Kent Business Leaders Dinner

ATTENDANCE IS BY INVITATION ONLY:

Our first Kent Business Leaders Dinner of the year will be held on Wednesday 12th February 2020 at the majestic Leeds Castle.

Arrival drinks will be served in the Castle’s Library followed by a sumptuous dinner in the Henry VIII Dining Room.Thanks to the support of KICC Patron, MHA MacIntyre Hudson, we have a very special keynote speaker at this event, Professor Joe Nellis.  Joe is Professor of Global Economy at the Cranfield School of Management. He is also Deputy Dean and the longest serving member of the School’s Executive Board. Joe will deliver a speech entitled ‘The World Beyond the Horizon’  (Details below).

BOOKING AND MENU CHOICES:

Please note that at the time of booking you will need to choose your menu options. These are:

STARTER

• Smoked Mackerel Parfait – with Kentish beetroot puree and horseradish gel (GF)
• Confit Leek Tart – with red pepper puree and parsley oil (V, GF on request)

MAIN COURSE

• Pressed West Sussex Pork Belly – with sage mashed potato, roasted carrots. kale and prune jus (GF, DF on request)
• Roasted Butternut & Sage Risotto – with crispy basil, parmesan, parsley oil and parmesan crisp (V, Ve on request)

DESSERT

• Apple & Cinnamon Tart – with vanilla ice cream (GF on request) Followed by coffee/tea and mints

GF: Gluten Free | V: Vegetarian | Ve: Vegan | DF: Dairy Free

The Chamber feels that it is vital that our local business leaders come together in this way. We hope to encourage all our guests to talk freely and to exchange opinions and ideas in a confidential and supportive environment.

As a result, we ask guests to respect that this event is held under ‘Chatham House’ rules.

If you are not able to come and still want your business to be represented, please do send a colleague. I would ask, however, that your nominated representative meets the attendance criteria for the event by holding a Director level position, or equivalent, within your organisation.

PROFESSOR JOE NELLIS

Professor Joe Nellis is Professor of Global Economy specialising in macroeconomic analysis and policy, business environmental analysis and strategic thinking for managers. He is also Deputy Dean and the longest serving member of Cranfield School of Management’s Executive Board. He has previously served as Director of the School and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University.

He also holds Visiting Professorial appointments at various universities in Germany, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands, Hungary, USA, and Ghana. Joe has published 19 research and subject-based books and over 200 academic and practitioner journal articles.

He is an experienced contributor to a wide range of national and international conferences and is a consultant to a number of organisations in the areas of strategy and business environmental analysis, strategy formulation and management development.

He was jointly responsible for the development of the Halifax and Nationwide House Price Indexes and more recently for the DPS Rent Price Index.

‘THE WORLD BEYOND THE HORIZON’

In recent decades the business environment has been transformed by unprecedented economic and political developments. A new world order is shaping up with the establishment of new markets and growth opportunities. The globalisation of trade and finance has brought about fundamental paradigm shifts alongside the rapid development of emerging and frontier economies such as China and India. At the same time, globalisation has also brought about an increasing interdependence between nations, institutions and people.

In tandem, we are witnessing major social trends including, for example, the ageing of populations in the most developed economies – including the UK. This contrasts sharply with the rapid expansion of young populations, the growth of urbanisation and a long-awaited and much needed expansion in educational investment in many developing countries.

Innovations in technology have connected people in radically new ways. We all now have access to an almost infinite volume and range of information and knowledge -at little or no cost. The internet has truly killed distance! And in the coming years, even more far-reaching technological innovations involving for example artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and the gig economy will profoundly change the way we all shop, travel, live and work.

In a nutshell, the world is becoming ever more diverse and complex – and riskier. This makes it imperative for everyone to respond appropriately. Government, business and society must be prepared to face up to ‘new normals’- there will be no hiding places for those who try to cling to the past and who ignore the new realities.

Charles Darwin wrote a long time ago that:

It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.

The dinosaurs became extinct because of their failure to evolve in a slowly changing environment. Today, many well-known and long established companies have joined the ranks of the dinosaurs. The world is changing at break-neck speed – and many of us in terms of our skill sets will also become extinct sooner than previously thought possible. But winners of the future will be those who identify with and adapt to the new ‘World Beyond the Horizon’.

Staged by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, in association with KICC Patrons.