Achieving excellence as a Leader

The GM & CEO Programme

Who would want to be a GM or CEO?

Do I need to raise my game?

Learning from the experiences of others can dramatically improve the chances of success.

A pragmatic and collaborative learning approach can give the confidence to exploit your own leadership talent, and allow you to build a great company rather than endure a timid struggle to cash positivity.

There is often nowhere to turn for assistance. Shareholders provide some support, but usually recognise that they are rarely in a position to train or coach effectively.

Is being ‘Boss’ all glory ?

Recognition and reward or ignominy and blame – the binary outcomes for most GMs and CEOs. Being the Boss can be the best and the worst job. But it requires the dedication of Olympians to excel.

“There is no other community so dedicated to improving the performance of leaders. ELP is the most pragmatic learning environment in the sector; it’s led by experienced mentors and lets you meet many of the leaders in the European Technology community.”

Kristian Segerstrale – CEO, Playfish

What we do...

The GM & CEO Programme is designed to help leaders perfect the art, and to support them in their day to day business challenges. ELP is the academy where the most talented GMs & CEOs go to raise their game. It’s a high impact personal and professional development programme for leaders of high growth businesses.

Some of the shining stars of Europe’s high growth businesses are now in their third year of membership.

Members meet in groups of 12-15 in quarterly learning workshops which combine advanced personal development training with relevant sessions facilitated by subject specialists. It’s a structured coaching environment as well as a confidential space to address specific ‘live’ challenges through the unique ‘Virtual Board’.

Just a few of over 40 workshop sessions...

Creating the future - envisioning the future of your business

Managing the chair & board

Finance - the dynamics of a working relationship with sales

Meet the Press & present at your best

Debt, Equity, Hybrids - why, how, and when

Great communicators in history ...what can we learn from them?

Charisma – personal, corporate ... what is it, is it useful, can you create it?

Social Media – is it a valid part of your marketing tool kit or one massive distraction? Countdown to Exit - It might not be the time to sell, but the preparation starts now

A few things you might not know about creating value through great IP

Ten signs you’re losing your grip!

Optimising Performance- conquering stress

How to create a truly effective personal brand

Recent ‘Virtual Board’ topics...

Virtual Board is a highly disciplined pitch by a GM or CEO of a real conundrum. Together with three or four peers the ‘Virtual Board’ solves the problem.

Evaluating a potential acquisition

How to ensure the CTO communicates and delivers products on time, given multi-site environment (not outsourced)

Effective business model analysis in emerging industries with imperfect knowledge and experience

Three potential markets, quick results needed. How to choose wrongly

Dealing with a ‘wise through ignorance’ board

Sales overseas by remote control - how to make overseas offices successful

Short term cash required, no debt available. How do I avoid getting stuffed by my shareholders?

What membership means...

ELP is an environment where GMs & CEOs:

Develop, calibrate and refine their leadership skills – supported by peers and advisors who have first-hand experience in the role

Meet and build relationships with other exceptional leaders in the technology sector in Europe

Find solutions to real-life challenges faced in their organisation in a safe, confidential environment

Explore shared knowledge of the different challenges faced in running a high tech start-up – from founding/joining a business and raising funds, through to managing growth and delivering the exit

Become the very best at what they do – and through that, deliver the best returns to shareholders and themselves

“ELP has given me exposure to styles of leadership and types of leaders that I don’t normally get to experience in my industry and circle of associates. This kind of exposure is critical to my personal development and to growing my business beyond its current potential.”

Alicia Navarro - Founder & CEO, Skimbit

The GM & CEO programme is exclusively for leaders of ambitious businesses. These leaders share many challenges and all are responsible for the profitability of their enterprise.

Our members include experienced corporate managers, emerging talent and seasoned exit savvy CEOs. All are ambitious, brilliant and open-minded ...the absolute criteria for membership.

ELP members share certain characteristics, including:

A background of consistently delivering results in a fast-changing environment

Passion, drive and ambition – coupled with a determination to continually raise their game

A willingness to share experiences and learn from peers

“Taking time ‘out of your business’ to be amongst like minded CEOs discussing similar business issues was a refreshing and valuable experience. Combined with presentation subjects condensed down for speedy knowledge transfer, all makes for a great annual programme. I would thoroughly recommend investing in yourself and your business by joining ELP.”

Charles McLeod - CEO, Metaflow Solutions

ELP is simply the best developed network of business leaders in Europe...

The GM & CEO programme is exclusively for leaders of ambitious businesses. These leaders share many challenges and all are responsible for the profitability of their enterprise.

Our members include experienced corporate managers, emerging talent and seasoned exit savvy CEOs. All are ambitious, brilliant and open-minded ...the absolute criteria for membership.

