The winners of the Best Places to Work in IT 2003
awards, profiled here, represent the pinnacle of best practice in
running an IT department. Over the following pages we profile the
thinking behind their success and how they particularly impressed
our judges. The result is a compelling snapshot of the success of
IT users across all sectors in the UK, which reveals that there is
a great deal to celebrate.
Banking and finance: Corporate
Barclays Bank Servicepoint
Number of staff supported: 15,000
IT staff turnover last year: 0%
Projects for the IT team at Servicepoint have included rolling out
Windows XP and upgrading the organisation's server environment to
Windows Server 2003.
The team is also particularly proud of a recent innovation called
the Electronic Service Point. This is an intranet-based site for
all users in the company which provides an electronic system to log
requests, ranging from setting up new Lan accounts to moving
electrical equipment.
The team has also implemented a knowledge management system just
for the IT team which members said has reduced the time spent
answering queries from users and increased efficiency.
Morale in the IT team is high. One team member said, "Everyone is
eager to contribute and support each other. At peak periods
everyone pulls together to deliver exceptional customer service and
we always go that extra mile on every query to ensure outstanding
customer satisfaction."
Another praised the level of training. "Employees undergo extensive
training when new IT applications or technology are introduced. The
training is tailored to suit individual needs and no restrictions
are placed on the time taken," he said.
"Excellent communication skills and interaction between team
members is encouraged and ensures we are continually coaching one
another. No one is afraid to ask if they do not understand. We
nominate champions to act as mentors."
Team leaders strive to keep the workforce fully informed of any
changes in technology and to encourage their teams to adopt a
positive attitude to change to remove any resistance.
"Continual support is offered within Servicepoint, and a culture of
adapting to change has been successfully developed," said
one.
"A learning culture encourages individuals to develop themselves to
their full potential, by offering support and flexibility to suit
everyone."
And there may be job opportunities at Servicepoint soon. "We have
constant requests for job opportunities, which we will soon be able
to offer when we take on more business in the future," said one
team member.
Judges' comments
Judges praised the promotion
opportunities, regular and comprehensive communications, continuous
tailored training, cross-team working and the high staff morale
that comes from feeling that their work is valued and rewarded and
they are respected.
Banking and finance: SME
Firstplus Financial
Number of IT staff: 16
IT staff turnover last year: 0%
Firstplus Financial Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Woolwich,
specialises in personal loans and mortgages. It has already
received awards from the CBI for its positive approach to staff
development.
Launched six years ago, Firstplus Financials has experienced high
levels of growth in an ever-changing business environment, at the
centre of which is IT.
One IT employee said, "The adoption of new technology is driven by
the business. Firstplus is a rapidly growing company that would not
have expanded how it has without technological changes to manage,
map and control that growth efficiently and securely."
Another said the environment offers many opportunities to identify,
investigate and propose the use of new technologies.
He said, "New ideas are encouraged and there is a defined process
which allows us all to initiate a project for the implementation of
any new or improved technology."
IT staff putting forward new project ideas are asked to present a
comprehensive business plan containing a cost-benefit analysis,
risk assessment and a project summary.
"Any proposal to implement new technology has been met with
enthusiasm and open-mindedness, allowing me to make a case for the
project and ultimately deliver new and improved systems into our
workplace," an employee said.
Setting up such disciplines means that members of the IT team are
being equipped with vital business skills that will stand them in
good stead.
Another team member said, "We have every opportunity to develop our
own careers and those of our colleagues."
Jeremy Potter, head of IT at Firstplus Financials, said his
philosophy on career development is to give each team member
responsibility for a system or topic in addition to their main job
description so that they can specialise in that area.
Some team members are working towards Open University
qualifications, supported equally by their line managers and
colleagues. At the same time, the honing of non-technical skills
such as teamwork is encouraged.
One member of the team summed it up. "We have a very skilled team
of committed professionals who were all carefully chosen, ensuring
that they are the best at what they do. We all support each other
whenever possible."
Judges' comments
Judges were impressed that
staff were kept actively informed and involved and were encouraged
to learn and use their initiative in suggesting and owning new
projects.
There was a friendly, knowledge-sharing supportive atmosphere at a
time of growth. Staff had good promotion opportunities and worked
towards clear personal and professional goals, supported by
recognition by management of the need for industry qualifications
and personal training and development.
