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Business THE TM MAGAZINE


SOUTHERN entrepreneurs


An evening with Kevin Gaskell – Businessman, Leader, Explorer


Success starts with attitude; the ambition to do something extraordinary


This was the opening of Kevin Gaskell’s inspirational speech to a room full of Southern Entrepreneurs. Over 40 individuals gathered together for a three-course dinner in the splendid settings of Oakley Hall Hotel, just outside Basingstoke, to share ideas, connect with each other, and be inspired by Gaskell’s unique outlook on life and business.


The evening was sponsored by Osborne Clarke and UBS Wealth Management. Sara Valentine, partner at Osborne Clarke, and Martyn Begbour, executive director and desk head for South and South West England at UBS Wealth Management. Both addressed the room during the evening on the importance of nurturing entrepreneurial talent and their admiration for the individuals who were willing and able to build businesses.


A charity auction also took place during the evening, involving a famous partner from one of Gaskell’s many diverse business interests. Lewis Moody, the ex-England international, donated his autographed England shirt from the 2003 World Cup Final, which raised over £600 for Moody’s African charities.


Inspiring through business


‘Commit, connect, create’. This was Gaskell’s mantra as he guided the audience through his diverse career, beginning at the tender age of 32 with his appointment as Porsche’s UK youngest managing director where he was charged with revitalising an ailing brand.


Gaskell proceeded to discuss the trials and tribulations of becoming an entrepreneur and what he had learnt along the way, from the difficulties in creating and nurturing his online start-ups, through to the challenges of managing a portfolio of diverse business interests.


Commit – know what you want to achieve


“I have a 1,000-day plan – not a three year plan, as that’s too vague, but 1,000 days. Once that’s done, we aim to move the business forwards each and every day, and we move quickly.”


Gaskell explained that a multi-year plan is too vague, whereas a 1,000-day plan is far more actionable and visible. For planning purposes, the day units are grouped into 50-day sections; in this manner, the daily ‘immediacy’ is retained whilst the management team are committed to taking action, not hiding behind far-off objectives.


Connect – do it as a team


“It’s said that everybody has 5% genius inside them, so I figure put 20 people together and you’ve then got a whole genius?”


Upon hearing Gaskell speak, what is striking is the degree to which he genuinely involves everybody in the organisation. For example, at BMW, board meetings took place out in the open office with everybody invited to participate. This was so all employees could


Oakley Hall Hotel generously donated an overnight stay for two with dinner and breakfast for a prize draw, which was won by Ying Hu and Dr Wen Tao Kuang of Kosnic.


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH COAST – NOVEMBER 2016 businessmag.co.uk 9


understand how the company created value and what part they had to play in driving that creation of value. Gaskell refers to it as ‘3D understanding’.


Create – create magic


“Allow people to think differently, challenge them to look outside the box, and you will generate spectacular results”.


Gaskell is passionate about sharing world- class ideas and procedures with other organisations. So, before he launched BMW UK’s corporate sales division, he first went along to observe British Airways’ loyalty programme and Easyjet’s paperless office culture at first-hand, then incorporated their best ideas at BMW.


Be positive


Throughout his speech and during the Q&A session after dinner, Gaskell continued to elaborate on the lessons he had learnt along the way, not just as a businessman, but also as an explorer and adventurer, having managed to somehow find the time to complete epic challenges such as walking to the South Pole and climbing Mount Everest.


When asked to elaborate on what continued to drive him to achieve so much, Gaskell cited Henry T Ford’s inspirational quote; ‘Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right’.


Or put more simply, success is merely a matter of the mind.


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