Sir Richard Needham has spent over 45 years in business and politics. He has unrivalled access at the highest level in both public and private sectors in Asia, Europe and the Americas.
As a former Minister of Trade and for the last 14 years President of the British Exporters Association (BExA), Sir Richard Needham has been at the forefront of promoting exports. His unrivalled experience across businesses, large, medium and small, includes 16 years as a Director of Dyson where he was responsible for developing the Company’s manufacturing and sales operations in Europe, the USA and the Far East. He was Deputy Chairman for 4 years and Senior Independent Director for a further 6 years.
Richard originally served as a Conservative MP. As Trade Minister he is widely credited for re-invigorating the UK’s export efforts during the 1990s, and as a Minister in Northern Ireland for regenerating the region’s infra-structure and economic base. As a result of his work there he has recently become an advisor to the President of Colombia.
Since leaving politics Richard has worked as Chairman, Director or advisor to twenty firms- from start-ups like Imperial College’s DeltoDot (inventor of the world’s most advance DNA sequencer) to global giants like GEC. He stepped down as Chairman of Avon Rubber where during his six years on the Board the shares moved from 35p to £4.50!
Due to the contacts Sir Richard Needham has developed at the highest reaches in China’s national and local government he has become Chairman of Seamwell, a company developing a massive underground coal gasification project in inner Mongolia.
Richard understands the pitfalls of business and the need to enter the market at the right level, in the right place and with the right partners. His presentations set out the measures necessary for any organisation to secure its future. Delivered with trademark gusto and a sharp wit, his message is clear: keep innovating, look after suppliers as well as customers, maintain margins, refuse to allow passengers, stress test your strategy, put quality and reliability first and work out what customers want – not what you want them to want.