JGA co sponsors EO Boost
We are proud to announce that in conjunction with Postlethwaites we are headline sponsors for the EOA virtual event this autumn
Save the dates - EO Boost 24th - 26th November
Stir To Action Festival - A Playground for the New Economy
Employee Ownership Discussion Panel
The Stir to Action team have helpfully posted a recording of the panel discussion Jeremy facilitated with Deb Oxley OBE, David Sproxton, Ben Watson and Simon Crichton. It’s on their Vimeo channel, along with many other sessions from the festival.
If you missed the opportunity to join the session it’s well worth taking a look.
Stir To Action Festival
Jeremy supports panel discussion on Employee Ownership
Jeremy visited Selgars Mill today to meet the Stir To Action team and host a session in support of their Festival, A Playground for the New Economy.
Jeremy was joined by experts from across the Employee Ownership field, as he led a discussion where they shared their views and experiences from a legal, financial and owners point of view, with invaluable insight from Deb Oxley of the EOA.
The festival is running 1-3 September covering a wide range of topics.
Jeremy speaking at the Stir to Action Festival
1-3 September virtual event - A Playground for the New Economy
“It’s wonderful to have been asked by Stir to Action to support the Festival, particularly to highlight one of the fastest growing ownership models. I’m pleased to be able to share my experience and views as a result of supporting the EO sector for the last 7 years”
“I really appreciate the chance to help spread the word and contribute to the debate around how to help organisations seize the opportunities available to build back better.”
Jeremy is joining Deb Oxley OBE for a 1 hour discussion as part of a number of sessions over the 3 day virtual event.
Stir to Action's Playground for the New Economy Online festival is taking place 1-3 September, with a new line up announced for 2020. £10 online festival tickets are now on sale at www.stirtoaction.com/festival
+ Provocative conversations
+ Interactive discussions
+ Face-to-face networking
+ More!
Join us to be challenged and inspired by our unique line-up of contributors, all offering provocative ideas about, and innovative alternatives to, the current political and economic landscape.
We're online this year we’re pulling out all the stops to give you an amazing festival experience, even without the field. That means you can join in from WHEREVER YOU ARE.
Postlethwaite tools supporting Employee Ownership awareness
Garry Davis, Associate Lead, shares his expertise in this useful guide supporting business recovery
Employee ownership and business recovery
We’ve worked with similar clients for some time and have a good relationship with Postlethwaite Solicitors, including jointly sponsoring the 2019 EOA Conference.
It was a delight to be invited by Robert to contribute towards this guide and help business owners understand the employee ownership model and how it could support their business recovery strategy.
We’re happy to share our experience and expertise, and when it’s supporting the wider understanding and promotion of the employee ownership model to ensure awareness increases, then all the better.
Contributing to Robert’s guide gave us the welcome opportunity to give a big shout out to investing in the ‘People Side’ in challenging social and economic times.
RVE tools supporting Employee Ownership growth
JGA are delighted to be a contributor for the RVE guide
When the team at RVE Corporate Finance asked for our input, we were only too happy to share some of our throughts on stakeholder planning.
We recognise that transferring your business to employee ownership can be a little daunting, for both owners and employees. Anything we can do to help make the transition easier has the advantage to the business in realising the benefits of employee ownership sooner.
Our contribution to this guide has a focus on stakeholder planning and gives an outline of some key section headings.
If you would like further detail on how JGA can support you in planning your transition to employee ownership click the button below!
Adrian Wheale joins JGA
Adrian shares his expertise and philosophy with JGA
It was in my late 20s when “the penny dropped” that .... actively linking people to enterprise was the key to generating commercial growth. Leaving behind my prior command and control influences of corporate life, I made a 180 degree career-turn.
The result = successfully spending the next 35 years + actively embracing that insight... both as a senior exec and then as an owner-director in the executive selection/people services/ human capital and dispute resolution domains.
In essence, ethically partnering growth by focusing on quality boards and top-teams, critically, with quality candidates that “fit”. This always was, and still is, my value proposition.
