Ex-Olympic swimmer Kate Haywood has been appointed by EP Business in Hospitality to support its business development and strategy by spearheading a campaign that encourages the reinvention of ex-athletes into the corporate business world to change and develop culture, leadership and trust. The company believes that businesses could learn from the sporting world to improve current problems in productivity, culture, leadership and behaviour.
“We are delighted that Kate has joined us. She is already a great role model for young talent but can also be a really fantastic ambassador for how sports players can play an important and positive role within corporate environments after they retire in their field. Productivity is such an important issue in the workplace today and we can learn real lessons from the world of sport in terms of behaviours, mind-set, teamwork and culture. Kate will be a great campaigner for this and will help us make a strong case for change,” said CEO and Founder at EP Business in Hospitality, Chris Sheppardson.
Haywood will be drawing on her own sporting experiences to look at the various ways that sports professionals can take on varied business roles and use their sporting skills to create change for the better.
“I’ve never worked in an office before, but my belief is, it’s not so dissimilar to the sports environment. There are a lot of valid lessons in trust and leadership that the corporate world can learn from sport. As an Olympic swimmer I learned quickly that both challenge and failure are the elements that also foster success, as well as helping one to develop and grow. Strong team spirit is compulsory in sport and I truly believe that athletes can be great role models for culture and can help to drive much needed change in the business world today,” said Kate.
This experience is a new challenge for Kate as she would be working in a completely new environment outside of her comfort zone. Trust and leadership were a huge part of her Olympic careers and she believes that these particular skills can also boost business productivity and future success.
