Open Forum Enterprise Ltd

“I first attended Colin’s procurement course in 2012 and because it was so good, another of his courses in 2017. As a government procuring entity, most of our procurement rules and procedures were already in place. Colin’s course was most useful in helping me develop new and innovative ways of managing procurement and minimising procurement risks. From his years of experience and hands-on knowledge, Colin provided expert advice from many real cases around the world. I had more than a dozen of takeaways from his course, which have since been implemented to improve efficiency and/or tighten controls over procurement in my organisation. Colin does not provide a run-of-the-mill procurement course, but one that is eye-opening, provides deep insights and real learning. Highly recommended for any passionate procurement specialist! Colin, thanks so much for all that you have brought to CAAS. We are a better procuring entity because of you !"

“Colin delivered an excellent presentation on combating fraud yesterday which was very well received by NATO delegates. Indeed, a number of the risk areas highlighted by Colin will form part of NATO's mitigation strategy.”

“Super, super, super useful”

“Colin Cram has made an invaluable contribution to our work at the institute. MIoIR is the largest innovation studies centre in the world and has worked on public sector innovation and public sector procurement for many years. Colin Cram has been collaborating with our institute for many years, most importantly around the core issue of procurement in the public sector. Most recently, he has supported and advised us in the context of the ESRC funded research on public procurement (the UNDERPINN project). Colin has always been very incisive and knowledgeable and also has an excellent networking ability that allows us to link to different important communities. His role as chair of the major public sector innovation conferences in recent years has further established this role.

“I have on several occasions had the pleasure of participating in events which Colin Cram has chaired. He has always been well briefed, challenging and capable of keeping energy levels high. He is also very good at reinforcing speakers by summarising their contribution in his own words for the audience. He is very good value and a pleasure to work with.”

“Thank you most warmly for your contribution to our strategy event”.

"There is much talk in the world about the 'glass ceiling' that women face once they reach a certain level in company management. Often the cause of this obstacle is not only external circumstances (traditions, stereotypes, career breaks), but also women's subjective perceptions of themselves and their capabilities. By learning to recognise their own strengths and overcome internal barriers in Open Forum Enterprise workshops, women can open up new opportunities for career development, and by learning how to position themselves and the rules of the political game, they can influence the decisions they make. "

"In addition to leadership skills themselves, the content of Open Forum Enterprise programmes often includes communication skills, personal brand management and negotiation skills. It should be stressed that these components are less common in regular leadership programmes, but they are very important, especially for women."

"The educational techniques of the programmes include training and coaching in different versions: small group sessions, individual business issues solivng, peer-to-peer training of participants, as well as a large number of business simulations and business games. This approach allows for the most effective exchange of experience, reflection and application of skills learned."

"Launching a new programme is always an experiment, but when real experts and enthusiasts come together, sometimes a real masterpiece is created. In this case, all the right ingredients seem to be in place. A network of established international partners, well-designed formats and a multi-module structure are important success factors for an Open Forum Enterprise educational programme."

“I am most grateful that you seized the initiative and drove through the fraud analysis. .typical enthusiasm, resourcefulness and focus on rapid, credible results. ... the springboard for action. Thank you for all your innovative help. Yours was a most creative contribution to the anti-fraud drive. I wish to put on record my appreciation of your achievement, way beyond your formal terms of reference”.

“It was good to meet you again at last week’s Joint Planning Conference. I commend the Research Councils participating in this initiative for recognising that a joined up approach can be a more effective way of meeting key business objectives than more traditional approaches”.

“I am most impressed by the positive approach of all your team who are dealing with many challenges to create a major success.”

“Colin Cram is a highly respected procurement professional, as demonstrated by his influential paper, 'Towards Tesco', commissioned by the Institute of Directors, which describes how public sector procurement should be reformed to use government’s potential buying power to reduce costs. This influenced the thinking of policy makers and politicians in the UK. I understand that his advice is regularly sought by senior figures in both public and private sectors. When I was producing papers for the UK Coalition government, Colin's advice, knowledge and drafting skills were very valuable and he was a pleasure to work with. In the past 18 months his advice has been sought by the House of Lords, the National Audit Office, the Office of Fair Trading, the Efficiency and Reform Group in the Cabinet Office/Treasury and by the office of Leader of the Opposition in the UK, Ed Miliband, by local authorities and the National Health Service (NHS). He has spoken at many procurement conferences in the UK and abroad.”

“We would like to recommend your name to any other companies which could benefit from your exceptional services”.

“I know that you are exceptionally respected by your peers and in industry. You are a pleasure to work with and have engaged very effectively with directors, management and staff at all levels within the company. You have deployed … excellent communication and presentation skills to an impressive track record”.

"The programmes are quite interesting, as Open Forum Enterprise is seriously invested in women's issues and is one of the few schools offering several different programmes for women leaders. All programmes have traditionally received high reviews from female participants from all over the world."

"A rare gem in the world of business education. Quite often, world-class programmes are found in schools outside the standard orbit of established leaders, and Open Forum Enterprise is just such a case. Here there is not only leadership workshops but also negotiation courses for women, that have been taught for many years."

"Women's educational programmes are an important element of support for women and bring them together in terms of their interests and activities. Open Forum Enterprise programmes can provide a very good base, help redesign your business, improve or change things based on the experience of your peers."