ABM Welcomes New Chair, Ken Andrew

Ken Andrew appointed Association of Business Mentors Chair

I am delighted to become Chair of the Association of Business Mentors (ABM) at such an exciting time for professional business mentoring. Mentoring has achieved huge momentum in the business community in recent years and considerable credit for this must go to my predecessor Simon Fordham and the many of you who have supported the ABM for a number of years. I’d like to thank Simon for his energy, drive and commitment to professional business mentoring and look forward to being able to build on his legacy.

The Value of Business Mentoring

The value and impact of mentoring on businesses is clear to see, with 76% of businesses saying that mentoring drives their growth (Mentoring Matters Report, 2022). I know from my own experience of setting up and growing three businesses that being an entrepreneur can be a lonely and challenging time.  

Business mentoring is a powerful support for businesses in achieving their ambitions for growth and overcoming challenges that can so easily stand in the way of growing their company. As well as supporting businesses with practical solutions, I believe having a mentor to turn to, someone with the business and mentoring skills can be transformational to business owners.  

My Business Mentoring Background

As well as having set up and grown three of my own businesses, I’ve also had a corporate career that has included both large and medium sized businesses including Chase Manhattan, Aetna, NatWest, Sherwood International and Link (the cash machine operator in the UK). Much of this has been in the financial services sector and many of the roles have been in marketing/business development. These roles have included senior management through Director, Chief Executive and Chairman.

Throughout this time, I helped many staff by what I now realise was mentoring and coaching . During that time and subsequently, I’ve developed the firm belief that everyone has the ability to achieve their ambitions. What they need is the key to unlock the door for them. Mentoring offers the opportunity for people to find the key.

I set up my own mentoring and coaching business almost a decade ago. Today I have clients from across the world including Chile, US, south Africa, Holland, Spain and of course the UK. I find it incredibly rewarding to be able to support these businesses and their entrepreneurs. I know that’s true of all of us as mentors.  

The Impact of the ABM  

I joined the ABM as a Full Member a few years ago. Membership has been of considerable value in being able to tell prospective clients that I am a member of the professional business mentoring body. It is a reassurance for my clients that i am not only an experienced businessman but also have the professional mentoring skills to support them on their entrepreneurial journey.  

The ABM has come a long way in recent times and I believe has an exciting future. Not only are we championing the vital importance of business mentoring as part of daily business life, but we also demonstrate the importance of professional standards within business mentoring.  

With that, the ABM is looking to:  

• Increase the awareness and use of mentoring and over time make it a daily part of business life.
• With increased awareness and use of mentoring we need to ensure we advocate and help deliver appropriate standards for mentors to re-assure businesses.
• With us continuing to successfully deliver our part of the Help to Grow programme, we need to seize the opportunity of working with government, both national and local, and with the wider business community. In particular, I believe there is an increasing need in companies for their staff to be trained in mentoring skills.

The ABM’s work to support the Government’s Help to Grow Management Course mentoring through training and support of thousands of business leaders across the UK is testament to our vision and goals to raise awareness of the benefits of professional business mentoring.  

Over the coming weeks and months, we will be looking to hear member’s views on the ABM and your mentoring work. Keep an eye out for a survey and focus group opportunities that will provide you with the opportunity to have your say about what the ABM’s future looks like.  

I would like to thank each and every one of our members and partners for their commitment and support to professional body and the ABM and look forward to meeting them at future ABM events.  

And finally, I would like to pay tribute to Kerrie Dorman who established the ABM in 2011 for her foresight and vision which has been a guiding light for the ABM since it was established.

About Ken Andrew

Ken Andrew is a successful and experienced entrepreneur. He has set up, grown and run a number of his own businesses and has been Chair and a Non-Executive Director of privately owned and publicly listed companies.

Ken is a professional business mentor and Executive Coach, supporting clients in the UK, Europe, Africa and the USA. He works with companies of all sizes, across a number of sectors, providing experienced guidance and support for start-ups as well as businesses going through consolidation/growth, supporting C-Suite Executives along the way. Ken is a Full ABM Member and was Chair of its Governance, Risk, Advisory and Finance Committee.

Read full bio here.

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