Pros
In the past, SCC has benefited from several excellent leaders who joined from outside the organisation. A few years ago, there was a clear sense that the organisation was attempting to improve its culture, with greater emphasis on people and engagement. At that point, there was momentum and optimism about the direction of the business.
Cons
Much of the UK leadership has progressed internally and, despite repeated underperformance, appears to remain protected by the shareholders. There is a significant level of nepotism within the UK organisation, which has contributed to stalled growth and limited fresh thinking. While SCC has successfully attracted some excellent external leaders in the past, it has also appointed others who have proved disruptive or who lack the integrity expected at leadership level. Over the past two years, many of the excellent leaders referred to above have either moved to new opportunities or retired, eroding much of the earlier progress.