Employee ownership recognised as a force for good by Minister for Trade and Investment

Lord Mark Price, the newly appointed Minister for Trade and Investment, applauded the employee ownership community as a key ingredient of a more sustainable economy at this year’s Employee Ownership Association (EOA) Summer Dinner.

Hosted in the impressive surroundings of the Palace of Westminster, this year’s Dinner welcomed guests from across the country to enjoy drinks and dinner in the sumptuous Members’ Dining Room.

Supported by EOA members, CH2M and MyCSP, the Dinner was amiably compered by Simon Fowler, Chair of the EOA and Partnership Registrar of the John Lewis Partnership.

Keynote speaker Lord Price regaled the audience with stories of his early life as the son of a preacher and businessman and on the important lessons of his upbringing; the direct correlation between effort and reward, that everyone’s contribution should be valued, and that one should not pass by someone in need.

The former Managing Director of Waitrose spoke passionately about his belief that business is a force for good and an essential ingredient in maintaining and developing the UK’s economy.  Applauding employee owned businesses, he highlighted their role as a perfect illustration of inclusive capitalism and businesses that take a longer term view and engage staff as a route to improving productivity.

Maintaining the call for employee ownership to enter the mainstream, the evening concluded with a speech from EOA Chief Executive, Deb Oxley, who used her inaugural address at the Summer Dinner to insist that every UK accountancy practice and lender must have local experts able to advise on employee ownership and for HE and FE curriculum to be included as part of the syllabus.