John the grandfather

…surrounded by love and care from Yvonne, who remains my rock; from our wonderful children Euan, Lindsay and Catherine, and their equally wonderful spouses Isabel, the late Chris and Steven. Grandchildren Rory, Cameron, Anna, Rose, Alastair and Skye complete the lineup.

John in work mode

Having worked at board room level, across every facet of life, for half a century, I have had wonderful experience of gaining insight across a range of things. Indeed, I am still learning today.

Some headlines:

1.Management is management is management. Whatever outcome you are seeking, you need to ensure resources are all aligned.

2.Never compromise on the mix of competences and skills you need in your people.

3.Humility in leadership. Most transformative leaders are those with an insatiable appetite to seek and use best practice from others.

4.True inclusion is not just about eliminating discrimination, but about ensuring the anticipation of barriers and consideration of needs.

John in the community

Throughout my adolescence and adult life, I have had no doubt that we are better, richer and healthier people for being fully involved in the communities where we live – from ‘bob a job’ week as a youngster, through helping those recovering from strokes with their language, through to direct and indirect engagement for and with those in need. My journey into blindness in my 30s was pretty scary, but opened doors to the wonderful world of disability, filled with people who run the race of life while jumping additional hurdles. And membership of the Round Table family has been quite transformative in both Yvonne’s and my lives. I retain an appetite to take on new challenges in Chelmsford and Essex.

John at home

To paint the picture:

• Blindness and clumsiness go together, so I walk into too many walls and doors for my liking
• I’m not much good at gardening and get lost when out there, but really do enjoy it, particularly the joy of picking our own produce.
• A morning without the exercise bike and a swim means a day deprived not only of my vital physical exercise, but also of my thinking time.
• And I won’t go near baking, but am very happy to do the less precise tasks of cooking – whatever the numbers. Indeed, I proudly remind people that my record is 226 main courses.