“ We need our managers to be empathetic , so they understand the people in their team .”
they learnt from Covid-19 was about supporting their staff ’ s mental wellbeing . He says the 12 trainee leaders were chosen for a variety of strengths , including integrity , creativity and fun . But most importantly they all had empathy .
“ We need our managers to be empathetic , so they understand the people in their team .”
Describing the programme , Easyfairs head of talent Richard Ainsworth said : “ We knew we wanted to introduce an aspiring leaders ’ course to accelerate the growth of people below the senior leadership team .
“ When we opened it up 20 % of the UK team applied . We originally intended to have 10 – but went with 12 because the quality was so high . It was important in the application process to get a real mix of function , expertise , skill sets , and represent sales , marketing , data , finance , operations and editorial . We thought that would really raise the group .
“ It is developing leadership style , creating and leading world class teams - which is what we ’ ve been doing with Kevin Keegan . Looking at how different functions of the business contribute to success , strategic thinking and understanding the impact of financial decisions . It ’ s really interactive .
“ We want to bring out the best in people . Whether they have been in the industry a long time or are brand new . We want to bring people in and nurture them . We are known for talent development and known for giving people opportunities . This programme will accelerate the personal development of individuals and ultimately will position them for senior opportunities in the future .” EN
L-R Samuel O ’ Connell , Aleiya Lonsdale , Amelie Degueldre
Hat trick of future leaders
For the Easyfairs team the investment in their futures felt like recognition of their hard work .
Former EN 30 Under Thirty winner Amelie Degueldre started at Easyfairs as an intern eight-years ago .
She never returned home to her native Belgium , after being offered a full-time role and is now on a trajectory to the top .
Degueldre , and her colleagues , said being selected for the Leadership Development Programme made them feel “ valued and empowered ” by their employer .
She said : “ All of us have progressed quite quickly , gone through the ranks quite quickly and they clearly saw potential in all of us from when we first started . That ’ s what Easyfairs does a lot of - recognising talent in people . Promoting from within and nurturing talent . We ’ re all now being prepped as the next SLT and that ’ s really exciting .”
“ It feels like a real achievement . When I joined it was such a small team . I moved to the UK with no one and Lorda [ Derry COO ] and Matt [ Benyon CEO ] really looked after me and trained me . I made my way up . Now being part of the leadership program is an honour .”
Aleiya Lonsdale , head of marketing added : “ It really feels like Easyfairs is investing in us . This is the most exciting experience .
“ I would 100 % recommend people to work at Easyfairs over any other exhibition company , and I ’ ve worked in other companies . The culture is so positive here .”
Head of marketing and intelligence Samuel O ’ Connell said adding the star experience to their training was a reward for their efforts – but also for paving the way to reach their individual goals .
“ Easyfairs is a demanding company ,” he said . “ They want you to work hard and put your heart and soul into it , because that ’ s what we are , we ’ re a family . But that recognition , I sit there now in this program and think ‘ wow ’ I ’ ve put in the work and been recognised for that ’ and supported to get to my goals of where I want to go as well .”
May — 31