Today's guest is Martin Traynor OBE, Small Business Crown Representative, Cabinet Office

Martin Traynor OBE comes from a business background, with much of his early career spent in the hospitality sector, managing various hotels across the UK. He then spent 14 years as Group Chief Executive of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce (including the Business Link service).

In recent years, Martin moved to a portfolio career where he is now a Non-Executive Chairman of three leisure businesses, Deputy Chairman of a University hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, and has also completed two three-year terms on the government’s Regulatory Policy Committee.

In the 2007, Martin was awarded an OBE in HM The Queen’s New Year’s Honours for “services to business and the community of the East Midlands”.

In this episode, we will discuss Martin's

• Early life and education
• First Job
• Entry and 22 years Experience in Hospitality sector
• 14 years as Group Chief Executive of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce
• Government’s Regulatory Policy Committee role
• Small Business Crown Representative, Cabinet Office role
• Recommended SME resources
• First reaction hearing Covid19 lockdown and subsequent approach
• Adaptation to new normal
• Advice to people wanting to pursue non executive career
• One kind or thoughtful thing someone did to him
• Kindest person he knows
• Best piece of advice he has received
• Biggest lesson life has taught him

and few random questions..

Key Nuggets

• Unique role in working with government Procurement and small business
• 21000 regulations that determined day to day life
• 4000 procurement officers
• Government is custodian of British Pound
• £60 billion central government spend every year
• Do you have £10m insurance - changed the wording Will you insure to the value of £10m ?
• Every £3 government £1 spend on SME
• Whole of civil service is engaged in Covid19 crisis
• We have done something that we havent done in the past
• Type "Business Support" in Search Engines
• Type "Public Appointments" in Search Engines
• Sign up for Goverment e-alerts
• Covid response isnt sprint its a marathon
• Utilise Contracts finder
• Calibre of people working in the cabinet office
• I am very inclusive taking people with me on the journey
• Two life skills to master - Organisation skills and communication skills
• Always consider Glass is half full
• You are on this planet once
• When you are in a meeting, listen to what is not said
• Hold the faith, We will get over this!

Recommended links
https://www.gov.uk/government/people/martin-traynor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-traynor-obe-640421b9/
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support
https://www.gov.uk/business-support-helpline
https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

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