MEMBER ZONE CHAMBER INSIDER
Name: Stuart Elford Job Title: Chief Executive Officer
What do you like most about your job? It’s early days, but I love the variety and the opportunities there are to help our members. This is a great place to live and work and being able to promote business in the city, county and region is a real privilege. I am lucky enough to meet a range of people working on some amazing projects and if I can help them in any way and share their success with others, that brings me huge satisfaction.
What inspires you? Seeing people take risks to better themselves, their families and their community, often by venturing out on their own.
What drives you? To do better, be better and help others to do the same.
Where do you see the future of the Chamber? Exciting and ubiquitous – at the heart of the business community – and leading that community in maximising its potential.
If your business has international travellers
then our travel risk management services can help you to prepare, safeguard and respond in line with your travel policy and insurance requirements. We offer bespoke, flexible and cost-efficient
services that will enhance and promote duty of care to all travellers globally through our innovative, web-based platform Sphere.
Sphere provides: • Pre-travel training, planning & intelligence
• Itinerary and real time tracking, check in, SOS & live incident alerts
• 24/7/365 response and assistance
We realise that no two organisations are the same and so from initial guidance to a fully outsourced risk management solution, our range of services can be configured to meet your requirements and support your existing capabilities. Our clients range from large multinationals to
small businesses in various sectors including higher education, NGOs, energy, oil and gas, superyachts, manufacturing, professional services etc.
Visit:
www.securewest.com November/December 2018 Chamber Profile 35
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? I’ve not always been good at taking advice, but my brother taught me how to eat an elephant (don’t worry, it’s a metaphorical one) by not trying to do it in one sitting, but by breaking down major projects into little achievable chunks each day. Do this and one day you wake up and realise you have eaten the whole elephant!
If you could sum up your CV in one sentence, what would it say? Man lucky enough to have had a varied and exciting career in the public, private and third sectors now even luckier to be leading the area’s premier business community.
When it comes to business instinct, do you follow your head or your heart? I’m going to sit on the fence with my answer to this one. I have always been one to follow my passion and gut instinct, but I have learned that it needs to be backed up by a rational and carefully thought out plan – especially when doing it with other people’s money.
Can you describe yourself in five words? Passionate, persuasive, personable, determined, dependable, driven. I know that is six, but I’ve never been good at sticking to the brief!
How do you balance life and work? How do you spend your time when you’re not working? I’m new to this role and there is so much to do, so I am currently failing at this. However, I love walking my dog Charlie and want to get back into running. I’m most relaxed when on the water and am lucky to be going sailing in the Bahamas early next year.
Why did you decide to work at the Chamber? Mahatma Gandhi said: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” I see great opportunities for the South West and the businesses within it if we work together. Rather than stand on the side lines, I decided to take up the challenge and help make the change.
What is your favourite quote? Can I have two? My favourites are: “There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” Nelson Mandela “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do... Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
Who is your inspiration, your hero and who are your influencers? I am inspired by Barack Obama, his journey to the top and and his inclusive leadership style of bringing people together, even when they have vastly differing views. I have few heroes as everyone is fallible, but
I consider myself fortunate to count the sailor and adventurer Pete Goss as a friend. He has courage, integrity and humility, which is a rare combination. I was influenced by my dad who believed
there was nothing he couldn’t do and my mum who overcame tremendous adversity, traits which I hope have rubbed off on me a little.
What are you most proud of? There were some scary moments when I was in the police service, but it was always a team effort and it was what we were paid and trained to do. I was very proud of the team I had around me when I was Chair of St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth, who achieved an Outstanding CQC rating and were awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. I was honoured to accept the award on behalf of the amazing staff and volunteers.
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