Chair Profile
‘The biggest breakthroughs happen once my member finally succeeds in getting the right senior team around them. They’re no longer trapped IN the business doing other peoples’ jobs – they are now free to work ON the business and grow to realise the potential that’s eluded them. This is the breakthrough moment and the group has helped the member to achieve this milestone.‘
Ian Neal works with Business Owners and CEOs to help them maximise the value of their enterprise. One of his fundamental beliefs is that building a sustainable valuable enterprise requires the leader to create and nurture a great culture and a committed team which designs and executes a strategy around which the entire business unites. The role of the Owner or CEO is to hire and train the team, give autonomy, space, structure, guidance, tools and environment for the people to have absolute confidence to succeed, while not losing control.
Many CEOs become stuck as the key person and sole decision maker. The things that made success no longer work when the business becomes more complex. Ian’s role with Vistage is to work closely with the leader guiding them and their business to bring the necessary changes successfully to life and thus take away the frustration, key person risk and enabling the value of the business to multiply.
Ian was a Co-founder and Managing Director of Nanyang Ventures from establishment until 2004. Funds under management totalled $140 million and investments were made in 27 high-growth private companies across a range of industries from high technology to manufacturing. The companies ranged from greenfields start-ups to profitable enterprises with revenue in excess of $50 million at time of investment. His career highlights include:
- Building successful start ups
- Guiding CEOs and Business Owners for over 2 decades
- Certified Advisory Board Chairman