Photography courtesy of Douglas Fry and Piranha Photography Limited.

On Tuesday 12 March, members of the MCS community braved the poor weather and an early start and gathered for the second London Networking Breakfast at the Lansdowne Club. The topic for discussion was ‘Are entrepreneurs born or made?’, and co-organiser Jim Hawker (OW 1992) wasted no time in putting this question to the panel of entrepreneurs.

Oli Barrett, MBE was keen to impress upon the gathering the importance of fostering an entrepreneurial spirit through education, and encouraged teachers and parents alike to introduce their children to business from an early age. This was to become a theme for the morning, Rob Hamilton (OW 1992) spoke about the pocket money ledger he created for his young daughter so she might understand the value of money, and William Reeve (OW 1985) pointed out the benefits of starting something, and the learning curve that entails. Debbie Wosskow, OBE, eloquently described the difficulties facing women who wanted to get ahead in business, noting that women were less likely to start their own business and only 2% of CEOs are women – she hopes to bring about a change.

After the discussion, panel members and attendees networked over pastries and cups of coffee. Many business cards were traded and connections were made – it will be fascinating to see the fruits of this rainy March morning.