Associate - Susannah Schofield

Susannah Schofield has held the position of Managing Director of a very large corporate company; she works with, amongst others, the new breed of online retailers who need to offer their customers the option of having products in their hands within a few hours. Working with innovative solutions and cutting edge technology. Fully responsible for large P&L and budget accountability.

Before leading a business, Susannah was Royal Mail's New Business Commercial Director. She led a team of 300 with the remit to establish Royal Mail as the delivery supplier of choice, primarily with SMEs all over the country. She achieved this whilst also balancing a drive for profit with the scrutiny and regulation that comes with being part of the state postal service.

Susannah's exposure to the small business world also led her to establish her own business. ‘Best in Glass’ the company, which Susannah founded, delivered boxes of drinks, accessories and cocktail recipes to homes, with the aim of also hosting parties and selling on more. The business was later sold to a major drinks company.

Having written a paper on small businesses, Susannah was recruited to the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills' 'red tape' advisory panel. The paper also evolved into her published book, Mind the Gap – creating successful business strategy, her 'Dice Matrix' business model, and her own consultancy.

As well as the many lessons in leadership, sales and innovation from Royal Mail, Susannah also speaks about building a business, motivating a team and women in business. From her experience with SMEs and her Dice Matrix model, she highlights the six areas any business needs to consider from both an internal and a customer perspective.