Central and local government: Fewer than 250
employees
East Lothian Council
Number of IT staff: 36
IT staff turnover last year: 2.8%
Plaudits from IT staff at East Lothian Council pointed to a
contented workforce.
"The council is a very enjoyable place to work and everyone gels
well together," said one.
"Conditions of service are good, salaries stand in reasonable
comparison with the private sector and, with e-government
initiatives under way, the work is challenging," said
another.
If you are an IT professional with a penchant for the rural way of
life, it sounds like just the place for you. Another employee told
us, "The quality of life in East Lothian is excellent. The
department is based in Haddington, in the heart of the countryside,
yet it is only 25 minutes from the centre of Edinburgh."
IT manager Colin Shand admitted that opportunities to provide
financial rewards such as bonuses or other special awards are
pretty much nil for IT staff working in a local authority.
"However, we do encourage staff to advance themselves via several
initiatives such as career grade schemes, employee development
reviews and regular team meetings," he said.
Shand said the low turnover rate of his staff can be accounted for
in several ways. "We work in a blame-free environment. It is not a
case of whose fault it is, but rather how can it be fixed and can
safeguards be put in place," he said.
"There is also a regular away day organised and the working
environment is open plan, which helps prevent any intellectual
barriers being erected and helps promote an air of bonhomie."
Judges' comments
Although heavily involved in
new IT development, the department did not neglect developing its
people. Management communicated well with staff and delivered
impressive benefits along with offering staff flexibility. The
employers' practice was better than many private sector companies,
even though they have to show best value without a large
budget.
Central and local government: More than than 250
employees
Hampshire County Council
Number of staff supported: 33,000
IT staff turnover last year: 7.5%
"An attraction to working in IT in local government is the feeling
that the work you do directly benefits the local community by
improving services and providing better value for money," said one
IT employee at Hampshire County Council.
"The range of different systems required to support a local
authority is vast and this helps make the work more
interesting.
"Hampshire has a reputation for innovation, making the work
technically stimulating and challenging - something people probably
do not associate with a local authority."
Over the past three years the department has transformed its IT
environment from reliance on systems based on IBM mainframe and SNA
technology to a 6,500-device Citrix thin-client environment
exploiting packages running on Unix and Windows 2000, through a
broadband network reaching more than 1,000 sites.
Another member of the IT team said there was a spirit of openness
that allowed even the most junior members of staff to discuss ideas
with senior management.
She said, "Staff are encouraged to move between the different
sections of the department, making it easier for people to find
their niche."
Another IT professional said there were "few, if any, perks" for
people working in local government, but added, "Hampshire County
Council IT services manages to attract and retain staff - many of
whom could easily get higher-paid jobs elsewhere. What keeps them
here is the nature of the work and the people, which makes this a
great place to work."
Judges' comments
The judges were impressed
that, as well as being able to "tick the boxes" for the Investor in
People staff development activities, Hampshire also used its
reputation for IT innovation and technically challenging work to
attract and keep staff.
The council sought to maximise financial rewards, such as by
offering incentives for internal progression and by paying
honoraria for exceptional performance, even though budgets were
limited.
Retail, wholesale and distribution: SME
Hyundai Car (UK)
Number of staff supported: 500
IT staff turnover last year: 5.5%
Over the past two years the IT department at Hyundai has
implemented new ERP and CRM systems. "These have provided us with a
platform on which to build enhanced system capabilities for Hyundai
and our dealer network," said one employee.
"Although they are not new technologies, they are of great benefit
to our dealer network and ourselves," she added.
A datawarehouse project using Cognos has been implemented to
provide reports on sales and aftersales activities for Hyundai and
its dealers.
Rather than being isolated from the rest of the business, the IT
department is assimilated into the company. Another employee said,
"Our IT department is a great place to work because we are part of
a great company. Our departmental objectives are driven by what the
business needs rather than IT for IT's sake.
"This means we all have a lot of interaction with the business so
we are not seen as a bunch of anoraks. We do not have a huge IT
budget, but we work together to find solutions rather than getting
outside help.
"People are given a general direction and then allowed to manage
their own projects and objectives with minimal intervention,
allowing people to develop in a risk-free environment.
"A number of us have come from the commercial side of the business,
rather than a purely technical background. This helps with the
overall lively feel of the department."
Personal development is taken seriously at the company, with
employees taking part in quarterly reviews of performance
objectives and their own development needs.
