The role of the non-executive director is growing and can be rewarding, not just financially but in terms of how an individual can influence the running of a business.

A seminar being held in Oxford is bringing together key players involved in the field including current and prospective non-executives, specialised recruitment firms and others involved in training candidates for these key positions.

It will offer an insight for anyone who feels they have the relevant business skills to be considered for such a position.
The speakers include: Jonathan Cohen, formerly chief executive of County NatWest and non-executive director of city headhunter The Rose Partnership, Eleco, Fairplace and Laird Capital.

Rupert Merson a partner at BDO Stoy Hayward, will speak on how to become a non-executive partner. He is the author of the book Non-Executive Director: A Guide for the Growing Business and has a regular column in the Financial Times.

Giles Peel, managing director of Capita Company Services, was formerly policy and development director at the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. He sits on a number of industry-wide committees and is an experienced non-executive director as well as a regular speaker on company law and corporate governance.

The event, chaired by Betty Thacker, chief executive of exec-appointments.com, takes place at the Said Business School, Oxford on June 19 at 4pm. The price is £55 + VAT.

For details and registration, see www.exec-appointments.com

To find out more details of the events listed below, contact the local Business Link customer service team on 0845 606 4466, see the website www.businesslinksolutions.co.uk or e-mail events@businesslinksolutions.co.uk.


June 18: Networking meeting, Missing Link, Dry Sandford, Abingdon, OX13 6JR, 6.45pm, free
Faringdon Businesswomen's Networking Group, Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, Brunel House, Volunteer Way, Faringdon, OxfordshireSN7 7YR, 12.30pm, free

Oxfordshire Speed Networking, RBS Williams F1 Conference Centre, Grove, Wantage, OX12 0DQ, 6pm, Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce members, £14, non- members, £19

June 19: Seminar, Ready, steady, goal! with Michael Nicholas, Friends Meeting House, 43 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LW, 7pm, £5.

Seminar, Employment Law and Health and Safety, MacDonald Whatley Hall Hotel, 17-19 Banbury Cross, Banbury, OX16 0AN, 10am, free

Non-executive director networking seminar, Said Business School, Oxford, 4pm, £55 + VAT, for details and registration, see www.exec-appointments.com

June 20: How Not To Do a Newsletter, Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, Brunel House, Volunteer Way, Faringdon, SN7 7YR, 10am, £12

Two-part seminar. Eight Steps to a Profit Making Marketing Plan, Marketingco, Thames House, 5 High Street, Wallingford OX10 0BP, 10am, £399 (part two on July 4).

Networking meeting, Late Breakfast Oxford, North Oxford Golf Club, Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 8EZ, 9am, £10, for booking details see www.topchameleon.co.uk/late-breakfast.php

Networking meeting, Missing Link Henley, Chiltern House Business Centre, 45 Station Road, Henley, RG9 1AT, 6.45pm, free

Be Your Own Boss Club Nights, Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington, OX5 1AB, 6pm, free

Seminar, 8 Steps to a Profit Making Marketing Plan, Shillingford Bridge Hotel, Shillingford Hill, Wallingford OX10 8LZ, 10am, £399

June 21: Seminar, Driving Your Business, Williams Grand Prix Engineering, Grove, Wantage OX12 0DQ, 9.30am, £97

June 22: Seminar, Sales Techniques for Manufacturers, Pera, Middle Aston House, Middle Aston, Bicester OX25 5PT, 8am, free

June 26: Seminar, Managing Newsflow - Investor Relations, Oxfordshire Bioscience Network, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX3 0BP, 6pm, £50

Grant Thornton Technology Breakfast Club, Sustainable Energy - Where the Smart Money is Going, Unipart Conference Centre, Garsington Rd, Cowley, Oxford OX4 2PG.

For details call 01865 799902

Networking meeting, Ladies that Lunch...and men too, The Oxford Centre, 333 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7PL, 12pm, £25

June 27: Networking meeting, Missing Link Harwell, Milton Hill Training Centre, Milton Hill House, Milton Hill, Abingdon, OX13 6AF, 6.45pm, free

Oxfordshire Business Enterprises - Enterprise Day, Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, Brunel House, Volunteer Way, Faringdon, Oxfordshire SN7 7YR, 9am, free

Enterprise Day, Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxfordshire OX5 1AB, 9am, £20

July 2: Faringdon Business Breakfast Club, Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, Brunel House, Volunteer Way, Faringdon SN7 7YR 7.30am, £5

July 3: Seminar, Count Your Own Beans, Oxfordshire Business Enterprises, The Colin Sanders Innovation Centre, Mewburn Road, Banbury OX16 9PA, 9.30am, £20

July 4: Venturefest Breakfast, Oxfordshire Bioscience Network, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, 7.30am, £50

Thame Business Club, Racquets Fitness Centre, North Street, Thame OX9 3TH, 7.30am, £7.50

Chippy Lippys, The Chequers Inn, Church Road, Churchill, Chipping Norton OX7 6NJ, 7.30pm, £5

July 12: Tackley Village Business Network, Robert Scott Publishing, The Old Barn, Ball Lane, Kidlington OX5 3AG, 6pm, free

July 16: Faringdon Businesswomen's Networking Group, Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, Brunel House, Volunteer Way, Faringdon, Oxfordshire SN7 7YR, 12.30pm, £2

Seminar, Getting To Grips With E-mail, Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, Brunel House, Volunteer Way, Faringdon SN7 7YR, 10am, £12

July 24: Seminar, Life After Death By Powerpoint, Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, Brunel House, Volunteer Way, Faringdon SN7 7YR, 10am, £18

Seminar, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Showcasing Contract Research, Oxfordshire Bioscience Network, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP, 6pm, £50

Ladies that Lunch...and men too, The Oxford Centre, 333 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7PL, 12pm, £25

July 25: Be Your Own Boss Club Nights, Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington OX5 1AB, 6pm, free

August 1: Thame Business Club, Racquets Fitness Centre, North Street, Thame, OX9 3TH, 7.30am, £7.50

August 6: Faringdon Business Breakfast Club, Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, Brunel House, Volunteer Way, Faringdon, SN7 7YR, 7.30am, £5

To have your event featured in this column, send brief details and a contact name and telephone number to Diary, In Business, Newsquest, Newspaper House, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0EJ or e-mail business@nqo.com. To be included in the Business Link event pages, telephone 0845 606 4466, e-mail events@businesslinksolutions.co.uk or visit the website at www.businesslinksolutions.co.uk