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John Farlam Recognised with Influential Man in Business 2026 Award for Nationwide & Online Driving/Instructor Courses

Driving Industry Pioneer Celebrated for Decades of Leadership, Innovation and Instructor Development

John Farlam of Smart Driving has been recognised with the Influential Man in Business 2026 Award for Nationwide & Online Driving/Instructor Courses, celebrating a career spanning almost five decades and an enduring contribution to driver training, instructor development and professional standards across the UK.

John’s journey is one built on determination, adaptability and a willingness to challenge established ways of working. Having left school at 15 without qualifications, he developed an entrepreneurial mindset early, starting his first one-person business at just 16.

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Growing up in a loving working-class family where money was often tight gave John an early determination to build something more. Alongside a strong work ethic, he describes a fear of not succeeding as one of the forces that has continually pushed him forward.

That drive would eventually lead to the creation of DRIVE, which began as a one-man operation from John’s back bedroom in the late 1990s. Today, it has developed into a market-leading, multi-million-pound business and represents the accomplishment of which he is most proud.

Throughout his career, John has embraced change rather than simply accepting the way things have always been done. His approach has centred on hard work, recognising opportunity and questioning established practices where there is potential to improve them.

This forward-thinking outlook has helped shape training methods and resources used throughout the driver training profession.

His career, however, has not been without significant challenges. A business failure in the early 1990s and an ill-timed property move in 2014 that resulted in substantial personal loss were among the periods that tested his resilience.

“Decide what you want, and focus 100%. Hard work helps to shut out the bad stuff.”

For John, resilience has also meant accepting that success cannot be achieved entirely alone. Over the years, he has learned the importance of trusting key people, recognising personal limitations and being willing to seek support when it is needed. The responsibility he feels towards family, customers and colleagues has remained another powerful reason to keep moving forward during challenging periods.

His advice to those entering the driver training profession reflects the same philosophy. Even after almost 50 years in the industry, John considers himself to still be learning.

“Never fall into the trap of thinking it’s easy, or that you know all there is to know. After the best part of 50 years I’m still learning. The second thing is recognising you can’t do everything. Learn to trust your key people.”

The source of fulfilment in John’s work has evolved throughout his career. Earlier years brought satisfaction from seeing his work directly benefit others, while today his focus has increasingly shifted towards the legacy created through decades of training, education and business development.

Now 72 and semi-retired, John remains far from disconnected from innovation. He is actively exploring artificial intelligence tools and their potential to repurpose and develop projects created throughout his career, continuing a longstanding interest in using new technology and ideas to advance his work.

Behind John’s development are several individuals whose influence helped shape both his professional outlook and personal understanding. The late Professor Peter Russell became a close friend during the earlier stages of John’s career and was an important figure in the development of the driver training industry.

Another significant influence was the late Sir John Whitmore, a globally respected figure in coaching and development. The pair became friends around 2009 while working to change attitudes through a road safety project. Their relationship continued until Sir John’s death, with regular conversations, often at 6am, helping John develop a deeper understanding of himself, coaching and the wider world.

John also credits fellow director Graham Lucas with helping transform his existing success into something much larger. While John had already established himself before they met, Graham helped him understand how that success could be developed into a business of a scale John believes he would have been unlikely to build alone.

Although semi-retirement may bring a few more cruises with his wife, John admits there will probably still be a laptop nearby. A future move into the charity sector is one possibility, but there remains work he wants to complete within his current field first.

From leaving school without qualifications to creating a market-leading business, influencing generations of driving professionals and continuing to explore new ideas well into his seventies, John Farlam’s career demonstrates the value of resilience, curiosity and an enduring willingness to learn.

His Influential Man in Business 2026 Award recognises not only what has already been achieved, but the influence of a career spent challenging convention, developing others and helping move the driver training profession forward.

“I’ve never been particularly interested in plaudits or awards. I’ve always gained my rewards from job satisfaction. Having said that, as this has come nearer to the end of my career than the start, I can’t deny a small ego boost!”

Contact

Phone: 0800 09 88 321

Email: andrew.cavgill@drivedrivingschool.co.uk

Website: smartdriving.co.uk