Leading Change

When we get asked about a speaker on change, it can be difficult to suggest some speaker ideas as it is such a wide ranging term with speakers offering views on change from a personal/lived experience to those offering more of a business view on dealing with change

One specific area on change we have been asked about recently is about “Leading change” and in specific for speakers who have within a business or organisation helped to bring about change.

RICHARD GERVER

Richard Gerver came to prominence when, as a headteacher he turned around a failing school in the UK in under two years. Winning plaudits globally, Richard was referred to as “The Walt Disney of The Classroom” by the UK media, and went on to win a multitude of international awards including a UNESCO award for leadership and innovation, Global Gurus Top 30 Thinker, and The National Teaching Awards, Headteacher of the Year. One of his specific topics is on Change. 

Change – Change is certainly not a new phenomenon, but it is an accelerating one. On the whole, we were educated and prepared to live lives where certainty would be our reward, personally and professionally. We were told that if we got our heads down and focused on doing the best we could, as efficiently as possible our reward would be stability. The rapid evolutions in technology, global economy, the environment, social and societal fabric have led to a world where doing enough, only seems to leave us lagging further and further behind, exhausted by the efforts we are expending just to try and keep pace.

The brutal truth is that the world, our sectors and our lives are never going to slow down, or go back to ‘normal’, so we need to find ways to evolve- not just in the workplace but at home too. We must develop new ways of thinking and behaving if we are to find ways to feel in control of the future and enjoy the opportunities it will present. To do that, we must understand why we feel the way we do and what we can do, personally and professionally, to build new and proactive mindsets that will find us ahead of the curve, rather than breathlessly trying to cling on to the back of it.

KEVIN GASKELL

Kevin was the head of UK operations for Porsche and BMW, before launching a new software business, heading a fintech operation, and taking over the helm at a luxury boatbuilder. 

Gaskell’s entrepreneurial approach to business has earned him numerous accolades. He was recognised as one of the UK’s Top 40 leaders reflecting his exceptional ability to inspire teams to transform companies and achieve extraordinary results. His focus on developing innovative strategies and building high-performance cultures has been instrumental in driving business growth and success.

As CEO of four successful world class brands and as a serial entrepreneur, Kevin has created over £3 billion in shareholder value. Kevin talks on taking advantage of disruption in one of his talks.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DISRUPTION AND TURBULENCE – Overcoming a fear of disruption and change allows leaders to recognise opportunities, set goals and dare to dream. This speech highlights the significance of embracing turbulence as a lever for growth, shares the tools and processes used to inspire and motivate teams, instil a sense of purpose, and generate positive excitement in the face of uncertainty.

 DAME INGA BEALE

After working in senior global leadership roles in some of the world’s largest insurance companies, Inga took over the helm of the 330-year-old City financial institution. Taking on many of the traditions that had held the organisation back, Inga expanded their global markets, and introduced strategies including the Lloyd’s Innovation Lab, and the Dive In Festival, an industry-wide, international diversity and inclusion event. She considers the balance struck between history and modernisation when implementing change, the vital importance of inclusion in the workplace, and concepts of trust and ethics in business.

Former CEO of Lloyd’s of London, Dame Inga Beale is a British businesswoman with over three decades of experience in the financial services sector. Inga led the global insurance market through a dramatic period of modernisation, opening the Lloyd’s Innovation Lab, expanding the company’s global access, and challenging the ‘old boys’ club’ image of the 330-year-old institution. Dame Inge speaks on her journey of change.

Modernising Tradition – A Journey of Cultural and Technological Change – Lloyd’s of London was founded in 1688, and needed to modernise to compete with today’s technology. Inga was hired as CEO to do this massive transformation. She shares her story of cultural and technologies changes put in place as part of this process, and gives advice for driving successful business transformation.

ELLIS WATSON

Ellis Watson is a business leader whose varied career from Celador, Syco, and the Mirror Group to name a few, make him a respected and thought-provoking business and leadership speaker. Ellis was most recently the Chairman and CEO of DC Thomson, the Scottish media group, but stepped down in 2020 after 10 years with the organisation

At the First Group, he turned around the fortunes of Greyhound across the Americas, bringing in better service, and changing the culture of low morale. As CEO of Simon Cowell’s Syco Corporation, he took an array of record labels and programme formats, including the X Factor and Got Talent formats, to international success, while at DC Thomson he steered the business into a more resilient organisation by transforming the group’s business models, brands and commercial direction.

He covers themes such as –

Disruption – How it can lead to positive change
Working Under Pressure – how to inspire passion
Taking on Challenges – how to progress from mission statements to true company culture, embracing quality, integrity, and diversity.

 PY GERBEAU

PY Gerbeau is a serial entrepreneur and popular television pundit, giving his views about the business climate and how companies can best achieve success.

During his career, he has completed nine successful business turnarounds. As Vice-President of Park Operations and Attractions at Euro Disney, PY was credited with turning it into Europe¹s biggest visitor attraction, after its difficult start in the 1990s. Michael Eisner, CEO of The Walt Disney Company at the time, recommended PY to Tony Blair and he was subsequently appointed Chief Executive of the Millennium Dome in London in February 2000. With struggling visitor numbers, negative publicity and major financial problems, PY turned it around, resulting in visitor numbers of over 6 million, successfully reviving the company¹s fortunes.

In June 2019, PY embarked on a new venture, as CEO of London Resort Company Holdings, a proposed multi-billion entertainment park in Kent, in conjunction with Paramount Pictures, the BBC and ITV.

Previously, PY was Chief Executive of X-Leisure, the owner of venues including the Xscape indoor ski slopes and Brighton Marina, overseeing the sale of X-Leisure to Land Securities.

If you are looking for a speaker on Leading Change please email us on enquiries@scampspeakers.co.uk