A former boss of toy giant LEGO will host a masterclass next week in a bid to inspire local companies to innovate and grow.

Christian Majgaard, LEGO’s Former Head of Global Brand, will be sharing unique insight into the company’s journey from its humble beginnings as a wooden toy maker to one of the world’s most powerful brands.

Drawing on more than 25 years’ experience at LEGO where he was responsible for branding, marketing and business innovation, Mr Majgaard will talk to small and medium sized businesses from across Lancashire about branching out into new markets and embracing change to stimulate growth.

Mr Majgaard said: “I’m really looking forward to my visit to Lancashire.

“I plan on sharing my thoughts and experiences of what it takes to develop the culture and approaches that drive customer focus, innovation, brand, building and growth. I’ll be talking about both the dos and don’ts – I learned just as much from my mistakes as I did from my successes.”

Matt Hutchinson, Programme Manager for Lancashire Forum at Lancaster University, said: “As part of the team behind the creation of LEGOLAND® and after helping to bring Harry Potter and Star Wars products to market; Christian is extremely well placed to talk about successfully growing a business by harnessing new ideas.

“This is a great opportunity for small local businesses to hear how an extremely powerful brand successfully made its mark, and lessons learned along the way.”

The event is free to attend and will take place at Brockholes, near Preston, on 21 June between 5.30pm – 8.00pm.

This is the latest in the masterclass event series, arranged by Lancashire Forum, a Lancaster University business growth initiative which is fully-funded for European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) eligible SMEs. The six-month programme, which forms part of Boost; Lancashire’s business growth hub; brings together like-minded directors and managers of SMEs from around the county and provides them with the tools and networks to stimulate self-development and business growth.

Drawing on key elements of Lancaster University Management School’s research, Lancashire Forum provides opportunities for participants to network with peers from a wide range of sectors, enabling them to learn from each other and inspire confidence to make positive changes to their enterprises.

To register to attend, or to find out more about the next Lancashire Forum, contact Jane Hunter, Business Liaison Officer at Lancaster University on 01524 593632 or lancashireforum@lancaster.ac.uk .