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boosting financial performance. People are happier, more creative and productive if they are in a culture where they feel they belong, he explained. He highlighted the challenge for employers of how to fill skills
gaps and for employees of how to keep up with change. The answer he said was to make a commitment to lifelong learning, to integrate learning into operations and to make learning a priority of the business as a whole. A survey had revealed that 90% of employees would stay if their
employer invested in their career development. He highlighted neglected skills areas such as mothers with outdated tech skills and older workers with an interest in becoming more technically aware. He also spoke about the anxiety around tech taking over or eradicating roles and the need to challenge the assumption that AI and coding are the only skills worth having because soft skills are more in demand that ever before. Admitting that engineering and technology had a way to go
to increase the proportion of women to 50%, he saw the school system as the starting point to inspire young girls into STEM. He advocated ensuring a 50/50 split in hiring needs and developing programmes for high performance. He felt strongly that young children didn’t have enough visibility into the workplace. This view ties in with Relocate Global’s initiatives to stimulate connections between schools and employers and the specific Relocate Award which acknowledges the importance of such collaborations.
Women as role models Simon Jack, BBC business editor explored with Liv Garfield, chief executive of Severn Trent what the next generations of future leaders might look like and what it takes to drive businesses forward. Speaking as one of only a handful of chief executives in the FTSE 100 she sets an inspiring path for young women and next generation business leaders to follow. Previously she worked for British Telecom
for 12 years and as chief executive of Openreach was responsible for delivering one of the fastest and most ambitious deployments of fibre broadband in the world. Since joining Severn Trent, the midlands-based water and waste company in 2014, profits have risen by 15%. As a British business ambassador for the Department of International Trade she also recognises the importance of global markets and trade. She explained that attracting leaders of the future was about creating a culture that inspires people to be the best they can be because people want to do interesting, novel jobs and also want to be appreciated. “The conversation has moved to be about executive roles, a true
executive debate, it’s about inclusion and I don’t think it should be just about gender, it should be age, gender, ethnicity and background and all of that makes a difference,” she explained. “The reason I am so passionate about it, is that how can you
possibly expect people to thrive and to do their best if they don’t feel truly welcome.” On what sort of careers will people want in the future, she
reflected that lots of people go around the world. “What you need are lots of good curious people from different
backgrounds and different age groups and different experiences all working together in a listening culture. “Create a purpose and direction where people want to follow but
they have to be happy to take diversions,” she said and concluded that the role of senior leaders is to create sense of purpose that everyone wants to follow.
Building Trust and meeting next generation business expectations Jessi Baker, CEO and founder of Provenance a digital platform which enables producers, manufacturers and retailers to track the journey of the people places and ingredients behind their products. Provenance are now working with UK businesses and across ➲
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