Last week saw Sir Digby Jones, straight-talking boss of the CBI, clear his desk at London’s Centrepoint to make way for Richard Lambert.
In honour of Jonesey’s six-and-a-half years in charge of the employers’ group, Guru has compiled a list of his favourite moments. As Sir Diggers is never knowingly under-quoted, this proved to be quite a task…
- The two full English breakfasts that Sir Digby consumed at Personnel Today’s HR Directors Club at St Paul’s Cathedral in 2003.
- Running the London Marathon in a time of five hours 58 minutes. Having said that, it’s not bad for a big unit like Jones.
- His oft-used phrase “China wants your lunch and India wants your dinner”. Guru has lost count the number of times he’s trotted this one out.
- Telling Alan Sugar that most CBI members wanted nothing to do with The Apprentice TV show. “It has nothing to do with modern business and it puts 99% of good businessmen and women in this country in a very unfair light.”
- Providing the great and the good with his e-mail address – [email protected]. Ever modest to the end…
- Claiming the book that has influenced him most during his career is SUMO by motivational speaker Paul McGee. Sumo? Enough said…
Guru hopes, for the sake of UK business, that Lambert picks up the baton so nobly grasped by his predecessor. Goodbye and thanks for the memories, Sir Diggers.
