For over 30 years, Manchester Business School’s Vital Topics lecture series has brought together inspirational business leaders from across the world. They all have one thing in common - the vision and drive to do business in a new way.

Each year, they invite highly distinguished business leaders to share their views and provide valuable insight into key business issues.

The first time a speaker had got the audience meditating

“The slogan MBS chose to describe the event - To get ahead, you have to think ahead. The future of business is in the hands of those who do – says it all,” Dawn explains. “It was a great opportunity for me to share one of my business passions - ‘Organisational spirituality, or finding your corporate soul’.

At one point Dawn asked her audience to sit comfortable, close their eyes, breathe deeply and ask themselves four questions:

1. What is your purpose?

2. What is your passion?

3. What makes you proud?

4. What is your legacy?

“I wanted to get people to think – why am I here? What is my business about?,” Dawn enthuses. “Business goes beyond the bottom line. It’s all about making a difference.”

Dawn used Flowcrete as a case study, showing how the Sprit of Flowcrete, which came from the great British inventor, her father, had transformed people’s lives.

“The construction and flooring industry used to be plagued with back and knee injuries as operatives had to spend the day working on their knees. My father’s invesntion eliminated all that. We also eliminated the use of toxins and solvents, again transforming people’s lives.”

Dawn shared the stage with Mark Loughbridge, Senior VP and CFO IBM; Richard Baker, Chairman of Virgin Active, DFS and Nectar; Garry Cooke, CEO Manchester City Football Club; and Vivienne Cox, Chairman of Climate Change Capital.

Photo: Dawn with professor Michael Luger, Director Manchester Business School and Neal Edwards from the Royal Bank of Scotland