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Manchester Fifteen launches with resounding success
May 2009
Footdown’s latest group, the Manchester Fifteen, led by highly experienced industry leader Malcolm Farrar, launched on May 21st at an event held at the city’s Marriott Worsley Park Hotel.
A select group of leaders attended the private dinner, together with Footdown’s motivational speaker Nigel Risner, who provided a challenging and inspiring interactive presentation.
Malcolm was delighted by the attendance and the enthusiasm and desire to immediately establish a Footdown group in Manchester.
Mike Roe, Chief Executive of Footdown, said: “It was fantastic yet again to see so much interest and enthusiasm from the business community in Manchester. I always get a buzz from having so many great leaders and so much potential in one room – the power of the Manchester Fifteen will be truly formidable. Both Malcolm and I are keen to see this newest group form as soon as possible, and with so much interest it won’t be long.
Manchester takes our portfolio of Footdown Fifteens up to 12 groups across the country, each inspiring leaders to be the best they can be.”
For more information about any of the Footdown Fifteens please contact Debbie Richardson on 01225 858884 or email debbie@footdown.com.
Second Entrepreneurs with Conscience event
Green is the colour of money
March 2009
Monday 16 March saw the second Entrepreneurs with Conscience event held at The Royal Society, London, co-hosted by Footdown and The Prince’s Trust. With a guest list boasting UK business leaders from a huge range of industries and sectors, including Eurostar, Greenpeace and The Soil Association, the group came together to discuss and debate issues critical to both the environmental and economic future.
An impromptu address from surprise guest Vince Cable, deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, started an evening set to inspire and ignite environmental action within the crowd. He commented on the distraction that the credit crunch has caused and argued that green issues cannot be ignored even in these difficult economic times. Cable also commented that change must not be dictated by government but must be the product of a determined business community, something that caused a running debate throughout the evening.
Lord Ron Oxburgh, former Chairman of Shell and current Chairman of renewable energy company 2OC, welcomed guests to the event by pointing out that the future will consist of business that are ‘doing well by doing good.’ He went on to say that future generations will look back on us with a degree of astonishment – we have finite resources and the science available to overcome this, but we are effectively doing nothing. He urged his audience to work together, in a similar spirit to that of the Footdown Fifteen, to use the power of the collective to make substantial changes within the UK business community.
Jonathan Porritt, founder of Forum for the Future and chair of the Government’s Sustainable Development Commission, then took the floor for what was set to be a rousing commentary on what must be done. He challenged Vince Cable’s view that government is powerless to implement change, arguing that when it sees fit, government has consistently legislated for the common good against the wishes of some, using the smoking ban or seat belt laws to illustrate his point. He accused the government of being full of rhetoric, using empty words that will never be fulfilled.
Despite the bleak picture he painted of our future, Jonathan proposed that there is a solution to the worsening environmental crisis: that both the government and entrepreneurs must adopt a programme of fit for purpose policy making. The suggestion of an imposed carbon tax with a guaranteed floor price for a tonne of CO2 would certainly help focus the minds of those who have used resources freely and perhaps thoughtlessly.
The idea of energy efficiency was also one that plays a huge part in Jonathan’s vision for a sustainable future, but is often something that is overlooked. Both businesses and government need to recognise it as a priority instead of a supplementary process. According to Jonathan, the only future we can realistically live in is one that is 100% renewable and we need to act now to make that future achievable.
Bringing the message home to the entrepreneurs and business leaders in the room, Jonathan’s final statement was one based in economic reasoning – current capitalism is based on carbon-rich wealth; the future must be founded on carbon-neutral prosperity.
In the following hour over dinner the room was abuzz with business minds expanding on what they had just heard, all of which was sharply pulled into focus by Footdown founder Andrew Mercer’s account of the origins of green energy businesses 2OC and Blue NG. Those familiar with Andrew will know that his words never fail to inspire, and he held the audience captive, putting emphasis on personal responsibility saying ‘when your children ask you what you did, you need to be able to tell them’. He left the audience in no doubt that there is plenty of money in renewable energy – around $800m in the US alone – but that it is up to entrepreneurs to drive the industry forward with new ideas.
