LOTF - Building the Best Version of You: Achieving Excellence - Elevating your Performance
The Leaders of the Future Conference took place on 13th June at ACCO’s new offices in Aylesbury, bringing together forward-thinking individuals from the business supplies industry. The sold-out event provided a platform for attendees to listen to motivational speakers, engage in discussions, and participate in interactive sessions aimed at improving both personal and professional performance.
Morning Session
Key speakers at the conference’s morning session were:
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Sarah Furness MA Cantab RAF: A bestselling author and motivational speaker known for her compelling insights on leadership, resilience, and personal development. With a distinguished background in the Royal Air Force, Sarah brought a wealth of experience and unique perspectives to the session.
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Phil Jones MBE: The Managing Director of Brother UK, a passionate advocate for professional development. His session emphasised the evolving role of CEOs into world-class generalists. He highlighted the importance of fostering open communication, understanding statutory obligations, and prioritising strategic thinking. Phil stressed the value of building relationships, excelling in delegation, and embracing innovative business models such as subscription services. He concluded with insights on creative strategising, optics management, and the role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership, providing attendees with actionable strategies for personal and professional growth.
Afternoon Sessions
In the afternoon, round table discussions were hosted by key industry leaders, including:
- Ian Buckley (Managing Director, Prima Software)
- Jo Marshall (Executive Director, YPO)
- Stuart Derbyshire (Chief Sales Officer, OT Group UK & Ireland)
- Jeanette Caswell (Managing Director, Office Friendly)
These interactive sessions allowed participants to discuss current topics shaping the business supplies industry and modern working practices. The day concluded with a dynamic panel session at 3:00 pm, focusing on achieving high performance in today’s business supplies industry.
Special Mentions
The LOTF committee would like to sincerely thank our key speakers and panellists for sharing their valuable insights and expertise.
A special mention to Alex Stone and Rachael Lewis for their dedication as co-chairs of the BOSS Leaders of the Future committee. Their leadership has been crucial in shaping its events and supporting emerging industry leaders. We eagerly anticipate James Day and Amy Remmer carrying the Leaders of the Future group forward, bringing their enthusiasm and expertise to further advance and grow our community.
If you would like any information on the upcoming Leaders of the Future event, please contact Helen at Helen@bossfederation.co.uk.
The LOTF team would also like to extend their sincere gratitude to our venue supporters, ACCO UK, and to our industry speaker supporters, Brother UK. Additionally, we appreciate the generous contributions from Cawston Press, Exaclair, BIC, and Nestle, whose support was instrumental in making this event possible. We hope that all delegates found the day enriching and informative, equipping them with actionable takeaways to enhance their leadership skills and drive success in their roles. Here’s to continued growth and collaboration in the business supplies community!
Amy Remmer
I am currently an Account Director at Vow wholesale. My role consists of Managing key accounts, supporting Growth and development through strategic planning and collaborative working, maximising all available assets available at VOW. I have been in the industry 10 years in various roles within Wholesale, The dealer community and contract stationers. I am very passionate about the industry and have worked continually to grow my skillset and develop into the role I hold today.
James Day
My role involves managing the Account Management, New Business, E-Commerce and Marketing teams, as well as directly managing some of our key customers myself.
Jack Massey
I’ve worked within our industry for 13 years in various roles within Customer Service, Retail, Wholesale and Reseller channels. In my position as Membership Advisor at BOSS, my objective is to promote connection within our industry through our members, the supply chain and wider industry.
Jason Jones
I’m currently the national account manager for office supplies for Nestle Professional. Currently, I look after several wholesalers and dealer groups within the channel. Making sure we have aligned strategy and winning sales and business plans
Kristian Danielson
I have worked in a wide range of sectors selling vastly different products. Starting at McCain 8 years ago I sold chips to large chain restaurants before moving on to sell hair products, honey and now stationery at BIC ltd. During my career I've managed a number of key customers such as The Factory Shop, Morrisons, and Holland and Barret. I now manages all dealer and wholesale accounts for BIC as well as some key online customers.
Rachael Lewis
I currently look after all pricing, bids and tenders, sales support and implementation of new customers. I enjoy working collaboratively to drive optimum stakeholder satisfaction and make a positive impact for our customers and the company.
