Grant Hayward

About

After 30 years in the corporate world trading commodity products, during which Grant was part of a management buy-out, engaged in acquisitions and subsequently the sale of the business, he took a significant change in direction in 2009 to seek more personal fulfilment and purpose.

Still on that journey, he has never looked back, now in a world surrounded by inspirational people and organisations and has truly found his place supporting and encouraging business as a force for good to make society and the world a far better place.

Grant draws upon his extensive corporate career and voluntary sector experience to inspire and help companies become more have more impact, developing their organisations and people to become more successful.

He has been supporting Richard and the B4 team for a number of years to embrace the shift and “awakening” within the business community to the opportunities and benefits of becoming more purposeful, including the development of the Nexus programme.

Grant has trained with the B Corp movement and is a “B Leader”, having championed the movement even before it launched in the UK. He is also Co-Chair of one of the first “B Local” groups to be established in the UK, here in Oxfordshire.

Grant is part of a team delivering a European funded business support programme managed by OxLEP, specifically for purposeful businesses, social enterprise and enterprising charities. Through that, he provides 1:1 support to SME’s and sole traders as well as delivering workshops and peer to peer support groups.

As an avid supporter of Social Enterprise, Grant jointly led on the successful application for Oxfordshire to be recognised as the first Social County under Social Enterprise UK’s “Places” programme. He supports OSEP CIC, through which local Social Enterprises are in turn supported and he represents Oxfordshire on SE UK’s “Places” programme.

Grant works closely with other key stakeholders across sectors in the county including OxLEP, the universities, local authorities and voluntary sector support organisations to help ensure the strong local economy we enjoy is even more inclusive and one that works for everyone.

He sits on the Oxford Strategic Partnership’s Economic Growth Steering Board and also volunteers to help run the ROBIN Network, bringing people and organisations together across sectors in Oxfordshire to share skills and resources.