Published 5 January 2022
“You can do whatever you want to do” – Leader, Strategist and Adventurer, Kevin Gaskell, inspires local sixth formers
Leader, Strategist and Adventurer, Kevin Gaskell, has a busy diary! As CEO of four successful world class brands, he has still found time to climb Everest, walk to both North and South Poles and to row the Atlantic. He firmly believes that “You can do whatever you want to do, but you have got to want to do it” and that is the message he brought to the sixth formers at St Bart’s School.
As well as sharing his own impressive life story, Gaskell spoke on the importance of preparation, mindset and passion. Students were given an insight into the three stages that have underlined Gaskell’s own success, namely Commit, Connect and Create.
Year 12 student, Cai Ramsay, said of the talk: “It was really interesting and full of good advice. I definitely took away the idea of having an end goal that enables you to focus on what you want to achieve.”
Kevin Gaskell is the latest speaker in the Sixth Form’s ambitious enrichment programme, which seeks to inspire students with the breadth of opportunities available to them following their studies. St Bart’s Sixth Form have recently received an outstanding judgement from Ofsted, who had particular praise for the way students were ‘well-prepared to continue their education on to university or to enter the world of work’.
Gaskell also spoke to students about his Smarter Britain initiative, which aims to support innovators, accelerate economic prosperity and get concepts quickly to market through showcasing new ideas, highlighting progress, bringing ideas to investors and introducing students to the fun of STEM subjects.
Sixth Form Year Leader, Mr Wilder, says: “We were delighted to welcome Kevin to St Bart’s. His journey proves that our students should never set limits on their future ambitions and plans. I hope that they went away enthused and considering their own interests and passions. We already have plans underway for our next enrichment speaker, who also has a truly inspiring tale to tell, and I look forward to announcing this to students soon.”
