John Boydell, director of Ampios, with his valuable mix of being a business strategy consultant and highly experienced corporate lawyer, recently interviewed Lancashire businesses for the second stage of the prestigious North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce BIBAs Be Inspired Business Awards ‘Family Business of the Year’. The BIBAs are a much coveted award as Lancashire’s largest and longest running business awards programme and John, a former Chair of the Chamber, has been a judge since they began.

The rigorous judging consists of companies presenting an extensive written business application and an interview with the panel, followed by the judges visiting the companies in action. The purpose of the award is to drive growth, cultivate excellence and fuel innovation whilst nurturing the next generation of business leaders. All winners are automatically enrolled on the BIBA’s Academy of Excellence, a programme designed to boost skills, minds and bottom lines. John was joined by fellow judges Suzanne Carr from Age Concern, Michael Green from Lancashire County Council and Chris Moss of Jackson Stephen.

Executives of leading companies gathered from all over the UK to hear John Boydell, director and chairman of Ampios, deliver a keynote speech on BREXIT at the recently held Shared Services Forum UK Leaders event. The SSF UK is a national, not-for-profit membership organisation, ran by its members, which supports and inspires leaders and teams of leading companies through knowledge sharing, thought leadership and benchmarking. The event was held at the Concord Conference Centre at Manchester Airport and after the talk, members were taken on a tour of Concord itself.

John, who delivered the wide ranging keynote talk with colleague Stephen Gregson, corporate finance director at MHA Moore & Smalley, looked afresh at many economic truths, the view on BREXIT and how Scenario Planning is a valuable exercise that can help businesses mitigate risk even in times of ‘unknown unknowns’.