Swart
PICTURES BY GRAEME ROWATT
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Meet the man at the forefront of a business force for good
Richard Swart , chair of the Open North Foundation , talks to Graeme Anderson about life lessons learned and how he ’ s putting them to work helping businesses across the region ...
Managing change and building bridges – the constant themes of Richard Swart ’ s working life – are also central to the recently-launched not-for-profit Open North Foundation he chairs .
The foundation was formed to help struggling North-East businesses recover from Covid-19 .
And that goal will best be achieved , Swart points out , by the region ’ s businesses negotiating the bumps in the road together .
“ It is vital the North-East does this because we need each other ,” says Swart , the South African-born , now proudly British global sales director of the Berger Group Europe , a German multinational with a Peterlee base .
One might have expected a more expansive perspective from an international businessman who , pre-Covid-19 , did about 160 business flights a year abroad , mostly visiting Berger ’ s 15 sites worldwide and customers in over 50 countries .
But having lived most of his life in Durham , the 59-year-old is aware that not only does the North-East often have to look after itself during times of crisis but that strong loyalties locally give it a great chance to do so . “ I want the North-East to be the best it can be and for that to happen , business has to pull together more ,” he said .
“ In years to come , we may be asked : ‘ What did you do to help in the Covid-19 pandemic ?’ The ONF would be part of that answer .”
Although the aid handed out – up to £ 5,000 plus free training – may be modest in comparison to the multi-millions handed out by the government over the past year , the foundation ’ s message of support and unity is a further shot in the arm for struggling businesses
“ The aid we offer is entirely dependent on donations from the business community and private individuals . Not a penny raised has been spent on anything other than qualifying businesses . We have zero overheads .
“ The ONF is about North-East business helping North-East business .” Qualifying businesses must show they had a business pre-Covid-19 , that they have been impacted by Covid-19 and that they are likely to have a future , Richard explains .
“ All the business leaders who are involved in the foundation are giving their time and skills free of charge .
“ We know we will have made a positive difference . It is only a question of degree . The bigger the difference the better . Therein lies our ongoing challenge .
“ But we are satisfied with the start made – several put money in the pot , we have excellent traction throughout the region and we have more than 60 backers already .
“ It is a very interesting and inspiring project to be involved in , in what has been a very depressing time for so many people and companies .”
Richard has lived through his share of depressing times , as a young man growing up in a South Africa still riven by the apartheid system .
Although he was to build a career that would see him recognised as among the top 100 leaders of manufacturing in the UK , he started his working life as a journalist .
He spent six years working for a Sunday newspaper which was on the right side of history in terms of agitating for an end to the racist state system , part of a campaign that was to eventually lead to the release of Nelson Mandela .
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