2021 Chairperson Awards

18 CEO MONTHLY / CHAIRPERSON AWARDS 2021 , Sep21031 SCL Education Group It’s a proudmoment for SCL as we name the EducationChairperson of the Year: Carole Carson. An exemplary figure in the education sphere, we spokewith Carole to find outmore about her achievements, history and exceptional record of success. SCL Education Group is built on four divisions, all driven by the same goal, to unlock potential across the UK. SCL are a leading provider in education, predominantly sports education and coaching using the power of sport as a motivational tool to create positive outcomes. Across their other divisions they deliver apprenticeships, traineeships, adult education, childcare, and end point assessment. Over the last twenty-two years, SCL has provided children aged 4-12 and 16+ with the opportunity to gain qualifications, learn key values, maintain good habits and establish strong social skills to support their transition into adult life. Carole joined SCL in December 2018 as Chair and was appointed to Executive Chair in 2020. As Chairperson of SCL, Carole has helped shape an incredible force for good supporting SCL in helping thousands of young adults and children through the exceptional power of sport. “We’re looking towards good growth driven by delivering good customer experiences. With two newly formed business divisions this year, we are driving positive impact from early years to adulthood across a range of services and establishing SCL in new markets. It’s great to be in this position and supporting the new CEO, Brad Rushton, who is truly passionate about doing the best for the business and the individuals that come through our doors.” The Chair of the board works closely with the Chief Executive to provide them and the executive team with positive challenges, experiences and business knowledge. A Chief Executive role can be lonely, and the job of the Chair is to act as a true support to the CEO to create a healthy environment, as Carole explains: “I understand that everyone is different. Everyone is motivated by different things and engaged in different ways – if you can understand people, you can understand how to drive business success. I have seen first-hand how nurturing and engaging people in the right way has positive results. The key to success is remembering that People are what drives your business.” One of the greatest tools a chairperson can have is experience – and Carole certainly has that in spades. Beginning her career at BT and working her way up to senior management, Carole credits her tenure to establishing those first essential skills: “In some ways, it felt like an apprenticeship in that I gained key knowledge and learned different types of behaviours that facilitated progression. I then moved into the education sector and utilised the lessons I learned at BT to deliver from a quality perspective and a more robust customer service angle.” A great example of what a successful Chairperson looks like, Carole shared with us her advice for anyone on a similar career path who’d like to follow in her footsteps. Every day is a school day There are always new things to learn and new ways to be innovative. You should always be open to change and focussed on how things can be done differently. Learn from your teams, listen to them, and understand them. The biggest learnings you can take is from your people. Work life balance is important Don’t forget to say thank you and reward hard work. Make sure your people feel valued and they will value you as an employer. Ensure you focus on their wellbeing as a tool to allow them to be the best they can be and understand when they need your support. Be yourself – always be true to yourself and trust your gut instincts Everyone is different, and we should celebrate this. Being different is what makes people unique, and we should always encourage people to be true to themselves. Don’t be afraid to fail Along your journey you may make mistakes but don’t be afraid to fail, learn from these experiences and focus on the positives. Failure is a big part of everyone’s career journey. Often the biggest loser is the biggest winner and to win, they have had to fail time and time again first. Follow Carole on LinkedIn and get in touch to find out more about us. Company: SCL Education Group Name: Carole Carson Web: https://www.wearescl.co.uk “SCL Education Group are motivated by the power to help people and shape lives, they do this through their unique approach to sports centred learning (SCL). Their purpose as a business and their values align with my own aspirations to have a positive impact and create life shaping experiences” - Carole Carson How Education Chairperson of the Year (UK), Carole Carson, is empowering a team of leaders as they start a new chapter at SCL Education Group