Starting Out
Over the past ten weeks the ISS UK team has been training hard to meet the 2009 Microsoft Challenge, but this morning the day of reckoning has dawned.
Most of the team gathered at ISS House, Woking to board the specially prepared van that was to take them high into the Welsh Cambrian Mountains where the challenge will commence with a night exercise.
Over the next 4 nights and 3 days the team can expect a mix of adrenaline and team spirit that will change their perception of ‘teamwork’ forever. They will need to develop their communication skills, playing to their individual strengths in order to devise a winning strategy. They will have to be on their toes as there are more than 100 other companies competing.
Before she left Jo Edson, the only female on the team, said “Our goal is to finish in the top five of the mixed teams competing for the first time this year - Novice Category. The first stage will be this evening at around about 11pm – it will be dark and raining and I have absolutely no idea what we will be doing!”
The Microsoft UK Challenge is part of a World Series of Intelligent Sports® events taking place across the Globe. Winners of the sections can expect to take part in the finals later in the year, but the immediate challenge is to raise funds for the NSPCC. To date the team has exceeded its target by almost 50%, having already raised almost £7,500.
If you would still like to make a donation visit their web site
http://challenger.nspcc.org.uk/fundraising/teamsites/pages/ISS-Team88.aspx?TeamID=109
The team consists of: Matt Barbin, CFO; Jo Edson, Manager: Marketing and Special Projects; Mark Arrowsmith, Health, Safety and Environmental Operations Manager (not in picture); Brian Dunbar, Contracts Manager, ISS Waterers Landscape; Scott McCabe, Finance Trainee, ISS Adviance and Wally Vincent, Divisional Director, ISS Defence, who will be their nominated Senior Executive for the latter part of the challenge.
The Ford van that is carrying the team has kindly been supplied by Ford UK’s Demonstration Centre and has been bedecked with not only the company logo but some colourful images of our service offerings.