About 200 students turned up to hear business leaders speak at the Concept U! Networking conference, yesterday.

Concept U! was born out of business guru Tom Peters' conference in November, 2002 and is supported by XL Capital, HSBC Bank of Bermuda and Ernst and Young.

Mr. Peters had come to Bermuda to address business leaders, but he also spoke to a full house of students at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, yesterday.

HSBC Bank of Bermuda CEO Phillip Butterfield and Cable and Wireless general manager Eddie Saints spoke to the students about integrity, goal setting, ethics, core values and respect.

The students hit panellists with questions about the effects of Independence on business in Bermuda, stock and market ethics, and whether panellists were actually happy in their chosen careers.

Students were also told of the difference between using the left side of their brain or their right side.

They were told that left-brained people were often logical, rational, analytical people, but the right-brained person could often be described as more creative, intuitive and subjective.

Brenton Richardson, CEO of BermyNet.com, and Fiona Luck of XL Capital spoke about whether it was better to be left or right-brained in business.

Mr. Richardson said it was good to have a balance.

Ms Luck said that companies needed people who were both creative and non creative, saying such talents were needed in development, advertising, and designing new products.

Mr. Richardson said programmers at BermyNet were left-brained, but he said some people were what were classed as middle brainers; "they can go either way", he said.

A student asked about the practicalities of becoming an actor and XL Capital's Sonia Whayman said: "Lawyers act all the time. It's all a stage."

Renee Burt asked: "Where do right-brained people fit into companies?"

A CedarBridge Academy student asked the panel whether it was true that if one was doing what they loved, it would not seem like work at all.

Ms Luck said on the whole the statement was true, but she said no matter how much you loved your job, some days were challenging.

Mr. Richardson said that it was all important to wake up in the morning loving what you do for a living.

On the question of Independence, Ms Luck said she felt that Bermuda had always taken care of the needs of her people and had worked hard to establish itself as a centre for international business; she did not think that much would change as a result of Independence.

Berkeley Institute student Taqwa Talbot asked whether respect or fear was more important in business.

Mr. Richardson said that fear was not necessary in the workplace and respect was definitely the better option.