The end of the evening saw John Sauven, Chief Executive of Greenpeace, join Lord Oxburgh, Jonathan Porritt and Andrew Mercer to answer questions from the audience. When asked about the forthcoming environmental conference in Copenhagen there was an expected amount of pessimism, but as Lord Oxburgh pointed out, ‘we need to have something to take the place of Kyoto’. The same companies that are destroying the planet are the ones who could save it, according to John Sauven – all that is needed is a critical mass between businesses to make it happen.
The idea of individuals as well as businesses making a difference was addressed, as was the need to engage young people, as they hold the key to our future. Jonathan proposed that the choices available to consumers needs to be edited, as unpopular as that may be in the beginning, combined with incentivising people to choose an environmentally-sound lifestyle.
Mike Roe, Chief Executive of Footdown, comments: “What the event has reiterated once again is that sustainability and profitability are in no way mutually exclusive – in fact they rely on each other totally. Businesses need to come together to not only generate realistic plans for the future but also to capitalise on the huge opportunities that we have before us. A greener future is the only future we can look forward to, and there will be money to be made on the journey.
“Andrew Mercer’s ingenunity in launching 2OC is a prime example, but he didn’t do it alone. Through Footdown, he met like-minded, determined leaders who worked together to create a true success, both environmentally and economically. How many more opportunities could there be if we share not only our ideas, but our passion for making these ideas a reality?”
Second Entrepreneurs with Conscience event set
for
16th March 2009
Inspiring entrepreneurs to be the change they want to see…
Entrepreneurs with Conscience aims to inspire socially responsible entrepreneurs to maximise their contribution to addressing the dangerous challenges – including climate change, peak oil and a rapidly growing population – that we face as a society today. The event will do this by providing a forum for sharing ideas and experiences and seeing how we can use the power of the group to make a real difference.
Without a vital contribution from entrepreneurs, it is unlikely that we will be able to meet the requirements of a growing and increasingly energy hungry world population. This in turn will have devastating consequences for the world’s future climate, health and wellbeing.
“The kind of innovation we need [to tackle climate change] is 10,000 innovators in 10,000 garages trying 10,000 things.” - Thomas Friedman
The energy industry is valued at $6 trillion annually and has 4 billion customers worldwide. John Doerr, a partner at Silicon Valley venture capital giant Kleiner Perkins, recently described energy as “the mother of all markets – perhaps the largest economic opportunity of the 21st century.”The joint venture between renewable energy company 2OC and National Grid, that created Blue-NG, is just the kind of innovative climate change and peak oil tackling venture that John Doerr and Thomas Friedman have in mind.
In April 2007 Footdown hosted the inaugural Entrepreneurs with Conscience forum, at which renowned environmental business campaigner Jonathon Porritt, together with fellow environmental leaders Tony Juniper (Friends of the Earth), John Sauven (Greenpeace) and Steve Howard (The Climate Group), urged a select group of entrepreneurs to make sustainability and tackling climate change a core part of their daily lives. The positive effects of this event are impressive, far-reaching and, more importantly, still continuing.
For more information about the event, to be held at The Royal Society, London, on 16th march, please contact Debbie Richardson on 01225 858884 or email debbie@footdown.com
Footdown takes Manchester by storm
February 9th 2009
Footdown founder and super-entrepreneur Andrew Mercer was joined by motivational speaker Nigel Risner at a leadership event described as ‘the best two hours you’ve ever spent’ in Manchester last week.
Addressing an audience of Manchester’s top leaders, entrepreneurs and business brains at the exclusive Dukes 92 in castle Street, Andrew gave a dramatic presentation demonstrating how strong leadership is the key to surviving the current economic demise. As a co-founder of green energy company 2OC, he also touched on environmental issues close to his heart, including the threat of global warming on businesses as well as the planet.
Nigel followed by giving a masterclass in how to make the right impact, something every great leader should know.
The event was hosted by Manchester communications expert Mike Perls, Managing Director of MC2 and a member of the North West Footdown Fifteen. The following day, both Andrew and Nigel joined Mike as keynote speakers at an event for the North West Managing Partners Forum, of which Mike is the Chair.
