Executive search and talent advisory firm Holmes Noble has appointed a group of sitting CEOs from FTSE-listed and major private businesses as founding mentors of The Ascent, a new professional development programme in partnership with leading coaching and leadership development provider MRA Executive Coaching.
Drawn from some of the world’s top organisations and spanning sectors such as industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities and transport and logistics, these senior leaders will help bridge the growing readiness gap between today’s CEOs and the next generation of leaders.
The founding CEOs
The confirmed participants are:
- James Wroath – Keller Group
- Gianfranco Sgro – Arriva
- Harld Peters – Renewi
- Eric Born – Grafton Group
- Lawrence Gosden – Southern Water
- Nicola Hindle – Matrix Group
- Gavin Wesson – RLC Aerospace
- Jim Fairburn – Bodycote
- Darren James – Aureos
- Peter France – Spirax Group
- Sebastian Desreumaux – Dawsongroup TCS
Closing the gap between current and future CEOs
The founding CEOs will contribute their insights, experience and perspectives throughout The Ascent, creating a unique opportunity for participants to learn directly from leaders operating at the highest levels of business. Through CEO lunches, panel discussions, boardroom simulations, podcasts and facilitated conversations, they will share practical lessons on leadership, decision-making, governance, stakeholder engagement and navigating complexity. Alongside these discussions, participants will build lasting relationships with an exceptional network of CEOs, peers and senior business leaders, extending their exposure to board-level thinking and the wider executive community.
Commenting on the launch, Amy Speake, CEO, Holmes Noble, said, “The Ascent reflects our belief that developing exceptional leaders is a shared responsibility. By bringing together experienced CEOs and the next generation of executive leaders, we aim to make a lasting contribution to leadership capability across industry.
“Each of our founding CEOs is generously investing their own time to share their experience and help develop the next generation of executive leaders. That tells you everything you need to know about the calibre of people involved and why they’re doing it. They want to help shape leaders who are ready, capable and confident when their moment comes. In five years, we want boards to be actively looking for Ascent alumni when they hire.”
For more information on The Ascent, visit here.
