Introducing Pete our new non-executive chairperson
We have recently announced the appointment of Pete Burden as our new non-executive Chairman. Pete has been working with us for two years as a business coach and mentor; this appointment formalizes the existing relationship between us and demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our management and governance.
Pete said “I am really excited by the opportunity. NixonMcInnes is one of the leaders in the social media revolution, creating online services that make a difference offline. This is something I am passionate about, and I am really happy to be able to make a contribution.”
Over his 30 year career, Pete has worked with innovators of all kinds. Following an early technical background, working with computer networks in the 1980s, his commercial apprenticeship was with the very innovative US corporation Digital Equipment, now part of HP. Amongst other things, Pete helped establish a 70-strong consulting group serving clients in the City of London.
From 1994 (just before the dot-com era) he worked in a number of startups and innovative projects mainly around electronic content and publishing of various types including early social media projects such as World Press Centre. Pete was one of the core team that created BBC News Online in 1997 and went on to work with the BBC to help launch its first interactive TV services.
“My contribution has nearly always been around helping creative and entrepreneurial people deliver concrete results, and get the business and other benefits they deserve. As well as focusing on commercial success, my other interest is applying lessons from psychology and life, and I really enjoy helping people discover and fulfil their potential.”
Moving to Brighton in 2001, Pete started working with local businesses. Amongst other things, he set up the Hub100 – an exclusive group for the MDs and owners of fast growing businesses allowing them to share expertise and best-practice.
“One of the things that attracted me to NixonMcInnes was the company’s commitment to democratic ways of working. I believe strongly that we are at the start of a sea change in the way business operates and the contribution it makes to society. Never has the time been better for companies embracing democratic principles internally and with clients to take centre stage.”
Pete continues to work with other Brighton businesses and is on the Boards of several other local companies. He has two children and lives in Lewes.
Our MD Will has said, “Success has many fathers, the saying goes, and many of our successes so far (even though we don’t feel we’ve really scratched the surface yet) have benefited from the significant and often unheralded and humbly-delivered influence that Pete has provided in his previous role as business coach to me and Tom, and through us, to the team and our clients. Now, as chairman, we’ve seen an even greater contribution from Pete in enabling our team to unlock every pixel of their potential, and that can only be a good thing for this magical mystery tour adventure that we find ourselves on.”
Welcome and thank you Pete :)
Ruth wrote this on 07.08.08 – what do you think?
It's filed in the Business, NixonMcInnes, Strategy box
