THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 Greater Manchester Business Week 9

BUSINESS LEGAL SERVICES Want to join the debate? Have your say online by joining the M.E.N. Media Business Group on LinkedIn, or follow GMBusinessweek on Twitter. Email [email protected] Opinion with submissions for Viewpoint

VIEWPOINTS We must value our multicultural society, says Liz Cross, governance expert at The Connectives Business can learn from award-winning school

When St Mary’s Church of England seismic change to happen, boards have Primary School in Moss Side was to be ambitious for their people and announced Primary School of the Year customers, tenacious in pursuit of their REAL ESTATE DEALS UPDATE in the Times Education Supplement goals and embracing of the diversity (TES) awards, I couldn’t have been that means something really special Our 17-strong team in Manchester has advised on some of the happier for everyone involved. can be created for many. top deals in the North West market in the past 12 months. The school went from OFSTED It’s not like we haven’t had a regular special measures 15 years ago to turnover of governors, many new ‘Outstanding’ in 2009 and now to being people have come in and made a recognised nationally in the TES difference. What we’ve also had, awards last month. This win was due however, is a sharp focus on getting GREAT NORTHERN WAREHOUSE £71m largely to the inspirational leaders, people for the right reason, committed Advised Resolution Property on its acquisition of the leisure complex. staff, parents, pupils and community to the vision and with the skills we and in part to the longevity need, whether they were and diversity of its formally recognised in governing body. education, industry or EXCHANGE QUAY £UD* Perhaps that wouldn’t elsewhere. Advised on the sale of the 450,000 square feet Exchange Quay office have been the case if some What we all had in complex in Salford Quays. of the new proposals on common was a belief that governance were in place Moss Side is a remarkable – where governing bodies community, which has had BLACKBURN CATHEDRAL QUARTER £30m are being told they need to a long battle to challenge Advised the developer, Maple Grove Developments, part of the Eric Wright be smaller; made up of the stereotypes others have Group, on its proposed redevelopment. ‘professionals’ like maintained. We wanted accountants and lawyers; everyone to appreciate the and none serving more richness of our community FIRST STREET £25m than six to nine years. and the potential and Advised Manchester City Council in relation to its land acquisition At St Mary’s, the evidence is that a talent within it. and development of the “HOME” cultural facility. diverse, focused and visionary We knew we needed to be bold if we leadership team, supported by a were going to ensure children, parents number of long serving leaders, staff and community were top of the list for ITV, QUAY STREET £UD* and governors, together with new schools, employers and others who people, has enabled it to deliver an wanted to find talent, energy and Advised ITV on the landmark redevelopment deal between ITV and a joint ambitious and sustained improvement aspiration. So we tested assumptions, venture with Manchester City Council and Allied London.

where excellence is the norm. gathered evidence of impact and kept *undisclosed And I speak with some experience. opening ourselves up to many to take a Having been governor on the school’s look at what we do and how we do it; board for over 26 years, I know the ideas I know the best business leaders For further information, contact: scale of our ambition and the desire we employ too. Anita Weightman had to deliver an aspirational vision, Through its success, St Mary’s Partner could not have been realised in a short illustrates to others in the field and T: 0161 838 3147 time nor without everyone feeling those in businesses, how [email protected] really invested. transformation can be helped by Our vision was big and our desire to putting the customer/pupil/parent/ www.irwinmitchell.com/business make it a reality for the benefit of stakeholder at the heart of all we do pupils, their parents and the and seeing diversity as the magic community could not have been set, or ingredient. delivered in any real part, if we didn’t Whatever sector you work in, I would feel we would and could see it through. embracing counter intuitive For a full list of offices please visit our website This is just one of a number of wisdom; grasping the value diversity ‘counter-intuitive ways of thinking and brings to ensure you reflect the LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England & Wales, with number OC343897, and is authorised and regulated by the Regulation Authority. All Scottish cases will be handled by a separate Scottish legal practice, Irwin Mitchell LLP, working’ that I would commend to customers you serve; creating which is regulated by the of Scotland. those in the business world who want ambitious goals and visions; achieving to deliver exceptional results. For more than others believed possible.