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Left to right: Michael Pace (Andrew & Co Solicitors), Martin Dalby (Center Parcs), Adrian Reynolds (Duncan & Toplis), John Cridland CBE, Tim Godson (Duncan & Toplis)
John Cridland CBE at the Duncan & Toplis Directors' Briefing
Martin Dalby, CEO of Center Parcs, at the Duncan & Toplis Directors' Briefing

Cridland Leads the Pack at Sell-out Duncan & Toplis Briefing

John Cridland CBE delivered his last speech as a representative of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) at the Duncan & Toplis Directors’ Briefing on Friday 27th November.

Mr Cridland, who retired from his Director-General role at the CBI earlier this month, addressed more than 160 East Midlands business leaders at the high-level Duncan & Toplis Directors’ Briefing at Belton Woods Hotel near Grantham.

It was Mr Cridland’s final CBI speaking engagement before it was announced on 30th November that he has been appointed the first Chair of Transport for the North, a new body created to help transform transport connectivity across the Northern Powerhouse.

He expressed optimism about the British economy at the Directors’ Briefing and described the UK education system as the ‘Achilles heel’ of economic growth.

The event also saw Minister of State for Skills Nick Boles MP for Grantham and Stamford outline the Government’s Productivity Plan, which aims to ensure the value of government investment in apprenticeships.

Adrian Reynolds, Managing Director at Duncan & Toplis, said: “It was fantastic to see the room so full with businesses from right across the East Midlands and we are delighted by delegates’ feedback that they found the speakers to be of exceptional quality.

“The title of this year’s event was ‘Leading the Pack’ and our influential speakers advised our audience on how businesses can lead from the front and take full advantage of the brightening economic outlook.”

Phil Scrafton, Managing Director at Globe Consultants Limited, said: “It was an impressive event and I am very grateful for the opportunity to attend. I often go into these corporate events with an open mind and come away with a slight degree of disappointment that speakers often fail to get useful and thought-provoking information across in the limited time available.

“The Duncan & Toplis Directors’ Briefing was a very clear example where the speakers were superb and the coordination of the whole event was up to that high standard too.”

Neil Everatt, Chief Executive Officer at Software Europe, said: “We really enjoyed the mix of topics and content. It was a really valuable morning.”

Delegates at the seventh annual Duncan & Toplis Directors’ Briefing also heard from Stuart Green of Stuart J. Green Digital Engineering regarding cyber security, Kate Nowicki, Area Director of Acas East Midlands, and Michael Pace of Andrew & Co Solicitors.

Neil Parker, FX Market Strategist at RBS, analysed the global economy and considered how the EU referendum could bring economic uncertainty as it did during 2014’s Scottish independence referendum. Ingle Dawson, Head of Professional Services at Kaplan, examined the components of an effective manager before Martin Dalby, CEO at Center Parcs, highlighted the importance of using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to drive sustainable business.

Notes to editors

John Cridland CBE

John Cridland CBE was brought up in Boston, Lincolnshire and attended Boston Grammar School before reading history at Christ’s College Cambridge. Having been with the CBI since 1982, he was Deputy Director-General from 2000 to 2010 and Director-General for the following five years. After becoming the CBI’s youngest ever director in 1991 he went on to negotiate the UK’s first national minimum wage and entry into the European Union’s social chapter on employment conditions.

Duncan & Toplis

Duncan & Toplis was established in 1925 and has since grown into one of the largest independent firms of chartered accountants in the Midlands.
• The company appears in the top 40 UK accountancy practices list published by Accountancy Age.
• Duncan & Toplis was named ICAEW East Midlands Medium Accountancy Firm of the Year in March 2014 and 2015.
• The company has 11 offices throughout the East Midlands: in Grantham, Boston, Lincoln, Louth, Melton Mowbray, Loughborough, Newark, Skegness, Sleaford, Spalding and Stamford.
• Duncan & Toplis offers a wide range of services to small to large-sized family businesses, from accountancy, audit and tax to payroll, human resources and computer services.
• The business employs around 370 staff, of whom 85 are currently engaged in professional training.

For media information please contact:
Jonny Hall
Shooting Star
01522 528540
jonny@weareshootingstar.co.uk
[Duncan121DirectorsBriefing]


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