Commenting on the two events, Mike Roe, Chief Executive of Footdown, commented: “We were delighted that both events were such a success and extend our thanks to Mike and his team at MC2 for inviting us to be a part of them. Great leadership is arguably more important than ever in these tough times, and to see such enthusiasm and determination in response to our ethos of being the best you can be was extremely rewarding.”
For more information about forthcoming events please contact Debbie Richardson on 01225 858884 or email debbie@footdown.com
Cotswold Fifteen launches in style
February 2009
The Old Bell in Malmesbury is the oldest pub in England, steeped in history and tradition, so where better to launch a brand new Footdown Fifteen led by inspirational leader Josie Payne.
Joined by former England Ruby coach Andy Robinson, who talked about the impact being a member of the Bath Fifteen has had on his life, the group debated issues of leadership style, personal accomplishment and the experiences necessary to be a great leader.
Commenting on the event, Josie said: “The evening was a fantastic success. We were lucky enough to be joined not only by Andy Robinson, but also by a lively and articulate group of people all there to help support the launch of the Cotswold Fifteen. We are now looking forward to our inaugural meeting on 19th March, where we already have members from a variety of industry sectors including education, IT, the police force and healthcare.”
For more information about the Cotswold Fifteen or any other Fifteens across the country, please contact Debbie Richardson on 01225 858884 or email debbie@footdown.com
Andrew Mercer and Nigel Risner to front leadership event in the North West
January 2009
Andrew Mercer and Nigel Risner are set to share their secrets of success with an exclusive audience in Manchester next month as they front a leadership event with a difference.
Thursday 5th February will see CEOs, MDs and entrepreneurs from across the North West meet to network and share ideas about successful leadership in ‘what could be the best two hours you’ve ever spent’ according to organisers MC2.
Mike Perls, MD of MC2 and member of the Cheshire Footdown Fifteen led by Donald Bone, hopes the event will challenge the region’s leaders to be the best they can be, something he himself is learning through his membership of Footdown. The questions “If not us, then who? If not now, then when?” will resonate through the event, inspiring guests to take another look at their leadership styles and become even more successful.
Footdown's Inaugural National Conference Goes Global
October 2008
“If not us then who? If not now then when?”
The inaugural Footdown National Conference proves the future of the business world is inextricably tied to the future of the environmental world and a sustainable approach to business and leadership
What happens when you gather a group of highly successful individuals – entrepreneurs, business leaders from various sectors and truly inspirational speakers – in one room for a day? When you challenge them to be the best they can be, expose them to a serial eco-entrepreneur and a world-leader in environmental politics and you have the recipe for an inspiring and energising event.
As the many members who attended will know, the prestigious Reform Club on Pall Mall played host to just such an event (special thanks to Bristol Fifteen leader Anne Summers for allowing us all to be her guests) in early October. With sustainability as the central theme for the day ‘if not us, then who? If not now, then when?’ was the strap line for the agenda. Who else could take the floor first but Footdown’s founder and now CEO of two green energy companies, 2OC and Blue-NG, but Andrew Mercer.
While many in the audience were familiar with Andrew’s journey with Blue-NG in the fiercely competitive market of domestic energy provision, he shared with the audience the vision for both 2OC and Blue-NG and how they were tackling the challenge of leading a joint venture through a complex and hugely expensive project.
Andrew, as always, was keen to demonstrate that while he and the team were enjoying the progress and early success with 2OC and Blue-NG it was the approach, the Footdown model, that they had adopted, that was providing the platform for achievement. He candidly described the point at which he was forced to sell his previousl company, One Meaning, to Oracle ten years ago, and it was that disappointment, frustration and experience that inspired him to set up Footdown.
That vision is now helping Footdown members across the country to be the best they can be – to grasp the opportunities they are given with the support of other members, and in turn to encourage, provide advice and inspire their fellow members to do the same. Andrew is now walking the talk, and recognising that the unique combination of group mentoring, one to one coaching and the Footdown model is exactly what he needs in his current exacting leadership role he has joined the Bristol Fifteen.
In his short but powerful presentation, Andrew talked of the many challenges he is now experiencing with 2OC and Blue-NG, but never strayed far from the fact that he is always learning, always striving to be the best and never getting complacent. His words resonated with every member of the audience and clearly inspired many in the room.
