Acknowledgements

This book has been a long time in the making which means that there are many people who have had a hand in its inception and deserve credit. I will have missed, forgotten or underplayed many people’s assistance for which I seek forgiveness.

First and foremost is everyone I had the pleasure and privilege to serve with and those who continue to serve. You are a reminder to always go a little farther and that we are at our best when we are part of something bigger.

Thank you to all the Jims. You are too numerous to mention and many of you were probably unaware that you were teaching me as much as you did. Nevertheless, I am incredibly grateful for all the advice and I’ve received over many coffees, during snatched moments after meetings, in airports, boardrooms, and during site visits. I hope that I can do your lessons justice and match your generosity as I try to pay things forward.

Hundreds of people have sent emails, commented on the blog or added suggestions to my courses. Their support and feedback has helped improve things immeasurably and reminds me that there are many Bobbies (and Bobs) out there.

Ian O’Bryan provided valuable comments on what was to become one of my first essays on risk back in 2003. Jeremy Stampa Orwin gave me a start in the commercial world and allowed me a lot of leeway to explore rabbit holes. This is the result of one of them. Philip DeWaal tolerated sharing an office and a business with me and taught me a lot about how companies work along the way.

Both Tim Johnson and Bill Colletti have helped me become a much better writer. I still wish I was half as good a communicator as either of them. Greg Hutchins provided the encouragement that I needed to finally knuckle down and write this book.

Finally, thank you to Iain, Mum and Dad for reading earlier (and much worse) versions of the articles that later evolved into chapters of this book. To Harriet for making my writing clearer and weeding out my more eccentric spelling and grammar. And to Claire for being so patient while I spent many, many hours at the other end of the house listening to Rush. ILYMBB.