In April, 200 senior Serco managers gathered in Cannes for the launch of Serco's vision, goal and foundation stones – the five behaviours that define how we run and grow our business. Delegates were also introduced to the Group's new branding line, which inspired the conference title – Bringing service to life: the start of our journey.

The event was designed to unite delegates into a focused leadership community with shared goals, purpose and vision. Delegates were encouraged to debate, question and challenge as they considered how world events impact on Serco's business – and how Serco impacts on the world around it. They were also encouraged to lead their own parts of the business in a review of strategy and direction.

Feedback captured during the conference indicated that 84 per cent of delegates were excited by what they were hearing. A post-conference poll revealed that 95 per cent of leaders left with a good understanding of Serco's vision and goal. Comments collected between sessions give a flavour of the event and its impact: “It left me physically blown away,” reported one delegate. “Mentally, it left me searching for new ideas.” Another delegate described the conference as “a most memorable, valuable, informative, inspiring, fun, innovative, mind-boggling and passionate event”.

According to Grant Rumbles, Serco's Group Operations Director, the event exceeded its objectives: “Well after the conference, our senior leaders remain highly motivated and focused,” he comments. “What's more, the conference equipped them to communicate their enthusiasm and energy to the people who work for them. Over 80 per cent of employees tell us that they now have a good understanding of Serco's vision and goal. That understanding is essential to ensuring that everyone in Serco knows what it means to live our values – and bring service to life."

Cannes was only the start of a continuing engagement programme designed to reinforce our collective understanding of what we mean by 'Bringing service to life'. Among other elements, this programme includes a Group-wide internal communications strategy incorporating the in-house publications Our World and Our Business, an employee intranet as well as Leaderzone – a second intranet designed to stimulate communication and debate between the top 350 leaders in our organisation. Other internal communication tools include regular staff briefing sessions, brochures and videos.