The environment and business theme was continued by Jonathon Porritt, Programme Director of Forum for the Future and Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission. Engaging, powerful, and often witty, Jonathon’s speech under the banner, Sustainability – Capitalism’s saviour” stunned his audience by demonstrating exactly how bleak the earth’s environmental future is looking, and how businesses hold the key to making this future brighter, more sustainable, and at its worst, even possible.
With the world’s population due to treble from 3 billion to 9 billion in the space of just of just one century, Jonathon pinpointed the pressures that we are putting on the planet and demonstrated how businesses need to take responsibility and lead the way.
Jonathon urged those listening to acknowledge that businesses must take responsibility for their impact on the environment – no longer can business leaders take advantage of the free resources of the planet with no payback – clean water, air, and most importantly, fuel has to come at a price. Citing the Chinese lack of democracy as an unpopular but undisputed method of change, he suggested, somewhat facetiously, that if the rest of the world could make decisions without democracy for just one day, change might be effected.
An impromptu presentation from Doctor Alan Watkins from Cardiac Coherence provided an insight into Spiral dynamics and provided a very thought provoking, compelling and very well received view on the levels of leadership.
The remainder of the conference provided an opportunity for members to get to know each other a little better and to gain an understanding of each others businesses and organisations via the Hedgehog! The work of Jim Collins in “Good to Great” was the reference material as members shared their Hedgehogs. This allowed for some effective networking and a chance to challenge each other on the purpose and direction of their professional and personal lives.
For more information about forthcoming member events please contact Debbie Richardson on 01225 858884.
Footdown launches two new Fifteens
December 2008
With eight Footdown Fifteens already up and running, Footdown is delighted that within the next few weeks, that number will have risen to ten. Two new groups in Ascot and the Cotswolds will join the existing Fifteens, offering even greater access for members.
Mark Kilgallon and Josie Payne will be leading the Ascot and Cotswolds groups respectively, with the first meeting in Ascot planned for later this month.
Mike Roe, Footdown’s Chief Executive, comments: “We are delighted that Footdown’s success means we can spread our net even wider. Although traditionally members have been willing to travel great distances to come to meetings, the fact that we are able to offer more and more locations will mean not only greater accessibility, but also more memberships available for leaders wanting to be the best they can be. We also have an eleventh Fifteen in the pipeline, planned for North London, and will be revealing more details on this in the New Year.”
Anyone wanting more information on either the new Fifteens or those already established in London, Bath, Bristol, the South West, the Thames Valley, Surrey Hills, Esher and Cheshire should contact Debbie Richardson on 01225 858884.
Member referral scheme proves successful
December 2008
Footdown’s new Member Referral Initiative, which rewards existing members for introducing new ones by donating up to £1,000 to their chosen charity, has already proved a huge success despite still being in its infancy.
The idea is simple – if an existing member recommends a new member who subsequently joins a Footdown Fifteen, up to £1,000 is donated to a charity of the original member’s choice.
“The scheme has been received with real enthusiasm by leaders and members,” comments Footdown Chief Executive Mike Roe. “We are in no doubt that the best way to recruit new members is through a referral from an existing member as they can really illustrate the benefits and power of the Fifteens. This incentive scheme not only helps the charities that ultimately receive the money, but also benefits each and every Footdown member by cultivating more diverse and dynamic groups across the country.”
There is no limit to the number of new members an individual can recommend, and each successful referral with result in a new donation.
Charities that have already benefitted from the Initiative include The Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice in Farnham and Footdown’s nationally adopted charity The Prince’s Trust.
Entrepreneurs: a mentor can tune your skills
April 20, 2008
Angela Wright at the official launch of 2 new rides at Crealy Adventure Park, Nr. Exeter, Devon.
Seeking advice from wise heads has been second nature to Angela Wright, managing director of Crealy Adventure Parks, ever since she started out in business.
“I have always asked lots of questions and sought out the people with answers,” said Wright. “It started with my parents. They have been in business a long time and have always offered very wise counsel.”
Today she works with a personal mentor, an experienced and successful business-woman, as well as with the mentoring organisation Footdown Fifteen. Members of Wright’s local group meet once a month to help each other work on the challenges and dilemmas they are facing in their professional lives.
