The Informer May 2017 by The Clubhouse

Member in the Spotlight

Fair Play

John Hayes of Constantine Law explains his vision for a streamlined legal future

T h e

How Mayfair nearly lost its reputation after hosting the original May Fair

I n f o r m e r Issue 05

May 2017

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EMPOWERING THE PEOPLE Why HR is moving from the shadows to take centre stage in business

Meet. Work. Grow.

A CLASS ABOVE FIRST JetSmarter is the only curated, luxury travel platform in the world. As a member of The Clubhouse, you get a three-month trial membership that includes a complimentary single-seat booking on a last-minute flight and pay-as-you-go access to our private flight services.

To begin your trial membership, write to jetsmarter@theclubhouselondon.com This offer is valid until December 21, 2017 exclusively for members of The Clubhouse and cannot be combined with any other offers. Trial membership will grant members access to purchase JetSmarter’s service at the prices displayed in the JetSmarter application prior to booking. Trial membership does not include access to free flights, except as otherwise described above. The trial membership will be active for a period of three months from the date of activation of the account (“Term”). Please note that the Term is continuous and cannot be paused or interrupted and renewed at a later date. Membership will give users access to various membership benefits that are subject to change. JetSmarter does not own or operate any aircraft. All flights are performed by licensed air carriers. See jetsmarter.com for full trial membership details.

INTRODUCTION

ADAM BLASKEY FOUNDER & CEO The Clubhouse

W e l c om e rapid and sustainable growth. For this reason, The Leap 100 2017 is particularly inspirational, showcasing successful innovation, brand recognition and expansion into new markets and, of course, leadership and tenacity.” This issue is once again brimming with tips, features, member offers and events, which I hope will enable you to get the best from The Clubhouse and the local area. Our feature on the rise of HR from what was once regarded as a back-office function to what it is today is an incisive read. There has never been a better time to be a Chief HR Officer (CHRO). With this month’s May bank holidays a highlight for many, on page 7 we look back at the origins

THE CLUBHOUSE PRODUCTIVITY TIP

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of the May Fair and how what was once known as “Saint James’s fair” gave its name to our area. Our next members’ evening is on 23 May when Oliver Tress, founder of Oliver Bonas, will be our guest speaker. With 60 stores across the UK and products inspired by the alchemy of great design and fresh thinking, please join us for what is sure to be an insightful talk. This month’s Member in the Spotlight is John Hayes, founder of Constantine Law, which takes a fresh approach to delivering legal services. Finally, we have one of the best member offers we have ever launched, in partnership with JetSmarter – a complimentary trial membership and one FREE JetDeal seat on a private jet flight!

Meet With Yourself We spend much of our time in meetings, so ensure you take at least one hour per week to reflect on recent successes, failures, challenges and opportunities to recognise what worked well, what didn’t and how you could be more effective next time around.

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I am very proud that The Clubhouse has made it in to The Leap 100 – a community of the most exciting, fast-growth companies in the UK – launched by law firm Mishcon de Reya and City A.M. This is a fantastic achievement for The Clubhouse and we are honoured to be named alongside businesses such as Brompton, Gymbox, Mr & Mrs Smith, Oliver Bonas and NotOnTheHighStreet.com. I couldn’t have put it better than Christian May, editor of City A.M: “In the wake of Britain’s vote to leave the EU, the SME community continues to thrive. The Leap 100 is a very nimble selection of UK businesses – all flying in the face of uncertainty to pursue

WINNER Best Business Club

DESIGN & ART DIRECTION Christian Gilliham christian@cgcreate.co.uk 07951 722265 To promote your business in The Informer, please email adam@theclubhouselondon.com Copyright. The Clubhouse London Ltd

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PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST Meet the game changers having real influence on business strategy

raditionally HR was seen as back-office function, dealing mainly with administrative tasks such as reviews, disciplinary action and benefit plans. In the last decade a shift in attitude and approach has introduced heads of HR to the boardroom and the top table with an appropriately termed job title – CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer). Some of the skills needed include focusing on higher-level leadership abilities and strategy implementation skills, therefore the role is becoming much more of a game changer. The CHRO has gained importance as the person who enables the business strategy alongside the other ‘C’ roles. Effectively responding to current challenges such as Brexit, an increasingly complex regulatory and governance landscape, and the prospect of increased workforce automation and AI, is a function of the CHRO and a measure of their ability. KPMG spoke to different FTSE 100 companies to answer the question: what makes a CHRO successful – now and in the future? Experienced women at the forefront In the five years to 2016, the proportion of female CHROs in the FTSE 100 has risen from 44% to 56%. Given the strong pool of female talent in the HR profession and the renewed focus on gender diversity in senior leadership roles, this is not a surprise. The proportion of FTSE 100 companies with an HR professional in charge of HR rose from 69% to 80%, demonstrating relevant experience is vital in the current climate. An American study published by the Harvard Business Review highlighted two examples of prominent CEOs who had developmental stints in HR earlier in their careers. Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors, served as the carmaker’s vice president of HR for 18 months, and Anne Mulcahy, Xerox’s CEO from 2001 to 2009, ran that