I like to see (and complement) that DNA of inclusive leadership & mutuality, values & value, engagement & enterprise running through a business at the core. That’s when 2+2=5, in my experience. NB It was over twenty five years ago when I was first exposed to EO via the RSA’s “Tomorrows Company” regime, led by Unipart and John Lewis, and it’s been an enthusiasm ever since.
Bringing that up to date was meeting Jeremy clientside when he was advising and I was recruiting, and , yes .... 2+2 did =5!
We are delighted to have Adrian join us and excited to have his support in developing a new service for our clients
EO Day 2020 - time for change
Friday 26th June is Employee Ownership Day. Lisa Fryer, Associate, considers how now may be the perfect time for even greater awareness of this business model.
When the June edition of People Management landed and I took a moment to flick through the articles, ‘Remaking Corporate Governance’ caught my eye. So I made a coffee and allowed myself time to take a closer look…
There is no doubt that the current circumstances are having a significant effect on the way that companies are operating. At the beginning of 2020, key questions were centred around how businesses were addressing their environmental impact and supporting positive climate change action. How could UK businesses prepare and adapt to the impact of Brexit and whatever related trade deals were also major concerns?
Within a few short months we’ve experienced global disruption to welfare and economies as a result of Coronavirus. Currently the inequality experienced by all BAME communities has been brought in to sharp focus, with heightened awareness as a result of Covid-19 impact in addition to protests following the deeply disturbing footage of Ahmaud Aubrey and George Floyd.
Those businesses who have responded positively, engaged communities, demonstrated genuine care and concern for their employees and acknowledged their impact on wider society appear to be weathering the storm better. Maybe our fundamental need to be acknowledged as valuable individuals rather than expendable assets has finally come clearly in to focus.
The article explains how corporate investors and boards are aware of ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors. The apparent mentality around ‘pie splitting’ rather than ‘pie growing’ was referenced, with an acknowledged shift towards the latter being increasingly identified, but not mainstream. The roles of HR Directors and NEDs in ensuring recognition and discussion around the changes taking place in society were noted, with a reflection that these discussions more frequently appearing on board agendas. Instead of worrying about how to chop up what was available, the article reports more focus on activities that enable businesses to grow, naturally making more available for everyone. Bonus pay outs for bosses or buying up stock options doesn’t necessarily build business resilience.
I couldn’t fail to notice a couple of quotes picked out in the article. “It will take a long time for people to go back to brands they feel haven’t done the right thing”, and also “If it’s a choice between helping society and boosting profits, it’ll be profits every time”. We should of course all be aware of the role we play in this as consumers.
In my 30+ years of working within the EO community, it’s easy to think that so many would want to undertake business in a positive and ethical way. And yet for me, this article highlighted that so many businesses are yet to identify the benefits of doing the same business in a different way.
Whilst the article covered the changing pressures on boards to adjust their business focus in the current climate, there was little reference to the Employee Ownership model: this introduces a further layer of governance and assurance focused on ethos, community and doing the right thing, even when nobody else is looking.
When you’ve built this in to your business model, it can be so much easier to take those long term decisions. You can tap in to your deeply committed employees, connect with a loyal customer base and communicate innovative change in a positive and future focused way. For good measure, your customers and clients know that you are more likely to be there in the future for them, because you’re not worrying about how much pie you’ve got to split up. You just want to make sure that you can keep on making even more of those beautiful pies long in to the future.
So if you were to ask me what needs to come from the current situation, it would be for the business community to acknowledge that Employee Ownership is not a marginal option or business model for those slightly quirky business owners who want to give something back to their employees. Employee Ownership already has a corporate governance model that addresses a number of the concerns this article has identified. Although we cannot claim these businesses are perfect in this area, there is a far smaller risk of boards misjudging situations when there are Trustees to assure, particularly employee trustees.
Employee ownership is one business model option that helps to address perceived capitalist greed, executive privilege and the endless pursuit of profits at whatever expense. Employee ownership is an opportunity to work and contribute towards something that will enhance others lives for a long time after you’re on the board or a part of the organisation. Employee ownership is the model of business that enables greater engagement and focus around your ultimate purpose, which in turn more effectively supports your immediate community, stakeholders and employees.
So for me the question for EO Day 2020 would be, ‘How can we build resilient and sustainable organisations that we can trust to do the right thing?’
