January 26, 2018
On Thursday 18th of January, Swansea University’s business development programme, ION Leadership, held “The Leadership Conversation” at the Village Hotel, Swansea. Alex Parr, Wolfestone’s Managing Director and graduate of the ION Leadership programme, was invited to the event as a guest speaker.
The event was attended by key business leaders and influencers in South Wales, in which they debated and explored themes surrounding the question “What does successful growth look like?” Alongside Stuart Morgan, Head of Talent for the Admiral Group, and Anthony Thomas, Managing Director of ASW, Ms. Parr was invited to share the knowledge and experience she has acquired since taking the reins of Wolfestone in 2015.
Ms Parr commented: “
It was a wonderful opportunity to be asked to speak at the Leadership Conversation. Not only could I share my personal thoughts and experiences as the leader of a local business, but also hear of the difficulties and triumphs that other business leaders and entrepreneurs have experienced. It’s great to see time and funding being given to events like The Leadership Conversation, creating a nurturing and supportive environment to help small and medium sized businesses survive and thrive – particularly during the times of economic uncertainty that we’re currently facing.”
The ION Leadership project is supported by the European Social Fund and Welsh Government, and the award-winning project has positively affected over 800 businesses in Wales by developing business and leadership. At the Leadership Conversation, the message delivered by Kim Talbot from the ION Leadership Development team was simple,
“take a day a month out of the business to learn about the business.”
The Leadership Conversation event was the first in a series of three. The aim is to develop and enhance the leadership skills and knowledge of business leaders, facilitating business growth. Rather than the expected question and answer session, the event was arranged in such a way that encouraged attendees to converse with one another – leading to a rich exchange of ideas and experiences that can be transferred and related to individual businesses.
Ms Parr continues: “
Having completed the ION Leading Growth course last year, I feel it has definitely had a big impact on my thoughts and approach to leading Wolfestone. Taking the time to remove yourself from the work environment and to really think about how best to utilise your leadership skills can be truly invaluable.”
To learn more about ION Leadership, click here.