company’s HR operations for several years in the early 1990s. It’s no coincidence that both are women: according to the researchers’ data, 42% of high-performing CHROs are female — more than double the share in the CMO position, the next highest (16%).* From the outside in According to the report, more FTSE 100 companies are looking externally for their next CHRO. In 2011, half of CHROs were hired, rather than promoted from within their organisation. In 2016, this had increased to 56%. In a similar vein, the proportion with experience outside of their current sector has also increased, from 70% to 82%. Both trends suggest that CEOs and Chairs are looking at the CHRO role as a catalyst for change, occupied by an enabler with varied knowledge. Where almost 10% of current FTSE 100 CEOs have spent their career in the same company, and therefore the same industry, today’s CHRO should have the breadth of experience necessary to tackle various people issues. The future of the CHRO The needs of our work force are changing and businesses are evolving in unchartered territory. Thinking about how to create more value through better management and organisation of people, talent and culture will become a major differentiator. As for all areas of business, technology will have an ever-increasing role within human resources. CHROs are going to have to be confident in dealing with every aspect of this to take the centre stage. ● Read KPMG’s report at kpmg.com/uk/en/home/insights *Harvard Business Review

According to recent research, more FTSE 100 companies are looking externally for their next CHRO. In 2011, half of CHROs were hired, rather than promoted from within their organisation 4

Meet. Work. Grow.

MEMBER STRAPLINE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

JOHN HAYES PRINCIPAL Constantine Law

Strea ml i n i n g th e l a w Tell us about your company. We are a fast-growing employment law and business immigration law firm. We meet our clients in The Clubhouse. We run an agile and highly lean business model which means that we have stripped out most of the fixed costs of doing traditional law, allowing us to significantly reduce our rates to clients (by, on average, 40% per fee earner). We use cloud-computing and external service providers (IT, marketing, CRM, accounting) to deliver a highly responsive service to clients. Our target market are mid-market corporates and fast-growing start-ups. We are a law firm for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs. We are particularly knowledgeable in certain sectors (recruitment, FS, technology and construction) and we deliver a lot of training materials to clients. Employment status is currently a big issue in UK employment law. I do a lot of High Court injunctive relief work enforcing restrictive covenants. What has been your biggest success so far? We have grown the business really well. It started with just me and we have now hired our fifth senior lawyer and our second business immigration lawyer. We are winning new client work every week because our lean business model is really resonating with our target markets. We have achieved

some fantastic results for clients in both contentious and non-contentious cases. What project are you most excited about right now? Delivering a series of sector specific “lunch and learns” for corporate clients: including Protecting Your Clients – a session on restrictive covenants; Recruiting The Best Team – a session for high-growth start-ups; Senior Manager Regime training for financial services businesses. It is an immersive strategy because we really want to meet the key decision makers and understand their businesses. How has being a member of The Clubhouse contributed to the success of your business? I am evangelical about The Clubhouse. We use it as part of our marketing pitch to businesses. It enables us to strip out the cost of carrying an expensive lease and meet our clients in a very smart meeting place (also highly confidential when we take a private room). I tend to go to 50 Grosvenor Hill and I love the fact that I am surrounded by business people, not lawyers! Where can members find you? John.Hayes@constantinelaw.co.uk, or at The Clubhouse, 50 Grosvenor Hill. constantinelaw.co.uk

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QUICK-FIRE ROUND

Favourite place to go in London? The Emirates Stadium. Provided the home side is winning. Who inspires you and why? Barack Obama. Came from nowhere to inspire a generation. And the beauty of his oratory stands in very stark contrast to what we have now. Best bit of advice you’ve been given? Everyone is their own worst counsel. Always seek advice and ideas from others. We only learn by being challenged. If you were on a desert island, what would you bring? Sun cream. May as well enjoy the experience. Which super power would you like to have? To reverse Brexit. What is the worst business ‘faux-pas’ you’ve committed? I once emailed a draft letter of dismissal for a senior exec to the person concerned rather than to his employer, my client. The senior exec and I have since become great friends.

EVENTS THIS MONTH

The Clubhouse

ST JAMES’S

An Evening with Oliver Tress, founder and MD of Oliver Bonas

Members Breakfast

TUESDAY 23 MAY 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm FREE FOR MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS NON-MEMBERS £25.00 Oliver Tress is the founder and managing director of the independent lifestyle store chain, Oliver Bonas, selling a huge range of products from contemporary jewellery and women’s fashion to gifts, homeware and furniture. Oliver founded the business in 1993 with a single shop in the capital, and today Oliver Bonas has grown into a chain of 60 quirky stores, which continue to defy a struggling high-street market. Please join us for an exciting evening where we will hear about Oliver’s remarkable story!

Wh a t ’s o n ?

WEDNESDAY 17 MAY 8.00 am - 10.00 am FREE FOR MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS

In partnership with KPMG, this is the first in a series of members breakfasts that we will be hosting to bring you access to the best insight and industry expertise across a multitude of business issues. From people and talent to innovation reliefs and incentives, to funding and finance options, further details will be announced shortly. Please check the website for up-to-date information. If you’d like to suggest topics, themes or burning issues for future members’ breakfast events, please get in touch and let us know.

