Welcome..
.. to the latest edition of the Company newsletter. There's plenty in here covering the past few months up to and including the recent Education lecture and Supper, plenty about the Wine Club and two pieces about our impact in the Civic City.
New Admissions
There was an admission ceremony before the Education Supper on 18th June, at which IPM Kanan Barot presided.
 Three new Members were admitted, and these are shown in the gallery on the left. Congratulation to Brunello Rosa, Subiya Pryce-Kennedy and Jonathan Shepherd and a warm welcome to the Company.
Master's Musings
As the year has progressed it has been great to see so many projects, plans and changes solidifying within the Company. It is also strange to think that this is now my penultimate report and shows how fast things move in a Master’s year. Here’s a brief summary of what’s going on in the Company and where I’ve been representing the Company recently.
Company Related
Treasurer: Court Assistant Jeff Herman has gamely volunteered to take on the role of Treasurer. The transition between Ron Cruickshank and Jeff Herman has begun, with much work on the budget planning for the next Master’s year continuing apace. I would like to acknowledge the work that has been going on in the background by all concerned here, thank you.
Environmental Group
After some discussion and thoughts, it has been decided that the Company does not need yet another committee. Looking at the various Environmental groups around the City such as Pollinating London, LCAG etc. what is really required for the Company is a Coordinator role, someone who will cascade information and act as the single point of contact for all things environmental. If a particular project or event comes along that requires a group to work on it, then this can be set up at the time and for that purpose. The person in that role can change from time to time as seen fit. A candidate has been identified and is willing to take up this role.
Summer Celebration
Somewhat later than planned this event is scheduled for 11th July. You can book here: I see this Summer social as an opportunity for new potential members to be invited and attend, get to know us and for us to know them. I hope to see you there.
Wine Club: John Blackburn will take over the position of Chair of the Wine Club from 1st July. Read more about the wine Club’s activities below.
Cask Race: I have already written to Members about our entry into the Coopers Cask Race on 21st June. I’ll not repeat that … except the photo!
Master’s work: Since Easter I have represented the Company at the following:
29th April - Worshipful Company of Engineers – Master’s Installation at Butchers’ Hall
7th May – Garden Party at Buckingham Palace,
7th May Tasting the Company Cellar event – see report below. I had invited a number of current Masters of other Livery companies. Due to other City events some were unable to attend, but those that did were very impressed by the Company, the atmosphere in the room and the fact that we raised £2,000.00 for charity in the auction. I have received written feedback and thanks to the Company for the event.
13th May – Clergy Support Festival at St Pauls and Plaisterers’ Hall.
14th May – Lunch with the Lady Mayoress reference the Armed Forces Covenant.
16th May – Along with PM Steve Cant attended the WC of Engineers dinner on the ship Great Britain. It was a great evening blessed by brilliant weather ....
We met many Masters including the new Master of the Worshipful Company of Wales. There may be some opportunities for inter Livery assistance with Mentoring and I have been able to connect the Master with David Glassman who leads our Mentoring efforts.
28th May – City Harvest charity event in association with the WC of Carmen and Fuellers.
Unfortunately, I was unable to join the Masters’ year Group Weekend in early June as I was caring for my wife, Sarah, after her operation. Her recovery is going well, I am glad to report. I missed the Education Lecture too – but read the report below from Nick Bush.
Talking About My Generation
Nick Bush, Chair of the Edcuation Committee, reports on the Education Lecture and Supper breaking down barriers:
"PM Steve Cant may have skipped the event to see the evergreen 70s beat combo "Sparks" but it was an even older bunch of rockers that were on my mind during June’s Education Supper, namely The Who, whose 60s output captured much of the angst of what was then the young generation.
The theme of the event was “Intergenerational Working” [sounds more like Kraftwerk than The Who – Ed.] inspired by guest speaker Patrick Dunne’s recent book “Five Generations at Work – how we win together for good”. Patrick was joined for an engaging talk and discussion at the start of the evening by Young Management Consultancies Association Chair Ted Easthaugh (both pictured below). My takeaways from this were:
1) That the labels (Baby Boomers, Generation X/Z/Alpha etc) don’t help the discussion: they’re an Anglo-Saxon construct that creates division not understanding.
2) We need to create interactions for learning and we need, as a Company, to create time and/or value for young consultants and would-be consultants. (Long working hours are standard fare for twenty- and thirtysomething workers it would appear.)
3) We need a lot more listening for understanding, rather than listening for answers, to foster meaningful dialogue between generational groups. Really great consultants – in my view – do that naturally so we are well placed to facilitate this.
Feedback from attendees about this discussion was overwhelmingly positive. More time might have been even better, although that would have meant constraining the other important features of a Livery supper. All the necessary features were in place thanks to the Clerk’s office and to John Blackburn’s wine selection and this all made for an evening that was as much fun as it was stimulating.
Celebrating Camaraderie and Chablis
Court Assistant Cosette Reczek and Chair of the Wine Club John Blackburn (who was “Auctioneer Extraordinaire” on the night) report on the latest "Tasting the Company Cellar" event:
Wednesday 7th May saw the return of our Tasting the Company Cellar event to share the Company's wines with members and guests and to celebrate those who completed the WCoMC Wine Course (created at the request of Master Andy Miles to increase the fellowship opportunities for Members). Over 60 members and guests attended the Guildhall Members' Club and were treated to a vertical tasting of a Bordeaux, a comparison of a wine bottled in two different geographies, a special Rioja and our spotlight wine: 2019 Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Léchet Sébastien Dampt.
