CEO MONTHLY / MOST INFLUENTIAL CEO AWARDS 2023 97 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 5 2023 23 Mar22259 Fruits of the Spirit Yarway Group (Yarway) is a collection of companies established on Christian values with the aim of making an eternal impact on people’s lives. Luke Whiting, the CEO, is responsible for setting the vision and strategy of the organisation, ensuring that it remains ahead of the curve and fulfils its purpose. Here’s more about the company and Luke as he is named Most Influential Social Impact CEO 2023 – UK. Yarway Group intends to build an international presence and change people’s lives through education. It is committed to achieving its collective goals through the ‘fruits of the spirit’, setting its core values as the organisation’s driving force. However, embedding these values takes time, mainly as it has acquired companies within the group. In doing so, Yarway has inherited these companies’ assets and cultures, which may have decades of systemic thinking and behaviour. CEO, Luke Whiting is a young entrepreneur who started his first business at 23. Like any entrepreneur, he has experienced challenges and made mistakes in decision-making, hiring, and strategy. However, his faith has significantly influenced his leadership style and decision-making process. He has learned to put Jesus in charge and listen to his wise counsel, being a sounding board for any critical decisions in the business. Whiting draws inspiration from Jesus as a leader and aspires to emulate his example. As a young entrepreneur, he recognises the potential for the ego to interfere with making the best decisions for the business. So instead, he sees himself as a steward for God’s business and adopts a servant leadership philosophy. Leading by his core values, otherwise known as the ‘fruits of the spirit’ – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – is a conscious effort for Whiting, reflecting his commitment to his faith and the success of the business. Regarding the firm’s clients, Yarway is committed to changing people’s lives through education, with a mission that guides its business objectives and team operations. The company is dedicated to serving learners and employers by providing educational services delivered through its aforementioned core values. Yarway offers various governmentfunded and educational services across its subsidiary companies. It aims to scale and grow across all industries and sectors to provide education and training for individuals of all ages. Currently, the company focuses on post-16 provisions. However, its ambition is to expand into the pre-16 provision and early-year education, with the ultimate goal of being the first global conglomerate of businesses that provide regulated education to all ages. Yarway’s clients, therefore, include learners of all ages and employers who seek to provide education and training opportunities to their staff. Through its diverse educational offerings and commitment to core values, Yarway is well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of its clients and make a lasting impact in the field of education. Since becoming CEO of Yarway Group, Luke has faced many obstacles. One of the most significant challenges has been managing the company’s growth and scaling from a team of eight employees to over 50. This transition required careful financial planning to ensure stability while investing in development. Additionally, inheriting different company cultures required a patient approach to ensure a smooth integration of the acquired companies. As the founder of the business, Luke has had the opportunity to work in various roles within the company, from strategy to operations, delivery, compliance, and administration. This breadth of experience has allowed him to set ambitious but realistic performance metrics for the business and manage internal expectations effectively. In his current role, Luke focuses exclusively on business growth and strategy, responsible for implementing and reviewing the business and operational plans to drive the business forward. Overall, Luke’s experience and leadership have enabled Yarwayp to navigate these challenges and continue to grow and expand its offerings in the field of education. Over the past 6-12 months, the Yarway Group has been undergoing a consolidation period, streamlining its business model and organisational structure from individually run subsidiaries to a more efficient collective. The focus of the company is on settling into this new formation while at the same time prioritising further growth and scaling. In the next 12 months, Yarway plans to diversify its revenue stream by expanding its commercial training through ALD. Additionally, the company aims to build on its recent new contract awards by winning more tenders for Revelation Academy, Heathercroft Training Academy, and Mindflex. Moving forwards, Luke will continue to identify acquisition opportunities in the market and explore diversification opportunities into edtech. Yarway Group is determined to become the first global conglomerate of businesses that provide regulated education to all ages. These strategic initiatives will help the company achieve this goal. Overall, Yarway Group has ambitious plans for the next 12 months, and it is well-positioned to achieve its objectives with its focus on operational efficiency, growth, and diversification. Company: Yarway Group Contact: Luke Whiting Web Address: yarwaygroup.com Mar23378
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