Pulse Issue 12

PULSE News and opinion from Liverpool Hope Business School July 2021 | Issue 12

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Students receive coveted placements at Insight to Business Awards

INDUSTRY WEEK

EXPERT COMMENT

STUDENT SUCCESS

Inspiring leaders address students

Pandemic ‘drives need for innovation’

Award winners share their stories

News and opinion from Liverpool Hope Business School July 2021 | Issue 12

WELCOME TO PULSE

NEWS IN BRIEF

It was with great pleasure that we were able to once again host our Insight to Business Awards in May – albeit in a new online format. The virtual event was a great success, and brought together students and leading businesses.

In this special bumper issue, we share highlights from the Awards, including student success stories (page 8) and behind the scenes shots (page 5). We also caught up with some of our corporate partners, to find out more about their insights and visions for the future of the economy (page 9) and the graduate employment market (10).

Other highlights from this term include a series of interactive careers roundtables (page 11) and inspirational stories from leading business figures during Industry Week (page 12).

We’ve also been busy welcoming more new staff members – Dr Katherine Baxter and Dr Arnt Ni – (page 14) and settling in to our new home in the Eden Building - you can read more on this on page 3.

Lastly, it has been lovely to welcome students back to campus and resume some elements of face-to-face teaching. It has been a challenging year for all, but having the opportunity to meet new students in person and see our final year students before they leave is a great way to round out the academic year.

The Head of the Business School Ian McKenna has been appointed to a national role, supporting UK universities in the development of their Knowledge Exchange Strategies.

This follows the recent launch of the sector’s Knowledge Exchange Concordat (KEC), which encourages institutions to take a strategic approach to knowledge exchange.

Suggesting a collaborative, creative endeavour that translates knowledge and research into impact in society and the economy.

As KEC Evaluator, Mr McKenna will work with colleagues from across the sector to advise universities on how they can best articulate their vision for KE, build capacity and optimise their impact in this area.

Ian McKenna Head of the Business School

IN THIS ISSUE 4

Insight to Business Awards 2021

11

Climbing the career ladder

8

A foot in the door

12

Industry Week

10 Looking to the future

14

Introducing

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National role for School Head

Mr McKenna said: “I’ve played an active role in KE since 1997, when I directed a multi-agency partnership programme with the aim of increasing dialogue between higher education and Merseyside businesses.

“I’m really looking forward to discovering how other universities are tackling this important subject and offering advice and guidance wherever possible.”

SPOTLIGHT

On the move Assistant Head Jo Whittingham reflects on how the Business School’s new home will bring greater educational, networking and interactive spaces for students.

It is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to what has been our home as a Business School for the last few years. We are relocating to the EDEN Building in the heart of our beautiful garden campus.

We look forward to welcoming partners from across the City and wider UK to our new home, as we continue to host our guest lectures series, employability and networking sessions, business breakfast meetings and awards dinners.

The new location features more student social spaces, allowing us to enhance the sense of community among the School and encourage collaboration. Breakout spaces allow students the opportunity to meet, reflect, collaborate and chat – as despite this digital age, we remain social creatures at heart. We believe that outside of the formal classroom and library environments, it’s

Students welcomed back The joy of once again teaching students face-toface is described

by Senior Professional Tutor Paula Raper.

Following the easing of restrictions, many of our students returned to campus this term and it has been a joy to see so many familiar faces in person - rather than through Zoom. The all too familiar phrase ‘you’re muted’ is now being replaced with ‘don’t forget to wash your hands’.

Students and staff have been adjusting to a ‘new normal’ and it’s been good to see everyone following the on-

important for students to have the chance to connect and work on projects together.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated spaces is our designated student social learning area - The Hub. Colleagues and students from across each year group have worked in collaboration to shape the design and function of this space - you can see them brainstorming in the above image.

