Business coach and long-standing supporter of British manufacturing, Paul Edwards, has chosen to be a gold sponsor of the Derbyshire Institute of Sport.
As well as helping businesses to grow and develop, Paul is a sportsman too and has run several half-marathons for causes close to his heart. He is a strong believer in the power of sport to change lives.
As well as being generous to DIS, he is generous with his praise too. Paul says he is impressed with the commitment from Derbyshire Institute of Sport (DIS) co-founder Chloe Maudsley and her team to help young athletes be the best they can.
He said: “I first met Chloe at a networking meeting and I admire what she has achieved. She is such a go-getter person and I was so touched when she spoke to us about how sport has helped her overcome challenges in her life when she was younger.
“She might appear a quiet and reserved person, but she has achieved so much and is full of confidence.
“I’ve since met some of the athletes and coaches with DIS and have been impressed by both their commitment, their achievements and their confidence in life.”
Paul, who lives in Belper, runs his own business coaching consultancy within the Chrysalis Partners network. He has been building manufacturing businesses for over 30 years, most recently as a managing director within the Michelin group, leading a business with a turnover of £32 million and over 350 employees.
During that time, he achieved record sales and profit in 2019 and secured the largest single one-off capital investment to create a new production line, as well as identifying several strategic acquisitions to drive growth.
For several years Paul sat on the East Midlands Regional Advisory Board for MAKEUK, a trade organisation that champions British engineering and manufacturing. He regularly meets with like-minded business owners and professionals providing input and support to help shape the future of manufacturing in the UK.
He has a degree in engineering and studied leadership at the Cranfield School of Management. He has benefited from personal leadership coaching and is a firm believer in developing others through coaching and mentoring.
Paul left the corporate world at the end of 2021, wanting to use the skills he had acquired over the last three decades to help business owners grow and develop their businesses and joined the Chrysalis Partners network in February 2022.
He is passionate about working with SME and micro businesses to assist with their growth and development using proven methodologies and systems, complemented with his years of leadership experience.
Paul attended the recent DIS fundraising dinner and said: “Those sporting young athletes were amazing to be able to stand up and talk to all those people. Their confidence and achievement are an inspiration to others.
“I believe sport can be so powerful to not only keep you fit but help deal with mental challenges.”
Sport is a big part of his life and he is a season ticket holder at Belper Town FC, supporting them both home and away.
He has run the Great North Run five times for charities linked to his friends and family. These include:
· In memory of a friend’s father who had managed non-league football clubs and died after struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. They money raised went to his widow to donate to a charity of her choice.
· For St Oswald’s Hospice in Newcastle who looked after his wife’s grandfather.
· For Macmillan Cancer Trust who cared for his father.
· For a breast cancer charity after his sister was diagnosed and treated. His daughter Erin, now 19, and son Jacob, now 16, also ran the Mini Great North Run when they were younger, raising over £1,000 for the same charity.
Paul said: “I love sport and I’m pleased and proud to support DIS and look forward to checking on the progress of the amazing athletes who inspire us all.”
Derbyshire Institute of Sport’s founder and managing director Chloe Maudsley said she was delighted to welcome Paul as a gold sponsor.
She said: “Paul is clearly passionate about sport and is a great asset to our generous group of sponsors. He understands the value of supporting us and help our athletes be the best they can. Welcome to DIS Paul!”
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