Octavius Black
Encyclopedia
Octavius Orlando Irvine Casati Black (born 1968) is the CEO of The Mind Gym. He is close to prime minister David Cameron
. Black is married to the libel barrister and Tory candidate Joanne Cash
.
. He was the son of advertising executive Brinsley Black, named as one of the best-dressed Englishmen in the inaugural issue of Men in Vogue in 1965, and his second wife, Lady Moorea Hastings (born 4 March 1928). She was the daughter of the Labour Peer and academic Francis Hastings, 16th Earl of Huntingdon
(1901–1990), and Cristina Casati Stampa di Soncino (1901–1953), the only child of Camillo, Marquis Casati Stampa di Soncino (1877-1946) and Italian heiress and eccentric patroness of the arts Luisa Casati
(1881–1957).
Through his mother's earlier marriage to politician and diarist Woodrow Wyatt
, Black has one older half-brother, The Hon. Pericles Plantagenet James Casati Wyatt (born 1963), an owner and operator of water parks and recreational-vehicle camps in Arizona
; Pericles is in turn half-brother to journalist Petronella Wyatt
. Moorea Hastings was so unmaternal that, on learning she was pregnant, she arranged with her first husband that childless cousins of his would care for the baby. When Wyatt later sued for divorce on grounds of her adultery, he was, unusually, given full custody of the child.
Black was privately educated
at Colet Court
, the prep school
that forms part of St Paul's, together with Ed Vaizey, now a Tory cabinet minister. Black went on to Eton College
at the same time as David Cameron
, before studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at The Queen's College, Oxford
, also alongside Cameron.
, an Oxford-educated barrister, at Terminal 1 of London Heathrow Airport
,. Their wedding blessing in 2008 was attended by a number of nationally prominent Conservatives, including Michael Gove
, who delivered the main speech.
The couple live in Notting Hill
, in the Westminster North constituency. (See Notting Hill Set
for other young Tories.) They have a baby daughter.
as a business analyst, where he worked predominantly in the Financial Services practice.
Black was brought into AGB Research by Mark Booth to help turn around this market research business, owned by Robert Maxwell. After the disappearance of Maxwell the business went into administration.
Black joined Smythe, Dorward Lambert as their sixth employee. Black became the Sales and Marketing Director of the leading employee communication consultancy of its time with 100 employees and a turnover of £10 million. The consultancy was sold to Omnicom in 1996.
Black led major programmes with clients including RBS, BP, McKinsey, Barclays, Zurich, InterCity and Sizewell B.
Black has worked as a journalist on both sides of the Atlantic.
Black is a patron of the Campaign for Learning . He is also on the Advisory Board of Teaching Leaders.
Black has also co-written three Mind Gym books (The Mind Gym: Wake Your Mind Up, The Mind Gym: Give Me Time, The Mind Gym: Relationships).
The Mind Gym: Wake Your Mind Up reached number two on amazon.co.uk and was translated into 27 languages. ‘Success without the sweat…of practical use at work.’ Financial Times.
Black considers himself a business authority, frequently commenting on BBC, Sky and in the press on the human aspects of business, including topics such as attracting and retaining talent, increasing productivity without spending and moving from the public to private sector.
Black's Mind Gym also gives out the largest prize in Europe for original psychology research
The Mind Gym ran its first workshop in September 2000 with Deutsche Bank. It has since been adopted by over 40% of FTSE 100 as well as many other global organisations, including British Gas RBS, BP, O2, Accenture, Unilever, Pfizer, Cisco and Sainsbury's.
The Mind Gym’s technique is based on rigorous but bite-size psychology. It was the first organization to deliver learning in 90-minute workshops that claim to have the same impact as a traditional full-day course.
A BBC independent evaluation, comparing one of The Mind Gym’s 90-minute sessions with a BBC one-day and a two day training course (all on influencing), found the Mind Gym's session to outperform its own. The programme has also been endorsed by the Financial Times.
Black's Parent Programme, The Parent Gym, claims to be the UK's most robustly evaluated programme. Pilot's in early 2010 showed after 3 months, improvements in parenting capability, children's behaviour and a reduction in discipline problems. Boris Johnson, has shown interest in rolling out the scheme across London.
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
. Black is married to the libel barrister and Tory candidate Joanne Cash
Joanne Cash
Joanne Cash is a media barrister. She was the unsuccessful Conservative Party candidate for Westminster North in the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
.
Early life
Black was born 2 May 1968 in West LondonWest London
West London generally refers to the western portions of London, and may refer specifically to:*West *West End of London*W postcode area...
. He was the son of advertising executive Brinsley Black, named as one of the best-dressed Englishmen in the inaugural issue of Men in Vogue in 1965, and his second wife, Lady Moorea Hastings (born 4 March 1928). She was the daughter of the Labour Peer and academic Francis Hastings, 16th Earl of Huntingdon
Francis Hastings, 16th Earl of Huntingdon
Francis John Clarence Westenra Plantagenet Hastings, 16th Earl of Huntingdon , known as Viscount Hastings until 1939, was a British artist, academic and Labour politician.-Life:...
(1901–1990), and Cristina Casati Stampa di Soncino (1901–1953), the only child of Camillo, Marquis Casati Stampa di Soncino (1877-1946) and Italian heiress and eccentric patroness of the arts Luisa Casati
Luisa Casati
Luisa, Marquise Casati Stampa di Soncino was an eccentric Italian heiress, muse, and patroness of the arts in early 20th century Europe...
