Celebrating his 35th year with Andrews this year, Michael Robson was selected as the business leader who has done the most to harness or increase corporate support for charities across the private sector.
This prestigious award win acknowledges both Michael’s ongoing commitment to charitable projects and the unique history of Andrews as an organisation.
Initially joining Andrews Estate Agents as a Trainee Sales Negotiator, Michael held a number of management positions before becoming Group Chief Executive in 1990.
Since that time, Michael has contributed both time and expertise to aid the projects of the three charitable trusts that own Andrews – notably the Andrews Charitable Trust (ACT) – which, themselves, have helped to found and support numerous charities including Oxfam, Help the Aged, Action Aid, Opportunity International and Excellent Development.
Michael is also the co-founder of the Estate Agency Foundation (EAF), a charity dedicated to helping eliminate the causes of homelessness in the UK. The EAF concentrates on making grants to organisations that specialise in the field of homelessness and, in 2010, raised over £45,000 for a number of charities.
Accepting the award from BBC newsreader Huw Edwards at the awards ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, Michael said that the award was a testament to the efforts of staff at Andrews.
Michael said:
“I accept this award on behalf of everyone working for Andrews, whose continued efforts have helped to ensure that our founder’s vision of social entrepreneurialism continues to grow.
"Our founder believed that commercial success should benefit society, and this is an ethos that Andrews continues to follow to this day; as an organisation, we are committed to giving back in a number of ways.
"Andrews as a company has played a large role in the foundation and growth of many of the charities here tonight, including Oxfam and Opportunity International, and we will continue our commitment as a company to our social responsibility.”
To celebrate the company’s 65th birthday, Michael this year also launched the Andrews Community Challenge, a company-wide initiative which encourages staff to get involved with their local communities by applying to the company for grants to aid charitable causes.
In addition to his work as the Chief Executive of Andrews, Michael has also served as a Trustee for Opportunity Trust, Basic Needs, and for the Sophie Cameron Trust, a local cause for which Andrews was heavily involved by providing central resources and expertise.
Under the direction of Michael, Andrews & Partners is an example of an organisation that has learned from its unique founding, whilst looking at how this approach to business could lead the way in the future.
Andrews has continually bucked the trend in the industry, and through the personal drive of Michael and the focus on engaging with the opposite end of the corporate spectrum – homelessness – has expanded its scope of business whilst bringing competitors with it to the benefit of the entire industry.
More information on the awards and a full list of winners can be found here.
