CEO Stories: Five things we learned from Millennium Point chief executive Abbie Vlahakis
Abbie Vlahakis, the chief executive of Millennium Point, was the latest guest on CEO Stories – a podcast from Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce which delves into the minds of the region’s best and brightest business leaders.
The podcast, hosted by GBCC chief executive Henrietta Brealey, is available in full on all major listening platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
In this episode, Abbie talks to Henrietta about how her passion for learning developed into a career in finance, before ultimately leading to her current role as CEO at one of Birmingham’s most recognisable venues.
We learn why Millennium Point’s dual purpose of being both commercial and charitable was a perfect fit for Abbie – and how her past experiences have led to ‘culture’ being firmly at the heart of her leadership.
This episode of CEO Stories is sponsored by the Birmingham Black Business Show, which takes place at the NEC on Saturday 15 June.
The event - a gateway to growth, opportunity and a vibrant community of Black professionals, business owners and driven entrepreneurs – features over 100 speakers, 100 exhibitors and 3,000 attendees.
The Chamber has around 50 free tickets to give away – find out more information at the beginning of the episode.
Here are five things we learned from Abbie’s chat Henrietta...
1) Education was the ‘way out’
Abbie revealed her experiences growing up in South Wales during the 1980s shaped her outlook towards education.
She said: “Growing up in South Wales in the 1980s was really difficult because it was the mining strike, which affected a lot of the country.
“It really impacted the community in terms of prosperity and attitudes and struggles.
“So that was all going on around me. And then at the same time, my parents split up when I was about 10, and my mum took three jobs as a result of that.
“Sometimes it really shocks me when I think back, that from the age of 10 or 11, I already started to make those decisions.
“I didn't want to end up having to work three jobs and I saw education as the way out.”
2) Working with cars
Before pursuing a career in finance, Abbie enrolled in a graduate training management scheme with Enterprise Rent-A-Car – which involved plenty of ‘hands on’ work.
She explains: “I have to say it was a very interesting career choice at the time. Now I look back, I'm really glad I did it because it woke you up to the reality of working life.
“It was delivering cars, cleaning cars, changing the oil, putting fluid in for the windscreen…
“I remember standing there one January, on Saturday morning, with a hosepipe in a suit thinking: ‘oh my word, is this what I've come to?’
“But it really, it was character building and it taught me a really valuable skill in that if you want to run an organisation, if you want to be a manager and manage people, you have to have experienced everything.”
3) Millennium Point ‘found her’
After a long period working for major financial institutions such as KPMG, Abbie was seeking a change.
She said Millennium Point was the perfect fit because of its dual purpose of being commercial and charitable.
“When you're young and in your twenties, you're very focused on your career, moving up through the ladder, getting to the next pay band,” said Abbie.
“Then I felt like I'd hit a point where it was like ‘what is this all for?’ I was working with people who earned huge amounts of money beyond what I could ever dream of and you start to think ‘well, actually, all I'm doing is making rich people more wealthier’.
“It just wasn't making me happy. So I feel like Millennium Point kind of found me because it was an organisation that's not only commercial, but the people who benefit at the end of the day is the community.”
4) Mindful hobbies
Outside of work, Abbie revealed her favourite past times are two ‘mindful’ activities – running and crocheting.
She said: “I go off and do lots of half marathons. I've done one in Palma and the London half marathon. I really enjoy the community.
“Then my creative side, I like to crochet, which people in my office find hilarious. I just like to make things - so everywhere in my house, in every room, there's a blanket!”
5) Culture is king
A recurring theme of the podcast is the importance of culture when leading an organisation.
Abbie said: “The only word that you need to concentrate on when you first get into any organisation is ‘culture’.
“Culture is absolutely the bedrock of any successful business. The strategy will find its way if you've got good culture. So, for me, that's the main thing to concentrate on.”
