Creating a high-performing team

Major General Zac Stenning OBE, Commandant, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Director, Leadership, British Army
Dom Taylor, Head Chef, The Good Front Room, The Langham and Founder, Chef Dom Taylor Kitchen
Tom Allen, Head of Sports Science & Performance, Arsenal FC

In this unique discussion of leadership, we’re honoured to be joined by three experts on high performance environments: Major General Zac Stenning, Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Director, Leadership for the British Army; Dom Taylor, Head Chef of The Good Front Room at London’s The Langham, and standard bearer of modern Caribbean cuisine; and Tom Allen, Head of Performance at Arsenal. Zac is an officer of the Green Howards who’s served extensively in the former Yugoslavia, Iraq and Afghanistan over an almost 30-year career in the armed forces. Immediately prior to his appointment as Commandant of Sandhurst, he was Commander of the 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade. Dom - the winner of Channel 4’s Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef - has built a high-performing team both in the kitchen and in front-of-house, and he’s keen to share his leadership insights with us. Tom leads the effort to drive performance at Arsenal, having previously held similar roles at Aston Villa. The term ‘high performance’ is often used in business as a catch-all phrase relating to improvement and growth. Taking both a Finance and a non-Finance perspective, we’ll looking at driving performance, and we’ll also discuss the challenges of building cohesive teams in our dynamic, fast-changing world.

To be followed by a facilitated member discussion.

This session will commence with drinks, and will include light food.

Transforming the enterprise - the Barnes & Noble story
James Daunt CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Barnes & Noble, and Managing Director, Waterstones

In a world of ebooks and social media, James Daunt has driven an incredible transformation in the fortunes of two major booksellers, turning US giant Barnes & Noble and the UK’s largest book retailer, Waterstones, into profitable, successful chains that have defied trends in a challenging industry. The group is now the world’s largest retail bookseller, spanning 1000 stores across the US and the UK and USD4 billion in sales, the private-equity owned group has, to quote a recent Financial Times article, “defied predictions that the internet and Amazon would kill off the bookshop”. We’re honoured to be hosting the author of that success for a wide-ranging conversation on the lessons he’s learned leading turnarounds. James will share the role played by good strategy, supported by investments in IT infrastructure and a committed workforce. James is probably the most prominent CEO in the publishing world, having founded his own chain, Daunt Books, before taking on leadership of Waterstones in 2011, and becoming CEO of Barnes & Noble in 2019. He is also CEO of stationery and gifts retailer Paper Source.

Finishing strong - preparing for 2025
Frances Haque, Chief Economist, Santander UK
Georgios Lymperopoulos, VP Finance Global Ventures, Category and New Business Models Head, Coca-Cola

As we approach Q4, how are multinationals preparing for 2025, and how will macro conditions impact their plans? Join your CFOs peers as we discuss what’s ahead for the the remainder of 2024, take a look at what to expect for the new year, and look at how large multinationals are responding to changing conditions. Come prepared to share with our panel your own insights and experience. We’ll be joined by Frances Haque, who is the Chief Economist for Santander UK, responsible for the economic analysis and macroeconomic forecasts used by the retail bank, and by Georgios Lymperopoulos, Finance leader for Coca-Cola’s Global Ventures business. Prior to joining Santander, Frances worked for a variety of different institutions as a senior economist, including EY, BT, the BBC, Ofcom and the Office of Fair Trading. Frances has appeared on BBC, Sky, ITV and Bloomberg News, and radio. Georgios’ role sees him lead Finance for Global Ventures, which includes Costa coffee, innocent juices, doğadan tea and its equity stake in Monster beverages. He was previously VP Finance Eurasia and Middle East.

To be followed by a facilitated member discussion.

This session will commence with drinks, and will include light food.

Join your CFO peers for an informal discussion, and bring a problem or challenge you would like to share.

Dinner and drinks will be served.

Join your CFO peers for an informal discussion, and bring a problem or challenge you would like to share.

Dinner and drinks will be served.