A wealth of literature highlights the role of social learning spaces as a catalyst for enhanced student engagement and retention, as well as their importance in fostering active learning, social interaction and a sense of belonging amongst tertiary students. This clearly aligns with our vision for Liverpool Hope Business School students to have a sense of belonging and a great student experience.

campus protocols sensibly to keep everybody safe.

Feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive, with second-year Business Management student Oscar Wainwright describing how tutors created a “community” that helped to “enhance” his learning. He said: “I was happy to be back in, as I felt the environment was welcoming while we were all learning.”

A return to campus also allowed us to see some of our level H students as they come to end of their time with us. It was a special time, which allowed the students an important opportunity to see their peers and say goodbye before they set off on the next chapter of their lives.

Final-year student Katie Moore said: “I can’t even describe how happy I was to see everyone, it really is a great way to end the year, and the degree in general.”

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INSIGHT TO BUSINESS AWARDS

After being cancelled in 2020, the Insight to Business Awards returned with a successful online debut, which saw coveted career-boosting placements awarded to top students.

The annual event saw some of the region’s most influential firms and organisations offering shortterm placements for students, following a thorough nomination, shortlist and interview process.

Hosted by Head of Hope’s Business School Ian McKenna, Assistant Head Brian Ricketts and Assistant Head Jo Whittingham, the ceremony moved online for the first time and was presented from MSP Global’s local studios.

The virtual backdrop did nothing to dampen the excitement, as leading figures of industry praised the valuable input they’d received from Hope students in previous years.

Mr McKenna said: “The lucky, but deserving, recipients of the awards will benefit from some high quality and high-profile internships amongst our partner organisations and this will undoubtedly give them an edge as they look towards their employability, either for those who’ve just entered into employment, or for our 4 | PULSE Magazine

current students who are making their first steps on the ladder.

“We hope other students will be inspired by these awards, and will do their utmost to receive a nomination in the future, or to explore other opportunities for increasing their employability levels through appropriate work opportunities, as they move forward in their student experience.”

Speaking about the impact graduates can have on an organisation, Ian Taylor, Partner and North West Regional Head of Real Estate and Construction at RSM UK, said: “The students that have come to us in the past have been invaluable and we really enjoy working with them.

“Graduates are a really important part of our business because, fundamentally, we are a training organisation… so having close contacts with the universities in Liverpool, and the graduates coming through, is incredibly important to us.”

INSIGHT TO BUSINESS AWARDS Among the winners was recent Hope graduate Nathan Brown, who will be welcomed by Everton FC and spend his time predominantly working with the club’s finance team.

Meanwhile several organisations including The Brain Charity - were simply unable to choose between Hope’s talented candidates and opted to offer placement opportunities to both nominated students instead.

Praising the partnerships between Hope and industry, Liverpool Hope’s Vice-Chancellor and Rector Professor Gerald Pillay said: “Just like Schools of medicine need hospitals to form a doctor, and good Schools of education need actual schools to form the teachers, a Business School needs partners in industry to form the future business leader. It can’t be done in an ivory tower and it can’t be done on our campus alone.

“The next five to ten years are going to be centred on the recovery of our economy. Not only have we been hit by side-winds like Brexit, Covid then came and all of us had to rethink our positions. Employability, and preparing our graduates to take their places in industry with confidence, is absolutely crucial, as is developing the professional know-how that will make them successful.”

Full list of winners and placement opportunities: • Everton FC - Nathan Brown • The Brain Charity - Jason Stocks and Nichola Wilding • LLS - Ronak Patric • Ghosh Medical - Louis Landoli and Julia Konopka • Marketing Liverpool - Adam Guthy • RSM UK - Melissa Paylor • BWM - Wiktoria Grzech • Liverpool Chamber of Commerce Joe Parry • Lloyds Bank - David Williams • Haines Watts - Peter Chard • MSB - Lucy Slater and Charlotte Price

Behind the scenes The challenge of hosting a successful virtual event led the Business School to event experts MSP studios in Liverpool.

