Transcript
KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION
RICHARD BRANSONDom Fotso
How to live a full life
KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION
Bio and major accomplishmentsEntrepreneur, philanthropist, activist
• Born in 1950 in London. Eighth fortune of UK ($5B)
• Created Student magazine at 16 after dropping out of high school
• Founder of Virgin Group (50K employees, 400+ companies, $25B annual revenues)
• Knighted in 1999 by Prince Charles
• World records: Crossed Atlantic in hot air balloon (1987), Longest balloon trip (1991)
• Entrepreneurial highlights: Virgin Records (1970), Virgin Atlantic (1984), Sale of Virgin Records for $1B (1992), Virgin Cola (1994), Virgin Rail (1997), Virgin Mobile (1999), Virgin Galactic (2004)
• Virgin Unite as non-profit: Virgin Earth Challenge, The Elders
• Married to Joan and has two children, Holly and Sam
KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION
Be Real Act with authenticity by clarifying what's important
• Encouraged to be authentic by his parents
• Dyslexic, struggled in school and dropped out at 16 to become an entrepreneur
• His headmaster: “In prison or become a millionaire”
• Risky business decisions: • signed Sex Pistols, promoted avant-garde
music (Punk, New Wave)• Invested in airlines industry then sold
Virgin Records to support it
• Multiple world record attempts
• crossing the Atlantic in hot air balloon (1987) against Virgin Atlantic executives recommendation
• fastest crossing of the English Channel in an amphibious vehicle in 2004
KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION
Be WholeAct with integrity by respecting the whole person
• Management of Virgin Group: HealthMiles to
support employees health engagement, Virgin
Pulse to help employee engagement and
support philanthropic causes
• Home / Work integration:• Goes on all holidays with kids, pioneered
flexible workplace at Virgin• Involves family in world record attempts
(crossing Atlantic in sail boat with his kids)
• Unite, the non-profit arm of the Virgin Group• The Elders (with Nelson Mandela, Koffi Annan)• Carbon War Room (initiative for Global Warming)
KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION
Be InnovativeAct with creativity by experimenting to find new solutions
• Entrepreneurship through frustration as a
philosophy to challenge the status quo (Virgin
Brides, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Galactic)
• Virgin Earth Challenge: $25M prize for a viable
solution to the greenhouse gas problem
• Innovative commitment device: pledged 10 years
of profits from Virgin transportation (~$3B)
towards renewable alternatives to carbon fuels
KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION
Lessons Learned
• Live with passion (and encourage it for
your kids)
• Invest in what you believe in despite
other people’s opinions
• Find the right people and inspire them
• Life is one long learning process: love
learning and challenging the status quo
• Stand for something: Virgin stands for
quality and for combatting frustration
top related