A general election: when and who
Guto Harri CBE, former 10 Downing Street Director of Communications
Sam Lyon, Global Head of Campaigns, CT Group
Dr Matt Carter, former Labor Party General Secretary, political advisor and pollster
Sam White, former Chief of Staff to Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer

After a turbulent few years, the UK is heading towards a General Election, likely later in 2024. With corporate head offices expecting country and regional leadership teams to be on top of domestic politics and sentiment, the Global CFO Network is hosting a timely discussion on what’s ahead for the nation.

We’ll be joined by Guto Harri, who was at the heart of No 10 Downing Street during Boris Johnson’s premiership. Having met the future Prime Minister at university and worked for him when he was Mayor of London, he entered Downing Street when Johnson was fighting for his political life. As Director of Communications, he oversaw the response to the police investigation into “partygate”, the Sue Gray inquiry, a vote of no confidence and ultimate implosion of the cabinet which led to the PM’s downfall. He listened in on the intimate calls between Boris Johnson and President Zelensky, joined the PM on foreign visits and international summits to rally support for Ukraine, helped him end the final covid restrictions, and start to grapple with the enormous challenges of the cost of living crisis.

Guto was previously a senior BBC correspondent, covering UK politics and posted to Rome and New York.

Sam Lyon advises international business leaders, governments, and high-net-worth individuals on their most important and complex issues, as Global Head of Campaigns at CT Group. His expertise spans campaigns, communications, and crisis management. Sam leads and advises on CT’s most challenging and demanding campaigns, drawing on his experience running CT’s global campaigns and his previous roles as Director of Communications for Boris Johnson and in journalism.

Matt Carter was Labor General Secretary during he prime ministership of Tony Blair, responsible for the day-to-day running of election campaigns, including the 2005 General Election. Subsequent to his political career, Matt has held senior leadership positions at global public relations and corporate affairs firms, including as UK CEO of Burson-Marsteller. In 2013 he founded campaign and research firm Message House.

Sam White recently helped Keir Starmer rebuild the Labour Party into a serious force in British politics and a government-In-waiting; first as Keir’s Senior Adviser on strategy during the Covid pandemic, then as his Chief of Staff. He was an adviser to both the Blair and Brown Governments, working across Whitehall and Parliament; including as Chancellor Alistair’s Darling’s longest serving adviser in the Treasury during the Global Financial Crisis. Sa also has an extensive corporate career, including a decade working for the UK FTSE insurer Aviva as Group Sustainability & Policy Director. His firm, Next Chapter Strategy, provides businesses with insight and advice on politics, sustainability and economics.

To be followed by a facilitated member discussion.

This session will commence with drinks, and will include light food.

Russia and the West: what it all means for global businesses
Lt Gen Sir Nick Borton KCB, DSO, MBE, Commander, NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps
Nick Catsaras CMG, Director General for Russia and Ukraine, Cabinet Office
Rosemary Thomas OBE, former British Ambassador to Belarus
Mark Trevelyan, Chief Russia Writer, Reuters

Much has been written – and said – about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its impact on Europe and the broadern world. But as NATO and its allies harden their stance against Russia’s actions, the risks comes into sharp focus: all businesses with operations in Europe need to be aware of the immediate tactical issues of a long war, and the broader strategic implications of a weakened but dangerous Russia. In this discussion we’ll be joined by a several senior officials and observers who will discuss the conflict and the implications for large global businesses. Lt Gen Sir Nick Borton commands NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, where he is closely involved in supporting Ukraine and contributing to NATO deterrence. Over a 35-year career, he served on military operations around the world, including Belize, Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Iraq and Afghanistan, where he commanded his Battalion in 2008, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. His later career has involved senior command positions, including 16 Air Assault Brigade and 3rd UK Division, and appointments running global operations and military strategy in the Ministry of Defence. He’ll be joined by Nick Catsaras, the Director General for Russia and Ukraine at the Cabinet Office. Previously Nick was Principal Private Secretary to the British Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, and has filled a variety of senior civil service appointments in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Cabinet Office. He was previously employed in the private sector for seven years and was a British Army officer for six years. We’ll also be fortunate enough to hear from Rosemary Thomas, former British Ambassador to Belarus. Rosemary’s multi-decade career with the FCDO has also included postings as Deputy Head, Europe North, Deputy Director Eastern Europe and Head of Communcations & Reporting at the EU Mission to Ukraine. And we’ll also hear from Mark Trevelyan, Reuters’ Chief Writer on Russia and the CIS, a long-term observer and expert commentator on Russian geopolitical and economic affairs. Mark has been following Russia for over 30 years, having been Reuters’ Moscow correspondent from 1991-1994, reporting the fall of the Soviet Union.

