Sainsbury’s rolls out Dragons’ Den-style contest
Sainsbury’s general counsel Nick Grant has challenged the firms on his legal panel to compete against each other in a Dragons’ Den-style contest.
The event, dubbed ‘Directors’ Den’, saw the panel firms introduce their other clients to Grant so they could pitch a new product or service with the ultimate aim of seeing it sold on the supermarket’s shelves.
Later this week a successful shortlist of five companies will go before a group of Sainsbury’s directors, who will choose one winner.
In total, Sainsbury’s reviewed 16 pitches, which Grant said varied massively.
“Given a challenge it’s interesting to see how firms interpret it - they run it through their own culture and own client base, and the manifestation is pretty different,” he added.
Ideas included a fizzy drink called Carbonaid, which would put a portion of profits into carbon reduction schemes, a business selling designer chairs, an IT company and an entrepreneurial school.
Grant said that the Directors’ Den initiative, which he intends to run annually, is more than just a distraction from the serious business of solving legal issues.
“[The question is] how does our legal community add to Sainsbury’s?” he said. “Community is about the flow of ideas, not just me sucking value out of a firm then dispensing with it. Firms will hopefully be proud of [having referred] clients in these hard times.”
Grant’s panel is made up of 11 firms including Addleshaw Goddard, CMS Cameron McKenna, Denton Wilde Sapte and Linklaters.
Readers' comments (7)
Anonymous | 18-May-2009 3:57 pm
How fabulously pointless. Lawyers presenting ideas about what to put on to the shelves.
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Anonymous | 18-May-2009 4:35 pm
Has Grant nothing better to do with his time?
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Duncan Bannatyne | 18-May-2009 7:08 pm
This idea is total rubbish. I'm out.
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Shareholder | 18-May-2009 9:36 pm
Whilst the firms in question will be playing the game, I think general counsel Nick Grant needs to stick to the day job and do what he is trained to do, or he may end up stacking the shelves.
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Alexandra Scott | 21-May-2009 12:06 pm
Brilliant idea Nick in creating win/win proposition for all concerned. Well done.
It's good to see entrepeneurial 'out of the box' thinking.
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Anon | 21-May-2009 2:09 pm
Alexandra Scott, how is this a win-win for all? Presumably, you wouldn't include the losers in this...competition, as part of the winners?
This exercise looks to me like nothing of value for assessing law firms. I accept that I may not have understood the article (possibly...), but the concept seems badly thought out.
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Anonymous | 21-May-2009 4:01 pm
I am so pleased to see a client absolutely take the mick out of the "high-flying" partners. At least it gave them a break for a couple of days from making people redundant...
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