KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION

RICHARD BRANSONDom Fotso

How to live a full life

KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION

Bio and major accomplishmentsEntrepreneur, philanthropist, activist

• Born in 1950 in London. Eighth fortune of UK ($5B)

• Created Student magazine at 16 after dropping out of high school

• Founder of Virgin Group (50K employees, 400+ companies, $25B annual revenues)

• Knighted in 1999 by Prince Charles

• World records: Crossed Atlantic in hot air balloon (1987), Longest balloon trip (1991)

• Entrepreneurial highlights: Virgin Records (1970), Virgin Atlantic (1984), Sale of Virgin Records for $1B (1992), Virgin Cola (1994), Virgin Rail (1997), Virgin Mobile (1999), Virgin Galactic (2004)

• Virgin Unite as non-profit: Virgin Earth Challenge, The Elders

• Married to Joan and has two children, Holly and Sam

KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION

Be Real Act with authenticity by clarifying what's important

• Encouraged to be authentic by his parents

• Dyslexic, struggled in school and dropped out at 16 to become an entrepreneur

• His headmaster: “In prison or become a millionaire”

• Risky business decisions: • signed Sex Pistols, promoted avant-garde

music (Punk, New Wave)• Invested in airlines industry then sold

Virgin Records to support it

• Multiple world record attempts

• crossing the Atlantic in hot air balloon (1987) against Virgin Atlantic executives recommendation

• fastest crossing of the English Channel in an amphibious vehicle in 2004

KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION

Be WholeAct with integrity by respecting the whole person

• Management of Virgin Group: HealthMiles to

support employees health engagement, Virgin

Pulse to help employee engagement and

support philanthropic causes

• Home / Work integration:• Goes on all holidays with kids, pioneered

flexible workplace at Virgin• Involves family in world record attempts

(crossing Atlantic in sail boat with his kids)

• Unite, the non-profit arm of the Virgin Group• The Elders (with Nelson Mandela, Koffi Annan)• Carbon War Room (initiative for Global Warming)

KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION

Be InnovativeAct with creativity by experimenting to find new solutions

• Entrepreneurship through frustration as a

philosophy to challenge the status quo (Virgin

Brides, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Galactic)

• Virgin Earth Challenge: $25M prize for a viable

solution to the greenhouse gas problem

• Innovative commitment device: pledged 10 years

of profits from Virgin transportation (~$3B)

towards renewable alternatives to carbon fuels

KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION

Lessons Learned

• Live with passion (and encourage it for

your kids)

• Invest in what you believe in despite

other people’s opinions

• Find the right people and inspire them

• Life is one long learning process: love

learning and challenging the status quo

• Stand for something: Virgin stands for

quality and for combatting frustration