Howard Awbery

Howard Awbery was born in London and embarked upon, what can best be described as, a chequered academic career. The only claim to fame, of his lacklustre secondary modern school, was that Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones also attended. A variety of uninspiring Technical Colleges followed leaving little impact on his education.

An equally chequered experiential career began when, at 18 years of age, he joined the Merchant Navy. His ship was the M V Royal Daffodil, quickly confirming that a land-based future would be his preference.

Providence and his coal mining ancestors guided his 19-year-old, impressionable footsteps down the pits in South Wales and Nottingham where a testosterone-igniting challenge awaited. 30 years of working on the coal face and in vertical shafts led him to manage one of the biggest pits in the UK. Ultimately, he became the principal of British Coal’s Business School. He emerged from the whole coal mining experience battered and bruised, but worldlier for the richness of the opportunity.

During the following years as Managing Director of Awbery Management Centre, he and his team developed leadership skills of managers at all levels and touched most sectors of British industry. In parallel, he gained a doctorate forleadership research into, ‘The factors that influence the performance of vertically integrated management dyads’.

He is an ex-triathlete, a Reiki Master and sings in a tuneless choir.

His hobbies include, writing clean, cosy, mystery fiction and carving rocking horses.