Dealmaker Jo Haigh has bought and sold about 400 companies in the last 28 years.

Award winning business leader Jo is the chief executive and founder of a business support consultancy called FDS .

The island’s Institute of Directors will be welcoming her to lead a series of training events at Appleby’s Douglas office. The IoD’s Isle of Man branch chairman, Jennifer Houghton, said: ’We are delighted to be welcoming Jo for the opportunity to share her knowledge and expertise with our members and the wider business community.

’As an experienced dealmaker and non-executive director [NED] for a number of companies within the UK, she is highly regarded in this field - something that is demonstrated by the outstanding number of awards she has been nominated for and the many she has won.

’I’d also like to thank law firm Appleby for not only hosting the day but also for its commitment of support to the IoD in 2019, including also sponsoring the February Dining Club.’

Claire Milne, partner at Appleby Isle of Man, said: ’We are thrilled to be hosting the IoD continuing professional development [CPD] training, a series of informative sessions aimed at local business leaders.’

The day-long event on Thursday, February 7, will consist of three workshops presented by Ms Haigh.

They are entitled:

’Practical tips for becoming a NED 2019’, ’Top five things every director should know’ and ’Step to the top’.

They will each be targeted at local business leaders looking for support in a role transition or career development.

The first session, ’Practical Tips for becoming a NED 2019’ will look at how leaders can access non-executive roles and how to be the most desirable candidate in a competitive marketplace, while also exploring the risks and responsibilities of the NED role, with recommendations on best practice for assessing contracts in an increasingly litigious environment.

The ’Top Five Things Every Director Should Know’ will follow as an interactive taster session to help delegates distinguish the role of a director from the roles of other actors involved in the management and oversight of a business, including exploring the link between a director’s duty towards the company and their potential personal liability.

The final session, ’Step to the Top’ has been created to provide leaders with an understanding of what it means to be ’board-ready’, a capable director and the duties and obligations that people face as board directors.

The event is open to both members and non-members.

Jo Haigh