Senior managers of publishing giant Pearson flew into New York this week to
meet and share ideas with talented junior managers.
Nine of the company’s most senior staff, including chief executive Marjorie
Scardino and the finance and people directors – the three executive board
members of the FTSE 100 company – cleared their diaries to attend the four-day
forum.
The company has invested a ‘six figure sum’ in the event, Forum 2002 –
Exceptional Times, which aims to improve innovation, spread of knowledge and
talent development.
The 110 junior managers will take part in informal exercises including
giving short presentations on what they would do if they ran the company. There
will also be sessions analysing company values and aims, and generating new
business ideas.
The forum is the brainchild of David Bell, director for people at Pearson,
who told Personnel Today it was inspired by the teachings of Benedictine monks
who believe that you should ‘listen to the young because they know everything
that the old have forgotten’.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
Bell said: "The forum lets us properly introduce people to the company
and each other. It is also an opportunity to show that the company is exciting
and if managers choose to stay with us they will get to do exciting things.
"We realise that these are the people who will be running the company
one day."
