The Last Post 23rd January 2014

Looking back on the many posts I've made in the past twelve months it has clearly been a busy year.

It is a great privilege to act as Master of a Livery Company with the opportunity to attend many interesting events and to meet many people, whilst representing the profession of marketing within the City of London.

I hope the blog serves to both inform and inspire any who are motivated to progress through a livery company to achieve the Mastership.

Tonight, at an Installation Court,  the Senior Warden progresses to the office of Master having been clothed in the gown and invested by me with the Chain and Badge, the insignia of the office as Master. I wish him every success.  

Women in Manufacturing House of Commons Tuesday 21st January

“Smashing the Glass Ceiling”

Science,Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – the so called STEM disciplines – are key to the UK’s engineering and manufacturing capability and schools are under increasing pressure from government to facilitate and support their delivery within the curriculum, encouraging pupils into these important and challenging subjects.

Women in Manufacturing is an organisation that seeks particularly to attract and retain women to this key sector of the economy, encouraging diversity and increasing the UK talent pool by raising the number of women in industry at all levels.  It does this by urging both educators and employers to forge partnerships to mutual benefit.

As things stand fewer than 10% of STEM qualified managers are female.  Women complete only 1% of apprenticeships in construction, planning and the environment, 4% in manufacturing, 18% in ICT.    Indeed only 27.3% of manufacturing workers are female, the same level as in 1972.  Clearly there is a lot of work to do in redressing this imbalance.

With my long standing interest in promoting diversity Women in Manufacturing is therefore a topic close to my heart.  The organisation was formed by the Glass Academy working with the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers.  The aim is to attract a broader mix of skills, experience, views and ideas to the UK manufacturing sector to help address the impending UK manufacturing skills shortage and significant gender imbalance in the sector.

The Aim:

• Inspiring more girls and young women to take up careers in manufacturing and engineering
• Raising awareness of the numerous well paid, exciting and fulfilling career opportunities in the sector
• Contributing to a cultural shift through education to eliminate gender stereotyping from the industry.

The well attended reception held in the Churchill Room within the House of Commons was to raise the profile of this new and worthy initiative and was full of faces known to me.  In many ways the need to engage with Industry, Government and Education was familiar ground for me from my years running the Industry and Parliament Trust – educating MPs and Peers about the continuing importance of maintaining a manufacturing industry back at a time when the City appeared far more seductive to most in achieving economic growth.

It was good to meet again with Alderman Andrew Parmley, now Master of the Glass Sellers, and as a Musician a driving force behind the City Livery concerts, now firmly re-established.  I was also delighted to also meet with a very dear friend and one-time neighbour Tony Thatcher, a member of the Glass Sellers and former Vice Chairman of Thyssen-Bornemisza.  Tony came to my Installation a year ago.

I do hope this initiative gathers momentum.  Manufacturing today is no longer the heavy work of yesteryear but more usually embraces innovation, precision,delicacy and design – all gifts possessed by the female half of the population.  My sense is that girl schools are still succeeding rather better at bringing girls into STEM subjects and this new organisation gives me ideas of where I might well decide to apply my business experience in coming months and years.

Reception to honour Sir Robert Worcester KBE DL 80th birthday Monday 20 January 2014 at the Reform Club

