ASTERISM ISSUE 2018
ASTON BUSINESS SCHOOL ALUMNI MAGAZINE A D I S T I N C T PAT T E R N O F S TA R S
THE ASTON MBA IS 40 P 6 -7
INSIGHTS FROM A CEO INTERVIEW WITH PRADEEP LAL CEO AT VODAFONE FIJI P 12
IS 2018 THE END OF BITCOIN?
P10-11
WHY STOCK MARKETS CRASH - LESSONS FROM HISTORY
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HELP YOURSELF SHINE CONTENTS WHAT’S IN THIS SUMMER ISSUE PAGE 2
HELP YOURSELF SHINE
PAGE 3
NEWS IN BRIEF
PAGE 4 & 5 ENTREPRENEURIAL ALUMNI STORIES PAGE 6 & 7
Q&A INSIGHTS FROM PRADEEP LAL CEO AT VODAFONE FIJI
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WAYS TO HELP - FIND OUT HOW ALUMNI LIKE YOU SUPPORT US
PAGE 10 & 11 WHY STOCK MARKETS CRASH - LESSONS FROM RECENT HISTORY BY DR ENRICO ONALI PAGE 12
IS 2018 THE END OF BITCOIN? BY DR JOHAN REWILAK
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CROWDFUNDING HELPS START-UP
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ALUMNI NEWS
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MAKING GLOBAL CONNECTIONS - CONNECT WITH US AT OUR EVENTS WORLDWIDE
Aston Business School has a lot to celebrate over the last 12 months
90 Achieving Gold - the highest ranking in the new Government league table - The Teaching Excellence Framework 2017
Ranked 2nd in UK for boosting graduate salaries (The Economist, based on Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset 2017)
ALUMNI RELATIONS TEAM abs_alumni@aston.ac.uk or call +44 (0) 121 204 4785
TIER ONE
Our students also think we’re great with 90% satisfaction (National Student Survey 2018)
Full-time MBA has been given Tier One status in the 2018 Global MBA rankings published by CEO Magazine
Shortlisted for Teaching and Learning Strategy of the Year in a national awards by Times Higher Education 2018
Magazine edited and produced by the Aston Business School Alumni Relations Team
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NEWS IN BRIEF We are delighted to launch the first issue of the Aston Business School Alumni Magazine ‘Asterism’ (Noun Definition: Distinct pattern of stars). We see all our alumni as stars and in this issue we have featured a selection of your stories. This magazine is just one of the many ways in which we will keep you up to date with the very latest news and research coming out of the Business School. One of the main themes running through this magazine is entrepreneurialism, with great stories by some of our alumni and reports from our academic team at the Business School. We are more than simply a business school. We have a rapidly growing international community which includes our faculty, support staff, industry partners, current students and importantly you, our Alumni. Remember, your relationship with Aston Business School should not end when you graduate; we want to continue to work with you so you benefit from your involvement with us. There are many ways in which we can work together to innovate; by creating new business partnerships and collaborations, sharing new research on business with you and offering access to our Centre for Executive Development. In addition, our dedicated Alumni Relations Team offers regular Continuing Professional Development and networking opportunities and give our Alumni the chance to get involved in mentoring and working with our Undergraduate and Postgraduate students. There has never been a better time to reconnect with your Business School. We look forward to meeting and working with many of you in the future. Best wishes
The 40th Anniversary of the ASTON MBA
In 1978, we launched our MBA based in the Nelson Building at the Gosta Green Campus in Aston. To celebrate this landmark achievement, we welcomed MBA alumni back to campus on Thursday 24th May to share our successes, offering alumni a chance to learn about new topics at our free workshops, culminating in an exclusive Black-tie dinner supporting the Jill Poole Foundation and hosted by our Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Alec Cameron and Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean Professor George Feiger.
New home for our Students’ Union In Spring 2019 the new all-purpose Students’ Union (SU) will open its doors – retaining the best of the existing services, but also adding new facilities to broaden its appeal in the heart of campus.