(1881–1957).
Through his mother's earlier marriage to politician and diarist Woodrow Wyatt
Woodrow Wyatt
Woodrow Lyle Wyatt, Baron Wyatt of Weeford , was a British politician, published author, journalist and broadcaster, close to the Queen Mother, Margaret Thatcher and Rupert Murdoch...
, Black has one older half-brother, The Hon. Pericles Plantagenet James Casati Wyatt (born 1963), an owner and operator of water parks and recreational-vehicle camps in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
; Pericles is in turn half-brother to journalist Petronella Wyatt
Petronella Wyatt
Petronella Wyatt , is a British journalist and author. She is the daughter of the former journalist and Labour politician, the late Woodrow Wyatt, and his fourth wife, the Hungarian Veronica Banszky Von Ambroz.-Biography:...
. Moorea Hastings was so unmaternal that, on learning she was pregnant, she arranged with her first husband that childless cousins of his would care for the baby. When Wyatt later sued for divorce on grounds of her adultery, he was, unusually, given full custody of the child.
Black was privately educated
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
at Colet Court
Colet Court
Colet Court is a preparatory school for boys aged 7 to 13 in Barnes, London. It forms the preparatory department of St Paul's School, to which most Colet Court pupils go at the age of 13.-History:...
, the prep school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
that forms part of St Paul's, together with Ed Vaizey, now a Tory cabinet minister. Black went on to Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
at the same time as David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, before studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
, also alongside Cameron.
Personal life
In the summer of 2007, Black proposed to Joanne CashJoanne Cash
Joanne Cash is a media barrister. She was the unsuccessful Conservative Party candidate for Westminster North in the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
, an Oxford-educated barrister, at Terminal 1 of London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
,. Their wedding blessing in 2008 was attended by a number of nationally prominent Conservatives, including Michael Gove
Michael Gove
Michael Andrew Gove, MP is a British politician, who currently serves as the Secretary of State for Education and as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Surrey Heath constituency. He is also a published author and former journalist.Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen...
, who delivered the main speech.
The couple live in Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, in the Westminster North constituency. (See Notting Hill Set
Notting Hill Set
The Notting Hill Set is an informal group of young figures in prominent leadership positions in the Conservative Party, or close advisory positions around the current party leader and Prime Minister, David Cameron....
for other young Tories.) They have a baby daughter.
Business career
Upon graduating from university, he joined Booz Allen HamiltonBooz Allen Hamilton
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. , or more commonly Booz Allen, is an American public consulting firm headquartered in McLean, Fairfax County, Virginia, with 80 other offices throughout the United States. Ralph Shrader is its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The firm was founded by Edwin Booz in...
as a business analyst, where he worked predominantly in the Financial Services practice.
Black was brought into AGB Research by Mark Booth to help turn around this market research business, owned by Robert Maxwell. After the disappearance of Maxwell the business went into administration.
Black joined Smythe, Dorward Lambert as their sixth employee. Black became the Sales and Marketing Director of the leading employee communication consultancy of its time with 100 employees and a turnover of £10 million. The consultancy was sold to Omnicom in 1996.
Black led major programmes with clients including RBS, BP, McKinsey, Barclays, Zurich, InterCity and Sizewell B.
Black has worked as a journalist on both sides of the Atlantic.
Black is a patron of the Campaign for Learning . He is also on the Advisory Board of Teaching Leaders.
Mind Gym
Black started at his kitchen table in 2000. The organisation aims to "improve a company’s performance by changing the way employees think". He co-founded the business, which has made him an authority on employee-related business issues. The Mind Gym has been, independently, evaluated and endorsed by the BBC.Black has also co-written three Mind Gym books (The Mind Gym: Wake Your Mind Up, The Mind Gym: Give Me Time, The Mind Gym: Relationships).
The Mind Gym: Wake Your Mind Up reached number two on amazon.co.uk and was translated into 27 languages. ‘Success without the sweat…of practical use at work.’ Financial Times.
Black considers himself a business authority, frequently commenting on BBC, Sky and in the press on the human aspects of business, including topics such as attracting and retaining talent, increasing productivity without spending and moving from the public to private sector.
Black's Mind Gym also gives out the largest prize in Europe for original psychology research
The Mind Gym ran its first workshop in September 2000 with Deutsche Bank. It has since been adopted by over 40% of FTSE 100 as well as many other global organisations, including British Gas RBS, BP, O2, Accenture, Unilever, Pfizer, Cisco and Sainsbury's.
The Mind Gym’s technique is based on rigorous but bite-size psychology. It was the first organization to deliver learning in 90-minute workshops that claim to have the same impact as a traditional full-day course.
A BBC independent evaluation, comparing one of The Mind Gym’s 90-minute sessions with a BBC one-day and a two day training course (all on influencing), found the Mind Gym's session to outperform its own. The programme has also been endorsed by the Financial Times.
Black's Parent Programme, The Parent Gym, claims to be the UK's most robustly evaluated programme. Pilot's in early 2010 showed after 3 months, improvements in parenting capability, children's behaviour and a reduction in discipline problems. Boris Johnson, has shown interest in rolling out the scheme across London.