Teaming up to deliver in the boardroom

The ‘Leadership on the Line’ conference, taking place at Kingspan Stadium on Tuesday October 15, will examine how leaders of elite sports teams create a winning culture and how those lessons can be applied to business.

The event, organised by Chartered Accountants Ulster Society in partnership with Danske Bank, and hosted by Andrew Toogood, of Proclaim Consulting, will hear from Andrew Trimble, former Ulster Rugby star and founder of Kairos Software; Arlene Boyles, assistant coach of the Ireland hockey team which reached the Women’s World Cup Final in 2018; and Bryn Cunningham, former player and current operations director of Ulster Rugby.

Delivering a keynote address at the conference will be Dr. Phil Glasgow, head of rehab and physiotherapy with Irish Rugby and formerly chief physiotherapy officer for Team GB at the Rio Olympics.

Richard Gillan, chairman of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society said: “Culture and teamwork are as vital to the business world as they are on the playing field. Whether it’s in business or in sport, results matter.

“Watching from the stands may be as close as some of us get to understanding the mindset that is required to compete in elite sport. Most of us, however, understand the importance of either leading or contributing as part of a team in our working lives.

“The ability to leverage the potential within our organisations is more important than ever before. ‘Leadership on the Line’ will be a fascinating insight into team and leadership dynamics, and I hope that it can make a real contribution to the discussion around creating a winning organisational culture.”

Shaun McAnee, managing director of corporate and business banking, Danske Bank said: “Danske Bank is once again delighted to be sponsoring the Ulster Society’s annual conference.

“Through the bank’s many sports sponsorships, we have learned over many years that business can learn a lot from the world of sport. Strong leadership is always important to business growth, and that is particularly true in the current economic and political climate.”