Man on a mission

Karl George, managing director of Birmingham practice Andersons KBS, tells Colette Steckel about his ambitions for the Midlands and why his community work strikes a chord.

Karl George is a man on a mission. But then, anyone who knows him (of whom there are many: he's in the Who's Who guide to high flyers) would argue that he's never short of a mission or two. Whether it's managing a dance group (break dancing, no less) at the age of 14, running a karate club (he's a black belt) in his late teens, or starting his own management consultancy business at the ripe old age of 23, Karl admits that he's always one step ahead of himself, dreaming up new ventures and, to his credit, seeing them through. 'I'm always getting these bright ideas. I want to change the world, try new things.'

Which is why I'm not surprised at being privy to his latest mission. 'You've heard of Mathew Boulton?' he asks. Um, I utter, squirming at my lack of historical prowess. 'James Watt. The industrial revolution...' Ah yes. The two men perfected the design of the steam engine in the late 19th century and put Birmingham at the centre of commerce and industry in England. Where is this all going, I wonder. 'When we look back in history to this time, we'll ask ourselves who were the leaders with the vision to take Birmingham forward? I see myself as one of the next generation to take Birmingham to the next level,' continues Karl (36), who coincidentally has just given a presentation for the Chambers of Commerce at their annual conference on the future of Birmingham. 'Birmingham is a multi-disciplined, entrepreneurial, diverse city and I want to make sure it is on the map. We sing our praises here very well but we want the rest of the country to know how brilliant we are.'

By now you might be wondering whether Karl is some brash businessman on one hell of an ego trip. He isn't. Instead, he's a deeply spiritual, family man with an easy and gentle manner and softly-spoken tones that reveal, without fanfare, his drive and ambition. No wonder people fall over themselves to get involved in his projects and dreams. Which is where Open steps in.

Open 04 was founded last year by Karl as an event which brings together Midlands' business leaders and some of Britain's most successful entrepreneurs. People like Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, Sahar Hashemi, co-founder of Coffee Republic, and Mike Southon, co-author of the Beermat Entrepreneur, joined in the one-day conference in September. 'My real passion is organising and giving seminars,' notes Karl. 'Not just accounting issues but things like goal-setting and networking. I started a seminar series at Andersons but I wanted to take it further. The conference idea just kept growing. Right from the beginning my intention was to host an excellent event, getting up close and personal with peers and also hearing from some very successful businessmen and women.'

The event had delegates signing up in droves: over 300 business people from the Midlands attended, which Karl notes with some satisfaction isn't bad going for a first-year event. He plans to hold another this autumn, by which time his other project, Open 500 - an invitation-only business network aimed at leaders of medium-sized businesses - should be in full swing. 'It's about getting together and sharing experiences as well as learning from others,' notes Karl, adding that Open is much more than an informal meeting. The club hosts breakfasts and mastermind events headed by entrepreneurs and produces a magazine and e-bulletins. Seventy businesses signed up when it was launched at Open 04 and there are now 150 members. 'The aim is to reach 500 and no more,' says Karl, in an attempt to preserve the elite feel to the club.

Karl's skills at persuading the business community to hitch a ride on his ventures have come in handy with his social work. In 1997, he founded the Birmingham chapter of an American organisation called 100 Black Men, which aims to improve the quality of life and education of young black men. By then, the organisation was US based but a chance meeting with the president of one of the American chapters spurned Karl to look into setting up the first international base in Birmingham. 'I got together about 20 people - well-known names in Birmingham - and asked them to pay a membership fee and give up their free time to help children in Birmingham, particularly Afro-Caribbean boys because they come out of the educational system right at the very bottom,' recalls Karl, who adds that he was surprised at getting such a positive response to his initiative.

The Birmingham chapter has won accolades from America for its community work, and is one of the reasons why Karl was awarded an MBE last year for his services to the community. 'A lot of kids are from single-parent homes without a male role model, which is where 100 steps in. We talk to teachers and parents but most of all we talk to children. That's where we have the biggest impact.' Karl notes that members of 100 Black Men work to overcome the cultural and financial obstacles that limit the achievements of black males in Britain.

As for his personal experience as a young black man in Birmingham, Karl explains that his early attempts at getting a foothold on the career ladder were hindered by prejudice. After passing his A Levels, he joined an engineering firm as a wages clerk. 'My role models were all on the shop floor. There weren't any black people in management and I wasn't perceived to be management material either. That was what made me think I'm going to prove everyone wrong.' By the time he turned 23, he had qualified as an ACCA and had stepped into the shoes of finance director. When the firm was bought out by a plc shortly after, he was left without a job but quickly turned his hand to lecturing on accounting for financial training firms. In 1994, he gave up the training and founded a management consultancy business, providing business strategy advice and systems development from a desk at his parents' house.

By 2001, his one-man band had become George Leedham, an accountancy practice with an office in Birmingham city centre and 15 staff. 'My business was profitable and successful but my biggest clients were turning over £2m-£3m so they were fairly small. Intellectually I'd say I wasn't really being challenged.' A meeting with Andersons, a practice with a 75-year pedigree, led to a merger, with Karl taking up the managing director post within six months. The combined multi-disciplinary firm has a staff of 25 and turnover of over £1m. Tellingly, its office neighbours, the big boys in accountancy, PwC and KPMG, are down the road and PK is next door. 'About a year after merging we moved the office to New Market Street to be near to our rivals so we charge at similar levels and develop relationships with lawyers and bankers. We network in the same neighbourhood.'

As managing director, Karl is focused on the big picture, nurturing the Anderson's brand and aspiring to turn the firm into a top 50 practice, but he also tends to his clients' concerns, working on putting their strategies into reality through training sessions and seminars. 'Staff is, and always will be, a key issue for medium-sized businesses. Recruiting the right people, getting them to do the things you want them to do without feeling you might as well do it yourself, and retaining good people are things that keep directors awake at night. And work-life balance concerns too. Owner-managers find it difficult to juggle long hours with family life.'

With a reputation as an executive coach and mentor in Birmingham, it was only a matter of time before Karl's advice became essential reading in the community. Most People Only Try, I Make Sure - a pocket-sized guide to entrepreneurialism and good business sense - was published in 2003. 'I'm an avid reader,' enthuses Karl. 'People always say that, I know, but my real passion are personal development books. If there's a book out there on self- improvement, you can bet I have it on my bookshelf.' Little wonder then that he wanted to pen a book himself or that his role models are the high-profile and enormously successful leadership gurus like Michael Gerber, the e-myth founder whose mentoring courses Karl highly commends. 'You've heard of Anthony Robbins?' Oh dear, here we go again. A multimillionaire adviser on personal development and leadership, by any chance? 'That's going to be me,' beams Karl. 'I'll be the next Anthony Robbins.' He starts laughing. But between you and me, I really don't think he's joking.

Please visit www.100blackmen.org.uk or e-mail info@open500.co.uk for further information.