The Board Ready Talent Scheme has been developed on a not-for-profit basis by Pure Executive, the Executive Search division of Pure, professional recruitment specialists for the East of England. It is unique to the Eastern region and has been created to help organisations develop their leaders of the future, bring greater diversity to their boards and to develop succession plans.
The round table dinner, which took place on the 21st March at the Hotel Felix in Cambridge, provided an opportunity for business leaders to discuss board level succession planning, creating ‘Board Ready’ talent pipelines which will secure the future of the region’s businesses. The dinner was hosted by Pure Executive’s Lynn Walters, Jodie Woodrow, Tom Earl and David Culley, who were joined by the scheme’s ambassador Dr Andy Wood, Chief Executive at Adnams.
Jodie Woodrow, Senior Manager at Pure, said: “Our new Board Ready Talent Scheme is unique, and we wanted to bring business leaders together to explain how the scheme can support them with the succession issues shared during the round table discussion. The scheme has been created to support organisations to grow and fast track their talent to become ‘Board Ready’ through a combination of coaching, mentoring, executive training and direct experience. This direct experience is created by organisations hosting a participant on their own board, while also nominating their own aspiring employee to attend and observe the board or senior leadership meetings of another host organisation. It is a unique development opportunity for ambitious people to make the career step up to board level and for organisations to bring greater diversity and fresh thinking to their boards.”
The Board Ready Talent Scheme includes an exclusive executive training programme created by Cranfield School of Management. It has been uniquely designed to prepare participants for their secondment and to support them to become well-rounded board members in the future.
Lynn Walters, Executive Director at Pure, said: “Developing the talent pipeline of Executive and Non-Executive directors in our region, and supporting organisations to achieve a more balanced representation, will help to ensure the region continues to thrive, remains innovative and is a great place to work. At Pure, we are committed to actively working to improve diversity and develop talent as well as supporting organisations in the region to recruit the best people. The Board Ready Talent Scheme is a natural complement to our existing initiatives, all created to support the continued economic growth of our region through the development of people and organisations.”
Pure’s other initiatives include the Women’s Leadership Programme, developed with People and Performance, and the Best Employers Eastern Region, founded with eras Ltd. The Women’s Leadership Programme supports organisations to achieve the business benefits of gender equality and helps strengthen their leadership skills. The Best Employers Eastern Region supports businesses to develop inclusive cultures and create inspiring, innovative and engaging places to work.
The Board Ready Talent Scheme is open to progressive organisations, of any size or sector, within the East of England. Subsidised places will also be available for charity and not-for-profit organisations. Pure Executive supports participants and organisations throughout the duration of the scheme, as if it was a permanent appointment, and all participants sign a non-disclosure agreement to keep all materials and knowledge confidential.
For those interested in participating, more information is available at boardready.pureexecutive.com or by emailing lucy.plumb@pureexecutive.com