Working with MSP Global allowed the Business School to reach a large audience in real time from a safe environment, operating remotely instead of physically.

Non-physical constraints of room capacity meant more people could be invited to attend, with family members of the students able to watch live or catch-up post event and share in the celebration.

The School’s Business Engagement & Employability Manager Lyndsey Burkert said: “Being able to go to a local broadcast studio was a great solution for many reasons, it increased our reach and enabled the School to engage with our students and corporate partners.

“It’s very important for us to celebrate student success and recognise student achievement, and MSP Global helped make this possible by supporting the team every step of the way - from pre-production formatting to the final virtual event.”

The Studio Engineers ensured that Liverpool Hope delivered a seamless event without any issues and with a back-up plan if needed.

Pre-production services and specialist lighting helped to create a stylish and professional awards ceremony, while the virtual approach meant the carbon footprint was reduced by 99 per cent compared to a physical event.

MerseySound Productions & Staging (MSP) was originally formed in South Africa in 1993 by Liverpudlian Colin Reader and his partner Lisa Richards. Together they produced large international events working on a global stage.

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STUDENT SUCCESS

A home from home Insight to Business award winner Ronak Patric describes how Hope has become a second home since moving from Qatar.

In the summer of 2004, my parents made a bold decision to travel halfway across the world from Malaysia to Qatar in the Middle East, to garnish an improved education for my brother and myself. Ever since, I’ve been committed to fulfilling their courageous move by finding the most suitable university for myself.

In an attempt to follow my in parents’ footsteps, I flew across the world to Liverpool Hope University to study Business Management and Sport & Physical Education, which will always be one of the most special decisions I’ve taken. The reason I call it ‘special’, is because Hope provides a unique atmosphere that is unlike any other.

Shifting from a country where the population merely exceeds 2.8 million, Hope yields an adaptive nature.

Both through the family and community environment it possesses, to the staff at reception who start your mornings with jubilant smiles and the catering team who give you a free hash brown if Liverpool Football Club won the night before!

“Hope provides a unique atmosphere that is unlike any other.”

Among the attractions that drew me to Hope were the facilities and reputation of the Business School.

Throughout my three years at university, I’ve been 6 | PULSE Magazine

fortunate enough to meet a lot of friends and peers, and many of them do a combined degree like myself. It’s evident through conversing with these students, that the Business School’s professionalism and convenient structure is popular.

Another attractive feature of the Business School, is the Insight to Business Awards. As well as the free three-course dinner - which is rare for most university students who are lazy-eaters like me - the awards night is not just about winning a trophy that’s going to end up dusting in a cupboard.

Rather, it’s an opportunity for students to get a taste of the working environment through placements at pioneering organisations and charities. More importantly, it’s an opportunity for students to push themselves to network and establish a foundation to develop their social capital.

I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of an award, receiving a placement in Liverpool with sports company LLS. However, through the awards night I managed to network with LLS, and they have been supportive and truly amazing in also finding me a placement in Qatar which is something I never could have imagined.

This supportive nature is reflected in the Business School. I think students can see that staff genuinely want them to succeed and be career-driven - the Insight to Business Awards is a prime example of that!

Hope is home.

EXPERT COMMENT

Pandemic ‘drives need to adapt and innovate’ Andy Oakes, Partner at BWM Chartered Accountants, and Ian Taylor, Audit Partner at RSM in Liverpool, were among special guests invited to speak at the 2021 Insight to Business Awards. Pulse caught up with them to find out how they have adapted to pandemic challenges, and what the future looks like for aspiring Accountants.

Andy Oakes, Partner at BWM Chartered Accountants BWM is a medium-sized firm of Chartered Accountants based in Castle Street, Liverpool. We represent over a thousand clients with 50% being in the SME market, 30% in Tax, Trusts and High Net Worth Individuals, with the balance being charities and the religious sector.

The past year has been challenging for everyone and the accountancy profession has been no different.

