Primeast

January 2nd 2012 marked an important event for Primeast - we have been helping organisations with the mastery of leadership, change, teamwork and coaching for 25 years! To celebrate this silver anniversary we looked to our Chairman, John Campbell, for his view on a quarter of a century in the field of innovative Learning and Development:

“On January 2nd Primeast was 25 years old and at the same time 25 years young. We are still the same client focused, outcomes driven and values led organisation we have always been. ‘Yes we can’ remains the same approach to everything we do. We seem to have an almost perverse pride in being able to meet any challenge, however daunting or even impossible it may seem. And yet inevitably the organisation has changed.

In 1987 we had three employees, and occasionally used two associates, with all our work being in the UK. Our office was a spare bedroom which also doubled as the storeroom for our outdoor equipment. Systems were very simple and paper based. Most of our projects we worked on together. It was fun and started something very special in its essence. Now we occupy a modern office (see right), employ 15 people, have a joint venture in India, an office in Prague, an associated business in Malawi and partners in Malaysia, Australia, Dubai, Argentina, USA and Canada. We employ over 40 associates regularly and last year delivered programmes in 78 cities in 40 countries! Most of our work is now outside the UK, and of course we have ‘grown up’ systems and processes.

What makes this such a special organisation, both to work in, and in the eyes of our clients, is the passion and attentiveness of our people. Although everyone says it, here it really is true - without our incredible staff and associates this business would not be what it is. We know this spirit is special and we will look after it for everyone involved with us – employees, clients and suppliers.


I am very proud to have been on this journey with East, then Primeast, and wish everyone well for the next 25 years for this young at heart organisation!”

As our case studies on engaging and empowering senior managers and facilitating their group annual conference testify, Primeast have over the last few years been proud to act as people development partners with Cape plc, an international leader in the provision of essential non-mechanical industrial services. These successes in engaging internal talent have now reached a wider audience via the pages of People Management, the magazine of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

In an article entitled “Cape plc, strategic teamworking”, UK HR director Alex Spence points out that

“bringing in teamworking and a progressive approach to talent management can create a powerful recipe for sustainable expansion and shareholder return at Cape, a recent example of which is the company’s move to the FTSE 250,”

before going on to outline the role Primeast initiated programmes CAPEability and Commitment have played in this.

The article is printed in the November issue of People Management, but an online version can be read here. For more information on how Primeast has helped other clients, please see our case studies and client testimonials.

Releasing PotentialAs reported in June, Primeast have expanded into India, the joint venture being headed by Primeast UK’s chairman John Campbell. Following a recent trip to Pune, where Primeast India pvt Ltd is developing an inspiring, eco-friendly learning and development centre, John has recorded some of his reflections on Releasing Potential, a forum for leaders, human resource professionals, practitioners and anyone seeking to achieve more to share challenges and best practice.

From arriving in India during the furore caused by social activist Anna Hazare, to finding enlightenment during the monsoon season, John’s “letters from Pune” raise interesting questions about leadership and talent liberation - to read more and take part in the discussion, go to the Releasing Potential discussion forum.

In the latest edition of The HR Director, the independent strategic HR magazine, Primeast’s Chairman and Founder John Campbell reminds organisations of the importance of adopting a holistic strategy that links wellbeing with employee engagement.

In issue 81, John advises that

“the solution to ill health and employee absence needs to be more deep-rooted because performance, strategy, health and wellbeing are all encompassing.”

He also points out that unless an organisation’s people are looked after, employee turnover will be high, and goes on to offer his top tips for developing health and wellbeing in the workplace.

The HR Director is only available on subscription - click here for more details.

Primeast’s Head of Organisational Development and Change Martin Carver has introduced the concept of building mental toughness and resilience to the international gas industry, with a cover article in the July/August edition of Gas International, the journal of IGEM, the Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers.

Using the successful implementation of mental toughness programmes with Cape Plc as a case study, Martin’s article outline how such programmes “can ensure that, psychologically, your managers, and other staff, have the readiness and propensity to take the business forward”. The article cites Cape’s UK HR Director Alex Spence as saying that managers found mental toughness to be “a powerful component of their learning, helping them bring higher levels of emotional intelligence to the work they do”.

Gas International is available on subscription from IGEM - click here for more details.

Further details on Primeast’s approach to Mental Toughness can also be found here.