International office in Hong Kong
Our newly incorporated Aston Hong Kong, headed up by Dr Geoff Parkes, Associate Dean - International at Aston Business School, will develop global connections in the region including the opportunity to study a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) collaborating with our international partner Kaplan. If you are interested in completing a DBA please take a look at our web pages www.aston.ac.uk/dba. Alongside developing collaborative degree programmes in South East Asia, coordinating faculty exchanges, and joint research, the team will also provide extra support to our students studying in the region.
Aston Law School student success Prof George Feiger Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean
Aston Law School student Abigail Holden, was awarded the Thomas More Scholarship from Lincoln’s Inn one of four Inns of Court it will cover her fees, for the Bar Professional Training Course, and help her to qualify as a barrister. The scholarship award reflects Abigail’s intellectual abilities and her clear commitment to pursuing a career as a barrister following her application and interview before senior barristers of the Inn. Well done Abigail!
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ENTREPRENEURIAL ALUMNI STORIES OUR ALUMNI BUSINESS SCHOOL ENTREPRENEURS SHARE THEIR STORIES AND NEWS ABOUT THEIR ENTERPRISE SUCCESSES.
Vegetable samosa brings home the gold for Aston Business School graduate
Birmingham-based Indian food firm, Green Sisters, co-founded by Aston Business School graduate Reena Salhan (BSc International Business and Economics, 2016), has won a gold award for their ‘free from’ vegetable samosa. Sisters Geeta and Reena Salhan received the award in the ‘food manufactured for food service’ category in the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards – who promote innovation and excellence in ‘free from’ food outlets. Green Sisters was established due to challenges faced by the pair’s family. Geeta was medically diagnosed as a coeliac, meaning she has to eliminate gluten from her diet. The pair have now made it their business to ensure people who follow particular diets, whether by choice or for medical reasons, are able to eat high quality, authentic ‘free from’ food that they can trust.
Pictured above Reena (right) and Geeta (left)
Aston student crowned Young Entrepreneur of the Year Xiaohao Dai, current MBA student, has been crowned Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 in the UK-wide Confederation of Chinese Business Awards. The award was set up to recognise organisations and individuals who have made great contributions towards business cooperation between the UK and China. Xiaohao won the award for her business plan for an app that connects Chinese and English language learners together according to their level of ability. The app follows the ‘freemium’ model, where connecting with other non-professional learners is free but users can purchase time with a professional language tutor if they want to progress further. Xiaohao was presented with the award at a gala dinner hosted at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair, London in January. She was joined by three other Aston MBA students who were nominated in the same category – Jingjing Wang, Jing Shang and Yong Zhang. Congratulations Xiaohao!
Prize presentation at Aston Business School to Xiaohao Dai pictured in the centre with Dorian Chan (left).
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Online MBA colleagues now educate online
After completing the Aston MBA, Dr Jeelan Moghraby (MBA, 2015) has partnered with a fellow MBA, Florin Tampau (MBA, 2014), to establish her own educational technology platform, MondoScience. Here is their story. Before starting her business, Jeelan worked full-time as an Assistant Professor at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences in Saudi Arabia, where she spotted a gap in the educational technology market around science education whilst studying her MBA online. Jeelan combined her passion for science education and her new found experience of an online learning environment to give herself the opportunity to help more people learn this way.
We also asked Florin about the advice he would give to others looking to start their own business. Florin highlighted the following,
If I could offer one piece of advice to myself when leaving the MBA it would be to get involved in the start-up world.”
