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Reflecting on a year of Frazer-Nash’s Next Generation Advisory Committee

23/11/2022
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Last year, Frazer-Nash launched its first ever Next Generation Advisory Committee (NGAC), assembling eight colleagues, aged 30 and under, from across the company.

The NGAC is a key part of Frazer-Nash’s diversity and inclusion strategy, is sponsored by the Board of Directors, chaired by the Non-Executive Director and works to support the board by providing the perspective of the “Next Generation” on key company matters, with the aim of sparking new ideas or approaches to challenges. It also provides an opportunity for members to experience working in a formal committee, learn about company governance and work collaboratively with colleagues from across Frazer-Nash on things that matter to our customers and people.

The concept of an advisory committee in this case, is to establish a group of employees to advise senior executives on strategic business issues. At Frazer-Nash, the NGAC operates by providing insights and recommendations to questions posed by the company’s board. Sometimes, the board and committee will complete an exercise in parallel, to enable generational views to be considered as part of a normal business process.

In the year so far, the committee has provided invaluable insight across many different business areas, helping Frazer-Nash to ensure its values remain at the core of its decision-making. A recent example is a task on strategy planning and how potential future scenarios may affect the organisation over the next five years. This is something Frazer-Nash previously conducted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic but repeating with the involvement of the NGAC has meant the views of the next generation are represented in that planning.

Frazer-Nash looks forward to continuing with the Next Generation Advisory Committee and reaping the benefits that come from this initiative in the future.

"The NGAC for me is an opportunity to provide guidance to the board on the direction of the company, not just from a business standpoint but how we look after our people too. I enjoy the ability to do something outside of normal business and take some time each month to reflect on the wider issues we are tackling as an organisation. Focussing on me personally, I relish the chance to interact with people from all over the business, the board, and to learn as much as I can about how to act in a committee from an “independent” party in Nicky, [our Non-Executive director]. Presenting to the board is also good practice to improve my ability to articulate complex or detailed ideas in a simple, digestible manner and get stakeholder buy-in.”

Will Western, Committee Member

 

“The Next Generation Advisory Committee really exemplifies the values we live at Frazer-Nash and is another key step forward for our diversity and inclusion strategy. The committee has opened opportunities for Frazer-Nash’s next generation to exercise positive influence and is a further mechanism to enable two-way communication with the company’s Board of Directors. This communication has proven to be invaluable, and I look forward to their contribution as we move forward in to 2023.”

Sam Geis, People Director

 

"As a board, we continually seek to solve complex problems that affect Frazer-Nash in an open way, using our experience and judgement to navigate the potential pathways to a successful future for the company. I really value the Next Gen input to that process, as the committee brings a freshness in their insight and perspectives. This is vitally important when we have such a wide range of opportunities and challenges in our modern world. It demonstrates how fantastic our people are, and that our future is in safe hands with them influencing our direction. I’m looking forward to seeing where they take Frazer-Nash next."

John Devlin, Programmes Director

 

“The decision to set up the NGAC is a demonstration of commitment from the Frazer-Nash Board of Directors to understand, support, and consider how the next generation are being impacted by today’s world, to ensure that Frazer-Nash is both successful and a great place to work, both now, and in the future.

 “It is crucial that organisations adapt to this changing environment by enabling strong positive engagement between the senior leaders in an organisation and their next generation people. By initiating the NGAC in Frazer-Nash we want to capitalise on the numerous advantages, opportunities and insights that we can benefit from.”

 Rupert Bridges, Chief Operating Officer

 

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