Blue Hat Man

© Fernand Leger - The man in the blue hat (1937). Image from WikiArt.org (2020)

© Fernand Leger - The man in the blue hat (1937). Image from WikiArt.org (2020)

Blue Hat Man facilitates leaders to have courageous, creative conversations, uniting their ambition, energising decisive action

Blue Hat Man:

Creates the climate in which the most effective conversations, interactions and relationships develop

Animates strategy discussions in boardrooms, classrooms, chatrooms and summits 

Coaches teams and individuals, equipping them to act purposefully, decisively and with passion

Designs and delivers memorable learning & development experiences that help people grow personally and professionally

Blue Hat Man has been engaged by….

academics, accountants, barristers, business leaders, bishops and their suffragans, brand owners, champagne makers, charity board members, corporate lawyers, dairy farmers, engineers, elite football coaches, financial services providers, manufacturers of cars, camera equipment, coffee, food and photobooks, media owners, medics, mobile phone operators, museum development directors, office space providers, officers of the law, prosecutors, racehorse trainers, regulators, risk advisors, sports content creators and schools that teach business, drama, music and life

Purpose

To facilitate a world of rich conversation, rewarding interaction and joyously effective relationships among leaders, teams and life’s learners

By:

  • fostering empathy and curiosity

  • encouraging clarity and simplicity of thought

  • bringing creative confidence to problem solving and vivid colour to ideas

  • inspiring conviction in decisions and the courage to act on them

  • taking every opportunity to share latest thinking and ideas from the brain at work under his warm blue hat

Beliefs

More effective rewarding conversations, interactions and meetings can be had every day 

Most meetings, like relationships, are too important to leave to chance

The best facilitators don’t settle for ‘a great meeting’, they are driven to deliver the desired outcome

The world does not need more sappers - our energy is precious

Only the most creative survive –board members, leaders and teams need to think differently, behave consciously and act audaciously

Give generously. Collaboration involves sacrifice

Life’s for learning

Biography

Until setting up beta baboon in 2016, Richard was Saatchi & Saatchi’s CEO for Europe, Middle East Africa and, for 8 years, the creative company’s worldwide deputy chairman, leading its strategy and innovation client practice.

Richard was made an Executive Fellow of London Business School in 2011 and has been Adjunct Professor of Marketing since 2014. He has taught on custom programmes for Ericsson, INEOS, Lloyds of London, Nestle, Sage and Vodafone, and on open programmes including Strategic Branding, Market Driving Strategies and the school’s flagship Senior Executive Programme. He runs an elective course for degree students on Creativity in Business, supervises government and third sector consulting projects for MBAs and co-hosts a Global Business Experience in Brazil.

An accredited business coach, Richard joined the Met Police Commissioner’s Management Board in 2015 as a non-executive adviser, was re-appointed for a second term in 2017, latterly acting as Board Coach. He co-founded Manchester United Supporter’s Trust, and remains closely involved in its work to advance fan ownership in the club and across football and. He is a former trustee of the British Heart Foundation and chaired Planting Promise, a sustainable educational enterprise in Sierra Leone. He is a Director of the Foundation for Leadership through Sport.

Whilst spending much of his career as CEO, Richard has found more joy – and has had more impact - contributing from other leadership roles. His book, Consiglieri: Leading from the Shadows, published by Profile Books, is a celebration of the craft of leadership that supports, counsels, challenges and checks the ultimately accountable leader. On its fourth reprint, it was WH Smith’s business book of the month in July 2019. He speaks on this topic, among others, to raise money for causes he cares about.