EOA Member News – Quiet Storm becomes an Employee Ownership Trust in its 25th anniversary year
Quiet Storm has shifted to an Employee Ownership Trust model as the independent agency celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
The agency’s founder Trevor Robinson OBE and the rest of the management board of Quiet Storm, headed up by Rania Robinson, will continue to lead and direct the running of the business under the new structure.
An Employee Ownership Trust entails a shift of business ownership from the current shareholders to a trust that is set up to act in the interests and ultimate benefit of the staff. While staff do not have physical shares in the business, they financially benefit from future profit share. The most famous example of an employee ownership trust is the John Lewis Partnership.
At Quiet Storm, the Trust Board is made up of independent trustees, employee trustees and director trustees. Nothing will change operationally or culturally from a day-to-day perspective. However the new Trust will ensure major business-changing decisions will be made with consultation of the staff by having oversight of the Management Board to ensure all the decisions are made for the future sustainability and prosperity of the company and the benefit of all employees.
Quiet Storm CEO Rania Robinson, who will continue to head up the company management team, will be the Chair of the Trustees.
Trevor Robinson said: “When I set up Quiet Storm 25 years ago it was to have the freedom to work in a way that I believed fostered the best culture and creative work. This has always been a priority above all else. Having put 25 years of hard graft into the agency, being able to realise the value of that, whilst also being able to reward staff without effecting the original vision is amazing.”
Rania Robinson said: “In an industry where people are the single biggest equity, giving them more ownership and influence can only lead to higher levels of engagement and commitment – so better overall business performance.
“Our clients, meanwhile, can rest assured that everybody working on their business has a vested interest. And they will benefit from continuity of key senior stakeholders (founders and board members) who are incentivised to remain within the business and have no requirement to exit, in the way they would from a more traditional sale.”
Deb Oxley Chief Executive of the EOA said: “We congratulate Quiet Storm on its move to employee ownership – sustaining its values and independence for the longer term.
“Businesses that give employees a stake and a say build trust and shared responsibility, therefore uniting leaders and employees behind a common purpose. This leaves the business in a better position to flex and adapt – key qualities needed to help the UK Build Back Better.”