Through our regular newsletters, we have been able to help, inform and advise all clients and friends of the firm through the myriad of legislation, funding and government support. Moreover, we have provided a hub where all clients can go for information and help, giving one-to-one help when required.

This holistic offering to clients has also strengthened our ties with other professional service firms - particularly in the legal sector - and we refer work to each other on a regular basis including company sales, restructures, employment rights and mental health and well-being.

My advice to anyone considering a career in accountancy is to do your research, as there are many areas you can specialise in. You are going to be working for a long time, so you might as well choose something you enjoy. Remember you are not going to be an expert in all areas, that would be impossible, but try to get a broad spectrum of experience to enable you to choose what you like, and what suits you and your personality.

When being interviewed, make sure you have prepared and know about the firm who are interviewing you and, if possible, something about the person who is doing the interview. When I was interviewing, one candidate gently teased me about supporting Everton and was interested in why we have an office dog – Emer. I knew then they had done their research and that made me remember them.

Ian Taylor, Audit Partner at RSM in Liverpool Competition in the graduate market is high, as university leavers compete for 24 per cent fewer roles this year compared to last, and with youth unemployment sitting at 14 per cent, there’s no escaping the cold truth that career prospects for graduates and school leavers have greatly diminished as a consequence of the events of the past year.

Whilst our experiences of the pandemic have presented many challenges, our resilience as a firm, and what has been a strong year for us financially, has allowed us to take some bold steps, and a long-term approach.

We are proud to be doubling our annual summer intake of trainees in 2021 at a time when other businesses are reducing the number of trainee roles. Across the UK, we will recruit just shy of 500 trainee employees in August 2021.

We want to invest in and grow our very own talent, and a key part of that plan is to apply it at career-entry level.

That is to the benefit of talented young prospective employees looking to take their first step on the career ladder, but who are doing it in an extremely competitive market.

The new trainees get the opportunity to work across 30 of RSM’s 33 UK offices and begin their careers within the firm’s tax, audit, corporate finance, risk, restructuring advisory, financial reporting or IT teams.

After completing an intensive internal training course, the new recruits will also commence study towards their professional ACA, AAT, ATT, ICAS, ACCA, CIA or CTA qualifications – combining technical learning with on-thejob development.

RSM is a leading audit, tax and consulting firm to the middle market with 3,650 partners and staff operating from 33 locations throughout the UK. PULSE Magazine | 7

CAREERS IN FOCUS

A foot in the door Second year Business Management and Marketing student Emma McCauley describes what it’s like to carry out a work experience project alongside her studies.

How did you secure your role?

I came across redwigwam at a graduate recruitment expert event put on by the Business School, where the company’s CEO Lorna Davidson was a panelist.

I remember being really impressed with Lorna and how successful redwigwam is, which inspired me to apply for a job. I saw a placement within redwigwam advertised on the University’s Careers page, but in the requirements, it stated that applicants had to be in receipt of universal credit - which I’m not. I decided I’d still apply anyway, as the worst they could say is no! Obviously, I wasn’t successful within the placement, but they contacted me to say they were impressed with my CV and came up with the Social Media Support role for me.

What does your job involve?

My role as Social Media Support is to create a buzz around redwigwam’s name, by increasing their engagement and impressions on Instagram. I’m responsible for engaging with relevant accounts and hashtags, predominantly around flexible working, but it changes as different posts are posted with different content.

Why did you choose to undertake a project while still studying?

I knew it would give me a great insight into what my career will be like after graduation, and it gives me the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge I have

learnt on the course to a real-life situation. I also believe my work with redwigwam will help me secure a job in the future. Being a member of the team means I undertake weekly catchups with the Marketing Manager, where we discuss upcoming content for the week and any ideas I may have for Instagram. I have key performance indicators I must achieve each week, which helps keep me motivated, and the social statistics are posted so we can see how the whole team is doing. This is all great experience for what a full-time job after graduation would entail.

