Yesterday my colleague Daisy and I spoke to the Dorset Chamber Future Leaders group about employee ownership as an emerging industry trend, how we’ve embraced it at Grapevine since 2023 and some of the other initiatives we’re supporting to explore what ‘good’ business means in our changing world.
For us, and our business, this is one of the most important audiences to speak to. The community Kat Freeman and Toni Taylor-Price have built of ambitious professionals aged 18-35 are key to the success of employee ownership as a concept. It’s my view that EO at its core relies on future leaders. The model is about preserving businesses for the next generation(s). Without founders, these organisations need talented leaders.
It was important to me that Daisy be included in delivering the talk to demonstrate exactly this. She is one of the newest additions to our team, starting an apprenticeship with us via The Institute of Telecommunications Professionals in autumn last year. I joke that she’ll be running the company in 20 years time, in reality our longest serving member of staff, Donna joined Grapevine in 1993 through a similar scheme to Daisy. 32 years later Donna forms an essential part of our senior management team.
This was Daisy’s first time delivering a talk in this format, but just last week she was speaking on a panel at Channel Live, one of the biggest conferences in our industry and the most high profile appearance I think anyone in our business has ever made! I’m sure everyone who attended either event will agree that she’s already an absolute pro. 🙌
Thank you to Kat and Toni for inviting us to speak at this great event, to our headline act Susannah Brade-Waring, who packed so much value into a 30 minute workshop and to the hosts and sponsors, Forvis Mazars and Frettens Solicitors. It was lovely to meet so many inspired and driven people.
Liam Toms 