“The group comes from different sectors, sizes of business as well as from the public sector. They have been really helpful. It’s a bit like having a board of nonexecutive directors,” said Wright.
Her work with these mentors has helped her with a range of issues including achieving specific goals, such as improving her network of contacts. It has also helped with longer-term issues, such as getting her management team to work more productively together.
Wright’s experience of mentoring is not unique. Using a mentor can offer many benefits to entrepreneurs, according to Bob Garvey, professor of mentoring and coaching at Sheffield Hallam University.
A recent programme Garvey set up to see if mentors could help with a specific goal, ended up demonstrating much wider benefits for the entrepreneurs involved. These benefits included transferring new skills and knowledge, creating better networking opportunities as well as helping them improve their product and in some cases even going into business with their mentor.
Many of the benefits of mentoring lie not in helping them with concrete goals, however, but in making the mentored executives more rounded individuals – improving their ability to solve problems, to interact better with other people and to cope with challenges, said Garvey.
“Mentoring helped the entrepreneurs we worked with understand better how people think. It helped them improve their network, gave them new insights into their own activities as well as challenging themselves to think things through more thoroughly.”
Finding the right mentor to help you do this is important. “One problem we experienced was that some of the people being mentored were too fastidious,” said Garvey. “Matching mentors and executives for difference rather than similarity is important. A good example is the time we lined a ceramics entrepreneur up with an international banker. He was not happy with this at first but he ended up telling us how amazing the process was.”
Wright agrees that having a mentor from a different background can be valuable. Her personal mentor from Footdown Fifteen is a former chief of police for Somerset and Avon. He might not seem an obvious person to advise on running a leisure business, but his experience and insights have helped Wright to manage her business.
“I spend a lot of time with people involved in my industry, so industry-specific issues are not always what I need help with,” said Wright. “He has a broad take on humanity and knows what makes people tick. Ultimately business boils down to people.”
To get the most out of your mentor you need to have the right approach and attitude, said Garvey. “You need to be up for it and you need to be open to the idea of learning new things. In our experience, owner-managers are often their own worst enemies, being overambitious, showing a lack of tolerance to other people, being overly assertive or aggressive in their behaviour.”
Being prepared to change such behaviour is as important as wanting to learn specific skills or make particular contacts, he said. “Gaining self insights through mentoring can be more important than concentrating on improving your business performance.”
Ensuring the relationship is fruitful is ultimately down to you, however, said Wright. Working successfully with a mentor is not about being handed the answers to a problem, but about using your mentor to help look at situations and dilemmas afresh.
“Usually the solution to the problem lies in looking at it in a new way. Half of the benefit of working with a mentor comes from being made to look at the problem differently.”
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A MENTOR
-
Search widely and beyond your industry for a mentor
- Look for experienced, successful people with a few grey hairs
- Be open and honest about the mentoring relationship
- Be prepared to have your assumptions challenged by your mentor
- Don’t be afraid to find new mentors and use more than one at the same time
If you are interested in joining a Footdown Fifteen group in your area, please contact Footdown:
Solsbury Hill
Bath
BA1 7AB
Tel: 01225 858884
Or email debbie@footdown.com
Footdown Fifteen launches seventh group in Cheshire
Footdown news - 27th February 2008
The long-awaited Footdown Cheshire Fifteen has launched at a bustling breakfast meeting that brought together some of the best business minds in the region.
Leader Donald Bone’s enthusiasm for the new group is infectious: “The potential for the Cheshire Fifteen is extraordinary – with such a determined, dedicated and ingenious group of business leaders such as we have in this region we cannot help but succeed in bringing about further economic success.
“I am determined that the Cheshire Fifteen will look to the future – not only will we find solutions to issues that affect us as individuals, but we will also act with global awareness and a sense of conscience when it comes to the environment. I strongly believe, as do many of the people who attended our launch breakfast, that climate change is the biggest threat to both business and society, but as business leaders we hold a uniquely powerful position to be able to act and have a positive impact. We cannot ignore our responsibilities, and I am determined that through the members of the Cheshire Fifteen, we can make a considerable difference, both within the region and the wider global environment.”