Judges' comments
Judges liked the
department's self-proclaimed "gung ho" philosophy, which gives
staff as much control over achieving goals as possible - and then
celebrating their achievements with team building events such as
working for a day on an organic farm, buggy racing and driving
tanks.
Retail, wholesale and distribution: Corporate
Sainsbury's supermarkets
Number of staff supported: 140,000
IT staff turnover last year: 3.3%
According to one IT employee Sainbury's IT has been transformed in
the past two years through an outsourcing partnership with
Accenture.
He said, "We are replacing almost every system, achieving
best-of-breed, single-standard and optimum operational
support-models. So far, we have replaced over 500 stores' systems
and have implemented Oracle for the finance and human resources
departments.
"We have also replaced our intranet, installed product and range
management systems for trading and installed multiple new supply
chains."
His team have also implemented an enterprise datawarehouse and
financial solutions for JS Bank, and e-commerce for Sainsbury's to
You, its online shop.
In store the department has trialled and adopted
self-scanning/self-checkout, mobile stocktaking solutions, picking
solutions for customer home-shopping and various customer
information systems.
In depots, the team has installed automation software, wireless
handheld stock control systems, vehicle scheduling, and yard
management.
Maggie Miller, IT manager, said the chance to work with new
technologies has resulted in a boost to the team morale. "We are
one of the only firms worldwide spending more on IT than ever
before. We will replace every system in Sainbury's over a three to
four year period - the challenges are motivating," she said.
"Our outsourcing deal is groundbreaking and it is energising making
it work. We are Accenture's biggest client in this type of
outsourcing and being a constant reference is a source of
pride."
Judges comments
Judges were impressed by
Sainsbury's IT staff's ability to successfully combine in-house
team skills supported by an outsourced partnership in the face of a
truly daunting project completion schedule.
IT software, services and hardware: SME
Data Connection
Number of staff supported: 273
IT staff turnover last year: 8%
Data Connection is a Middlesex-based software house that develops
networking and internet products. The IT team often works with
bleeding-edge technologies and frequently takes part in beta test
programs.
"We are 'on the ball' with new systems and applications such as
Windows 2003 Server and Office 2003," said one employee.
The department also works with the latest releases of Linux (Red
Hat, Caldera and SuSe), Solaris and HP-UX.
With offices in the US, the IT team can source a wide variety of
equipment not yet available here - particularly wireless and
Bluetooth technologies.
"We have a state-of-the-art Alcatel phone system that supports IP
telephony, soft phones and H.323," said another employee. "We have
also integrated voicemail with Outlook so voicemail is e-mailed to
the desktop."
He said the company had adopted HP Ultrium tape drives for back-ups
and recently migrated the tape hardware to a rack-mounted LTO tape
magazine from Dell.
Company outings have included trips to Monaco, a hot-air balloon
trip and Christmas dinner at the Natural History Museum.
Judges comments
Judges praised the high
staff morale in an environment where IT staff need to work with
bleeding-edge technologies to match those of their highly technical
business users.
IT software, services and hardware: Corporate
Mastercare PCserviceCall
Number of staff supported: 4,000
IT staff turnover last year: 0%
Mastercare PCServiceCall, part of the Dixons Group, has been
recognised by its parent company as being at the forefront of the
group's use of new technology.
The IT department has a dedicated test environment to try new
products and has agreements with both Microsoft and Novell for beta
tests.
One member of the IT team said, "We maintain a strong relationship
with suppliers to ensure we are kept up-to-date and we spend time
keeping abreast of industry publications. We also invest in
training for team members.
"We are fortunate that our IT manager understands the benefits of
new technology and is interested in it. Our users trust us to
recommend the best, most cost-effective solution. The best thing we
do is give our development teams time to trial new technology and
assess how useful it would be."
Another employee said, "Each area within the department interacts
with others to ensure customer satisfaction and is constantly
inviting feedback. Each member is empowered to achieve their own
goals and there is a training mentality to help everyone improve
their skills. We have a close relationship with our customers,
which leads to a productive and open environment.
"There is a positive and happy atmosphere. Even when deadlines are
tight, there is a great team spirit and everyone is approachable
and willing to help.
"The department manager is always available for support and there
are also social activities. New team members are welcomed and
allowed time to adjust. The benefits package the company provides
is excellent and makes us feel valued."
