UEL Bestows Honorary Doctorate Upon Distinguished Business Leader
The University of East London has conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Leadership on leading business entrepreneur John Viney for his contributions to the world of leadership and his commitment to nurturing talent.
At a ceremony at the University’s Docklands Campus on 6 September, Mr Viney said he was honoured to receive the award.
Quoting the 18th century evangelist John Wesley, he told students, “Light yourself on fire with passion, and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”
He went on to reveal his three success hacks: Understand your superpower; surround yourself with good people and help unleash their potential; and finally, find something that’s broken and fix it.
He said, “To be successful in the workplace you need a lot of passion and resilience. You must fail over and over again – so often you become familiar but never comfortable with it. Painfully, it’s often in the crucible of failure we learn the most about ourselves.
“My challenge to you is to go out there, fail, get uncomfortable, pick yourself up, and learn more about yourself each time. Be curious, be hungry, be tenacious.”
As a businessman, John Viney’s career has spanned various industries and roles. He is best known as the founder and COO of AES International, the hugely successful global wealth management company. During his time at AES, it was twice awarded the title of fastest growing financial services firm in the Sunday Times/Virgin Fast Track 100.
He currently serves as the founder and CEO of Leaderverse, an international management consultancy working closely with governments around the world. His doctorate citation referenced his impact in business and his dedication to serving the community, as seen in his work helping military veterans and his involvement as honorary treasurer at St Dionis church in West London.
The citation read, “John is a business strategist and driver of change within the international marketplace. His professional acumen is distinctly characterised by his commitment to conscientious leadership and nurturing potential within teams and individuals. His leadership resonates throughout the organisations he works with, and those around him rise to new heights of personal achievement.”
He cites reciprocity as his core philosophy which, in his own words, is “an approach which has fostered a culture of trust and collaboration and created a deep network of talent. This, in turn, continues to reciprocate in unexpected ways and often leads to significant accomplishments”.
Mr Viney’s journey started in the military. He was the youngest person in 25 years to commission from The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. As a captain in the Household Cavalry Regiment he showcased his mettle in challenging environments at a young age and his service saw him decorated for leading peacekeeping missions.
Beyond Leaderverse and AES International, he has championed change and mentored leaders in roles as diverse as President of London Cardinals, and Chairman of the Institute of Government and Public Policy, an organisation dedicated to eliminating barriers across UK governmental and public policy.