To be followed by a facilitated member discussion.

This session will commence with drinks, and will include light food.

Join your CFO peers for an informal discussion, and bring a problem or challenge you would like to share.

Dinner and drinks will be served.

Why the new Finance skillset is critical for multinational companies
Riccardo Calliano, Head of Global Finance Capabilities and Talent, GSK
Vanessa Addo-Antoine, former CFO, UK & Ireland, NTT

There’s no shortage of consultants and experts talking about the so-called ‘modern Finance function’ , but what are the world’s most successful companies doing to identify key talent skillsets and recruit and retain the very best people? There’s often a disconnect between theoretical talent models and what’s available in different global operating markets, not to mention cultural differences that can throw those models out. In what we expect will be a lively Q&A, we’ll be joined by Riccardo Calliano, GSK’s global Finance capabilities, and Vanessa Addo-Antoine, formerly NTT’s CFO UK & Ireland as we explore what the business is doing to develop its functional capabilities, and what lessons its own experience holds for other multinationals.

To be followed by a facilitated member discussion.

This session will commence with drinks, and will include light food.

Join your CFO peers for an informal discussion, and bring a problem or challenge you would like to share.

Dinner and drinks will be served.

The art of delegation: maximising the value of your leadership
Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Wooddisse, KCB, CB, MC, Commander Field Army, British Army
Captain Ian Feasey, RN, Commander, HMS Queen Elizabeth

A Gallup study of 143 CEOs on the Inc. 500 List shows that companies run by executives who effectively delegate authority grow faster, generate more revenue, and create more jobs. Why it it then that leaders of large organisations in particular often struggle to let go of responsibilities that would be more effectively executed by their teams? The Global CFO Network’s professional staff notes that members frequently find themselves in the position of being comfortable delegating tasks, but uncomfortable or unwilling to delegate the responsibility for generating an outcome. For that reason, we’ve invited three leaders to share with us their professional experience delegating responsibility within large organisations. They’ll share the benefits of delegation and the pitfalls to be aware of. Lt Gen Sir Ralph Wooddisse commands Britain’s Field Army, and has responsibility for 100,000 personnel across a range of specialisations. Capt Ian Feasey commands the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, and has overall responsibility for between 700 and 1600 crew aboard the most advanced warship in the Royal Navy. They will be joined by a senior business leader for a wide-ranging discussion on the power of delegation in complex organisations.

To be followed by a facilitated member discussion.

This session will commence with drinks, and will include light food.

Great communications: lessons from the art of speechwriting
Sophie Adelman, Director of Speechwriting and Research, London Stock Exchange Group
Michael Milner-Watt, Head of Executive Communications, Standard Chartered Bank

Most CFOs would probably admit that great communications is probably not a strongpoint for their team. Detail-oriented Finance people often get lost in that detail when they need to communicate with their stakeholders. Complex issues, it turns out, are difficult to communicate in a simple way. Speechwriting teaches us that stories are often the best way to communicate detail, and when words are chosen carefully, they can be extremely powerful in getting a message across. The Global CFO Network is pleased to be hosting a distinguished panel, including London Stock Exchange Director of Speechwriting and Research Sophie Adelman and HSBC CEO Noel Quinn’s Chief Speechwriter Michael Millner-Watt for a practical how-to session on communicating complex message effectively. Sophie was until recently Head of Strategic Communications at the Cabinet Office, having previously worked as Chief Speechwriter to the Foreign Secretary and Chief Speechwriter to the British Ambassador to the US, among many other senior roles. Michael’s career includes stints in corporate communications and journalism at the FT’s The Banker magazine as Editor of Investment Banking and Capital Markets, and as Chief Speechwriter to the CEO of HSBC.

To be followed by a facilitated member discussion.

