eoaLive! Featuring the UK EO Awards 2026

Breakout Session 2c: EO Survival Guide

Employee ownership doesn’t always go to plan – especially on the first attempt.   Many businesses have evolved their EO model, responding to challenges, market conditions, and more, demonstrating resilience and adaptability.   This session will explore those challenges and how they’ve been overcome, leading to better, stronger EO businesses.

 

What You’ll Learn 

  • How to respond proactively to challenges within an EOB 
  • Insight and advice to better build resilience and adaptability with your EOB 
  • Ways to build a more robust workplace where everyone’s empowered to support positive change in times of crisis  

Emily Alston from Baxendale Employee Ownership and Stephen Hadlow from Brabners have a wealth of experience advising businesses at all stages of the EO journey. They’ll run through a list of common challenges that EOBs often face, with case studies and insight of how their clients overcame these issues, and a chance for you to ask questions.
Category
Breakout Session 2
When
10/06/2026 15:30 - 16:20
GMT Daylight Time

Speakers

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Emily Alston

Emily Alston

Baxendale Employee Ownership Limited

SPEAKER

Emily is an Employee Ownership Consultant at Baxendale Employee Ownership, who helps businesses become employee owned and provides ongoing support post transition. Prior to this role, Emily was a director of an EO business as well as serving as a board member of the eoa, collaborating with some of the UK’s most established EO businesses. Emily’s expertise encompasses both practical and technical aspects of governance and reward, helping businesses leverage the benefits of employee ownership.
Mr. Stephen Hadlow

Mr. Stephen Hadlow

Brabners LLP

SPEAKER

An experienced corporate lawyer, Stephen advises businesses, their shareholders and management teams, as well as funders and high-net-worth individuals across a wide range of strategic transactions including fundraisings, corporate acquisitions and disposals and reorganisations. He works with a range of entrepreneurial clients and supports several rapid growth technology businesses, helping them to achieve their growth ambitions and ultimate exit strategy. Stephen is closely affiliated with the Employee Ownership Association and often gives presentations and seminars on how to structure employee buy-outs.