Have you taken advantage of any career advice while at university?

Yes – and I cannot recommend this enough! Throughout the whole year I’ve been in contact with various members of the Careers team to get help with writing a good CV, interview prep and advice with job applications. It’s so easy to organise a call with members of the team and they’ve always been so helpful and efficient. The benefit is that I have a professional CV that I use to apply for jobs related to my degree, rather than using the CV I use when looking for casual part-time work outside of my degree.

What advice would you give to those considering a project?

My advice is to apply for everything, as the worst they can say is no. As I mentioned, I applied for a role I knew I wouldn’t get, but I got a more relevant job out of it!

Although, it is important to make sure whatever project you take on does not take away from your studies. My role at redwigwam is perfect as I’m only working one hour a day Monday - Friday, so I’m able to balance it well with my university studies.

GET IN TOUCH We’re always keen to hear from our alumni. To share your story or expertise, please contact Business Engagement & Employability Manager Lyndsey Burkert: burkerl@hope.ac.uk

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ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Liverpool’s visitor economy the comeback

Peter Smith, Head of Marketing at Marketing Liverpool, is confident Liverpool’s tourism sector will adapt and regenerate following the challenges of the pandemic.

Coronavirus is already reshaping Liverpool City Region’s (LCR’s) visitor economy. The global scale and length of the pandemic makes it unlike any previous shock to the tourism industry.

In 2019, 57 million people experienced our region’s culture, music, sport and hospitality. The visitor economy contributed £4.9 billion to local economy and businesses employed around 57,000 people. It could take several years to get the sector back to these pre-coronavirus levels.

However, there are signs from these first few weeks of reopening that we can look forward positively.

Restaurants, visitor attractions, hotels and cultural venues have been able to resume operations and have been busy after a devastating 15 months.

Our focus in 2021 will be on domestic markets attracting UK visitors for staycations. That’s why we’ve just launched our new visitor campaign ‘Liverpool. Get away to it all’. The campaign is an important step in our recovery.

While domestic tourists are often more price-sensitive and tend to have lower spending patterns, the lack of international travel means every UK city is targeting UK travellers - creating a hyper-competitive landscape.

Liverpool’s economy is reliant on tourism and hospitality, perhaps too reliant. Our hotels, restaurants, bars, visitor attractions and cultural venues are in a fight for survival.

Everyone working in the sector is sensitive to realities of visitor economy businesses right now.

New health protocols mean that these businesses are operating with restricted capacity and many parts of the sector are still unable to open, such as music venues, nightclubs, major events and conferences.

Getting the LCR visitor economy ecosystem back to pre-coronavirus levels will require a co-ordinated and integrated approach.

Marketing Liverpool is working with our public and private sector partners to build demand in domestic and local markets, ensuring businesses are able to access financial support schemes to safeguard their survival, and supporting visitor economy and hospitality businesses in retaining and recruiting staff, which is a massive issue right now.

The speed of our recovery will depend on interlinked economic and health factors - avoiding a new wave, vaccine take-up, international travel restrictions, survival of our business ecosystem, consumer confidence and developments in the wider economy.

Liverpool’s visitor economy is emerging from the pandemic in a radically different way. There are major challenges ahead, but our city’s history is built on adapting to change. The recovery of our visitor economy will be no different.

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NEWS AND EVENTS

Looking to the future How to ensure the future of business talent and stimulate career skills was debated by Liverpool City Region leaders.

The School’s Business Engagement & Employability Manager Lyndsey Jayne Burkert joined a panel of senior leaders from across the Liverpool City Region (LCR) to discuss business talent and the future.

to careers education across the school sector. I look forward to representing the Business School on further discussions, and adding value to careers education and talent pipelines.

Organised by Liverpool Chamber, the virtual event invited debate on the future of education and business, in the context of economic recovery. Panellists explored opportunities to stimulate a new skills ecosystem, which places business at the vanguard of improvement, aspiration and excellence.

