Annual
Conference
This year’s annual Mayo Wynne Baxter
conference held at the Amex Stadium
was another resounding success.
The theme this year was ‘change’ and
it was delivered through a number of
mediums. The subject of change was
chosen because we always strive to find
new ways to improve our service to clients.
Our Chief Executive, Chris Randall,
told us a fable about penguins, which
highlighted the fact that we need to move
with the times or risk being left behind.
In the fable, we were told about
penguins living on an iceberg which
one happened to notice was melting,
putting those living on it at risk – it also
highlighted his struggle to convince the
others in his colony that action had to
be taken for the colony to strive. The
fable was centred on a book called ‘Our
Iceberg is Melting’, based on work by
award-winning author from Harvard
Business School, John Kotter with
Holger Rathbeger.
Staff were also told about future plans
that will free up the legal departments
from administration, allowing them more
10
time to do what they do best – which is to
provide exceptional service to their clients.
An inspirational talk was given by Neil
Laughton who is an entrepreneur,
adventurer and speaker and started out
as a Royal Marine Commando and SAS
(R) officer. He went on to found, develop
and sell his own business to a FTSE 100
company in 2011. He has completed the
Explorers Grand Slam, circumnavigated
the UK on a jet-ski and piloted a flying car
across the Sahara Desert.
He spoke to us about Flying for Heroes
which is a not for profit enterprise that
provides pilot training scholarships
for wounded services personnel and
veterans. After training eight student
pilots – these newly qualified pilots
will be televised attempting to fly paratrikes and para-motor cars for 1,000kms
across Kenya in partnership with Help
for Heroes. This mission has never been
attempted before.
Neil was joined by the team leader of the
expedition, Rory McKenzie, who served
as a combat medic in the British Army
and lost a leg while on patrol in Iraq. He
was a member of an Army team who
successfully rowed across the Atlantic. It
is fair to say that most staff were gripped
by both speakers.
The conference is not only a rare
opportunity for staff from all offices to
spend time together but to reinforce the
emphasis we put on customer service.
This was done through a number of
talks given by senior members of staff
including our Chief Executive, Chris
Randall, Marketing Director, Jason Edge
and Practice Manager, Sue Gadd.
Everyone was presented with a goody
bag at the end of the day which included
a number of exciting items including
use of a spa for two, football tickets,
golf, cake and of course a McVities
Penguin bar. They’ll be hard to beat
next year and a big thank you must go
to those who donated including Piglets
Pantry, Mid Sussex Golf Club, Brighton
Hilton Metropole, Macmillan, Bennett
Christmas, Velo Café, Brighton & Hove
Albion FC , Sussex County Cricket Club,
Brighton Theatre Royal, Crawley Town
FC and Flying for Heroes.
By Liza Laws
11