Lord Robert Emiston has a one-of-a-kind faith and entrepreneurial journey which he will be sharing at the “ELO World Conference: Vancouver” on Wed, Nov 4th, 2015. As an entrepreneur, Lord Edmiston achieved success through IM Group, a car importer, and IM Properties. In 1974 he was finance director at sports car manufacturer Jensen Motors, and used a £6,000 redundancy payout when the company went bankrupt to set up International Motors, which acquired the UK franchise for Subaru and Isuzu cars. He later branched out into property and vehicle finance. IM Group is now managed by his son, Andrew Edmiston.
In the Sunday Times Rich List 2013 ranking of the wealthiest people in the UK, he was placed 209th with an estimated net worth of £440 million. Lord Edmiston is a committed Christian who has donated approximately £180 million to charities. He is principal sponsor of three City Academy schools in the West Midlands region of the UK.
In 1988, Lord Edmiston and his wife Tracie founded Christian Vision in 1988 (CV). CV is an international charity with offices in 22 countries working to support the Christian church in the areas of evangelism and discipleship in both the online and offline space. CV makes full use of media platforms to spread the Good News in all the world. Lord Edmiston’s vision is to reach a billion people with the Gospel. Born in 1946 in India, Lord Edmiston, the son of a war-time fighter pilot, moved to the UK at the age of three and subsequently spent five years in Kenya before returning to the UK in 1962. He started his career as a bank clerk. He is married to Tracie and they have three children. In 2011, he was appointed to the House of Lords, with his time now being divided between IM Group, charity and House of Lords responsibilities.
Lord Edmiston will also be the recipient of the ELO Entrepreneurial Leaders Award at the ELO World Conference: Vancouver on Nov 4th, 2015. The purpose of the ELO Entrepreneurial Leader Award to recognize the track record of a person(s) who can serve as an inspiration to others to pursue Christian entrepreneurial leadership. The criteria also include a person who “Exemplifies the qualities of entrepreneurial leadership that are embedded in a Christian worldview;” has “International stature with significant influence;” and “The person must be a role model to inspire other entrepreneurs to others to greater heights of significance.” Geoff Tunnicliffe, until recently the Secretary-General of the World Evangelical Alliance, noted that, “Lord Edmiston is an excellent choice as the award recipient due to his commitment to using his entrepreneurial skills and resources to make a positive influence on a global scale.”
In an August 11, 2011 interview with Charity Insight, Lord Edmiston talked about his approach to giving.
What causes do you support?
A. I believe it's what's inside of us that makes a difference, so, in 1988, I founded Christian Vision. There are lots of charities that deal with needs for food and inoculation, so we tend to focus a little more on Christian values. I have a history of seeing poverty, having previously lived in India and Africa, so I am familiar with the issues.
Q. Why are Christian values so essential for you?
A. Physical needs are very important - you can't talk to someone about values if they're struggling to survive…. But I'm trying to attack the cause. Fundamentally, I believe the world's problems begin with man.
Q. What does the future hold for your philanthropy?
A. I initially gave Christian Vision a 50-year time span but, when we reach 30 years, we've got to start looking at various things we should be doing. This will involve exiting certain things, because, while I don't want dependency, I also don't want the whole thing to collapse the moment I die. Historically, we have done a lot ourselves but, going forward, I think we'll be collaborating with others.
Q. You have said you want to give away £300m in your lifetime. How is that progressing?
A. So far I've given away about £180m. Included in my will is an amount to make up to £300m if I happen to die before I've done it. I'm pretty sure, unless Armageddon happens, that won't happen, though.
To read the full interview go to: http://www.charityinsight.com/features/income-generation/why-i-give-lord-edmiston-18-08-2011