HMG Paints

Candice Brett

HMG Paints

Candice Brett attended our Directors Development Programme last year as part of her personal development plan and to gain some knowledge around Board training. Candice was looking to enhance her skill set and to develop a strategic leadership style that can be adopted and embedded by the new generation board.

Read her case study below.

HMG Paints is the UK’s largest independent paint manufacturer, with mass knowledge, expertise and a strong portfolio. HMG Paints is a family-run business and was established in 1930 by Harold Marcel-Guest and Herbert Falder. Herbert went on to take sole ownership less than 12 months later.

As a business, we have grown steadily over the years through acquisitions, market expansions and partnerships, with John Falder as current MD, Stephen Falder as marketing director and Brian Falder as chairman.

Our primary objective as a company is to build a solid company that is decent, worthwhile and secure.

My personal objective for attending the Directors Development Programme was to give me the skill set to develop the strategic leadership style that will be adopted and embedded by the new generation board. Board training will further support my role, as I support the board and help them to drive the business forward.

The company was going through a period of change, with a new-generation operating board being implemented as part of our succession plan. Our main challenge was knowing how to best lead, educate and influence the new board so that it could operate effectively and make informed strategic decisions.

The new and expanded board has a varied level of experience in leadership and making director-level decisions. It is imperative that we know how to manage and build on this.

The Directors Development Programme was extensive, covering a variety of business areas. We looked at leadership, management, finance, governance, strategy and marketing, as well as corporate responsibility. I felt the leadership day resonated the most with my development needs; the most important lesson I took away with me was that leadership is much more than the delegation of tasks.

For anyone in their first director’s role, or about to move into a director’s role, I would most certainly recommend this programme. It covers the basic elements of leadership, management, finance, governance, strategy and marketing with real-world examples and insights to support theories.

This programme certainly delivered on my expectations. I learnt a lot, specifically in relation to statutory obligations, Board training and developing team cohesion, which is key to developing and sustaining the business going forward.

A psychological profiling session proved particularly insightful and allowed me to understand and assess my teams’ behaviours more thoroughly.  It has allowed me to develop my skills and has provided me with new tools to build highly-effective teams. In addition to this, I have had the opportunity to reflect on my own leadership style, and this has taught me to adapt to different personality types to ensure a more effective team result.

I feel far more adept and qualified to strategically lead and support a team at board level as a result of this course.