Oxford EO Symposium: Jeremy shares reflections on global EO event
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Energising, inspiring and a great place to hear and explore the latest insights and ideas: this year’s International Symposium on Employee Ownership (4 to 6 August) was all this and more.
Our EO consultant Jeremy Gadd was delighted to join the global gathering of EO leaders, stakeholders and government decision-makers in Oxford for the second year running.
‘I really enjoyed last year's EO Symposium so I was looking forward to returning for another three days of meeting, learning and sharing with leaders, shapers and academics in EO from around the world,' he says.
'It didn't disappoint. I had many meaningful conversations and left feeling enriched and energised thanks to all those who helped shape my thoughts.
‘As always, it was clear that discussing, debating and exploring opposing views fosters healthy, creative and powerful interactions. Being open to challenge together is far more effective than resorting to conflict or hate.
‘There's clearly a momentum for employee ownership with successes in Canada, Germany and the Republic of Ireland to name but a few.’
Panel shares practical EO leadership insights
This year, Jeremy was excited to be invited to share his own 30-plus years’ EO leadership experience as a panel member in the breakout session on ‘Leadership in Employee-Owned Companies’.
He was joined by Wellington HR’s Dr Shelley Poole, Tom Powdrill from The Predistribution Initiative and facilitator Karen Ellis from American employee-owned company Superior Farms.
The lively 90-minute session offered CEOs and founders an opportunity to discuss how employee ownership shapes leadership, decision-making, innovation and culture.
Having supported more than 100 clients to successfully navigate the transition to employee ownership, this is a topic in which Jeremy has a special interest – as he discusses in his Telos Partners podcast here.
The value of connection in the EO world
On a personal note, Jeremy adds: ‘It was good to meet up with old friends from across my EO network while also making many new ones while I was there.’
Familiar faces included Art (Atsushi) Hosokawa, founder and chair of the Japan Employee Ownership Association, who Jeremy last met in September 2023 when he was an independent trustee at Aardman in Bristol and Art came to see employee ownership in action in the UK.
‘It was good to meet Art again and interesting to hear about EO’s progress in Japan,’ Jeremy says.
Key reflections from three days of EO
'If you're aiming for positive national change, it's important to connect with those... who can influence outcomes and inspire others with success stories'
So what were Jeremy’s key takeaways from the Oxford EO Symposium 2026?
‘One of my main takeaways is that if you’re aiming for positive national change – as all of us working to grow a vibrant employee ownership sector are – it’s important to connect with those inside the government who can influence outcomes and inspire others with success stories,’ he explains.
‘This validation gives insiders the courage they need to drive transformation.’
Jeremy was also interested in one of several arguments he heard in favour of employee ownership at the Symposium – namely, that the aging ownership demographic of many company founder/owners and concern that AI may leave people behind strengthens EO’s appeal as a business and leadership succession option.
And in terms of enablers when it comes to the growth of EO?
‘It’s clear that access to finance is needed,’ Jeremy observes. ‘And that legislative support for employee ownership is often the driver – getting this wrong can have a significant impact.’
In conclusion, Jeremy describes the Oxford EO Symposium 2026 as a ‘brilliant’ three days.
‘I enjoyed so many different conversations with so many different people in breakout groups, at breakfast, lunch and elsewhere,’ he concludes.
'Sadly, there were too many to mention here by name, but all of these conversations have helped stretch my thinking, challenged my assumptions and encouraged me to continue to share and engage in supporting others to bring employee ownership to life.
‘I’d like to say thank you to the Employee Ownership Foundation for supporting the Symposium and to everyone who made it such a constructive and inspiring three days.’
How Telos Partners supports successful EO
As an employee-owned company ourselves, we're proud to support owners, leaders, boards and teams to successfully transition, embed, grow and renew employee ownership in their business.
Explore the support we can offer by visiting our website and get in touch with our knowledgeable team.
Plus watch our employee ownership podcasts on our YouTube channel here:
Podcast: How to Embed Employee Ownership for Long-term Business Success | Adam Campbell & Alex Bloom
