Strathclyde Business School in collaboration with the Small Business Charter and Strathclyde Inspire launched the ‘Dare to Know’ series of thought leadership events on May 18 with a webinar featuring Benny Higgins.
Designed to provide Scotland’s entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial leaders and anyone interested in leadership with access to cutting edge ideas and discussion, Dare to Know will encourage all of us to reflect on how we approach recovery and lead our organisations as carefully return to a ‘new’ normal. The series will also provide a unique pan-Scotland, pan-UK opportunity to build networks across local regional, and national economies and to make new connections.
During the inaugural event, Benny shared his thoughts on Leadership. Drawing on his experiences of the financial sector, advising government and the various executive roles he holds - including most recently as Chair of the Edinburgh Festival fringe Society - Benny challenged participants to rethink their approach to leadership as we start to move out of Covid and its related restrictions. With attendees from across the UK and further afield - Germany, Thailand, Malaysia and Kenya to name a few locations - this was a fantastic start to the series.
Benny was asked by the Scottish Government to develop an implementation plan for the creation of a Scottish National Investment Bank and was subsequently appointed as Strategic Adviser to the First Minister on the building of the Scottish National Bank and Chairman of the Scottish Government's Advisory Group on Economics Recovery post-Covid19. He is a well-known leader in the financial services sector – he was with RBS until 2005, during which time he led the successful integration of NatWest Retail Banking, one of the largest hostile takeovers ever undertaken in banking. He became Chief Executive, Retail, HBOS in 2006 before joining Tesco Bank as Chief Executive in 2008, a position he held until February 2018.
Professor Eleanor Shaw, Associate Principal, thanked Benny for his contributions and said, “This inaugural event was an inspiring and interesting talk which challenged all of us to reflect on our leadership style and consider whether it remains appropriate given the significant challenges and advances that we have all faced during Covid-restrictions.
“Benny’s discussion of the benefits of humility and leaders who actively listen to those around them are, I think, strong lessons for us to consider as we start to think about physically re-engaging with our workplaces and our colleagues. Dare to Know is all about challenging our ideas with different, insightful and, at times, innovative opinions and insights. It is a fitting event series for Strathclyde Inspire to be part of and we hope it encourages more and more impactful entrepreneurial thinking in all those who were able to attend.”