I was delighted to go to Sir Robert Worcester's celebratory birthday party which was attended, as one can imagine, by practically every luminary of the political and business world. 
No General Election in this country could possibly take place without commentary from the founder of MORI. Despite being American by birth Sir Robert was appointed by Her Majesty the Queen a Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) in 2005 in recognition of his 'outstanding services rendered to political, social and economic research and for contribution to government policy and programmes'.
I know Bob ("never Sir Bob - that's Geldof") best through us both serving many years on the Council of the University of Kent, he as Chancellor and me as a Council member. He is visiting Professor of Government at the LSE and also of the Institute of Contemporary British History at King's College. Most importantly he is Chairman of the Magna Carta 2015 800th Anniversary Commemoration Committee.  Bob spoke on that fascinating topic as my guest at the Marketors Court Dinner in December.
I was delighted to catch up with many MPs, Ministers, business leaders and media moguls. I was listed by Bob as "Church Commissioner" in the evening's printed programme so received a number of congratulations from a wide spectrum of those attending.  I very much enjoyed speaking with Eleanor Laing, Deputy Speaker and Tessa Jowell, and other old friends from the House of Commons, along with Sir Peter Bottomley, who gave a glowing tribute to Bob's work. I also caught up with a number of Peers, including Lords Clement-Jones, Quentin Davies and Michael Howard.  I was also pleased to meet up with my old friend John Pullinger, House of Commons Librarian.
Sir Robert and Lady Margaret are as busy as ever, living in Allington Castle, their magnificent Kent home. When asked during the evening if he was thinking of retiring, the firm answer from octogenarian Bob was 'no'!

Lunch with the Commanding Officer of HMS St Albans Monday 20 January

MASTER AND COMMANDER

A lot of my pre-occupation and personal professional endeavour over the years has been in support of diversity in the workplace.  At Pearson, for example, I was responsible for international diversity right across the Group and introduced policies to ensure the removal of discrimination in recruitment and advancement where it still existed.   Previously at Cable & Wireless in the 1990's I advocated that women, including those who were married with children, should have equal opportunity offered to them to take up international assignments on the same basis as men and then did so myself with a move to Singapore.  

The Marketors' Company values its affiliation to HMS St Albans set up in 2011. The ship is currently undergoing major refit in a basin in Portsmouth harbour scheduled for completion by May. I was therefore particularly delighted on learning from the ship's previous CO back in September 2013 that HMS St Albans was likely to receive a female Commanding Officer to take the ship out of refit with a largely new ship's company and into Sea Training ready to rejoin the Fleet as an active unit.   Commander Catherine Jordan was duly appointed in December.  It is perhaps noteworthy that it was only in 2012 that the Royal Navy appointed any woman to sea going command and there is clearly now some considerable momentum behind the concept.

Cdr Jordan is in fact returning to HMS St Albans - an aviator, she has served on the ship before as the ship's very first Flight Commander shortly after commissioning.  She had specialised as a Helicopter Observer earlier in her career.

Just as I cannot claim to be the first lady Master of the Marketors, Catherine cannot claim to be the first woman to take command of a Type 23 frigate! Commander Sarah West is already "driving" HMS Portland to use the navy slang and Commander Sue Moore has command of Fishery Patrol Vessels based in Scotland. Nevertheless to my mind Catherine is definitely breaking exciting new ground in the field of diversity in the workplace because unlike Sarah West and Sue Moore, Catherine is married and also a mother - her daughter was born on Christmas Day 2012 and is now one year old.   Catherine's husband is a Captain in the Royal Navy currently shore-based.  

A lawyer by original training, Catherine is a delightful person and comes to HMS St Albans with substantive command experience  - she has previously commanded HMS Severn - an offshore patrol vessel and HMS Clyde.   She is enthusiastic about developing the ship's several affiliations which for the Marketors is very good news.

Commander Catherine Jordan RN with the Master

From a professional point of view I am delighted that the Royal Navy is clearly enlightened looking only to professional fitness in making its appointments - not to domestic situations.  That must be the lesson to all employers. 

I have myself worked professionally and almost continually all my professional life despite bringing up three children. It does necessitate employing management skills at home in a supportive domestic environment, and it is quite possible, but only with appropriate assistance, to combine a demanding senior level career with raising a family. 

The concept of having women in command of powerful and complex fighting units of the Royal Navy which may well be required to go to war is still sufficiently novel to warrant mention in the media - just as having a woman as Lord Mayor of the City of London.  It certainly changes the dynamics in a subtle way.