Anyone wishing to find out more about the latest Footdown Fifteen should contact Donald Bone on 07966 281843
Geo-pressure
Footdown news - 18th January 2008
Footdown ’s founder and Bristol Fifteen member, Andrew Mercer, has won a remarkable fight with the government over a new form of renewable energy. And Andrew says he could not have done it without the help and support of his local Footdown group and the application of the lessons learned from the Footdown coaching model he devised.
Inspired and encouraged by a chance conversation with a fellow Footdown member, Michael Edge, Andrew created 2oc with Michael’s support in 2005. The company planned to use the geo-pressure, which comes out of the ground and drives gas around the country’s pipeline network, to create clean electricity. 2oc would place a turbine in the gas flow and generate virtually emissions-free electricity. The energy industry regulator OFGEM gave the technology a thumbs- up in December 2006 when it allowed it to become part of the Renewables Obligation (RO). This is a government price support mechanism used to encourage all forms of renewable energy. But within weeks of doing that, the government decided that was a mistake and issued a consultation paper, in which it proposed removing geo-pressure from the RO. Three years of hard work and a considerable financial investment appeared to have been wasted because, without that subsidy, geo-pressure just wouldn’t be viable.
“It was a huge blow” says Andrew, “particularly because it came so swiftly after they had given us the go-ahead. I’d signed a £300m joint venture with National Grid on the strength of our inclusion within the RO, and now they were taking it away.
Andrew began to put together a lobbying campaign to try to persuade the government to change its mind. The commonsense argument to use the technology was overwhelming, but Andrew could see there was an emotional argument, within the Civil Service and the government, that couldn’t see how this was truly renewable. “Although I had an excellent team around me at 2oc, the additional support I received from my regular sessions with Footdown, helped me through what was at times, a pretty bleak period” says Andrew. “They had faith in the idea and more importantly in me. Unlike my previous experience in the USA where I felt alone and isolated with nowhere to go for help and support, now I was surrounded by a Footdown Fifteen full of expertise, experience and excellence, who were also my very good friends. You can’t put a price, either financial or emotional, on how much that meant.”
Andrew set to work on a lobbying campaign, garnering support from green NGOs such as Greenpeace, Forum for the Future and Friends of the Earth. The majority of respondents to the government consultation agreed with them that 2oc should be kicked out of the RO. Leading from the front, Andrew bombarded the Energy Minister, Prime Minister’s office, MPs and other key stakeholders with scientific, legal and business arguments for inclusion. There was a face to face meeting in Whitehall with the lead Civil Servant, meetings with a Minister and MPs. “It was high octane stuff” admits Andrew, “but we just kept believing.”
In January 2008, the government did a u-turn. Geo-pressure and 2oc were allowed to stay within the RO and receive the vital early funding it needs to be viable. The government had listened to the arguments put forward by Andrew and changed its mind. It means that 2oc can take this technology worldwide and make a real difference in the fight against climate change.
Read more on the 2OC website.
PRESS RELEASE: New Chief Executive announced at Footdown
Footdown news - 18th December 2007
Former Bristol Police Commander Mike Roe has been appointed as Chief Executive of the leadership and mentoring organisation, Footdown.
Mike, who recently retired from the Avon and Somerset Constabulary after playing a major role in efforts to tackle drug crime in the city, has joined the rapidly expanding Bath-based company.
Footdown aims to help and support business leaders – including entrepreneurs, directors of large corporate divisions, partners of professional firms and senior public sector employees - who are committed to improving their leadership performance.
Being a leader, whilst frequently fulfilling, is demanding, sometimes frustrating
and often lonely.
Footdown is passionate about improving the quality and performance of our country’s business and public service leaders, by inspiring and informing them through a combination of individual performance coaching and group mentoring.
Members quickly come to appreciate the power of the group to make meaningful changes in their professional and personal lives, and to trust that the members of their group will never let them down.
Mike comments: “I have been a member of Footdown for a number of years
now and am delighted to now take a more active role in growing the company.
The support that the group and leader can provide to members is extremely
beneficial, and significantly, we have found that when talented and
inspirational people come together they make a difference beyond their
authority. I’m confident that by the end of 2008 we will be giving this kind of vital support to many more business leaders across the country.”
