Andy Bell, chair of polymer manufacturer Scott Bader’s Commonwealth Board – a charitable trust that holds the shares of the company – describes the “exceptional” support it received from J Gadd Associates
A fresh approach
“Our Commonwealth Board was first introduced to Jeremy Gadd by a previous colleague on the business’s operational board. He’d worked with Jeremy before and thought he was a guy who could bring a fresh approach to our charity. Scott Bader had introduced a new Constitution in 2022 to make sure it was being governed in a way that was fit for purpose in the 2020s. When I became Chair of the Commonwealth Board in March 2022, I thought it would be a good idea to also look at our charitable strategy. Jeremy was know by several people in the office and, when his name was mentioned, we agreed it was an exercise we wanted to do to ensure the Commonwealth Board was playing its part in the overall governance structure. Jeremy and Associate Philippa first came to see us in early 2023 to discuss what we needed and we had a follow-up meeting before they organised an awayday for us.”
Purpose and vision
“We had a whole day in a hotel in Northampton for the awayday, facilitated by Jeremy and Philippa. One of the things we were particularly looking for was a neutral forum, so we could talk and challenge freely. We wanted to consider the universe of options we had and discuss how we felt about them. Having started by saying that what we really wanted was to look at was our charitable strategy, we spent about 80% of the awayday talking about our overall vision and purpose. We came away with much more confidence and unity and certainty. We were enthused to agree our purpose and vision, with good ideas about what we wanted to do with the strategy. It could have been long day, talking about purpose and vision, but it was anything but. Jeremy and Philippa’s enthusiasm came across strongly throughout the day and, even in the breaks, they were happy to talk to people and answer their questions.”
“J Gadd Associates provided exceptional value for money, even though I cannot put a statistical number on it. Besides helping us to focus on the issue in hand, they also helped us in a better way than we had anticipated to do our overall role – and that is priceless”
Andy Bell, Chair of Commonwealth Board, Scott Bader
Proper facilitators
“Both Jeremy and Philippa were really good and obviously experienced as facilitators. They knew when to step in to help the conversation along, and when to step back and let people talk. They structured our awayday well and were good at clarifying what we had agreed upon at the end of each section. They were proper facilitators and helped everyone to find their voice. It did us the power of good in our role as trustees of the Commonwealth Board to refresh and remember our roles and talk about what excited us… and what frustrated us. We left with a much better idea of how to more effectively and efficiently hold the operating board to account. We have already implemented some of the operating methods and they’ve been a good help to us and allowed us to have better discussions.”
Exceptional value
“I would be happy to say that J Gadd Associates provided exceptional value for money, even though I cannot put a statistical number on it. Besides helping us to focus on the issue in hand, they also helped us in a better way than we had anticipated to do our overall role – and that is priceless. It has given us a schemata to share with the operating company, which is helpful. Everything about our awayday was bespoke, and the follow-up was exceptional. Jeremy presented his report to me and the Commonwealth Board and then offered to come in and also present it to the CEO and Chair of the operational board. Jeremy and Philippa’s desire to focus on the client and get the best result for the client was superb.”
Summary
J Gadd Associates (JGA) worked with the Scott Bader Commonwealth Board from March to May 2023, organising and facilitating an awayday to ensure the Board was playing its part in the business’s overall governance structure. Associates supported Board members to review and agree the right approach, clarify responsibilities and improve relationships so it could work faster and more effectively.
About Scott Bader
Scott Bader is a global manufacturer of adhesives, composites and functional polymers, founded in 1921 by Ernest Bader. It became employee-owned in 1951 when the Bader family handed over its company shares to the Scott Bader Commonwealth Board, a registered charity. The business now employs more than 800 colleagues across seven manufacturing sites and 18 global offices.