Commander Jordan will be attending the Installation Dinner on Thursday 23rd January with her Executive Officer where they will be able to meet the newly installed Master Michael Harrison.  As I pointed out to her she is somewhat privileged as both her predecessors, Tom Sharpe and Andrew Block were at sea patrolling the UK coasts at the time of the previous Installation Dinners, thus both missing out on the formal occasion!  

Presentation by the Master on the City Livery Companies of London at the Royal Over-Seas League Club, Mayfair Thursday 16 January 2014

Over-Seas House, where I was once a member when heading up Cable & Wireless' Asia Pacific Region, based in Singapore, had been a home from home for me in the 1990s on my visits back to Head Office. Alas, returning to the UK's often dismal weather and staying in a very pleasant room overlooking St James' Park somehow lacked much merit, particularly when meeting my rather gloomy and envious colleagues in Theobalds Road who were obliged to hear me relate my exciting adventures around the islands and countries of Asia Pacific. As I always looked rather tanned and relaxed, despite having a huge portfolio to manage, I hope I was at least some inspiration to my UK colleagues to understand that working internationally can be a positive and useful step in one's career. It certainly was for me. So here I was, back in the building that in November 1975 was where the Marketors, under the leadership of Lord Mais, member of this Club, Lord Mayor in 1972/3 had held their Inaugural Dinner - the first formal event of the Marketors.  Earlier that year on 1st April 1975 the Guild of Marketors had been formed and had started a process of inviting Fellows from the then Institute of Marketing to join the Guild of Marketors.   The first meeting of these Fellows, many eminent in marketing, therefore had taken place in this very Club, a successful event that now forms a significant part of our history. It was interesting to note from the early records that the Guild of Marketors was promoted as an association of Gentlemen in senior marketing positions (ie: no ladies need apply!).  I informed my present large audience of members of the Over-Seas League Club that well over half of those graduating in Marketing today are women! I did say that if the livery companies did not exist, there was very little chance that anyone would invent them today.  Indeed, venture far from the City of London, even into the neighbouring City of Westminster, or maybe even into Parliament (save that we do have Theresa May and Cheryl Gillan MPs as members of the Company) and you will find people who know absolutely nothing about Livery Companies at all. I talked about the Guilds found in most large towns and cities across Europe from which we derive, the long history of the Livery, as it is known collectively, and the present 109 City of London Livery Companies. I explained the Corporation of London, the freedom, patrimony and also the historic origins of the words such as 'masterpiece, and 'hallmark'.  I also,of course, spoke of the work of the Modern Livery Companies (those founded since 1931) and my own Company's Outreach, our collaboration with the Mercers, Stationers and Haberdashers.  With the 25,000 liverymen and 16,000 Freeman within the square mile, the Livery Companies are seen to be flourishing today and are not so much a City feature but more a City survival. I concluded by mentioning the events and activities in my year as Master and the several Cs I see in the work of our Company, built on the words of one distinguished Lord Mayor in the 19th century who talked of the Five Points of Fellowship:  Charity, Citizenship, Comradeship and Conviviality. Personally I would add three more Cs: Collegiate, Church and Corporation.  I concluded, after answering many questions, by stating that I had greatly enjoyed the enormous privilege of being Master for this past year and how delighted I would be next week to install my successor on 23 January so that I can disappear with my husband to the Caribbean, with so many very happy memories.  All the year is recorded on this blog!  I will return from my holiday suitably refreshed to take up my appointment as a Church Commissioner with the responsibility that this entails in managing the £5.5 billion assets of the Church of England. To that effect I shall be guest Preacher at Evensong in St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 2 March. Everyone is welcome to attend! I thanked the assembled company for listening and discovered that one Liveryman was present, from the Security Professionals. He had decided to keep his powder dry.  It was a delight to know that there were two Liverymen in the room and, maybe, a few more now interested to become free of a Company.

Worshipful Company of Upholders Election Court Luncheon Tallow Chandlers Hall Wednesday 15 January

It is always a pleasure to visit Tallow Chandlers Hall.  It is easy to locate at Dowgate Hill and accessed directly opposite the exit from Cannon Street tube.  I can vouch that it has the best ladies room of any hall!

