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Delighted to join ABL Business as Non Exec Director

ABL Press Release:

Former Handelsbanken UK chief operating officer Andy Copsey has joined commercial finance consultancy ABL Business as non-executive director.

Copsey, who began his career at Yorkshire Bank, joined Handelsbanken UK in 2001 and served as chief operating officer for the local relationship bank from 2010 to 2019.

Copsey said: “I am delighted to be joining ABL at a time when the UK commercial finance and banking market is changing quickly, and businesses are increasingly seeking commercial finance consultancy that is independent of lenders.

“ABL’s ISO9001-accredited finance discovery and delivery process, combined with its laser-sharp focus on maximising face-to-face relationships to structure complex or gap debt finance facilities, means the company is perfectly placed to meet the growing need from UK SMEs for truly independent commercial finance advice.

Alex Beardsley, joint managing director at ABL Business, added: “Andy’s appointment comes at an important time for ABL as we look to grow further by helping SMEs to access finance in an increasingly fragmented market brought about by the pandemic.

“A recent study by the British Business Bank found 68% of the UK’s small and medium-size businesses were unaware of the finance options available to them, and that access to finance was one of their greatest barriers to growth.

“However, there has never been more available funding in the UK for businesses looking to grow, and while there are many alternatives to achieve the same outcome, businesses and their advisors no longer know where to go to access this information. ABL is here to change that.”

Mr Copsey concluded: “I believe ABL’s business proposition gives business owners and advisors an independent view of the complex commercial funding environment, which enables them to make informed choices.

“This delivers real value to businesses, and thus to the UK economy, while fulfilling a crucial market requirement that is getting greater by the day – all based on sound principles that focus on customer outcomes.”

Devolved leadership podcast

I was delighted to be invited by Rachael and John from Scaffold Coaching to share my leadership journey with them in my first podcast. I hope it’s of value to both established leaders and those who are developing their leadership skills – especially if you are considering a devolved/empowered leadership model to enhance staff engagement and value creation.

LinkedIn post 12/10/2021 – my “6 in 60” – supporting other businesses

This is the last in my “6 in 60” series which seeks to explain my personal journey after suddenly being given 60 hours a week after my last work role ended.

Some friends and colleagues wondered if I would retire when this unexpected opportunity arose. 

No.

I have acquired knowledge, skills and experience that I want to share with other businesses in order to help them achieve their goals.

Aside from the financial rewards of work, I believe that work helps our self-esteem, grows the old grey matter and enables you to contribute positively to society.  And I really enjoy the social interaction too.

So, I’ve established my own consultancy company and am in dialogue with a number of businesses across diverse sectors whose values chime with mine, and whose ambitions enthuse me. The first of which is https://abl-business.co.uk/ whose passion for expanding their customer focussed, principles-based business, in a diverse and inclusive environment really excites me.

I hope to develop a portfolio of meaningful advisory, interim and non-exec roles in the next chapter of my career.

I’m really excited about my business future and if you’d like me to be part of your business’ future, please get in touch.

LinkedIn Post 5/10/21 – My “6 in 60” – Life, Work, Balance

This is number 3 in my “6 in 60” series which seeks to explain my personal journey after suddenly being given 60 hours a week after my last work role ended.

The 30,000 LinkedIn members who viewed my two earlier posts in this series read posts about other people. This one is about me personally, and the two decisions I’ve made and implemented:

#4 – get fitter – when you commit so much of your life to work, you cannot always find time to look after your body (and by extension, your mind). So, I decided to get physically fitter. 

I now ride my bike 2 or 3 times a week, usually with friends or family and the improvement in my physical and mental wellbeing is tangible. I’ve even started attending some business meetings on my bike!

And Yoga too has really helped an old back injury, and some aches and pains from my football playing days.

#5 – more family time – I’ve allocated more time for me and my family. Something that was in short supply on occasion in the past.

And, like getting fitter – spending more time with the people that matter most to me also improved my wellbeing.

Please look out for next week’s final post in this series – because I’ve left plenty of space for an even more rewarding use of those 60 hours.

LinkedIn post 28/9/21 – My “6 in 60” – giving something back to my local community, and beyond

In last week’s post, I introduced my “6 in 60” to explain my personal journey after suddenly being given 60 hours a week after my last work role ended.

Last week was personal, it was family. With over 22,000 views so far, it clearly resonated with lots of LI members and generated lots of lovely comments and feedback (thanks).  

This week I want to share how I chose to allocate some of my time to giving something back to people I have not met.

#2 of my 6. For me, and many others I suspect, work commitments meant that I couldn’t find time for valuable causes. Now that I have the time, I’ve volunteered for a fabulous charity called Music and Arts Production based near where my career started many moons ago in East Leeds. 

MAP Charity helps young people who cannot access the mainstream education system and is run by a fantastic, passionate team. And I’m delighted that I am able to help them deliver their exciting plans to help more young people.

#3 of my 6. Me and a couple of friends decided to replace our usual fundraising exploits (cancelled due to the pandemic) with a charity bike ride from Land End to John o’ Groats in August. The 84 hours in the saddle, across 1,012 miles, has raised over £6,000 for Save the Children International – so far. If you’d like to support the charity – or just check out the pictures, please follow the link 
https://lnkd.in/e36MxEgT

Take care, and look out for next week’s post.

LinkedIn post 21/9/21 – My “6 in 60” – giving something back – to your family

I last posted on LinkedIn in April when I left my then employer, Handelsbanken, of 20 years.

For many, maybe especially people like me, in their 50’s, it can be disorientating when you suddenly get your work time gifted back to you.

What do you do when no one tells you to set that (for me) 38 year old work alarm clock?

So I thought it may be helpful to others to share what I’ve done, so far, with the 60 hours a week (work and commute time) I suddenly had available to me. Here’s #1 of my “6 in 60” as I call it – give something back – to your family…

In the last few months, I was privileged to provide, with my fantastic family, palliative care for my mother during her final months. The time I was able to spend with her was precious, and I will treasure it forever.

During that time, and since, I have reflected on the role my mother played in my life, and just how important her chosen vocation (motherhood) has been in our family.

The photo shows mum’s daughters, daughter in-laws, granddaughters and great granddaughters and was taken at her 90th birthday party – mum’s legacy of great women.

I have worked in a male dominated profession for 38 years, and talked a lot about leadership, self-development, work ethic, productivity, equality, diversity and inclusion, dedication, service and so on. But I’ve only just realised that the best example of all the above was my mother.

So, hats off to all the mums out there. You’re doing the most important job on the planet. And you’re great.

Please keep your eyes open for further posts in this series – but, to be honest, they won’t be as important as this one.

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