ADVERTORIAL: How Barclays is helping businesses to build back better

Thriving businesses are key to our region’s continued growth and success.

And Cambridgeshire, home to a burgeoning life sciences sector and a plethora of businesses from the smallest start-up to globally renowned brands, is certainly a hub for some of the UK’s brightest minds and technical prowess.

It’s an entrepreunerial power house that Barclays is both keen to support, and to champion.

This global bank has been a proud sponsor of the Cambridgeshire Live Business Awards for a number of years and is thrilled to be headlining the 2022 event.

One of the key events in the local business calendar, the awards recognise inspiring businesses that have succeeded despite the unprecedented challenges of the past two years.

Pictured are the winners of Cambridge News Business Excellence Awards 2019 at Kings College Cambridge (Image: David Johnson Photographic)

It’s a perfect fit for Barclays, which works to support one million British businesses – many of which are Cambridgeshire-based.

But what’s it like behind-the-scenes at Barclays, how does it see its role and why are the Cambridgeshire Live Business Awards vital?

Here, in this question and answer session, head of Cambridgeshire mid-corporate banking at Barclays. Duncan McCunn, gives a unique insight into his role, the company, lessons from the pandemic and more…

Tell us about your job, what do you do all day?

I’m the head of corporate banking across Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. My team and I look after 350 clients across a range of sectors and with varying needs.

For someone who doesn’t know you – give a brief introduction to what your company/organisation does

Barclays is a whole service bank with both UK and international operations serving business clients from start ups to FTSE100 or household names. We have a market leading retail bank with a strong presence in private client service and in Barclaycard we have the leading payments business in the UK.

What’s the thing that you’re most proud of in your business/organisation?

I’m most proud of the people that we have and the clients that chose us to provide their banking services.

What has the pandemic period taught you?

How good businesses and people adapt in exceptional circumstances. We have seen this very strongly in Cambridge and the surrounding area where a number of businesses have been at the forefront of the response to Covid-19. We have also learnt how resilient businesses can be with changes to operating models implemented quickly and efficiently.

Headline sponsor of the CambridgeshireLive Business Awards for a seventh year, and sponsoring the Barclays Award for Large Business of the Year, Barclays has supported business and innovation for more than 325 years. n

Duncan McCunn, head of mid-corporate, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, said: “Barclays is proud to sponsor the awards, as they showcase the very best of Cambridgeshire business. We’re dedicated to helping companies take action to address the environmental and sustainability challenges facing our planet.

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“We believe that an inclusive economy is a better economy for everyone, investing in citizenship programmes to have long-term positive impacts in local communities.”

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We have been a key sponsor of these awards for many years. We feel it is important that the achievements of the businesses in the area are given a good platform to show what they have done and how it benefits the wider economy.

How does that fit into your wider corporate goals of working with the business community

We’re looking to play an active role in helping businesses ‘build back better’. We’re also keen to help businesses develop sustainably, sharing our experiences with others to a broader audience to help on the journey to Net Zero.

If you were picking winners in these awards, what sort of things would you be looking for?

Innovation is key. We have a high number of knowledge intensive businesses in the area, so it is important for a business to be able to explain what it does and what the differentiators are.

We are also looking for growth that benefits the local area both in terms of economic output and employment.

International reach and impact is also a key consideration.

Why should people get involved (nominate someone else or enter themselves) for these awards?

There are a long list of names that have won these awards and gone on to be some of the most successful in the UK. The profile that comes with winning an award is helpful on that journey.

To find out more about Barclays CLICK HERE Cambridgeshire Live Business Awards

The CambridgeshireLive Business Awards 2022 will take place at the Great Hall, King’s College on Thursday, March 24.

For more information, visit the website