The company was founded in Bath but now has groups across the country in Bristol, the South West, London, Esher, Thames Valley, Guildford and Cheshire with plans for further expansion in 2008.
For more information please visit www.footdown.com
Ends
Notes to editors:
For more press information please contact Sofie Boddy on 01275 817274 or 07766 693507, or email sofie@sofieboddy.com
Be (ing) The Change - Andrew Mercer energises the Be The Change audience with a description of how he became a low carbon entrepreneur
Footdown news - 17th November 2007
Weaving together a mix of interview clips and the Greenpeace video on Anita Roddick’s activism, with a very personal description of the events and the people who’ve influenced and helped him on his journey to becoming a low carbon entrepreneur, Andrew Mercer gave the 700 plus audience some interesting ideas on how they could “Be The Change”.
Andrew was speaking on the third and final day of the annual Be The Change conference at the Methodist Hall, Westminster. The whole event, entitled “The Sky’s the Limit” was dedicated to the memory of Anita Roddick and was focussed throughout on encouraging and helping the participants to make the changes in their lives that we all need to make to tackle both the causes and, increasingly damaging, effects of man-made climate change.
Unlike Ray Anderson who spoke so movingly at Be The Change in 2005, there was no one epiphany moment for Andrew. Instead, it was a series of increasingly large steps taken along the low carbon road, influenced at every stage by a diverse range of people. These people included: polar explorer David Hempleman-Adams; eco-architect Bill Dunster; environmental campaigners John Sauven and Jonathon Porritt; and most important of all, entrepreneur with conscience Michael Edge, to whom the presentation, entitled Postcards from the Edge, was dedicated.
Throughout the presentation, Andrew used his own experiences to stress the importance of engaging entrepreneurs like him in the fight to tackle climate change. These experiences included building the clean energy business, 2oc, pursuing his dream of building a carbon neutral home and working with the environmental NGOs, such as Greenpeace.
To make the most of their talents, Andrew believes passionately that all entrepreneurs should do three things: build low carbon businesses and/or green their existing businesses; support the work of the NGOs in tackling climate change; do what they can to reduce their own carbon footprint. But he acknowledged that the last item was often the hardest thing to do.
Re-emphasising the importance of working with others to achieve the goal of becoming a low carbon entrepreneur, Andrew left the audience with the thought that the challenges we face with climate change mean that life is no longer a marathon but a series of 100 metre sprints. Being part of a team will make it easier to get through the finish.
Be The Change (www.bethechange.org.uk) is an annual forum for discussing and designing the changes we all want to see in the world.
Launch of the Taunton Fifteen
Footdown news - 15th November 2007
"In some quarters the south west has a reputation as a sleepy hollow, fit only for those retiring or looking to buy a second home. But, as the leaders in this room know, there is a real vibrancy, a developing positive attitude and a determination to grow and prosper, but to do so in a sustainable way.” So said John Snell, the leader of the new Taunton Footdown Fifteen group, at a breakfast meeting held recently to launch the new group.
John went on to say: “We need to make sure that there are opportunities for our young people; that we are attractive to businesses big and small and that growth is sustainable both economically and environmentally. As leaders, we have a crucial role to play, we can learn from the mistakes made in other regions and we can work with each other to meet the challenge of combining growth and prosperity, with social responsibility."
Having completed a 30 year career in policing, John is looking forward to bringing the considerable leadership skills he honed during this time to the challenge of building a group to rival the success of the other Footdown groups in Bath, Esher, Bristol and London.
The new Taunton group will meet for the first time on 10th January at a location to be confirmed.
Launch of the London Fifteen
Footdown news - 25th October 2007
As the Esher and Bristol Fifteen groups, launched in the summer of 2007, begin to put down roots in their local communities, our sights move to the capital city. On 6th December, at the Royal Ocean Racing Club in St James, the first members of the London Fifteen will meet with their leader, Francis Macleod to form the fourth Footdown Fifteen group.
