Page 24 - BOSS Today Issue 10

WINNER

THE
BOSS
INDUSTRY
AWARDS
2011

THE MODEST

WINNER

Graeme Chapman worked in just three organisations over 44 years. But his
outstanding success there – and his inspirational fundraising for charity –
made him a worthy winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award

raeme Chapman He puts his success down to
insists that getting strict adherence to things like
Gthe Outstanding tenacity, and, above all, a desire
Achievement Award at this year’s to lead by example. He has seen
BOSS Awards was a real surprise. countless examples of poor
He says he listened to VOW management in the UK, so many,
chairman Alan Barclay start in fact, that he thinks it is a British
describing the person who was disease.
going to receive the award. “I “It is wrong that very few
felt I really should get to know are taught to manage,” he says,
this person,” he says. “But then “and people don’t respect
I heard my school name being their managers as a result. The
mentioned [Evered High School Scandinavians and Germans are
in Liverpool], and I realised that much better at this kind of thing.
person was me.” We need more training, and an
This may be natural modesty, understanding that all you need
because there is every reason is empathy.”
why he should deserve the He was recently mentoring
award. a young woman in the industry
who had been promoted to a
Unchanging senior management position.
What’s particularly noticeable It was clear that she had been
about Graeme’s career is how allowed no time to be a manager,
relatively unchanging it has as her own workload was already
been. As he himself points out, taking up 100 per cent of her
in a 44-year career he worked time. “We need to understand
for just three companies: ACCO, that if you employ 10 people
Kingfield Heath, and finally the and you are spending 90 per
dealer group Office Friendly, from cent of your time helping them,
which he officially retired earlier you are still working for your
this year. organisation,” says Graeme.
When you think of today’s He has a more than average
comings and goings, his career track record as a manager to be
seems positively placid. And able to reach these conclusions.
yet he has helped to bring He joined ACCO in 1967
unparalleled success to all three after spending a year travelling
organisations. around Europe and the Middle Graeme Chapman and Alan Barclay

24 BOSS TODAY | November/December 2011

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