The Company had been holding their Common Hall, to which all Liverymen and Freemen are invited.  I had previously met the Master, Nick Meyer.  His Company (49th in precedence) welcomes people with a great variety of skills and achievements, although the original upholders of the City of London can trace their history back to the early days of the Craft Guilds in which were fostered the high quality of goods and the high standards of workmanship that have always been the pride of English industry. The craftsman in Upholstery was known by a name that varied from Upheldere to Uphouldesterr, but mainly as an Upholder and it is under this latter name that the Company came into existence "On the Saturday after the Feast of St. Matthias in the 35th year of the reign of Edward III" (i.e. the 1st March 1360, Old Style). The election, in February 1360, of Wardens "to survey and govern the men of the mistery" is recorded in the City archives together with the grants in 1474 of the right to search for and seize all wares in the City pertaining to the Craft that were insufficiently or not truly made. The Company received the grant of its Coat of Arms in 1465 in the reign of Edward IV, and its Royal Charter was granted by Charles 1 on June 14th, 1626. The original Charter was destroyed in 1666 in the Great Fire, but a new exemplification was obtained in 1668 and the grant was therein confirmed by Charles the Second.  Interestingly the Company has over the years had two Royal Navy submarines affiliated to them, both called HMS Upholder.  Where is our HMS Marketor? The Company also specifically supports Castle Baynard Ward Club. The lunch was excellent and the Master's guest speaker, Jake Mayer, had recently returned from climbing Mount Everest.  Jake had decided from a very young age that he was going to climb all the highest mountains of the world before his thirtieth birthday and he achieved his goal by the age of 28.  It was not without awe that the assembled company listened to the graphic description of his ordeal. After an excellent stirrup cup I repaired to the Guildhall to collect some material for my own talk on Livery Companies tomorrow at the Royal Overseas League.

The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers Dinner for Masters and Clerks Tuesday 14 January 2014

The Clerk and I had the ideal start to our evening with the pleasure of repairing the very short distance to Plaisterers Hall from our own Company offices directly above! I had used Plaisterers' Hall for our very well attended Bowden Dinner in October and it is the largest and one of the finest Livery Halls in London. Opened in 1972 and situated in the heart of the City of London, it reflects the grandeur of a bygone era but in what is described as 'an ultra modern setting'.The first Hall was bequeathed to the Company by William Elder, Citizen and Plaisterer in 1556. It was situated at the corner of Addle Street and Philip Lane and destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The second Hall was built in 1669 from the design of Sir Christopher Wren, but this was also destroyed by fire in 1882.The present Hall, opened in November 1972 has décor throughout of the neo-classical style created by Robert Adam in the 18th century. His various designs have been faithfully reproduced in great detail both on plaster and wood, some being taken from his original moulds. We were received by my good friend and the Company's first lady Master, Dee Bradshaw. Dee was accompanied by her Deputy, Gary Morley, Upper Warden, Michael Jones. Renter Warden, Bill Mahoney and, of course, our very good friend Nigel Bamping, Clerk to the Company. It was a packed hall for dinner and the response to the Master was given by Master Merchant Taylor, John Price. It was interesting to note that the Plaisterers have a tradition of their own with the Loving Cup that the person behind the drinker faces inwards towards the one being drunk to, rather than outwards, thereby pledging the safety of the drinker by shielding his back with his body and watching for any treachery by the person to whom he is drinking.  It was a delightful and fun evening, with many guests for whom this was a first Livery dinner.  The Clerk and I also stayed in the hall very late and it was excellent to catch up informally with the Master and Nigel.  No urgency to leave!  I was presented with a large floral arrangement to take home and, in our time honoured and regular fashion, the Clerk walked me to my bus and, once I was safely on board, the flowers were laid next to the driver who was most impressed.