Judges comments
Judges were impressed by the
sense of real enthusiasm IT staff displayed for constantly learning
new skills to meet the ongoing challenge of providing IT in an IT
service environment.
Media, hospitality, leisure and entertainment:
SME
Firefly PR
Number of staff supported: 70
IT staff turnover last year: 25%
Over the past three years, the IT team at Firefly's offices in
London has introduced a number of business-critical systems such as
an intranet, an extranet, an IP office telephony system, a wireless
Lan, a business management program and Citrix.
It has also implemented Microsoft XP and installed a gigabit
backbone for the networked servers for faster throughput of
traffic.
One member of the team said, "Planning has always been a big part
of managing our projects. We like to get as much input from our
users as we can to ensure that any new IT does its job more
effectively and efficiently.
"The board has always encouraged the IT department to be an
integral part of the business, rather than just being a support
function. We have been given the freedom to explore and purchase
technologies that are beneficial to the business."
He said the IT team has a 90% response time to all support calls.
"Our fix rate is 65% within the hour and 90% are fixed within eight
working hours."
Another IT team member said, "Each member gains hands-on knowledge
and training on at least two new technologies or applications each
year. Also, Firefly encourages and pays for all exams related to
their daily role, from Microsoft certified systems engineer track
to Cisco certified network engineer.
Judges comments
The judges praised FireFly
for its good approach to benefits and flexible working, as well as
specific initiatives demonstrating a commitment to team-working and
a good social environment.
Media, hospitality, leisure and entertainment:
Corporate
Carlton Television
Number of staff supported: 2,700
IT staff turnover last year: 4%
Carlton's IT department prides itself on an innovative yet rational
approach to the adoption of new technologies and it evaluates and
identifies the latest IT to enhance the whole company.
Business systems managers regularly discuss new technologies with
the technical teams, which allows the department to brief the
business and discuss practical applications. If a technology is
found to have a convincing business case, it will be
installed.
One IT team member said, "Our inclusive approach involves working
with staff and business systems managers to ensure we are achieving
what the company requires. We have a participative approach to the
adoption of new technologies, as opposed to autocratically
selecting the systems used. This is reflected in areas such as our
broadcast IT systems, where we have pioneered desktop journalism
tools and systems later adopted by larger competitors.
"As a department we are forward-looking and excited about the
expanding possibilities within the media that the convergence of
broadcast and IT is enabling."
The service desk provides strong and wide-ranging support, allowing
the IT team to concentrate on its core role. Although the
department is dispersed geographically, there is a strong team
identity and a high level of camaraderie.
Another team member said, "Our department has a stable team with
high motivation and a low staff turnover. We do activities outside
of work, such as running, gym or paintballing. We have team
away-days where we reflect on what we have achieved and where we
are going."
Judges' comments
Judges believed Carlton's
comprehensive approach to benefits geared to flexibility, and its
support for staff and their work/life balance made it stand out in
its category.
Non-profit companies: Fewer than 250 staff
The Woodland Trust
Number of staff supported: 220
IT staff turnover last year: 0%
"The Woodland Trust is very much a pro-IT company," said one member
of the IT team. "The IT strategy is designed to support the trust's
planned work. We have the freedom to explore new advances in IT,
especially for tactical advantages."
"This is a successful company that makes maximum use of its
investment in people and technology" said another. "The IT
department is well-regarded and we have a long track record of
success. We have not been given the respect of the company - we
have earned it.
"Management style is relaxed and informal. Success is recognised
and failure is not a problem as long as the lessons are learned -
not that we fail very often. This is a friendly, dedicated rabble
who work hard to keep the trust successful."
Judges' comments
The judges identified
commitment, enthusiasm and job satisfaction and were particularly
impressed by a boss who credits his team with "helping make my job
a pleasure".
Non-profit companies: More than 250 staff
WWF
Number of staff supported: 330
IT staff turnover last year: 0%
"As an environmental charity with a limited budget, we have to make
sure we get value for money and justify the cost of our IT
projects," said one WWF IT team member.
"We may not be on the cutting-edge, but we aim to keep up with the
technology that is most suited to our needs. There is a very
relaxed atmosphere and I enjoy coming to work. If you ask any of
our 300-plus users, you will find they are all very happy with the
service we provide.
"Although being a charity can sometimes be a financial hindrance,
all technologies are reviewed and discussed before implementation.
