Chris Barnardo & Richard Blakesley, Co-Founders of The Wand Company, speaking on the topic 'Creating Star Teams' at the CfEL Enterprise Tuesday lecture series in February 2013.

The most frequently cited reason for the success or failure of a venture is whether or not the team (as defined by its composition, experience, expertise, chemistry, soft skills, shared purpose and values) is effectively formed and developed. This session focuses on entrepreneurial teams, the role of the ‘Alpha entrepreneur’, ‘born or made’ leadership qualities, characteristics and competences; the ability to change and the ability to manage detail. It will consider the point of view of investors, i.e. what they look for, how they make judgements, when they make changes and how they find talent.

What will you gain from this session? This practitioner-led talk is an opportunity to understand more about the formation, shared vision and development of good entrepreneurial teams and how they build businesses. It will explain the need for the founder role to evolve and how entrepreneurs can influence the investor.