My story goes back to 2015.
I arrived early for the Executive Business Course at what was then the Manchester Business school. One of the executives had already arrived and was quietly working at a place he had chosen towards the back of the room,
I started to arrange my notes for the course on leadership and change management. It was part of the induction period for a new cohort of students
A closer glance revealed the early arrival as someone with a passing likeness to Vincent Kompany who at that time was Captain of Manchester City, and already one of the most famous faces in English sport.
We exchanged glances. He was examining me carefully. Still preoccupied, I made small talk. ‘I suppose people are telling you that you look like Vincent Kompany’ I said. He continued to scrutinise me without commenting.
At that moment I realised my mistake. It was indeed Vincent Kompany. If I had checked the class list, I would have not made what he must have assumed to have been a rather
crass joke.
Other members of the class began to arrive. The show had to go on. A few minutes later, I was introducing myself. It was not one one those courses which began with potted introductions for participants. That was done after the formation of the small working groups, each of which would work on a business project together.
It turned out the Vincent Kompany’s participation had been played down by the School by mutual agreement. As it was part-time programme, he was able to manage his day job with a certain level of flexibility of attendance. It turned out he was out of action. I can’t remember now if it had been injury-related or the result of temporary ban...
