Mentoring Initiative is a Great Success

13 Feb 2008

The Oxford Trust is delighted to announce that the third Experience Exchange was a great success. On Tuesday 5th February Science Oxford was filled with an impressive line-up of seasoned business leaders sharing their experiences with budding science and technology entrepreneurs. Nick Cross, founding Executive Chairman of Oxford Semiconductor Ltd. and Oxford Assymetry Ltd (now Evotec) and Andrew Rickman founder and former CEO/Chairman of Bookham Inc were amongst the senior business executives meeting the companies.

Miles Templeman, Director General of the Institute of Directors, attended the Experience Exchange to observe the event and see the benefits everyone took from the evening. “Many young entrepreneurs would benefit greatly from an experienced mentor. The Oxford Trust is doing it well, and I want to see if the IoD would take this on all over the country.”

Finding a suitable non-executive or mentor who knows about your industry can be a hit and miss affair, and even when you find someone appropriate it’s not always easy to get the opportunity to introduce yourself. At the Experience Exchange The Oxford Trust made the all-important introductions providing the opportunity for the companies to receive a guiding hand from someone with real, practical business experience.

Dave Fletcher of White October commented “I received some excellent advice during the evening which I am sure will prove invaluable. The Experience Exchange is an ideal way of making contact with individuals who can really help”.

Amanda Nolte, from The Oxford Trust counted over seventy introductions within the first hour, noting “from the quality of the companies and business leaders involved and the matching of interests, it would be hard not to image some of these introductions developing into longer working relationships”.

For more information about the Trust’s business support initiatives please contact:

Richard Mercer, Business Support Manager -   richard.mercer@oxtrust.org.uk