Meet The Senator - Phil Cavalier-Lumley

Meet The Senator - Phil Cavalier-Lumley

Posted By admin |12 Apr 2015
Meet The Senator - Phil Cavalier-Lumley
Membership » MTM-Web-Banner2.jpg

This week instead of meeting a member we’re going to find out a little more about one of our Senators and what being a senator means.


Name: Philip Cavalier-LumleyMembership » Senator Phil 2.JPG
Senator number: 70882

 

When did you first join JCI and which chamber were/are you a member of?
After attending a few events I joined JCI Bradford in 1998


Why did you join JCI?
I was working in Bradford and had a meeting with the students union at Bradford university.  As I walked across the campus I saw a poster for a business lecture with guest speaker Sir John Harvey-Jones.  At the time Sir John was a big hit on TV with a programme called Toubleshooter which was a documentary about Sir John visiting failing businesses and helping turn them around.

I booked a ticket from the JCI member mentioned on the poster and attended the lecture.  It was a great success and everywhere I looked JCI was mentioned but until then I’d never heard of JCI.  I just thought that a local organisation that pulled off such a great event should be worth looking at getting involved with and after a few meetings I thought it was great.  The following year I became President 1999.


Do you recall the moment you were awarded a Senatorship and can you explain why you were nominated for a Senatorship? 
I vividly recall Allison Cowell, National President at the time getting up to make her NP speech to the members present and she seemed to focus on talking about me and not what I thought she was going to talk about which was JCI and as she announced my name and senatorship I automatically looks around the room to see who stood and walk up to the stage to collect it. It really didn’t click that it was me. Afterwards little things clicked into place such as my mum and dad have never attended a JCI dinner but on this occasion they said they’d love to come, I was just focussed on getting the bums on seats.  This night was also the night I did a challenge on stage whereby I kissed a snake, allowed a tarantula to walk over my face and wrestled a business card off a scorpion.

 

Membership » Senator Phil 3.jpgWhat does it mean to you to be a senator?
To it means I don’t have to pay anymore, hahahaha. It is the pinnacle of recognition because in all other areas of life to be awarded something you may be nominated but generally you know about it.  A senatorship is something that is voted on by your peers and is kept secret until your receive your award. Having being honoured in this way by JCI and the fact that my membership of JCI has benefitted me so much through my life I will continue to support JCI for the rest of my life.

What do senators get up to?
Senators are part of a group called British Senate and this like JCI UK is also run by a voluntary council.  The council engages senators from around the UK who organise events from just a day to a whole weekend.   It is very social driven.  As a member of JCI at the time of my senatorship I was 39 so I was still very active (well I’m still very active) in Bradford and I didn’t really get involved in the Senate until the last couple of years as I’ve slowly relinquished my responsibilities in Bradford

How can senators help JCI UK and its members?
It can be numerous way from mentoring new members, making introductions, sponsoring events, helping plan events and so on.  I think sometimes JCI chambers need to think about what they want to achieve and when planning consider their senate.

What is/was your job/career/profession/business?
Apart from being a law student up until Spring this year and having a wonderful career in the nightclub industry for 18 years, I now work in graphic design, web/ecommerce solutions and print.  When I’ve graduated I will be looking to start a brand new career in law.

What’s your proudest JCI/Senator achievement?
Last year I won JCI UK’s Most outstanding Senator Award which was a massive surprise and a lovely moment.

And finally do you have any advice for our current JCI UK members?
If you use the opportunities that JCI provides to the fullest and develop yourself to the fullest prioritising over sleep, relationships and friendships but without compromising any of them then you will reap the rewards.  It is only YOU that makes the difference between success and failure.


Thanks Phil!


If you've read this and would like to ask a senator for help/mentoring/advice please get in touch with Fiona Silvester 2015 Membership and Administration Director (fiona.silvester@jciuk.org.uk) who will be able to put you in touch with the right people.