Sir Charlie Mayfield joins keynote line-up as EOA Conference tickets go on sale

Sir Charlie Mayfield has joined the line-up of keynote speakers at the EOA Annual Conference which will take place on November 18 and 19.

Ticket sales from the event which is being sponsored this year by J Gadd Associates and Postlethwaite launch today (May 15) for the event which will be held at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole.

Sir Charlie who announced he would be stepping down as Chairman of John Lewis Partnership in 2020 will give a keynote speech that outlines why from social mobility, fair work and fair pay, to tackling regional disparities and delivering growth across the whole of the UK, the Employee Owned sector is a force for good.

He joins other keynotes celebrated architect Ken Shuttleworth, founder of employee owned architectural practice Make Architects which this year celebrates 15 years, has 40 year’s experience working on some of the most ground-breaking architectural landmarks in the world.

The built environment is one of the fastest sub-sectors of employee ownership now making up about 20% of the EOA’s membership, and at least 18% of the Architects Journal 100 largest companies are employee owned with growth looking likely to continue.

While Aardman co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton have agreed to share their journey to securing their creative legacy in the UK – the duo will reflect on their 2018 employee ownership transition in an interview with compere Martine Croxall.

The conference will also deliver 30+ learning sessions, 20 expert exhibitors and celebration of the EOA40 year as well as the EOA Gala Dinner and the presentation of the UK Employee Ownership Awards. It will also invite the sector to take part in the big debate on whether Employee Ownership could be the ownership solution for Rail Service in the UK.

Deb Oxley OBE, Chief Executive of the EOA, said: “Evidence has shown that employee ownership can deliver better productivity, more engaged employees and supports more resilient regional economies by offering a sustainable succession solution. At this time of great political, societal and economic change employee ownership has never been more relevant.

“We believe that this year’s conference will not only support those exploring employee ownership and looking to bring employee ownership to life in their business, but will also further elevate the conversation about employee ownership as an economic and social enabler”

Sir Charlie Mayfield, Chair of the John Lewis Partnership, who is keen to highlight the importance and relevance of Employee Ownership and the valuable role it is playing as a progressive, positive force, said:

“Employee ownership is fundamentally about people, giving employees a meaningful voice.

“The EOA conference is a great opportunity to meet like-minded colleagues to celebrate this unique aspect of employee ownership that sets us apart from other business models. In an increasingly changeable society, it is more important than ever to learn from each other and share good practice to further develop the extraordinary businesses that we co-own.”

Sponsoring the event in partnership, Robert Postlethwaite of Postlethwaite and Jeremy Gadd of J Gadd Associates said:

Reflecting our work together supporting a growing number of businesses in their transition to employee ownership, we are delighted to be jointly sponsoring the Employee Ownership Association’s 2019 Annual Conference in the Association’s 40th year.

In 2019 we have seen a significant growth in the number of companies, from a wide range of sectors, considering and often choosing employee ownership as a succession route.  

 As our work with companies moving to employee ownership grows, the importance for a successful transition of not only carefully addressing the structural, legal and tax issues but also placing the highest priority on maximising employee owner engagement and ensuring effective leadership becomes ever clearer. “