 Our spotlight wine featured heavily on the night, with active engagement in the raffle and the silent auction. Those in attendance found the event well balanced, enjoying both learning more about wine and the opportunity for fellowship in equal measure, and expressed appreciation for how much they enjoyed the event. The WCoMC Wine Course concluded with the awarding of certificates for those completing the course. A special auction of the small amount of remaining wine was also at the end of the evening. The event made over £1000 with nearly half given to the Company's Charitable Fund.
Wine Club Trip to Limburg and Champagne
John Blackburn reports, again:
This year’s Wine Club trip took 18 Members and guests in two 9 seater vans from the 11th to the 17th May across Belgium to Liège and returned through the Ardennes to Champagne and back through the Channel Tunnel. Five different vineyards were visited in Limburg: the Luyck Urban Winery, Wijndomein Crutzberg, Wijnkasteel Genoels-Elderen, Domein Cuvelier and VivArdent. At each winery we met and listened to the wine grower, tasted their wines and bought wine to return to the UK in the vans as the duty-free allowance. The vans then travelled through the Ardennes for a battlefield visit to the Battle of the Bulge 1944 which was led by Simon Chapman.
 The vans then travelled from Belgium back to France and visited three Grand Cru Champagne makers: Petitjean-Pienne and Roger Manceaux for a tasting and Champagne purchases and then an extra special visit to Laurent Perrier for a tour around their vineyard and caves and tastings of their wines including their premier Grand Siecle Champagne. On one of the days further visits were organised to different Champagne Houses on the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay. On the final evening we attended a Cookery school, Au Piano des Chefs, in Reims where in a 2 hour workshop the travellers prepared the three-course dinner for the evening.
City Impact 1 - FSG Strategy
Steve Cant (your editor and the Company’s Financial Service Group (FSG) representative) reports:
Over the past 6 months or so I have been working with the FSG on an updated / refreshed FSG Strategy. I can now report that this work has been concluded successfully. A summary document was reviewed at the Summer Court and was duly endorsed. I will not attempt to repeat anything from that summary, but several points are worth emphasising:
1) The annual Lord Mayor’s briefing will not continue in its present form. It will be replaced by a rolling series of updates on the risks and issues facing the City.
2) This will give the Company the opportunity to input directly to the Lord Mayor, the City of London Corporation and even Government Policy as a representative voice for the Management Consulting industry. This in turn will provide an opportunity to engage more positively with the industry bodies (the MCA, and the Institute) and major consulting firms.
3) The FSG is keen to demonstrate value added to its Member Companies and the Members of those companies. The main manifestation of this will be more invitations to events across company boundaries. This is already happening.
The main request from the strategy work is that Member Companies are more actively engaged. In practise, this is likely to mean a move from having a single or sole representative who attends FSG meetings on a quarterly basis, to having a small FSG focused team. A new Company committee is not proposed, but the existing team comprising IPM Kanan Barot, myself, and Third Warden Jim Foster who has been actively involved throughout the FSG strategy development process. Speaking of Kanan, which I will hand over as our representative role to her at the July FSG Meeting.
None of these changes are likely to cost the Company anything, but the message is clearly that everyone will need to be more engaged and devote more effort to FSG activities. The benefits are expected to be greater involvement, participation and value for our Members and, as noted above, leverage in terms of engagement with the professional bodies and major consulting firms.
City Impact 2 - Towards a Smart Economy
IPM Kanan Barot, together with Master World Trader Michael Shapiro, coordinated the production of the report ‘Towards a Smart Economy‘, launched in November last year for the Lord Mayor's office. Talks are ongoing to see how to take the report forward.
Kanan is part of a small working group of Lady Past Masters working with Sue Langley, Lady Mayor-elect of the City of London for the 2025/2026 term, to support initiatives during her Mayoral year.
Kanan was invited by Keith Bottomley (Shrieval candidate and current Master Pattenmaker) to be part of his working group on ‘Creating a fairer London’, which is looking at social inclusion and helping disadvantaged young people. Keith is also looking at doing something for young offenders and is working with a proposal from Speakers for Schools to allow for mentoring and other opportunities for young children, via the Livery.
There is a commitment between the two Shrieval candidates (Keith Bottomley and Robert Hughes-Penney) and Sue Langley that, if elected, they will develop and work to a joint civic plan as a mayoral team.
Kanan has continued other initiatives started during her year as Master. The Knowledge, Information and Human Potential Group, known as the Kippers, is organising a second debate, on 14 May, with the title “What’s Gone Wrong With EDI, And How Can Leaders Can Fix It?”.
Kanan worked with the Livery Committee to help on the production of the recently published Livery Impact Report 2025, which presents data obtained from the fourth Survey of Philanthropic Giving by Livery Companies undertaken in 2024.
Finally, Kanan was elected Treasurer of the Vintry and Dowgate Ward Club in September last year. She has previously served as Chair of the Ward Club.
And Finally - Our Australian Connection
Your editor, together with Cathy Cant, were delighted to meet PM William Barnard and his wife Maureen, on a recent visit down under.
 Over a very enjoyable meal in Mosman, NSW, we all remeniced about the 2023 Wine Trip to Margaret River and the early days of the Company and the Charitable fund. (Ed: Do let me know about any further overseas connections.)
Thanks for reading this far.... and many thanks to all those who contributed articles for this edition.
Steve Cant
Editor
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