Business community mourns the passing of larger-than-life character

Liverpool’s business world is mourning one of its larger-than-life characters after John Haynes passed away on Wednesday, December 9.

The founder of the city’s International Coaching Academy was a familiar face at seminars and events around the town and widely regarded as an inspiration for new generations of entrepreneurs, driven by his bottomless reserves of positivity and personal catchprase “fly with the eagles”.

He left school aged just 14 and a half and admitted: “I was rubbish at school. I was in the bottom half of the class that makes the top half possible.”

His first job was making furniture with Hygena Kitchen Cabinets in Kirkby until it was closed, making 1,200 staff redundant, in the Thatcher era downturn.

After a period of unemployment he joined the Co-op selling penny insurance policies and concentrated on self-education and reading, enabling him to gradually move to better jobs, eventually joining Royal Insurance, at the time, one of the biggest employers in Liverpool.

He said: “In the London office they called me a thick Scouser, but I learned all the leadership skills.

“Then, one day, they invited me and my wife to Blenheim Palace with lots of other people, and I worried about what they were going to tell me, but they said ‘in the past we have gone for university-educated people, but we recognise that we have to change, and our next regional director for the UK will be John Haynes’.

“I couldn’t believe it. I was in charge of 1,500 people.”

When he left the company in 1998 he was considering his next step and recalled: “We had a Scottish shareholder who we were all scared of who had watched me most of my career. He said, ‘when an educated person dies, with all their knowledge and experience, it is like a library burning down. Don’t let your library burn down’.”

Those words inspired him to found the Liverpool Coaching Academy which taught leadership skills to budding entrepreneurs and, in a twist for lifelong Evertonian John, was contracted by Liverpool FC to coach its admin teams.

The business operated as far as Australia and Abu Dhabi, where he was selected from a field of international contenders by government officials to set up a leadership school of excellence.

He also worked tirelessly raising funds for the town of Kikambala in Kenya which he visited while on holiday which had been devastated by an Al Quaida bomb attack.

Following his visit he raised thousands of pounds from Liverpool’s business community to provide new wells, repair buildings and buy shoes for the children.

He said: “The people of Liverpool have donated and there are plaques on the water wells saying ‘Thank you people of Liverpool’.”

Earlier this year John was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, but he continued his regular social media broadcasts, encouraging his huge audience to pursue their dreams and better themselves.

In one of his most recent, he proudly showed a letter he had received from Liverpool FC manager, Jurgen Klopp, praising him and thanking him for his work with the club. John said: “He is a true Scouser and loves everyone.”

On Thursday this week his wife, Linda, posted on his account: “It’s with a heavy heart that I have to tell you that on Wednesday, 9th December my beloved John left us peacefully in his sleep.

“As you know, John had been struggling health-wise for a while now and while at home is own special Eagle called and John decided it was time to fly higher than he had ever flown before.”

She said, understandably, the family is grieving and now just wants some days to spend time together remembering John.

She added: “Thank you for all your kind words and thoughts for John over these past difficult months and please honour his memory by flying high with your very special Eagles.”

Among the many tributes since his passing was one from Chris Brown, director of Marketing Liverpool, who tweeted: “Extremely sad news to hear of the passing of John Haynes – one of the first people I met when I came to Liverpool – a great guy who leaves a great legacy – rest in peace John.”

Sports industry specialist, Majid Lavji, said: “John was a character, but he had that personal touch which we all understand.”

Julie Johnson, business operations partner at Morecrofts Solicitors and deputy chair of the Liverpool BID Company, said: “Heartbreaking news. He will be sadly missed by so many.”

And Geoff Jones, regional director at The Alpha Group, said: “The world has today lost a true legend. John Haynes. As he moves to a higher place. Knowing that his work here on earth is done. Passing peacefully on to his next challenge. Fly with the Eagles my friend.”