This session will commence with drinks, and will include light food.

The Russian economy, Europe and the future

Professor Sergei Guriev, Provost and Professor of Economics, Sciences Po, and co-author of Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century.

If Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine was a nasty wakeup call for Western companies with often-significant operations in Russia, the next 12 months will be critical in understanding what comes next. Will regime change result in peace in Europe and a more open Russian economy? Or will Russia’s future look much like it’s past? Join your Global CFO Network peers in Europe and Asia for a one-hour call with one of the world’s leading authorities on the Russian economy, Sciences Po Provost and prominent Russian economist Sergei Guriev. Prof Guriev has worked in senior academic and government roles in Russia - including as a speechwriter and advisor to then-President Dmitry Medvedev - and has sat on the boards of state enterprises, including Sberbank and the Russian Agricultural Bank. He left Russia in 2013 after a series of “frightening and humiliating interrogations”, and is now based in Paris, where he is Provost of Sciences Po, the elite French school of political science. Prior roles have included as Chief Economist for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

This is an online event.

Join your CFO peers for an informal discussion, and bring a problem or challenge you would like to share.

Dinner and drinks will be served.

Driving cultural change to support big picture goals

Associate Professor Tim Kastelle, Director, Andrew N. Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership
University of Queensland School of Business

Ever wondered what you can do to drive change in your organisation? Join your Finance peers from around the world as we look at how you can push cultural change, and achieve big-picture goals. In this highly practical video call with Associate Professor Tim Kastelle of Australia’s University of Queensland business school, we’ll learn what we can do to innovate in complex organisations, and help our businesses become more nimble in an ever-changing world. Tim has worked on numerous innovation projects with large global companies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and an MBA and a PhD from Australia’s University of Queensland. This call will bring together CFOs and Finance team members from both Europe, Middle East & Africa and the Asia Pacific for an engaging conversation.

This is an online event.

Driving success in challenging times
Janet Henry, Global Chief Economist, HSBC

In a macroeconomic environment in which we can often feel like our strategic decisions have little impact, what role do business leaders play in driving performance? That’s the big picture question we’ll be exploring as we look at economic expectations for the second half of 2023 after a turbulent 12 months heavily influenced by macro factors such as war, sanctions, pandemic and climate change. We’ll start with the big global economies, and seek to understand the impact a slowing US and a tepid Chinese economy will have on Europe. If the key phrase for 2023 has been ‘recession’ the word we’re all bandying about for the next 12 months is ‘mitigation’. In a perfect storm of rapidly rising energy prices and matching rises in agricultural commodities, manufacturing inputs and transportation costs, what’s ahead for the UK and Western Europe, and what approach should multinationals take to investment? We’ll be joined in our discussion by HSBC Global Chief Economist Janet Henry, who’ll share her thoughts and research on what the future looks like. Janet brings to the discussion almost 30 years’ experience as a macro economist, having covered Europe and Asia prior to starting in her present global leadership role.

To be followed by member discussion hosted by Jenny Sutton, Director - Europe, Global CFO Network.

This session will commence with drinks, and will include light food.

Join your CFO peers for an informal discussion, and bring a problem or challenge you would like to share.

Dinner and drinks will be served.

High performance environments: what it takes to win
Lt Col James Greaves, Senior Policy Advisor, Cabinet Office, and army officer
Stephen Park CBE, Performance Director, British Cycling
Paul Hughes, former Director, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

The term ‘high performance’ is often used in business as a catch-all phrase relating to improvement and growth. In sports, high performance is about excellence, and a desire to win; in the armed forces, it’s about managing opportunity and risk; and in aviation, it’s about building a team culture in an environment of high responsibility. What can executives learn from other fields in their approach to high performance? In this panel discussion, we’ll examine what drives elite performers both within and outside the business world to function at such a high level, and look at some of the lessons that can be applied in corporate life. We’ll also discuss the challenges of building cohesive teams in a dynamic, fast-changing world. Our diverse panel includes contributors from the highest levels of sports, arts and the military, all of whom are looking forward to sharing their learnings with members.

To be followed by a facilitated member discussion.

This session will commence with drinks, and will include light food.