“Our aim is to support both local businesses and develop skills in our future graduates, which equip them well for future job opportunities.”

Ms Burkert shared insights into the work of the Business School in embedding employability education into the undergraduate curriculum.

Talking about the event, she said: “A big thank you to the Chamber for inviting me, the event was well organised and included a wide variety of industry experts all looking to add value to the LCR career and talent agenda.

“Moving forward, the research being conducted by Dr Katie Spall will help develop a more joined-up approach

Led by Chief Executive of Liverpool Chamber Paul Cherpeau, the panel included: • Rachael Hennigan, Principal, Hugh Baird College • Katie Spall, Schools Talent Pipeline Manager, Liverpool City Council • Lyndsey Jayne Burkert, Business Engagement & Employability Manager, Liverpool Hope University • Sean Keyes, Managing Director, Sutcliffe • Jayne Moore, Managing Director and Founder, Jayne Moore Media & I AM MOORE • Jane Gratton, Head of People Policy, British Chambers of Commerce • Maria Whittingham, Early Careers Recruitment Specialist, CGI

To find out more about how the Business School can support you with employability opportunities for students, or if you would like to give a Guest Speaker talk on your sector, industry or career journey so far, please contact Lyndsey Jayne Burkert – burkerl@hope.ac.uk 10 | PULSE Magazine

NEWS AND EVENTS

Climbing the career ladder Preparing our students for successful careers has always been central to the Business School’s ethos, but with an ongoing pandemic disrupting the employment market, this guidance seems more important than ever. With support from the Business School Advisory Board’s Chairman Steve Stuart, Assistant Heads of the School Brian Ricketts and Jo Whittingham hosted a series of interactive roundtables designed to provide essential insights and advice from those in the field.

Mr Ricketts explained: “The monthly events aimed to help our students understand the graduate recruitment market and the opportunities available in the work place.

Particularly within the context of uncertainty around the economy, as the effect of the pandemic continues.

“We focused on identifying ways in which our students can help themselves to be in a good position to make the most of their university experience.”

February Paul Cherpeau and Conor Williams from Liverpool Chamber of Commerce were special guests at a skills workshop.

Paul described his journey from graduation to his current role as Chief Executive of the Chamber, outlining the hurdles along the way and the decisions he had to make to ensure he kept his career path moving forward.

Conor, a recent graduate of the Business School, explained his experiences and thought processes as he came towards graduation.

He said: “The things we did in class that took me out of my comfort zone, like presenting as part of my portfolio, have really helped me in practice.” He also made the link to his success at the Insight to Business Awards and his placement at the Chamber.

March

April Jennifer Lee of global business advisory firm KPMG and Claire Delahunty from the Growth Platform came together for an event entitled ‘Our Story’.

Jennifer described how she was the first member of her family to go to university. She explained how she had to adjust her university choices after failing to achieve the A Level grades she needed, and how she eventually came to join KPMG in Liverpool.

Jennifer’s story was a really good example of how choices have to be made and how career directions can change. This has certainly worked for Jennifer, since she is now the senior partner at KPMG in Liverpool.

Claire’s story had a number of similarities; in particular around university course choice, changes of direction, and taking opportunities as they arise. For Claire, this brought her from Scotland to Liverpool, where she has recently moved from a role at the LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) to a new position at the Growth Platform.

May The graduate market place and macro-economic effects were explored by Hayley Fallon-Bond, an economist from Lloyds Bank, and Liverpool Chamber of Commerce’s Paul Cherpeau. The pair were also joined by Neil Ashbridge from the Business School Advisory Board, who previously worked at the Bank of England.

A recruitment event welcomed guests Elaine Courtney from Courtney Recruitment, Lorna Davidson from redwigwam (a temporary work booking platform) and Michelle Woods, Resourcing Manager at global accounting firm Grant Thornton.

