runs; was captain of Derbyshire and Vice-Captain of England; took over 1000 wickets and held over 300 catches.

Apart from cricket, Geoff’s greatest attribute was the ability to keep his team-mates amused with his hilarious, dry, northern humour. He now brings his highly entertaining experiences and anecdotes to audiences all over the country.