Teamwork, trust and constant innovation are the keys to business success

The charismatic Bernard Fairman - Chairman and Founder of international private equity investment firm Foresight Group – shared his insights on leadership and the ingredients required for business success with an enthusiastic audience of alumni, students, staff and members of the local business community at the recent Business Leaders Series event hosted by Nottingham University Business School (NUBS).

Bernard is an alumnus of the Business School (Industrial Economics 1970) and has over 30 years investment experience. He started his career as an oil investment analyst with Panmure Gordon before joining the investment bank Edward Bates. He then worked with several electronics companies before joining the newly formed 3i Ventures in 1981. Bernard founded Foresight Group in 1984 and since that time it has grown into a company with assets under management of almost £2 billion and offices in The Shard, Guernsey, San Francisco and Rome. Foresight’s Nottingham office manages a regional growth fund of over £40 million.

In his talk Bernard described what he sees as the key ingredients in the success of any business:

• Investing time in the best people and letting them get on with it.
• Selling the things people actually want.
• Establishing a strong local base before expanding internationally.
• Always asking how you can do it better, faster and cheaper.
• Constant innovation.

Under this philosophy Foresight Group has become one of the biggest owners of clean energy infrastructure, including solar plants and waste to energy recycling, in the UK. The company also invests in other countries including Italy and the US.

In typical modest fashion, to illustrate the complex nature of modern business leadership, Bernard claims: “The one thing you need as a CEO is acting skill”. He also recognises that teamwork and trust play a major part and attributes success to a combination of educated gut feel and luck: “Analysis will stop you making silly mistakes but you cannot due diligence your way to success. I wouldn’t have backed Mark Zuckerberg, but he proved everyone wrong. Persistence is the most effective way to grow a business.”

About the Business Leaders Series

In addition to providing valuable networking opportunities for people from the University and local business communities, the Business Leaders Series aims to bring high profile speakers to Nottingham University Business School to offer unique and inspiring insights into the careers and experiences of leaders in their fields. Bernard Fairman’s visit follows in the wake of an illustrious cast of guest speakers over the past few years including Willie Walsh, CEO of International Airlines Group; global fashion icon Sir Paul Smith, and Andy Hornby, Chief Executive of Coral.

The next Business Leaders Series talk will be held in Nottingham on Wednesday 27th April 2016 (17:30-19:00) and features Stewart Binnie, former Executive Chairman of Jaeger and Aurora Fashions.

More information and how to register