Entrepreneurs, students, and aspiring managers gathered at the School of Management, Swansea University on the 18th of July for the eagerly awaited CMI Career Confidence event.
This in-person gathering, organised by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), aimed to explore the ways individuals can build their career confidence and address the challenges faced in growing businesses across Wales.
The event drew attention to a significant statistic - a staggering 95% of businesses in Wales are micro-organisations founded by talented entrepreneurs looking to scale their ventures. However, finding and nurturing the right talent for growth remains one of the biggest hurdles they encounter. Often, the founder-owners, many of whom assume managerial roles by chance, find themselves seeking guidance to develop basic management skills and to overcome self-limiting beliefs, such as imposter syndrome.
The distinguished panel members, all experts in their respective fields, shared their insights and experiences to help attendees discover newfound confidence in building their careers and businesses. Among the panellists were Catrin-Parry Jones, Welsh CMI Board member for equality and diversity and Owner and Managing Director of Crwst Cardigan; Kathryn Austin, Chair of the Welsh CMI Board and HR and Marketing Director of Pizza Hut UK; Pamela McNamara, Commercial Director of Bluestone National Park Resort; Neil Reynolds, Welsh CMI Board Member for stakeholder engagement and Management Consultant and Investor; David Bolton, Associate Professor at the School of Management, Swansea University; and Carys Evans, Careers Consultant at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Swansea University.
David Bolton, expressing pride in hosting the Welsh Regional Event, highlighted that effective leadership and management are fundamental principles endorsed by Swansea’s School of Management across all their teaching programmes. The support from CMI, both nationally and regionally, serves as a cornerstone of their strategic approach.
The CMI Career Confidence event proved to be an empowering platform for Welsh entrepreneurs and aspiring managers, providing them with practical tools and guidance to overcome challenges and achieve success in their careers and business endeavours. As the participants left the event, they carried with them a renewed sense of confidence and determination to scale new heights in their professional journeys.
“Swansea’s School of Management is a key Higher Education partner of CMI. The event was really interactive and conversational with discussion points including imposter syndrome, barriers to career confidence and mentoring opportunities as well as CMI's Chartered Manager accolade and benefits.” Amanda Rose, Digital Events Manager CMI.
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