I had applied for a number of Dti Innovation Grants related to product development. And we also ran a very successful series of Teaching Company Schemes. This is where we took bright graduates on specific projects in conjunction with DeMontfort University. The success of Rearsby, work I was leading in simplifying the business and working with the Japanese, led to me being called to speak at conferences.
The Dti ran two major Innovation Roadshows, which toured the UK setting up ‘camp’ at major companies for three or four days. e.g. at Cadbury, Rolls-Royce, BAe, Unilever etc. Leaders of local industry were invited to each. Rearsby featured prominently on both road shows.
The second road show was interactive, very innovative for that time. After a video taster of various aspects of the changing business (deemed to be necessary to meet the challenges of the future), each attendee had individual keypads, whereby they call up areas of interest. The Dti reported that I was called up to speak on how we were changing things at Rearsby more than any other, over the two years the second roadshow toured.
In the early 1990’s I was called up to be a member of Michael Hestletine’s advisory team. I sat with notables such as Lord Alexander, Chairman of NatWest.
I was also invited to Chair the Design Council’s annual Design Award scheme for the transport category. On my judging team were Spen King (Designer of the Range Rover amongst other notable vehicles) and Keith Duckworth (Chairman of Cosworth Engineering and designer of the all-conquering, radically new, Cosworth DFV F1 Grand Prix engine), plus other notables from the design/creative industries. That job was fun.
In 1995 I was awarded a CBE.
In 1995 I was awarded the Annual Gold medal by the Chartered Institute of Management. I was not a member.
In March 1996, I was winner of the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, ‘UK Businessman of the Year’ and would have moved to the European finals had the events outlined below not transpired.