For example, we have recently installed broadband in our regional
offices to give the staff remote access to core systems based on
servers at our head office."
Judges' comments
Judges praised the people
management practices which contributed to a positive working
environment, demonstrated by commitment, enthusiasm and job
satisfaction.
Manufacturing and engineering: Corporate
Eli Lilly and Co
Number of staff supported: 2,300
IT staff turnover last year: 8%
Eli Lilly is a manufacturer of medicines to treat depression,
schizophrenia, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis. Some of the 70 IT
staff work to produce instrumentation for drugs research, including
networks, data storage and retrieval, 3D visualisation and instant
messaging.
One team member said, "We use Windows 2000 and plan to migrate to
XP this year. We support Unix, Linux and systems for scientific
instrumentation and manufacturing. I have been involved in pilot
programmes for wireless networking, broadband remote access and
personal digital assistants."
Many IT managers at the firm started as part of the student
recruitment programme. Another team member said, "I started at
Lilly about 16 months ago, and have been promoted twice. IT staff
can put themselves forward for promotion in their current role and,
as a result, the staff turnover is very low."
Judges' comments
There is a culture of
long-term investment in technology and people, and IT staff are
encouraged to contribute to business objectives via computational
molecular modelling and customer relationship management.
There is an emphasis on identifying and developing latent talent
with strong support and coaching from management and sharing best
practices.
Manufacturing and engineering: SME
BAE Systems
Number of IT staff: 24
IT staff turnover last year: 0%
BAE Systems is a global company that develops and installs systems
for military aircraft, ships, submarines, space systems, radar and
guided weapons.
It designs and builds ships and submarines and has built two new
aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy. It also supplies test
equipment for shuttle and satellite launches and space mapping
technology.
The IT department handles many projects and each member of the 24
staff is assigned autonomy over their work, demanding a high level
of trust from the rest of the team.
One member of staff said, "We have a monthly meeting to discuss the
latest technologies that could be applied to the workplace and our
tasks, which helps to promote good practice between the teams and
aids in the development of our strategies."
Utilities and communications: More than than 250
employees
Economy Power
Number of staff supported: 135
IT staff turnover last year: 0%
Economy Power is an energy company set up two years ago to supply
electricity to businesses. Its customers range from high street
stores to public sector organisations, farms and sports clubs. The
company has offices in Cardiff, Cwmbran and Manchester.
According to one member of the IT team, technology is at the heart
of the strides the company has made in the past few years.
He said, "We are very keen to help Economy Power stay at the
forefront of the electricity industry, to increase productivity and
to be able to process the thousands of contracts we receive each
month. We feel it is essential to keep our technologies
up-to-date."
In the past nine months the company has installed SQL Server 2000,
upgraded from Access 97 to Access 2002 and installed a new web
server to enable the IT team to develop an intranet. It has also
upgraded all network switches to 100mbps so that users have quicker
access to databases and systems.
Newcomers to the IT team are settled in as quickly as possible. "We
are starting up to five new employees a month at the moment," said
another member of the IT team.
"We buy new PCs as they guarantee the fewest problems and allow new
starters to get up and running quickly. New staff are trained with
all the skills we feel they will need to get the most out of the
software and hardware."
Another member of the team told Computer Weekly, "Each member of
the team is self-managed. There are no levels of bureaucracy or an
old-fashioned work ethic. Newcomers are given a portfolio of work
and they are responsible for it. This gives them the confidence
that the company trusts them.
"Honesty and communication are integral to the team. Ideas are
shared and projects are regularly discussed in meetings, which
provides an opportunity to express opinions." Career progression is
also encouraged through training focusing on technology and
interpersonal skills.
Two second-year university students are on one-year work placements
in the department and both have been guaranteed a full-time
position at the end of their studies.
Judges' comments
Judges identified a culture
placing strong emphasis on good working relationships and a sense
of team fun, with good support for personal development and
investment in career progression.
There was a keen sense of staff empowerment and a culture of
employee-balanced, progressive management.
Construction and agriculture
BAA Terminal 5 project
Number of staff supported: 2,600
IT staff turnover last year: 8%
The total cost of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 project is expected
to be about £3.5bn. It has been estimated that there will be 6,000
people working in or around the site and, by the end of the
project, 30,000 people will have provided input into the terminal's
construction.
