Experience Bank Group offers a range of services, one of them focused on continual professional development for leaders and future leaders in the region.
Here, founder Peter Neal talks about the benefits of a peer group for existing or aspiring Non-Executive Directors, Trustees and Board Advisors.
“It is proven that businesses that adopt formal management practices are more likely to achieve growth than competitors that don’t. And in the North East, a large number of SMEs and charities are taking this on board, creating structures for their leadership and management that includes Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), Trustees and Board Advisors.
“This is creating an increased opportunity for leaders to step into board level positions, bringing their experience and knowledge to drive other businesses onto better performance and results.
“It is, of course, very satisfying to get to a position in your career when you know you are valued as a leader, especially as a NED, a Trustee or a Board Advisor. But with those positions comes considerable responsibility and there are so many things that you might need support in.
“This is the perfect time for continuous professional development, and to find a trusted network of diverse individuals that you can share challenges with, and get valuable inputs from, feeling safe amongst those who are in the same position.
“You may need to brush up or expand knowledge on the business tools and resources you can access to improve decisions to get better results. You will probably wholeheartedly welcome broader perspectives and strategies to help drive your own performance and hence the results for your clients.
“This will mean embracing new learning, especially on governance, board activity and responsibility, and more. Professional guidance, deep insights and keeping abreast of the changing obligations becomes paramount, but what is really needed alongside that is a safe place to explore issues and opportunities to become a better leader.
“Many also feel they need to increase their own value at this point, boost their confidence in a new role, and remove any imposter syndrome and increase their own visibility as an effective leader.
“So wouldn’t it be good if there was such a place that you could get all of this? Guess what… there is! Our NED Peer Group Programme is a community of existing and aspiring leaders, ready to be the best they can for their boards and each other.
“Meeting once a month, the content of each session is a combination of professional guidance and a deep dive into real-time challenges and issues that help everyone gain valued perspectives from a trusted source. Facilitated by Andrew Marsh, who brings years of experience in both NED, trustee, leader and facilitation roles, the community is built from peers from a wide range of industries and disciplines.
“We are currently recruiting new cohorts so you can sign up for a free taster session and if you join, you will go through a seamless induction, including alignment with a buddy who will support your entry into the group.
“It really is a win-win situation, and our testimonials from existing cohort members speak volumes.”
Experience Bank Group incorporates The Experience Bank philanthropic, social enterprise company along with a commercial venture providing three symbiotic services – EB Board Level Recruitment, EB High Performing Boards and EB Continuous Personal Development.
With this combination of specialist expertise, the Experience Bank Group is uniquely positioned to help organisations ensure they have not only the right skills in the leadership team and boardroom but also optimum board performance with higher value creation.
5% of all revenue from Experience Bank Group is gifted to The Experience Bank social enterprise to enable more start-ups, early-stage businesses, charities and social enterprises access to high quality, advisory and non-executive talent.