Exploring life and leadership together
Wendy Bowers has spent 22 years helping business owners to successfully grow businesses. Increasingly, she has facilitated resilience and reflective work for leaders and their senior teams. She believes people are an organisation’s most valuable resource and that leaders need regular time out to renew their passion and rebuild their inner strength.
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n 1999, she left the family business she built with her first husband following divorce. Raising 4 children within a new relationship, she founded a management accountancy practice offering Finance Director Services and turn- around consultancy. She soon realised she was usually in the minority at networking events and so set up the first Women’s Business network in East Lancashire. Over the next 10 years, Wendy’s business grew and she also worked voluntarily, nationally and in Europe, representing the North West Development Agency as Vice Chair of their Women’s Enterprise board. She
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was also on the board of a company building ski property in Austria. These were busy years, balancing family with business success. In 2011, Wendy joined the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce board, where she became President within 2 years, a role she held for 4 years. During this time, she became a Director of the British Chambers of Commerce and also their UK Ambassador for Women’s Enterprise, representing them in the media and at international and political events. At home, however, things were difficult. Her widowed Mum was disappearing into dementia and she was her main support. In 2016, after reluctantly placing her Mum into a nursing home, Wendy crashed and burned and was taken to a Buddhist monastery by her very wise eldest daughter who told her “We’ll come back for you when you’ve sorted yourself out!” It took several visits there to start to do that, but Wendy found herself rediscovering writing and walking and time in nature plus reflection worked their magic. During the past 6 years, Wendy has qualified as a Heartmath practioner, teaching many leaders how to
manage stress on a daily basis. She is about to qualify as a Courage and Renewal facilitator, enabling leaders to take time out in a confidential space to reflect on leadership and personal trials and move forwards with renewed confidence. She has delivered 6 retreats, both on and off line and this year co-authored the report, ‘Growing Women, Growing Lancashire’ for Lancashire County Council, mapping the County landscape for women in enterprise and recommending actions needed to increase numbers from 1 in 5. She also works with students providing mentors and employer engagement. Wendy sadly lost her Mum in 2019, but has since gained 2 grand daughters. Life is a circle and she ensures she spends time daily in nature to remind her of this fact. She remains busy, watch out for an exciting new 6 month programme for female business owners soon. She also co-chairs the new Lancashire Women in Enterprise steering group and facilitates conferences and retreats for both men and women. You can find out more at: https://role.uk.com/
LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 105