ELP members share certain characteristics, including:

A background of consistently delivering results in a fast-changing environment

Passion, drive and ambition – coupled with a determination to continually raise their game

A willingness to share experiences and learn from peers

“Taking time ‘out of your business’ to be amongst like minded CEOs discussing similar business issues was a refreshing and valuable experience. Combined with presentation subjects condensed down for speedy knowledge transfer, all makes for a great annual programme. I would thoroughly recommend investing in yourself and your business by joining ELP.”

Charles McLeod - CEO, Metaflow Solutions

ELP is simply the best developed network of business leaders in Europe...

AshLEy WARDProgramme Leader & Chairman

Ashley is a highly experienced CEO who has been through the spectrum of learning experiences as a CEO including IPOs, trade sales and down-sizing.

Career highlights include leading the IPO for one of LSE’s highest growth stocks in Orchestream with a market cap of over £900m in 2000. He was also part of the leadership team that turned around Cray/Anite Networks and executed its sale to Cable and Wireless. In addition, he brought VISA and IBM into the mobile commerce sector during his time with Upaid Systems in Paris, and he guided mobile data cellular network Cognito to become the first successful operator in its sector.

NIkkI WATkINsProgramme Leader

Nikki is a forward thinking strategic HR leader with direct experience of High Tech and FMCG environments. She can demonstrate a successful performance record in a range of disciplines from sales, customer services, trade marketing, organisational learning and development, talent management and HR leadership.

Having worked in Companies including MARS, Dell andBusiness Objects (acquired by SAP in 2008 for $6.6bn) she has built a reputation for personal effectiveness, instilling a sense of urgency into situations and producing effective systemic results that directly affect organisational performance. She has a high measure of personal drive with a motivating, action orientated approach to the challenges of fast moving and complex organisations.

Our team

NIkI LEMONOperations Director

Niki has worked with two of the UK’s leading event management agencies in both operational and sales-based roles. She has delivered internationally recognised events on a global basis for clients in the TMT, pharmaceutical and government sectors. In her most recent role at MCI she was a core part of the management team that grew UK-wide business opportunities establishing the UK HQ as the leading provider across Europe. Niki is also responsible for expanding ELP’s community of Chairmen, Founders & CEOs.

Niki graduated with a first class honours degree in Event Management from Leeds Metropolitan University.

sARAh MORALEEOperations Executive

Sarah has worked for two global event management firms in both the UK and Australia. She has delivered worldwide events for a range of blue chip companies within the Automotive, Oil & Gas and Pharmaceutical industries including Land Rover Jaguar, Dymocks and APPEA. Sarah brings a pragmatic and driven approach to ELP through the professional delivery of our workshop events; she is responsible for co-ordinating the operations of ELP.

Sarah graduated from the UK’s leading Centre for Events Management with an upper second class honours.

Our team

Membership

Membership is £3,950 per annum, which entitles the business leader to attend four full-day workshops. In addition our members are offered personal assessment using the Spony Profiling Model (SPM), team dynamics profiling, as well as one-to-ones with ELP selected mentors.

“ELP excels in two ways. One by the content of its regular meetings. The updates, lectures and exercises are very rewarding as they help the participant to really think out of the box. I have seen the exercises deliver real time solutions to real business problems. The second is the quality of the attendees. Participants deliver real value and much of what the ELP delivers is what goes on amongst participants outside of the meetings.”

Garry Felgate - CEO, Energy Retail Association

social network & industry events

ELP organises a variety of parties and seminars, always fully attended with a who’s who of the serious players in the European Technology scene. Rather than solely networking we run themes such as ‘Countdown to Exit’ or ‘Do European growth companies have the support infrastructure to compete on a global scale?’

The GM & CEO Programmehas over 70 members, including:

Alex Caccia Alicia Navarro

Anne-Charlotte Desruelle

Anthony Finbow

Anwen Robinson

Christian Landmark

David Groom

David Moran

Eric Abensur

Errol Damelin

Garry Felgate

Glenda Stone

Ian Ashby

John Aalbers

Kristian Segersrale

Lars Unneberg

Manel Sarasa

Margaret Rice-Jones

Mark Lewarne

Paul Broadhurst Ranjan Singh

Simone Brummelhuis

Stephen Mallinson

Torben Hasse

Ideaworks3D

Skimbit & Skimlinks

Soft Paris

Psytechnics

Agresso

Adra Match

Experian

ChangingWorlds

Venda

Wonga

Energy Retail Association

Aurora

IRIS

Volubill

playfish

Mohive AS

Openbravo

Ex-Aircom International

Spectrum Interactive

Technetix

isango!

The Next Woman

ip.access

Excitor

Get in touch...

European Leadership Programme Linen Hall 162 - 168 Regent Street London, W1B 5TG United Kingdom

Phone: +44 207 038 3832 Fax: +44 207 038 3831

Email: contact@european-leaders.com

www.european-leaders.com

To hear about The GM & CEO Programme, or The HR Programme