Year 12 and 13 Business Studies students were delighted to welcome Tom Keevil, Chair of City West Homes and Trustee of The Land Trust who gave an insightful and interesting talk on mergers and acquisitions.  Speakers4schools were instrumental in organising the visit as they coordinate a network of leading figures who want to help encourage the next generation of young people in state schools by directly giving their time to share insights, inspiration and answer their questions.

Tom has had many years in business and was able to share his knowledge in an informative talk to the group, explaining that he had started his working life as a lawyer, changing direction in his career to business and, at one point, providing guidance and advice to the Boards of three FTSE 100 PLCs. With his wealth of knowledge Tom spoke frankly and honestly about his experience in business and advised the students that first impressions count when applying for jobs. He went on to suggest that a top tip would be to get as much work experience in their chosen field and to make sure they are prepared for interviews and to show passion. Tom also emphasised that they should not be afraid of failure – that a rejection for a particular job may lead on to something even better so never give up. All of the students agreed that “Tom was great. What he said was really helpful and we felt encouraged by what he had to say. He made mergers and acquisitions simple to understand and actually interesting!”