Lanarkshire Business Week's polar inspiration

When Craig Mathieson first decided to take 10 'invisible' Lanarkshire teenagers on a polar expedition, he perhaps didn't realise just what a difference he would make.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Feb 2016, 16:00 BST
Inspirational trip...will form the basis of the keynote speech by Craig Mathieson at the 2016 Lanarkshire Business Week conference. (Contributed pic)Inspirational trip...will form the basis of the keynote speech by Craig Mathieson at the 2016 Lanarkshire Business Week conference. (Contributed pic)
Inspirational trip...will form the basis of the keynote speech by Craig Mathieson at the 2016 Lanarkshire Business Week conference. (Contributed pic)

As the founder of the Polar Academy, he selected youngsters who were going unnoticed in the system, put them through a year’s worth of training and took them to the Arctic.

When they came back, they were different people and have now gone on to do “amazing things”.

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It’s this inspirational story that Craig will use as keynote speaker at the second annual Lanarkshire business conference next month.

The conference is part of Lanarkshire Business Week, which runs from Monday, February 29, to Friday, March 4.

According to Craig, the methodology behind conducting a polar expedition and running a successful business are the same.

He said: “The first expedition from the Polar Academy was in April 2015 when we worked with 10 kids from Lanarkshire, so it’s an important place for me.

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“The issues that we faced in doing the polar expedition are the same that people face in business.

“There’s fear, a lack of confidence and they soon realise the importance of team work.

“Conducting a polar expedition and running a successful business requires the same things.

“It needs the right people, training and attitude, working together, confidence and leadership.”

To find out more about the expedition and the 2016 Lanarkshire Business Week, don’t miss our special feature in this week’s paper. Or visit www.chooselanarkshire.com.