Christophe Horvath and Sam Atiemo of Primeast Southern Africa have made it into the pages of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Malawi’s quarterly newsletter, which is full of praise for their work facilitating the 2011 Country Office team building retreat at Capital Hotel in Lilongwe.

Christophe and Sam used the retreat to introduce the philosophy, practice and process of Appreciative Inquiry to UNDP staff so that they can apply the concept in their work. They also spread the Primeast word about how to become a high performing team, stressing the importance of having a clear purpose, processes and good behaviours. And it almost goes without saying that Christophe used his musical skills to spice up the event.

To read more, see the UNDP Malawi resource page and download the 2011 First Quarter Newsletter (turn to page 17 for the full article, with pictures of the retreat on pages 12-13).

Following the announcement last week of Primeast’s international expansion into India, coverage in the UK press has helped to spread the news of a joint venture which will blaze a trail for leadership development in the subcontinent.

Click on the images below for more on our international expansion.

HR Magazine logoPrimeast’s deputy chairman and Head of Talent Liberation Clive Wilson has featured in an article for HR Magazine entitled “Global talent management: How do you build an international talent pipeline?”, offering his insight for companies looking to source the right people to build a talent pipeline.

In a wide-ranging article that elicits opinion from an array of experts in the field of talent management, Clive concludes that one rule applies for the issue globally, no matter what approach is taken:

“Global talent management is not about a pool of 10% of the organisation being considered ‘talent’. It is not about building databases and moving staff around like pawns - it is about cultural alignment, having stimulating conversation with managers and empowering them to source the right talent for your organisation.”

To read more, please follow this link.

Primeast is further expanding its global presence with a joint venture which will blaze a trail for leadership development in India, having been invited to partner with Venkatesh Desai, a renowned HR authority and chief executive of a successful management consulting organisation.

Primeast India’s programmes will fuse Primeast’s powerful global expertise with a wealth of Indian wisdom and best practice to nurture the next generation of business leaders. The venture will also bring new ideas, fresh thinking and best practice from the thriving economy of India to Primeast’s high-profile UK and global client portfolio.

Headed by Primeast UK’s chairman John Campbell, Primeast India’s other directors include Robin Wood, Sunil Tandon and Venkatesh Desai (for more details, click here). Primeast’s Gary Edwards is also a director of the new venture, with Bhushan Desai taking on the role of managing director.

As John points out:

“This partnership is aimed at releasing and honing the potential of India’s leaders and managers. It will equip them with the skills and learning to fulfil the growing economy’s need for strong management and leadership. Our two decades of expertise in delivering leadership development across the world was the catalyst for being invited to play a central role in this dynamic enterprise. Already we are seeing significant interest in what we can offer: a pragmatic, culturally sensitive, approach focused on making a real difference in the business environment, as opposed to simply acquiring academic knowledge.”

Venkatesh Desai commented:

“This venture fuses the best of global expertise with local knowledge and wisdom to energise businesses as well as engaging leaders and organisations to enhance their business performance. Primeast is the perfect partner to propel India’s business leaders to the next level.”

The new business, Primeast India pvt Ltd, is also developing an inspiring, eco-friendly learning and development centre at Mulshi which is situated in spectacular countryside between Pune and Mumbai. The centre will be open towards the end of 2012 and will provide a world-class learning environment for up to 45 people in an exceptional residential setting.

Primeast’s Managing Director Russell Evans has taken the message of talent liberation to practising and aspiring Administrative and Business Managers, with an article in the Spring 2011 edition of Manager, The British Journal of Administrative Management published by The Institute of Administrative Management.

In an edition devoted to ‘The Manager and the Organisation’, Russell outlines how the best possible strategy for any business in the current climate is to focus on the philosophy of talent liberation, and makes the crucial point that managers cannot make the most of their people’s talents if those people do not have a good understanding of where the business is heading and what this means in the context of their own work. Most importantly for those in management positions, he points out that talent liberation must be led from the top and fed into the life blood of the organisation in a systematic way.

The British Journal of Administrative Management is available on subscription to members of the Institute of Administrative Management - more details on membership can be found on their website.

To find out more about how Primeast can help to empower your workforce to identify problems and use their talents to drive performance forward, contact Russell at our UK offices (+44 (0) 1423 531 083), or email him directly.