Congratulations to Old Viking Richard Smith (72S) who we recently learned was made an honorary Professor by Sterling University for his pioneering work in the field of ‘Relationalism’.
“I left Shiplake College in 1972 with three A levels and was offered a place at University of Cardiff - this was rather unusual at the time and for a while I found myself on the School Honours Board. From Cardiff I qualified with a BSc Economics and was called to the Bar in 1978.
I worked from 1978 to 1988 in GEC Marconi learning my commercial skills before I was given a big career opportunity in 1988. The Government of the day was requiring local councils to have to tender with the private sector for the right to continue to deliver council services in-house. After a very protracted interview process (I had never experienced anything quite like it before) I was appointed Director of Contract Services. My remit was to bid for seven major services affecting over 900 jobs. Between 1988 and 1991 we bid – and won six and a quarter of the seven services put out to tender.
I was rewarded by being appointed Head of Businesses which together with the Director of Resources and Chief Executive formed the top council management team. I had a wider corporate remit across the Council’s activities. I loved this period from 1991 to 1995, where I introduced a more business-like approach to council service delivery. It really was a baptism of fire but I believe the Shiplake culture of my time, which gave you leadership potential and undoubtedly a resilient approach, was invaluable.
I led the Councils Businesses Group into an externalisation process which apart from Ealing, was the largest of its kind. Unfortunately it was unsuccessful and as far as my career was concerned, I had to start all over again.
There were a number of personal experiences, not all good, that eventually led me to becoming the founder of Public Sector Plc and publishing three volumes on the adoption of a new relational contract culture. During this period we founded the Council Consortium Group of 22 councils publishing recommendations on the adoption of a new relational culture when it came to public/private partnerships. In 1998 I also gave evidence on this subject to a Select Committee of the House of Commons!
I founded the Centre for Partnering in 2018 to achieve a collaboration of Universities of Stirling / Manchester (MMU) / Northumbria (Newcastle Business School / Oxford (Blavatnik) and Cardiff and with this I became an academic!
In 2019 I was made an Honary Professor (Social Science - Stirling) and together with senior professors and academics we are pioneering work on the field of “Relationalism”
I am shortly to preface a new book (Bristol Policy Press) on the application of Relationalism to the Social Determinants of Health.
It all began at Shiplake which I have always felt played a significant role in shaping me.”
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