Leading through turnaround and transformation

Few places illustrate the possibility of transformation in the most unpromising of circumstances as the Eden Project. The way a post-industrial landscape in the poorest part of the UK’s poorest county was turned into an iconic destination, educational charity and environmental inspiration shows what can be achieved working as a community and in harmony with nature. A worked out clay pit near St Austell in Cornwall is now a beacon of biodiversity and environmental optimism, welcoming over a million visitors a year, supporting thousands of jobs and inspiring successor projects around the world.

However Eden’s journey was not always smooth, and near failure in 2012-2013 brought about the need for a second transformation. The subsequent turnaround story carries lessons for organisations and brands seeking routes through difficult times, from the three phases of recovery (financial, reputational, and psychological) to the need for 21st century leadership.

In this presentation, Gordon Seabright will share the lessons learned from a career centred on turnaround and transformation; what worked, what didn’t, and what insights are relevant to anyone guiding their organisation through a period of essential change.

Speaker:- Gordon Seabright - CEO of Creative Land Trust
Gordon has been leading cultural and environmental charities for the past decade. Since early 2020 he has been Chief Executive of the Creative Land Trust, a new charity established to reverse the loss of artists and creatives from London. Before that he was Chief Executive of the world famous Eden Project, following periods at the helm of the National Cycling Charity and the Royal Horticultural Society and senior posts at English Heritage, WH Smith and Waterstones Booksellers. He also serves as a trustee/NED of a number of environmental, international development and community organisations.