Pictured above: Former chairman of Thornton's, Peter
Thornton is guest speaker at 2010's first Family Business Forum
event in Birmingham
Peter Thornton, the former chairman of one of Britain's premier
brands, is guest speaker at the Wilsons Family Business Forum in
the West Midlands.
Hosted by The Wilson Organisation, the Forum is dedicated to
sharing the challenges facing family-owned and operated businesses
and at its 2010 inaugural event in Birmingham, its guest speaker
will deliver a rare insight into the Thornton's family and its
confectionary business, at which Peter Thornton spent 35 years of
his career including three years as its Chairman.
His appearance follows the launch of his book, published by
Tomahawk Press, about his life working in the Thornton's family
business, which is currently firmly placed in the Amazon Top 10
Business Book charts.
"We are thrilled that Peter Thornton has accepted the invitation
to the first of our 2010 Family Business Forums in Birmingham,"
says Charlotte Prow, managing director of Wilsons, who runs the
family business alongside her sister Annabel.
"Thorntons is one the country's best-loved and well known brands
on the high street and as a family business, Peter's experiences
will doubtless prove interesting for those attending the Forum, who
may even share some of the challenges that Peter faced during his
career with the company."
Since early 2008, The Wilson Organisation, which offers
independent financial advice, insurance brokerage and risk
management services, has hosted the quarterly Family Business Forum
events across the East Midlands for the next generation of family
business leaders.
Charlotte explains: "The informal format of the Forum has been
incredibly well received and the events are now well established as
ideal for sharing the common challenges and situations, regardless
of sector, of operating a family owned business. Based on the
excellent feedback, 2010 marks the expansion of the Forum into a
region-wide Midlands initiative, and one which is focussed on and
dedicated to supporting family owners."
The Forum takes place on the 28th January 2010 at Malmaison in
Birmingham's Mailbox. To find out more and register your interest
in attending this or a future Forum, contact Charlotte Prow, email:
CProw@wilorg.com. The event will be facilitated by John Tucker of
the International Centre for Families in Business (ICFIB), which
specialises in working with families in business facing change and
transition, particularly management and ownership succession.
Peter Thornton published his book 'Thorntons - My life with the
family business' in October 2009, which is a frank and honest story
of the Thorntons family and its business. He will be signing copies
of the book at the Forum event. For more information about Peter
Thornton, visit: http://www.thornton-asc.co.uk. The book is
published by Tomahawk Press and can be purchased from the company's
website - www.tomahawkpress.com.
The Wilson Organisation, based in Nottingham, provides
professional independent insurance, financial, risk management
and corporate finance solutions to businesses and individuals both
regionally and nationally. It is a Top 100 UK independent broker
and has developed innovative solutions through strong relationships
with insurers and financial services providers. For more
information, visit: www.wilorg.com, or Tel: 0115 942 0111.