A Royal Encounter – When Mobal Met The King
Earlier this year, Mobal was honored with the King’s Award for Enterprise in the Social Enterprise category. As part of the celebrations, one of our directors, Kie, had the incredible opportunity to attend the King’s Award Ceremony at Windsor Castle and meet His Majesty in person. The event brought together inspiring, like-minded individuals and organizations, all recognized for creating products and services that drive positive change. Kie has kindly shared some of her thoughts and reflections from this unforgettable experience.
1. What was going through your mind as you approached the castle, knowing you were about to meet the King?
Before the event, my mission was to wear a dress representing Malawi, the focus of our charity’s work. I spent a lot of time reflecting on Krizevac and our mission, and the amazing achievement that winning such a prestigious business award while giving all our profits to charity! Meeting the King made me nervous, but King Charles, Princess Anne and Princess Sophie along with his team were very friendly and approachable, they all made it such a memorable fun experience!
2. What was Windsor Castle like?
Windsor Castle was stunning! I was amazed to see a lived-in castle with many visitors serve as a Royal reception so close to Windsor town. Overall, the beautiful day and atmosphere of excitement made it an unforgettable evening!
3. Can you walk us through how the day unfolded?
We drove down to Windsor from the English Midlands in the car that belonged to our late chairman Tony. He started the company that would become Mobal back in the 80s, so this award is his more than anyone’s. Tony was such a humble guy who always put the needs of the charity ahead of his own personal fortune, and his slightly battered and bruised Toyota Yaris was good representation of that. I couldn’t help but feel proud of Tony as we parked up alongside the Porches and Lamborghinis that belonged to the other business owners being awarded on the day!
In Windsor, we spent some time taking in the atmosphere and grabbing some photos of the surroundings. Before I knew it, it was time to head into the ceremony!
4. Who was the most interesting person you spoke with, and what did their enterprise win the award for?
I met a fascinating guy – the CEO of a company dedicated to making train travel more accessible, providing ramps and other equipment to ensure disabled passengers can board safely and comfortably. Their reach extends far beyond local operations, with services in countries including the UK and Japan. Mobal is all about making Japan easier for people, so I loved hearing about this.
5. What was King Charles like to talk to?
King Charles looked just like he does on TV! As soon as he appeared, the winners swarmed him. But he was graceful, kind, and extremely patient with the crowd. He smiled and gave us all the time to explain our businesses – I felt so honoured to have spoken to him!
6. How did the people you spoke to react when you told them about Mobal?
I think my fellow winners were as surprised as they were impressed! I suppose it’s not every day that you meet a Japanese national like myself, representing a company based in a re-purposed coal mining building in the middle of England, who are dedicated to serving people in Japan – let alone one that gives all its profits away to charity! It was a great privilege to chat to Princess Anne in particular about our late founder and chairman Tony, who is the reason our company exists and does what it does with the money generated from our services. Tony sadly passed away earlier this year, but not before he knew that we’d won this prestigious award. This award is for Tony more than any of us. She was moved by Tony’s mission.
7. How has winning the award and meeting the King influenced your vision for Mobal’s future?
Winning the King’s Award has made everyone at Mobal feel all the more motivated for the future, both as a business, and for all the future work our profits will be put towards in Malawi. Since the 1990s, our owners at Krizevac have focused their efforts on communities where change once felt impossible. Now, we’re seeing the lasting impact that can happen when more privileged communities extend their resources, skills, and support to those in the developing world who need it most. We will continue building high quality education and fostering communities that can sustain healthy lives!
8. If you could ask the King one follow-up question now, what would it be?
Maybe I’d ask him what it was that he said to me! I must admit that speaking to him was such a blur, I can only remember parts of what he said!
