Press Release - Naturally Concerned

BIRMINGHAM CONSULTANCY IS WILD AT HEART

A Birmingham human resources and management consultancy is ploughing all of its profits into charities to conserve wildlife in Africa in a unique “profit-for-good” initiative.

Rednal-based Naturally Concerned operates as a normal HR and management consultancy, except that all net profits go to wild animal conservation in central and southern Africa.

Naturally Concerned was set up in 2008 by personnel and management expert Rob Ball, who previously held HR director positions at GKN and before that at MG Rover. He established the company in memory of his wife Alison who died from a brain tumour.

All profits from Naturally Concerned go to Alison’s favourite wildlife charities. She was passionate about animal conservation in Africa and travelled there often.

Rob Ball said his wife loved being in Africa observing and photographing animals in the wild and she was enthusiastic about helping animals under threat.

“When you lose a spouse it causes you to pause and re-examine your priorities in life. Having spent more than 25 years in the corporate world I decided it was time to use my expertise in a more constructive and thoughtful way. That’s how Naturally Concerned was born,” he said.

“We offer HR and management advice on a wide range of issues including leadership, employee development, training, manpower, recruitment and motivation. But we operate with a more ethical edge than many consultancies. Our starting point is the firm belief that businesses should treat their employees and partners in a principled and moral way, and that those values should hold firm, even when a company is under economic and financial pressures,” he said.

Rob Ball is a former director and head of HR development at MG Rover. He was made redundant when the company collapsed in 2005 and soon after was appointed HR director with GKN Autostructures.

He left there to set up Naturally Concerned following his wife’s death in 2008.

Aged 56, he is president of the Warwickshire Cricket League, president of Bournville Cricket Club and a former committee member at Warwickshire County Cricket Club. He is also a graduate of Common Purpose, the people development charity which encourages managers to become better leaders at work and in society.

His daughter Natalie – a professional actor who trained at Bristol Old Vic – is a co-director in Naturally Concerned and helps with training programmes.