The IT team at BAA has provided a service framework to support this
programme, consisting of more than 114 applications on 2,250 PCs
and 230 Cad workstations. Its on-site technical support responds to
500 calls a week.
Of the more than 60 "virtual" suppliers, the IT team has provided
site network connectivity to about 30 remote sites via VPN links
and external connectivity. The team uses Cad to make 3D virtual
models of the terminal buildings - the T5 programme has become the
largest architectural desktop workshop in the UK.
One IT staffer said, "I enjoy my work - its sheer size and scale,
coupled with the complexities and variety of working for the UK's
biggest construction environment is exciting.
"Supporting business-critical programme controls applications can
be very demanding and challenging. As a team we need to understand
our customers' objectives to ensure we support them and their
existing systems to deliver the programme on time and to budget.
This means we have to maintain a good working relationship.
"We work in an open plan office which enables plenty of team
interaction. We enjoy lots of banter and jokes and we support and
encourage each other and engender a friendly, open
environment."
Judges' comments
Judges noted that despite
the high-pressure working environment of a massive construction
project to which IT is a vital contributor, IT staff benefit from a
sense of achievement and vital and valued participation. Nor does
the department neglect to celebrate milestones with presentations,
parties and prizes, as well as easing the pressure through job
rotation, secondments and shadowing.
Business services
Gartner
Number of staff supported: 950
IT staff turnover last year: 0%
As befits an organisation that researches and analyses the use of
IT, the IT team at Gartner is often involved in beta-testing the
latest developments.
One member of the team said, "We regularly test new technologies to
see whether they will be able to increase efficiencies.
"We tend to be in the second wave of adoption, avoiding the
bleeding-edge implementations that absorb our technical
staff."
Another team member said running pilot tests pays off. "The
technologies that are adopted have total buy-in from all parties,
thus the transition is smooth, training is good and the
technologies invariably become part of daily life in a short
time."
Upbeat statements indicate contented staff. One said, "There is a
great team of people here and the flat hierarchy of management
allows each member of staff to be empowered.
"An open communication policy ensures that everyone is kept
informed of developments that can affect them internally and their
associates externally, which means we can give an excellent
service."
Another member of the IT staff said, "We are an energetic and
enthusiastic team that has built a reputation for excellence within
our organisation. We enjoy working with each other and our team
spirit is commented on throughout the company."
Judges' comments
Judges felt that IT staff
evidenced a real feeling of team spirit and were involved and
empowered as part of the company. Although staff were pleased to
work with leading-edge technology, there was a recognition that it
serves users' needs and takes the business forward.
The judges
David Clarke, British Computer
Society With more than 38,000 members in 100 countries,
the BCS is the leading professional learned society in the field of
computers and IT. It works to generate public awareness of the
social and economic benefits of IT.
Ceri Diffley, Work Foundation The
Work Foundation is a unique consultancy firm that works with
employers to improve the quality and productivity of working life
in the UK. It undertakes research and consultancy work and is a
campaigner on work and business issues.
Jonathan Exten-Wright, DLA One of
the UK's top 10 law firms and part of the international DLA
Group,the DLA is a leading adviser to many industry sectors on
technology and employment law including outsourcing, intellectual
property and dispute resolution.
Angela Baron, Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development The CIPD is a professional body with
more than 118,000 members specialising in the management and
development of people. The institute provides training to help its
members improve their organisation's performance.
Karen Price, E-Skills UK The industry
body responsible for articulating and acting on the IT skills needs
of employers. E-Skills is responsible for uniting employers,
specialist trainers and government to improve the productivity of
e-business in the UK.
Jane King, Personnel Today The UK's
only weekly news magazine for human resources and training
professionals. Personnel Today provides advice, resources and
guidance for HR professionals and runs an annual awards ceremony to
reward HR strategy and staff training.
Peter Scargill, Federation of Small
Businesses The FSB has more than 185,000 members across
230 branches. It offers advice to small businesses through a
national helpline and also lobbies government and the media on
financial and legal issues.
Ruth Spellman, Investers in People UK
The national standard for employers in the UK, which sets good
practice benchmarks for training and development of staff and
managers. The body works with managers to help them attain the
Investor in People designation.
Andrew Davies, Cranfield School of
Management One of the world's leading university business
schools, which offers postgraduate courses in subjects ranging from
small business management to research doctorates.