It was concluded that while there is a lot of turbulence in the system, with the effects of the pandemic and in the post-Brexit economy, there are still plenty of opportunities available.

The panel discussion centred around how recruitment is changing, what skills are in demand right now and how our students can position themselves for success.

The clear message being to ‘have confidence, do your research, be yourself and plan ahead’.

Reflecting on the success of the roundtable programme, Mr Ricketts said: “As we start to plan our programme for the new academic year 2021-22, we will continue to focus on supporting our undergraduates.”

Looking forward

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HIGHLIGHTS

INDUSTRY WEEK

Leading business figures shared insights and inspiration at this year’s Industry Week.

Students from across the Business School were treated to first-hand accounts and insider knowledge from special guest speakers at Industry Week.

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Organised to coincide with the Insight to Business Awards, the guest sessions aimed to help first year students learn from business figures, and complete a reflective piece for their academic portfolios.

Fatmir Hyseni, Head of Digital at redwigwam Recruitment Fatmir shared insights from the field of Recruitment and discussed his own career journey and background in Digital Marketing.

He explained how being a Chartered Marketeer has helped him in his current role, and reflected on how a blend of both academic education and industry experience is essential for future success.

Second year Business Management and Marketing student Emma McCauley will soon be completing some project work with redwigwam after being inspired by the company’s ethos. Read more about her experience on page eight.

Mark Hodgson, Company Director at FireSide Camps Mark and his business partner Sophie run a young micro business that delivers US summer internships. They facilitate and match the right candidates with outdoor education roles in camps in the US. Mark spoke to students about the positive and negative aspects of setting up and running your own business, and his passion for allowing everyone the chance to travel. He reflected on how the pandemic has impacted business, and the resilience and entrepreneurial thinking required to develop the company and construct a website.

The talk was extremely popular with the students, especially as they will undertake a Young Enterprise project in the next year of their studies.

Tony Cahill, Executive Director of Property at LIVV Housing Tony has an extensive history in project management and construction within the private sector, and transitioned across into the social housing arena in 2012.

At previous Industry Weeks, Tony has been kind enough to host our students at an on-site event, and he once again generously offered to join us.

Tony shared his own career history and passion for

social housing, providing an insight into the background and landscape of the sector. Everything from how rents are calculated, to the issues faced in acquiring land, generating revenue, and building houses to match tenants needs.

The session was a fascinating discussion on the industry and how the sector works, including the wealth of job roles it has to offer future graduates. Tony even touched on the Knowsley and Liverpool City Region Housing landscape and the current regeneration project LIVV Housing are working on in the Kirkby Area. Following the talk, a number of students expressed an interest in work-shadowing within LIVV Housing.

Gayle Wells, Strategic Head of Finance and Procurement Staff Development at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Gayle gave a fascinating talk on her career in finance and future opportunities for placements and graduate roles in the NHS. Her wealth of YouTube clips on how NHS finance is generated and distributed, and the constraints of operating in a publicly funded organisation kept students enraptured.

Gayle also touched on value for money and procurement tendering, and importantly the vision and values Merseycare has for its staff and stakeholders. The enthralling presentation provided Accounting & Finance and Economics students with a wealth of industry knowledge.

Business Engagement & Employability Manager Lyndsey Jayne Burkert, who coordinated the event, said: “The week was a great success with high interaction levels and a live Q&A session at the end of each lecture.

“I was overwhelmed by the expression of interest from the students, who would like our guest speakers to join us again at future Business School events. We had between 70 – 110 attending each of the sessions.

“The Business School is grateful to Fatmir, Mark, Tony and Gayle for giving their time and energy to support the School in delivering a highly engaged and interactive Industry Week. I look forward to welcoming them to campus in the near future.”

It is the first time Industry Week has been a digital event, and one of the key advantages was the ability to record the guest sessions and share them with students in other year groups.

