More than a hundred company directors and business leaders attended the inaugural East Midlands Business Leaders’ dinner this week at The University of Nottingham, to hear a message of strength from one of the country’s top CEOs, Tony Cocker of Midlands-headquartered energy firm E.ON.
The dinner was jointly hosted by three of the region’s leading professional services firms – Shoosmiths, RBS and KPMG – together with The University of Nottingham. The dinner also contributed several thousands of pounds to Impact, the University’s charitable fundraising campaign, which supports a range of projects that have a positive and lasting influence on society.
It is the first time the four organisations have worked together to create a platform for their business clients and contacts from across the region to share views and perspectives on the East Midlands and national economy.
Taking place in the prestigious Trent Building at The University of Nottingham, the dinner was attended by more than 100 top executives from organisations including Alliance Boots, Dassault Systemes, Nottingham City Homes, Rolls Royce and many other top regional employers.
Keynote speaker, Tony Cocker, Chief Executive of E.ON, spoke about his business journey at the head of a multi-billion pound company and how he helped E.ON to re-engage with its customers. He explained that based on his experience, the key to business success is first and foremost understanding customer needs and the way a business is perceived by its customers. In his opinion, building good customer relations informs dialogue with government and underpins strong relationships with employees and other stakeholders.
Head of Shoosmiths’ Nottingham office, Andrew Pickin, said: “This was a fantastic event which brought together business leaders from across the region to share experiences and hear from one of the country’s most inspirational CEOs.”
Fellow-host Adrian Fern, regional director, corporate & commercial at RBS agreed: “The evening evidences the strength and potential of businesses in the region and has given us the opportunity to put a well-deserved spotlight on wealth creators who are helping us recover from recession.”
Mark Flanagan, director of KPMG, added: “It was great to have so many business leaders from the East Midlands together in one room and particularly exciting to hear so many success stories and optimism for the growth of the region in the future.”
Mike Carr, Director of Business Engagement and Innovation Services at The University of Nottingham, commented: “We were delighted to be able to work alongside our friends at KPMG, RBS and Shoosmiths to bring together this inaugural Business Leaders dinner to the East Midlands. We are working hard here at the University to develop a business friendly environment that enables our partners to access the expertise they need to innovate and grow their businesses.”
