Join us for the first EO Conference in the South West! It’s a day designed to bring together employee-owned businesses and those exploring the journey into employee ownership. Organised In partnership with Paradigm Norton, Stephens Scown & The Peloton.

This conference creates space for employee-owned and EO-curious organisations to come together – to learn from experience, connect with peers, and explore the practical and long-term realities of employee ownership at every stage of the journey.

Across the day, you’ll hear from leading South West businesses, experienced practitioners and fellow employee-owned organisations, with a mix of keynote talks, panel discussions and peer-to-peer sessions.

Tickets available through Ticket Tailor.

What to expect:

🎤 Keynotes from leading South West EO businesses on purpose and legacy

💬 Open, peer-led conversations on the challenges you’re facing right now

📊 Sessions exploring growth, governance and long-term success

🔄 Insights from businesses at different stages of the EO journey

🍽️ Plenty of time for networking and informal discussion

The conference will give you the opportunity to learn from others, share your own experiences, and connect with peers facing similar opportunities and challenges.

Whether you’re already employee owned or considering the transition, the day is designed to offer invaluable insight and meaningful connection.

📅 Thursday 15 October
🕒 10am-6pm
📍 Winslade Park, Exeter, EX5 1FY

We have a fantastic line up of speakers for the day, including:

• Riverford: Guy Singh-Watson, Riverford founder, and Charlotte Tickle, Riverford’s Chief People, Culture and Impact Officer will be joining us for their keynote on “Legacy is About What You Leave Behind, Not What You Take Out”. After becoming employee-owned in 2018 and transitioning to 100% EO in 2023, Riverford has become one of the UK’s leading examples of a business built for the long term.
• Aardman Animations: Join David Sproxton, co-founder of Aardman, and Helen Beard, Chief People Officer, as they share the story behind Aardman’s decision to choose EO over a high-profile acquisition. In their keynote, “Choosing Employee Ownership over a Hollywood buyout”, David and Helen will explore the realities of succession planning, balancing legacy with long-term independence, and creating the conditions for employees to think and act like owners. Attendees will gain practical insights into governance, engagement and sustaining culture beyond the founder era.
• Paradigm Norton: Having founded Paradigm Norton, led the firm for more than two decades, and recently stepped down as CEO, Barry Horner brings a unique firsthand perspective on what it really feels like to transition to employee ownership. His talk titled “Take it from a former owner, this is how it is going to feel”, will explore the emotions, opportunities and realities that come with letting go, trusting others, and seeing your business thrive beyond you.
• ICE Trikes: Joining us from ICE Trikes are Nathan Jarvis, Head of Operations, and Adrian Davies, Managing Director, who will be leading a session on: “How Do You Communicate the Tough Stuff?” Drawing on their experience at employee-owned manufacturer ICE Trikes, they will share practical insights into building trust, strengthening communication, and creating a culture where difficult conversations become opportunities for greater understanding and engagement.
• The Peloton: In “Preparing your leadership team to succeed… warts and all”, Daniel Riches, Director at The Peloton, shares the realities of preparing an employee-owned business for life beyond its founder. Drawing on firsthand experience, he’ll explore leadership development, succession planning, and the lessons learned from a transition that required the team to step up and succeed on their own.
• Helen Moreton: Drawing on more than 25 years of experience with employee-owned businesses, Helen Moreton shares the common practices that help create high-performing EO cultures in her session “What I’ve seen that works in developing a high performing EO Culture.” Explore how employee voice, governance and leadership work together to strengthen engagement, culture and business performance, and leave with practical ideas you can apply in your own organisation.
• Eyeful Presentations: Simon Morton, Founder of Eyeful Presentations, and Luke Riordan, CEO, tackle the often-overlooked question of “what next?” after transitioning to employee ownership in their session, “The Five-Year Horizon: Beyond the Debt & Into the Future”. By the end of the session, you’ll be able to understand the difference between the “brochure version” of EO and the real thing, make peace with becoming a strategic benefactor rather than the person still running the show, build trust with co-owners that’s real, and learn how to get co-owners to think like owners from day one.
• Employee Ownership Association (eoa): Join John Beattie, Director of Membership, Learning and Operations at the eoa, as he explores the proven benefits of employee ownership for people, businesses and communities. Drawing on the latest sector insights and evidence, John will highlight the growth and potential of the UK employee ownership sector, and share practical ways organisations can strengthen and embed great employee ownership through the eoa’s resources, networks and support.
• Enhanced & Stephens Scown: Join Josie Weston, Head of Operations at Enhanced, and Sam Moles, Employee Ownership Services Consultant at Stephens Scown, for “How Do You Actually Turn Employees Into Owners?” As former winners of the EOA’s Employee Owner of the Year award, Josie and Sam will share practical insights from their own employee ownership journeys. Discover the difference between becoming employee-owned and creating a genuine ownership culture, learn what helps people think and act like owners, and leave with ideas to strengthen employee engagement and ownership behaviours in your own organisation.
• Eternal Business: Join Campbell McDonald, Managing Director of Eternal Business, for “Leave No Leader Behind.” Drawing on nearly two decades of supporting employee-owned businesses, leading an EO Trust-owned company, and chairing multiple EOT boards, Campbell explores why leaders are often the least supported group in employee ownership. From managing expectations after transition to overcoming employee disengagement and building genuine ownership behaviours, this session will provide practical insights to help leaders navigate the challenges of EO at every stage of the journey.
• Magenta Associates: Join Jo Sutherland, Managing Director of employee-owned, B Corp-certified communications consultancy Magenta Associates, for “EO Businesses Are Positioned to Approach AI Adoption Differently, Will They?” Drawing on her work as an AI safety and ethics researcher and AI literacy educator, Jo will cut through the hype surrounding artificial intelligence and explore why AI adoption is a governance challenge, not simply a technology decision. Discover what meaningful consultation and shared influence can look like in an employee-owned business, learn where EO values and current AI practice can clash, and leave with practical actions to help your organisation approach AI responsibly and effectively.

Tickets available through Ticket Tailor.