If you would like to contribute as an industry guest speaker or host a student site visit in May 2022, please contact Lyndsey Jayne Burkert, Business Engagement & Employability Manager: burkerl@hope.ac.uk PULSE Magazine | 13

IN PROFILE

INTRODUCING The Business School welcomes new colleagues Dr Katherine Baxter and Dr Arnt Ni. Dr Katherine Baxter, Lecturer in Marketing

Dr Arnt Ni, Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in Marketing

I joined Liverpool Hope in March 2021, having previously worked as a Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Bedfordshire for two years. I also worked as a visiting lecturer in Marketing and a Foundation level tutor for several years, as well as spending time as a research assistant at London South Bank University.

I am a Marketer at-heart and have completed both my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Marketing Management at the University of Huddersfield.

I obtained my doctorate in October 2020, and joined Liverpool Hope after finishing my research associate position.

I completed my PhD in July 2020 at the University of Bedfordshire, where my research focused on the impact of gendered wording in a social marketing campaign.

Overall, I have a keen interest in understanding customer attitudes and behaviour, and my research since finishing my PhD has been focused in this area.

My doctoral research draws attention to consumer psychology and behaviour within the emerging market, specifically the impact of brands on consumers’ behaviour in their buying decisionmaking. Over the years, my research interests have been expanded to sustainable marketing practices, responsible corporations, and international marketing strategies.

My background is communications, so my research follows my passion in this area and will most likely continue to do so.

My current research projects are focused on attitudes towards environmental sustainability, climate change, global consumer culture, impact of message framing and consumer perceptions of advertising messages. All of which are constantly challenging me to learn about new concepts, methods and ideas.

Before I worked in academia, I was working in sales and marketing roles in industry for 11 years. I was employed in the medical, construction, and car rental industries.

I believe my experience enables me to bring real-world examples into my teaching. This coupled with my research involvement, helps me to provide a well-rounded experience for students.

I joined Liverpool Hope in the time where we were completely teaching and meeting online so I am looking forward to more face-to face interaction with the students and being on campus to join the Hope Community.

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I have a wide range of experiencing working in the industry, having worked as a Marketing Assistant at a trading company and as an event and student experience Support Officer at the Student Union. I also have seven years of experience in the customer service industry.

In my current teaching and research agenda, I have been collaborating with my new colleagues at Hope and my old colleagues in Huddersfield on a number of projects on the circular economy, corporate social responsibly, and consumer behaviour in emerging countries’ context. Aside from being a member of the British Academy of Management, my next move is to obtain a teaching fellowship from a professional body, such as HEA. Joining Hope amid a national lockdown and pandemic provided me with my first experience of virtual teaching, which was a unique and exciting opportunity. There is a strong sense of community at the University and solid support for students and staff - whether it is virtual or face-to-face.

THE BUSINESS SCHOOL

ABOUT US: LIVERPOOL HOPE BUSINESS SCHOOL The Business School curriculum is cutting-edge with all teaching research-informed and delivered by staff with both professional and practical backgrounds. A high number of staff have PhDs, while three members of the School have run successful businesses. This means the School is highly qualified at an academic, professional and experiential level, to engage in research that connects with the business sector.

The School works closely with accreditation bodies and is a member of various professional networks.

These include the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Professional Liverpool.

With strong links to a range of leading local and national companies, professional bodies and organisations, and a range of innovative ethical and social enterprises, the School has a reputation for developing students with sound theoretical principles and a thorough understanding of contemporary business practices. Guest lecturers and practitioner input allows students the opportunity to visit companies, study abroad and work via Young Enterprise to develop and run their own business.

WHO WE WORK WITH:

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To find out more please visit: www.hope.ac.uk/businessschool

Pulse is published by Liverpool Hope Business School, Hope Park, L16 9JD.

T: 0151 291 3087 E: businessschool@hope.ac.uk

The views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of Liverpool Hope University.

LiverpoolHopeUniversity @LiverpoolHopeUK