SME News - Managing Director of the Year Awards 2024/ 46 Best Collaborative Business Management Company MD 2024 (West Midlands): Dr Robert Milford Founded in 2016, Milford Research and Consultancy Limited understands the challenges businesses face when managing shared services. The company helps its clients streamline processes and optimise delivery by offering services including advice, research, risk management and professional training. Managing Director, Robert Milford, speaks with us about the company’s unique approach and his unconventional road to becoming an MD. When Robert Milford left school to run the family hairdressing business at 17, little did he imagine he would later hold a PhD in Governance and be running his own consulting firm. To say that Robert’s career path until now has not been linear would be an understatement. Navigating major challenges such as dyslexia and cancer, Robert has never let life hold him back. He tells us, “I’ve travelled an interesting pathway to where I am today. I’m a qualified horticulturalist, I’ve been head of internal audit, a lecturer in leadership and a painter of figurines for Royal Worcester. I returned to academic study in my thirties to study governance in collaborative working.” Robert’s broad skillset enabled him to identify the clear set of values that motivates him to drive himself and his company forward. This is encapsulated in the company’s mission statement: "A fusion of academic, professional and practical know-how, delivered through a collaborative approach, helping individuals and organisations achieve their goals together." Milford R&C provides research, consultancy, and bespoke professional training programmes to businesses, charities and public sector organisations. The company’s collaborative approach differentiates it from competitors and Milford R&C has developed ‘instituteapproved’ workshops to pass on its skills to future leaders. These include the BOSS Programme, which it developed with the University of Worcester, and Milford R&C’s Collaborative Business Management and Leadership Programme. Milford R&C’s culture is built on trust and mutual respect and Robert aims to build a legacy that will continue long after he decides to retire. He explains, “For my company to be a true success it should outlive my working life. I’m looking to the next generation as my successors, to be my company's future MD and leadership team. I want to help them be the best they can be. I also have a strong ethos to ‘lead beyond the organisation’. I use my leadership knowledge in my own business but also to help others to lead theirs. I work with other companies across all sectors to ensure we remain current and relevant. I’m always looking for ways to collaborate with clients and often team up with leaders of other companies to deliver joint projects.” With Milford R&C located in a beautiful deer park at the edge of the Cotswolds, it’s easy to see why Robert advocates greeting every new day with a smile. He says, “I love my work, and my company enables me to do the work I love, and I have a team that shares and embraces my values. This setting, with wildlife right outside the door, keeps us in a positive state away from the daily hustle of a city centre. It’s a perfect place for innovation and creative thinking.” Positive support and having an equal voice are two values that Milford R&C embraces. Status is not forced and every team member has an equal opportunity to air their thoughts and ideas. Robert explains, “Just because I am the MD doesn’t grant me any special rights to be right. We all listen to each other and share our views. If a decision can’t be reached collectively then I’ll step in, but only after I’ve been asked to do so.” Looking to the future, Robert plans to recruit additional staff who have a level of experience on a par with his own. This will ensure the sustainability of growth in the business offering and enable the company to develop the talents of existing staff more easily. Robert also hopes to offer jobs to university students currently working on placement at Milford R&C. This offering started with the appointment of Robert’s former mentee as the new Marketing and Events Coordinator. Contact: Robert Milford Company: Milford Research and Consultancy Limited Web Address: https://www.milfordresearch.uk/
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