EO Boost Panel Discussion – What makes a good business, can it do well and do good? | 25.11.2020 – 15.45 

Penny Haslam, former broadcast journalist and presenter turned motivation speaker, will host an EO Boost panel discussion at the end of each day. EOA Chief Executive Deb Oxley OBE will participate in each discussion. 

Panelists including  Martin McTague, FSB National Vice Chair – Policy and Advocacy, Jenny Herrera, CEO – Good Business Foundation and Neil Wright, MD – TensCare Ltd, will discuss the impact of business practice and governance on business performance and where employee ownership can contribute. 

About the Panelists  

Martin McTague, National Vice Chair – Policy and Advocacy, Federation of Small Business

Martin has been a member of the FSB for over 20 years, promoting the interests of our local members through the Darlington Branch Committee, as Vice Chairman of the Regional Committee, and as Chairman of the Local Government Policy Unit. He currently owns and manages three businesses offering public policy, engineering and IT consultancy services. Martin leads the policy team to make sure small business issues are understood and represented in Westminster, Whitehall and Brussels.

“Small businesses by their very nature are agile, creative and resourceful. As we find ourselves in unprecedented times, the businesses that think outside of the box and seize new opportunities and ways of working are the ones most likely to thrive. Moving into an employee ownership business model is something that may work for some. Not only could this create a cash boost but it also is effective in motivating teams and instilling a sense of strength.”

Jenny Herrera, CEO, Good Business Foundation

Jenny is the CEO of the Good Business Foundation which has both the CBI and the TUC represented on the board of trustees.  The Good Business Foundation runs an accreditation called the Good Business Charter which recognises responsible business practices across 10 components covering care for employees, customers, suppliers and the environment whilst also paying tax according to the spirit of the law.   Jenny is both a chartered accountant and experienced charity CEO, having built up two successful national charities from scratch, one supporting victims of anti-social behaviour and the other helping people in poverty.

“There is a real imperative to build back better and consumer demand for this is growing.  Yet good business also brings enhanced performance and productivity – it’s not just the right thing to do, there are huge benefits too.  There are clear steps you can take to ensure responsible business practices flow through every area of your organisation and I look forward to unpacking some of these as we explore together what it means to be a good business.”

Neil Wright, Managing Director, TensCare Ltd

Neil orchestrated the transition of TensCare Ltd to become Employee Owned on 1st March 2017 after the private owners put the business up for open sale at the end of 2016. With the help of Private Equity funding he was able to gift his share to the EOT 58% rising to 84% in  the middle of this year when the private equity backer’s capital was repaid and PE shares were bought back by the EOT, the remaining shares are held in an Employee Owned SIP and by Neil.

Neil has a proven ability to make a difference having worked for large global brands and gaining experience from being in start-ups, international corporations, company sales and purchases and having developed distributor sales markets on all continents.

Neil will be pleased to share his first-hand experience of the transformative effect that Employee Ownership can have, not just on positive business outcomes, but as he sees, most importantly on the lives and well-being of the individuals within an EO organisation.

“EO works best because it often puts caring, cooperation and encouragement ahead of more easily measured but ultimately lessor business attributes of defining responsibilities and measuring outputs. i.e Employee Ownership puts people first and improved productivity and profitability become a natural by-product of that endeavour.”