COMMUNITY
After bowing out of Southampton’s professional services scene in June at an energetic 67, BDO Southampton’s former senior partner Kim Hayward offers his opinions on why local business leaders should do more to influence regional government decision making, the value of networking, and supporting entrepreneurial businesses. When Kim Hayward joined BDO’s Southampton office in 2002 from ‘big four’ accountancy firm EY, he was attracted by the smaller firm’s big ambitions in the region. He ran the Southampton office for six years growing the office from 50 to over 200 people. Having been the Country Coordinator for BDOCanada, in 2010 he was appointed the UK firm’s international liaison partner where he actively promoted the LLP and helped reshape the role of the ILP, and actively supported the change and revitalisation of the BDO India firm. BDOwanted to make a greater contribution locally, so my role was getting out and about in the business community. Up until then, the firm had certainly hidden its light very well under a bushel.
POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR LOCAL BUSINESS
Although he says he has never been particularly political, Hayward feels that there is a disconnect between government support for the region and the involvement of the local business leaders in shaping how central funding is used.
BDO STALWART RETIRESWITH SOME SOUND ADVICE
I still see too large a gap between central government and local business communities. Our LEP develops meaningful strategies but toomany of our best business leaders are not at that table contributing.
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