Over the past few weeks, I have published two pieces that were really one argument. In Running to Stand Still I made the case that our industry’s obstacles to innovation are not technological. The capital is returning, the tools are extraordinary, and still, we manage to get in our own way. The blockers are cultural and organisational, and because they are of our own making, they are ours to remove. In Learning to Love Uncertainty I went underneath that to ask why. My answer

In my last piece, Running to Stand Still, I argued that the real blockers to innovation in our industry are almost never technological. The capital is returning, the tools are extraordinary, and yet we keep getting in our own way. The obstacles, I said, are cultural and organisational. I want to pick up exactly where that left off, because there is a deeper truth sitting underneath it, and it is one I have spent fifty years learning the hard way. The truth is this. Uncertaint

A thousand years ago, well forty-nine to be precise, I entered the working world through the doors of Lloyd’s, notebook in hand and not the faintest idea that I’d spend the rest of my life in and around this endlessly fascinating industry. Back then, the word ‘innovation’ wasn’t one you heard much on the floor of the market. We had paper, we had people, and we had a way of doing things that had been handed down more or less intact for generations. At Lloyd’s, innovation was a

For those who know me well, understand just how passionate I am about the art and science of entrepreneurship. Whether through my daily work or my life as a Freeman Entrepreneur at the City of London’s aspiring Livery Company, the Company of Entrepreneurs, I have come to learn that there is an identifiable entrepreneur’s mindset that really defines those set to succeed in their own enterprises and those that are on a different path of success within a more traditional career

Many of you know that sitting within my family tree is author and philosopher Aldous Huxley. One of my sons pointed me towards an interview that he did for American television in 1958. Am ashamed to say this had passed me by until now and I hadn't watched it. I therefore put this right. Any of you that are aware of him will know his fame is founded upon writing novels, many of which deal with dystopian futures; Brave New World being the most famous. By the end of his life how

The first Wednesday in November marks National Stress Awareness Day. The latest HSE health and safety at work summary statistics for Great Britain 2018 were widely reported across the news channels today. Sadly it has concluded that stress now accounts for a whopping 15.4 million lost working days in 2017/18, up from 12.5 million the previous year. A rise of almost a quarter! In a fully connected workplace, with 24/7 connectivity and a move towards working practices such as z

Came across this really interesting post on Medium and I reckon it's worth a read and share. All of us, irrespective of age or background need to realise that the world of work is vastly different now, much of it unprecedented. The so-called Millennial generation are driving that change and we must all take note, listen to them and most importantly learn from them. Click here to enjoy the read and thank you Erik Vermeulen for sharing his "letter".

We are in the midst of an era where diversity, inclusivity and social conscience in running a business with ethos and values has somewhat become a badge of honour. Don't get me wrong this is quite right and every one of us running businesses should make the first question we ask ourselves is what is it we want our customers to think of us. What does make me smile however is that many see this as a trait of today, where the scales have only just been pulled from our eyes and w

As an avid reader and follower of Medium I get a lot of benefit from the myriad of interesting and thought provoking articles they publish from an equally diverse range of authors. The following article published by Fast Company entitled We Need Breakthrough Business Models, Not Breakthrough Technology; technology doesn't transform markets, business models do... really caught my eye. A good part of my work sees me working around fintech startups looking to enter the market. A