Oliver Tress

HOW TO BOOK: VISIT THECLUBHOUSELONDON.COM OR ASK AT THE FRONT DESK

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Fashion

Event

Review

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

PURDEY

45 JERMYN STREET

Vivienne Westwood’s couture boutique on Davies Street will open for an exclusive haute-couture showcase as part of London Craft Week. Dame Westwood has long been at the helm of breakthrough fashion design with striking cuts which celebrate the curves of the female form. This showcase will give you the chance to explore the artistry behind the Vivienne Westwood corset, from boning to beading, as part of a week of events and workshops across Mayfair and Belgravia.

James Purdey established his gun and rifle making business in 1814. Within ten years he was being spoken of as the finest gunmaker in London. This month, Purdey hosts a day of demonstrations – engraving in gun making, traditional English gun case making, bespoke humidor making, and knifemaking – from some of the skilled craftsmen who make products for the company in Audley House, Purdey’s home since 1882.

Showing: 4 MAY 2017, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm VIVIENNE WESTWOOD COUTURE, 6 DAVIES STREET, W1K 3DN

Demonstration: 5 MAY 10.00am – 6.00pm AUDLEY HOUSE, 57-58 SOUTH AUDLEY STREET, W1K 2ED

Nestled in an Hermes-hued leather booth after an inspiring event at The Clubhouse, we perused the menu and happily dug in to Pork Belly, Mangalitza Black Pudding, Apple and Spiced Jus and a dish of Poached Bream with Chicory, Green Beans with a sauce vierge perfectly green and vivid for spring. Inspired by the golden age of old-school glamour, this upmarket bistro boasts a stunning bar ably staffed by people who take cocktail shaking very seriously.

Meet. Work. Grow.

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45 JERMYNST.COM 020 7205 4545

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MAYFAIR

F ai r p l ay

very May we look forward to two glorious summer Bank Holidays and happily turn our attention to the warmer season ahead and time spent relaxing with family and friends. The Clubhouse neighbourhood is in fact the location of the original May Fair, from which the area gets its name, when it was mostly farm land, and the River Tyburn – now concealed below London’s streets and directed through sewers – ran though it. Its open fields were home to an annual May Fair that lasted for a fortnight from 1 May. This celebration is why we enjoy a Bank Holiday in early May. The May Fair was held at Great Brookfield (which is now part of Curzon Street and Shepherd Market). Established during the reign of Edward I, the fair was recorded as “Saint James’s fayer by Westminster” in 1560. It was postponed briefly in 1603 because of plague, but otherwise continued throughout the 17th century. Whilst it was initially established for the sale of live stock, the fair soon expanded to include booths dedicated to entertainment, including theatres, jugglers, boxers, gambling tables, puppeteers, bare-knuckle fighting,

The story of Mayfair is a less than smart affair semolina eating contests and women’s foot racing and sausage stalls. By the reign of George I, the May Fair had fallen into disrepute and was regarded as a public scandal. The 6th Earl of Coventry, who lived on Piccadilly, considered the fair to be a nuisance and led a public campaign against it along with local residents. It was abolished in 1764. The fair then moved to Fair Field in Bow because the well-to-do residents of Mayfair felt that the event lowered the tone of the neighbourhood! Mayfair came into the ownership of the Grosvenor family in 1677 but it was not until the mid 18th-century that the land started to be developed into what was to become the most fashionable district of London in which to live. In his book ‘The Story of Mayfair’, estate agent Peter Wetherell explains how a 12-year-old girl called Mary Davies, the daughter of a wealthy banker, inherited 100 acres of what was classified as “swampy meads”, south of Oxford Street and east of Park Lane. Mary went on to marry into the

Grosvenors, a successful land-owning family. The couple’s son, Sir Richard Grosvenor, began the development of Grosvenor Square; at the same time, other wealthy families were also developing streets nearby, including Brook Street, Clarges Street and Hanover Square. “When it was built, of the initial 277 houses in Grosvenor Square, 117 had titled owners,” says Peter. Mayfair was on the map – reputation in tact despite its insalubrious start! Mayfair has many blue plaques on its buildings, due to the proliferation of successful and influential residents. Standing at the corner of Chesterfield Street and Charles Street, one can see plaques for William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (later King William IV), Prime Minister Lord Rosebery, the writer Somerset Maughan and Regency-era fashion icon Beau Brummell. The neighbourhood boasts the status of the most expensive property on the standard British Monopoly board at £400, and is half of the dark blue twinset with Park Lane. It commands the highest rents out of all properties; landing on Mayfair with a hotel will set your opponet back £2,000! ●

The May Fair was held at Great Brookfield (which is now part of Curzon Street and Shepherd Market). Established during the reign of Edward I, the fair was recorded as “Saint James’s fayer by Westminster” in 1560

Puppeteers, 1700

Brookfields Market

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Grosvenor Square

Feel free to dream bigger KPMG Enterprise brings an avid understanding of operation dynamics along with experienced advisers to help you transform your business. Access KPMG’s global resources through a single point of contact with a trusted adviser on call and in the know. Email: theclubhouse@kpmg.co.uk

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