Last night, Mike Coupe, Chief Executive of Sainsbury’s gave a relaxed and entertaining performance to a full Ballroom, giving us deep insight into the 150 year-old Sainsbury’s business as it prepares for a future with less retail space and a seamless customer experience. What’s more, Mike did so without once mentioning Brexit. The hum in the bar afterwards said it all.
We’ll be returning to the turbulent world of politics on May 1st, when our guest speakers will be Chuka Umunna, MP and Anna Soubry, MP, from The Independent Group – soon to be launched as Change UK. Bookings are open. This promises to be another popular event, so do reserve your places early.
As for the rest of the season, James Harding, editor and co-founder of Tortoise Media, will be speaking on June 5th . Tortoise is the brand new news organisation which launched officially on Tuesday, after its three-month trial. Its motto is “slow down, wise up”, as it aims to build a different kind of in-depth, inclusive journalism, furnishing us with the stories that drive the news. This will be James’s third visit to the Club as our guest. He has spoken before to rave reviews, as Editor of The Times and then while he ran BBC News.
Finally, Dame Carolyn McCall, MGGB member and Chief Executive of ITV, will be our speaker at our July 3rd dinner. With continued Brexit uncertainty meaning bad news for airtime sales and with a big investment programme ahead to bring the subscription funded “Britbox” to market, it should be another fascinating and topical evening.
I look forward to seeing you all at Claridges on May 1st
Best wishes,
Phil Smith
Chair 2018-2019
MGGB