“This award is important because it came from an organisation that’s very actively engaged with the small business community and its learning, as well as being committed to engaging all partners in this process.”

Professor Allan Gibb OBE was presented with the International Lifetime Achievement Award at the IOEE Celebrating Enterprise Awards 2015. Afterwards, he spoke to us about what SFEDI, the IOEE and receiving this honour meant to him.

As well as straddling a wide range of countries and continents, the work for which Professor Allan Gibb was given this award embraces a number of key areas in the field of enterprise and entrepreneurship. The veteran academic is someone who has led research, had a major impact on policy and always strived to promote enterprise culture as far as possible wherever his work has found him. So, what does receiving this accolade mean to someone with such a rich wealth of experience?

“This award is important because it came from an organisation that’s very actively engaged with the small business community and its learning, as well as being committed to engaging all partners in this process.”

Professor Allan Gibb is certain that in the future we’ll see ever more people picking up the entrepreneurial baton, meaning that the IOEE Celebrating Enterprise Awards will become a guiding beacon for thousands more people:

“For me the occasion was a reminder of the fact that if we are to have a vibrant entrepreneurial economy we need to do much more to support the self employed and micro business community, not just for their 'employment' and 'growth potential' but in recognition of the fact that these people represent an increasingly important 'way of life' for many millions of people across the globe.”

Like many others who attended the event, Professor Allan Gibb was keen to note how important Celebrating Enterprise is for the way it unites diverse people, giving them a chance to share their knowledge and experiences with one another:

“This was a unique occasion; a collective celebration of small business learning that brought together a wide range of stakeholders from very different backgrounds including many entrepreneurs. Those who came together today at the House of Lords are all 'doers,' each with their own track records reflecting accurately the heterogeneity of the owner managed business population and the way it contributes to and interacts with a wide range of stakeholders. It was great for me to meet with all of the nominees and winners.”