Logging On With . . . Graham Nicoll
TO START our new ‘Logging On With …’ series of personal profiles, incoming Birmingham Forward Chairman and regional director of Barclays Wealth Graham Nicoll confesses to his fear of spreadsheets.
Organisation: Barclays Wealth
Employees: 95 (locally) 7,500 (globally)
Job title: Regional Director
Career highlights:
Selling my corporate fitness business in 2002, being voted ‘Tomorrow’s Business Person of the Year’ in the Daily Express in 2000, and looking forward to becoming the chair of Birmingham Forward later this year.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career to date?:
My father – he used to command submarines in the Navy and had a real unassuming authority.
What are your key responsibilities?:
Ensuring we deliver an exceptional client experience, grow our business through new client acquisition and by serving the broader needs of existing clients, recruiting and developing the team and P&L responsibility.
What do you enjoy most and least about your role?:
Most – developing people and seeing them flourish
Least – the volume of spreadsheets!
As a business leader, what’s the key to managing people?:
Listening
What are the biggest barriers to your organisation’s success?:
Public perception of banks and getting the simple things wrong
What would make the West Midlands an even better place to live and work?:
A self-belief of the people who live here that we live in a great place. That aside I think it is a great place to both live and work.
How has technology changed your life in the last five years?:
On call 24/7 – which can be good and bad.
How has it changed/impacted on your business in the same period?:
Everything moves at a faster pace – people expect real time responses to queries sent via email. We are able to access information and research potential clients far easier.
If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what alternative career would you chose and why?:
I would love to be a pop star – I just can’t sing. When I was younger I also wanted to be a vet! I passed my Private Pilots licence in 2004 so would also like to spend more time in the sky!
Which sectors do you think will thrive/ struggle in the coming years?:
I believe business and professional service, niche engineering, new technology and new media will all thrive. I believe heavy and mass engineering as well as housing are likely to find it tougher.
What do you feel are the key skills/qualities needed to run a successful business in the 21st Century?:
- Ability to listen and communicate well.
- Lead by example and be comfortable to do things you ask others to do.
- Delegation
- Prioritisation
- A strong desire to see others succeed and to help people to do so
- And the ability to say NO!
Which public figure do you admire most and why?:
Barack Obama – I know this might be the obvious choice but he has such a strong belief in doing the right thing and has taken on one of the most challenging tasks in history and continues to exude confidence, a positive attitude and the commitment to see the task in hand through.
In five words, describe your character:
Decisive, energetic, passionate, driven and focused
Which actor would you chose to play you in a film?
Rob Lowe
Where’s your favourite holiday destination?
Pine Cliffs Resort in Portugal
See other profiles in our ‘Logging on with…’ series