#EOisTheAnswer
EO Day with a difference
Philippa Meaden, Associate Lead, shares her thoughts about this EO day
Following the last 12 weeks spent getting to grips like so many, with home schooling, juggling working hours, whilst competing with friends and colleagues in who can bake the best cake! … here’s what I think about this years EO day.
I have not met anyone yet in my 20+ years of working in employee owned businesses who doesn’t love a good story. I and my colleagues often talk about getting the narrative right, it might be the legacy of founders, it might be the desire of a leadership team or it might be the values and wishes as voiced by the collective employee owners. Whatever the prose, EO day is a great platform for everyone in the EO community to come together and share, learn and make new connections.
The past year for the JGA team has been a busy one in so many exciting ways, and we are just as happy and willing to share some of our stories and experiences with you. (Take a look at some of our case studies )
EO day this year is going to be different however. Having been asked by so many of our clients to join them in marking the importance of their culture last year and the miles stopping us, maybe this years virtual world will allow us to drop in!!
So whether you choose to share your EO adventures of the last year, demonstrate the teams excellent cookery skills, or use the day to make connections, I hope you all have a safe and happy EO day.
Leadership Succession in an Employee Owned Business
Increasingly, business owners are making the transition to employee ownership to address ownership succession.
Yet, many remain challenged with leadership succession. And whilst you can find a plethora of leadership programmes – to equip people with leadership skills – few prepare people to lead an organisation. None prepare leaders to lead an employee owned organisation.
To address this, we have partnered with Telos Partners to design and create the Future Leaders Programme for Employee Owned Businesses with input from the Employee Ownership Association and employee owned businesses.
As part of the EO Learn offer, launched at the conference in November 2019, we're proud to have supported the development of this course aimed at senior leadership succession and planning.
Happy EO Day 2019
Celebrating and discussing future success of our many EO clients, wishing them well and looking forward to seeing you all at this years conference, if not before.
We've exciting plans for 2020 and beyond …
Garry facilitating at the conference
Garry received lots of positive feedback and generated interesting debate having facilitated the session "How to move to Employee Ownership".
A professional, adviser-led workshop on the practical actions you need to take to become employee owned, including legal, tax, behaviour and culture advice.
EOA Conference 2017
CDS - The Best EO Business
It was great to be a part of the EOA conference this year, made slightly more momentous as we were able to witness our clients, Community Dental Services (CDS) scoop the EOA award for best EO business.
Well done to them for a truly great year and here's to 2018.
EOA Midlands Network meeting
Following the successful EOA Midlands Network meeting held at Scott Bader in September, the next EOA Midlands Network meeting will be hosted by Grant Thornton, Cambridge on 12th December at 10.30am - 2.30pm.
This meeting will be a great opportunity to share your 2017 EO story and begin to explore what 2018 will hold.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Working with CDS at Childbase
Working with a great team from Community Dental Services who are holding a representative employee group meeting, which supports employee ownership within the organisation.
Supporting their journey, Childbase kindly agreed to host the meeting and share their experiences of employee ownership.
A great time, hard work and thought provoking.
J Gadd Associates, EO Associates Day!
The team of Associates met on Friday 30 June 2017, to join in the national celebrations for Employee Ownership ‘EO’ day and review the achievements of our clients.
The day was spent sharing best practice and discussing the challenges some organisations face as they look to lever the advantage of being Employee Owned.
Whilst the current evidence indicates employee ownership is a better way to do business, it is not always an easy route. As professionals in helping organisations make the most of the transition, there was plenty of discussion about the challenges company's face.
One such challenge is recruiting senior leaders with the right approach and skills to lead co-owners; this can be particularly challenging where succession planning is a factor.
The announcement of J Gadd Associates interview support service was warmly applauded.
In addition, we discussed the forth coming review into the effect of EO. ‘The Ownership Effect’ Chaired by Baroness Sharon Bowles, and sponsored by JL and the Egar trust is an independent which will review and add much to the debate around the impact of EO.
We all enjoyed the day, made even more special with delicious organic raspberries and strawberries from our most recent client, Riverford Organics. Riverford have embarked on securing their legacy through the employee ownership route.