THE best practices in leadership, managing change and customer service excellence were yesterday discussed at a reception held at the Capital Club in Bahrain Financial Harbour.

The Leading Change event was hosted by Managing the Service Business (MSB) and its academic partner Lancaster University Management School and was attended by more than 60 representatives of organisations from Bahrain and the region.

It was opened by British Ambassador Iain Lindsay, who spoke about the importance of education and training to further the development of Bahrain's economy and of the role organisations such as MSB and Lancaster University could play in partnering with local companies on their vital learning and development journeys.

It also featured presentations by MSB joint managing director Don Porter and Lancaster University Management School international director Paul Ferguson.

The reception was closed by Bahrain British Business Forum chairman Khalid Al Zayani, who reinforced the importance of local companies to actively keep in touch with their customers, engage their employees through effective research, and train and develop their staff in order to enhance Bahrain's competitiveness within the region.

It was the second in a series of Leading Change events organised by MSB and follows a successful conference held at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa in October 2010.

MSB had recently opened a regional office in Bahrain.