Much is expected of this flagship group and Francis, who has a wealth of experience coaching and mentoring groups of leaders, is excited by the challenge of working with the members of the new London group: 'The quality of the inaugural members of the London Fifteen will ensure a high benchmark of performance within the Group from the start. We aim to have a wide range of organisations represented, from FTSE 100 companies to dynamic, entrepreneurial new generation enterprises. The eclectic mix of excellence in the group will guarantee very high levels of energy and originality in its outcomes. It is an honour to lead this group, and to play a part in driving forward its work of enabling its members to be the best they can be.'
For more information on the group and the inaugural meeting, contact Francis Macleod on 07918 195557.
Recruitment of new group leaders goes to plan
1st July 2007
With the recent launch of two new groups, and more planned in the autumn, Footdown, the Bath based leadership mentoring company, is well on track to have seven active groups by June 2008, and a total of ten groups by the end of the year.
The new groups are modelled on the first, the Bath Fifteen, whose members will celebrate its 4th anniversary later on this year. The Esher Fifteen and the Bristol Fifteen have already held their first meetings, while the new Thames Valley group will meet for the first time in September. In addition, Footdown has recruited two further leaders who will be launching groups later in the year in London and Taunton.
Key to the success of the recruitment drive has been the Footdown website, new in 2006, and a short film on leadership featuring many Bath Fifteen members describing both what it means to be a leader, and how their membership of the group has supported their development and growth.
While Footdown has used the services of a number of leading executive search companies, to help them with their recruitment drive, word of mouth is playing an increasing role in bringing potential group leaders to Footdown.
Launch of the Bristol Fifteen
28th June 2007
Sahar Hashemi, who founded Coffee Republic, provided a brilliant platform for the launch of the new Bristol Fifteen group when she used her talk to the group to inspire each member to think about what constituted successful leadership. Drawing extensively on her experience of building Coffee Republic into one of the UK’s most recognised high street brands, she provided plenty of examples of the challenges leaders face each day and prompted lively discussion and debate.
The leader of the Bristol group, the second new group to be formed since May 2007, is Anne Summers. Anne, a former director of the Strategic Command Course, the top development programme in the Police Service, has a passion for working with senior individuals to improve their leadership skills. She honed her own leadership skills during a 30 year period of frontline policing, which included a period as Deputy Chief Constable of West Midlands Police where she was instrumental in reshaping and refocusing the Force and changed its performance from the worst to the best in the country.
At the end of her first meeting, Anne explained “I joined Footdown because I shared their desire to help leaders be the best that they can be. All of the founder members of the new Bristol group are already successful in their own field and are good leaders. They know at first hand the vital contribution that leadership makes in their organisations which is why they value the opportunity to use the power of the new group to improve their own skills. Our first meeting was just the start of the next phase of this exciting journey.”
Interested in joining the Bristol Fifteen? Then contact Anne Summers on 07785 397699.
Launch of the Esher Fifteen
16th May 2007
The inaugural meeting of the Esher Fifteen recently took place at the Royal Automobile Club’s Woodcote Park Clubhouse in Epsom. Led by James Dubois, best described as an “entrepreneur accountant” and managing partner of an Esher-based firm of chartered accountants, the group comprises senior decision makers from a wide range of organisations across both the commercial and public sectors in the Surrey area. All members are committed to using the power of the group to maximise and fulfill their leadership potential.
The Esher Fifteen now has eleven members with room for four more. “Any senior executive wishing to sign up for this enlightening and invaluable experience should get in touch with me quickly,” says James Dubois.
Anyone interested in joining the Esher Fifteen should contact James Dubois on 07899 995421.
Midge Ure urges Bath entrepreneurs to act on climate change
27th April 2007
On a sunny April evening at the Roman Baths in Bath, Midge Ure reprised his pivotal role in pricking the nation’s conscience over famine in Ethiopia by urging an audience of entrepreneurs and other businesspeople not to “let it go” in the fight to tackle climate change.
During the evening, guests were invited to pledge offers of financial and other support to three environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) prominent in the fight against climate change – The Climate Group, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. A number of guests did so on the night and more have done so since. But many guests also took away the message that tackling the global long term problem of climate change offers unprecedented business opportunities for those with the far-sightedness to spot them. As Steve Howard, Founder and CEO of the Climate Group, has said: “What a brilliant opportunity to look at the greatest challenge of the 21st century, and there are business opportunities.”
Entrepreneurs with Conscience website
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