We’re very pleased to welcome Richard Daley as a Trustee to the board of MOE Foundation. Richard has been in orbit with Darren and MOE Foundation since the very beginning, but we’ll let him introduce himself.
Richard, tell us a little bit about yourself!
Although I left over 30 years ago, I’m originally from Sheffield and the South Yorkshire accent still lingers. I now live in Cheltenham with my wife, Jacqui, and our youngest son, Tom. Our eldest son, James, is in his first year at Cardiff University and is thoroughly enjoying student life by all accounts.
After University, I spent a few years in manufacturing managing factories making all sorts of products from kitchen foil and bin liners to oil drums, car parts and medical devices. But for the last 20+ years, I’ve been a management consultant working on a range of interesting business transformation and operational improvement assignments – across the engineering, transport, nuclear and defence sectors.
When I manage to find the time, I love walking long distance footpaths or windsurfing on a small lake close to where we live. So far, I’ve completed the South-West Coastal Path (630 miles), the Cotswold Way (100 miles), and the Coast-to-Coast (192 miles). In June this year I’ll be finishing the Pennine Way (268 miles) with my eldest son, a friend and his son. Weather permitting, we’re also planning to head up to Scotland afterwards to complete Ben Nevis.
Since you were with MOE from the very beginning, do you have a good Darren story to share?
After a few years working in manufacturing followed by 7-months out travelling around South-East Asia, Australia, Egypt and Jordan, I went back to University in 2000 to study a Masters Degree at Cranfield on the same course as Darren.
That was an interesting year out where some fantastic and lasting friendships formed. We were learning about some of the latest techniques and systems used in manufacturing, and some of the lecturers loved to throw in their particular ‘buzzwords’ (aka management speak). One of my first memories of Darren was a game of what we called ‘bull-s**t bingo’ (I let you fill in the blanks) that a group of us played in one of the lectures. Each of us had a bingo card with different ‘buzzwords’ on it. The rule was that if your words were mentioned, you marked them off your bingo card, then the first to compete the card had to stand-up and shout “bull-s**t” in front of everyone in the lecture.
Yes, it was quite childish, but it did seem to keep us entertained at the time. What Darren didn’t know is that we all had a secret copy of his card. So, the rest of us asked all the right questions of the lecturer so that all of Darren’s words were quickly called out. Darren then had the unenviable task of having to stand up in front of the lecturer and everyone and shout out! His solution to this dilemma was pure genius. He waited for the lecturer to pause on an important point and then stood up and shouted, “I’m so glad you said that because all I have heard about this previously has been complete bull-s**t”. The lecturer was stunned and, of course, a handful of us in the class were in tears of laughter. Hopefully, those of us involved have grown past that now, but I must admit that it did make me smile again as I was recalling the story here. P.S. It was a good couple of months later when we decided to tell Darren that he had been set up.
Since those days at Cranfield, Darren remained a close friend. We went on holiday with others scuba diving (and partying) in the Red Sea a few times, we were at each other’s weddings, and we even managed to get out for the odd walk together. I remember fondly his positively, his wit, his love of life and family, and his ever so poor dancing!
When and how did your journey with MOE start? How did the skills you learned with MOE make an impact on those around you?
Darren introduced me to MOE back in April/May 2013 when I was lucky enough to attend ‘The Coach Training Course for MOE Young Leaders & Entrepreneurs’. This rich and rewarding experience really helped me in developing my coaching questioning, listening and feedback skills.
In my role as a management consultant, the majority of what I do is about supporting clients in leading and embedding change. Although I don’t present myself as a coach per se, I do use coaching in some of my interactions with client and colleagues.
What are you most proud of that MOE has achieved? What are you hoping to achieve as a Trustee?
Having joined the last MOE Conference, I was blown-away by all the stories shared and the impact that MOE continues to have. What strikes me most is that MOE is about equipping and empowering individuals to make a real difference both in their own lives whilst encouraging them to translate that positivity to others. It’s infectious … in a good way!
As a Trustee of MOE, I’m honoured to be able to help in any way I can in continuing Darren’s legacy and helping the MOE team in spreading ‘the MOE hug’ far and wide!
Fun question … If you could meet a celebrity and share a meal with them, who would it be and why?
I’m a massive Bruce Springsteen fan and I get to as manage concert as I can – including 8 this year! So, there is only one answer for me to that question!
Fun question 2… What is on your bucket list?
For the last few years, I’ve been working in the transport sector, particularly in rail – which I’ve developed a fondness for. So, me and my wife have been looking at some of the best rail journeys in the world to explore when retirement beckons! A trip right across Canada is one that I’m personally quite interested in.
Connect with Richard
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardforddaley/