Florin, has a background in IT and Telecommunications and is Strategic Product Manager at Ericsson. With an entrepreneurial mind-set and coming from the digital transformation, cloud technology and business innovation sector, joining together on this project seemed the ideal collaboration for them. We caught up with Jeelan to ask how the idea for MondoScience developed. Jeelan described her experience, “We are in an age of technology where we use the internet as our primary source of information. In fact, I would be lucky if any of my students opened their books. Many students spend hours searching the internet for resources to help them understand different scientific topics. But some of these resources require a certain amount of background knowledge. I believe that everyone can understand science, but you need a good solid foundation of the key topics first. Once you have that, you can progress with more confidence. So, I provide courses focusing on each core element in biology and biochemistry.” When asked what aspects of their MBA helped them start a business. Jeelan added, “The MBA at Aston Business School also helped me build connections and friendships. I am still in contact with all of my MBA cohort, particularly, Florin Tampau as he’s joined me at MondoScience, helping to develop and execute ideas.” Chatting to Florin about his involvement with MondoScience, we asked, “You already have a full time role, why did you want to get involved in the entrepreneurial sector?” Florin commented, “I take initiative, motivate, drive and have meaningful impact through my work. Being curious and having a desire to continuously learn and develop is also something that characterizes me, and is important when starting a business. The broad technology and business understanding acquired over the years gives me an overall view on the business and its priorities. The MBA helped me to get that business knowledge which complemented very well the tech background. Working with Jeelan at MondoScience is motivating, rewarding and fun. We want to make a difference in the way students study science, giving them access to the right content and support. Besides learning so many new things in a start-up business you see the impact you have every day. All the effort you put in has a result on how the business is doing and we are proud we have built MondoScience in such a short time.
Picture above Florian (left) and Jeelan (right) INTERNATIONAL WOMENS’ DAY 2018 We celebrated International Womens’ Day in March by hosting a session with our Entrepreneurs. Pictured (left to right): Victoria Masso (MSc International Business, 2014) founder of Be-Origami, Rosie Ginday (Goldman Sachs, Alumni) founder of Miss Macaroon with our MSc Entrepreneurship team Dr Anna Rebmann and Dr Emma Folmer with current student Francisca Krabberod.
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CEO Q&A
I have built my character in living every day with the motto there is no substitute for hard work.�
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PRADEEP LAL COMPLETED HIS MBA IN 2001 AT ASTON BUSINESS SCHOOL Current role: Regional CEO at Vodafone Fiji Victoria Sheedy, Alumni Relations Officer, caught up with Pradeep not long after the announcement of his new role by Vodafone.
What does a regional CEO do?
“My role focuses more on stakeholder management and undertaking strategic mergers and acquisitions for Vodafone Fiji. I play a critical role in leading that vision for the organisation to drive the operational efficiencies and to assist the change to business to realise synergies. Develop strategies to increase penetration and market share, formulate, analyse and monitor performance to support the business plans across the ATH entities and crypto-currencies in the Pacific, and most importantly, create value for customers and shareholders.”
What do you enjoy about your current role?
“As part of a robust sector, transformational change and strategic thought and planning makes every day interesting. Additionally, leading a group of dynamic individuals always presents new opportunities to learn. Business entities that fall under my portfolio are situated in Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, Vanuatu and Kiribati and the majority are in the transitional phase. Being part of the journey to be able to revolutionise the ICT and telecommunications industry and be the change agent in connecting the Pacific is what makes my role more enjoyable.”
What personal qualities do you feel have made you successful?
“I have built my character in living every day with the motto of there is “no substitute for hard work.” You have to get up and work to achieve your dreams and goals. I live with the passion to make positive difference in my work every day. Having a creative imagination, boosted by strategic thought management has led me to my achievements.”
How has the knowledge from your MBA supported how you manage a business?
“With an undergraduate qualification in Finance, the Aston MBA has helped me cope with the challenges of the various jobs I have worked in over the years. It has up skilled me with strategic alignment, enhanced knowledge on business strategies and operational execution. It has provided me with a better understanding of the depth and breadth of business and provided a multiple discipline experience of business administration. Given that I am part of the telco industry; an industry that is dynamic and robust, I have continued to up skill myself. The MBA has provided me with that platform.” “The Regional Chief Executive Officer role requires strong strategic thinking capabilities along with having that strategic foresight to envision the future. Being that ‘change agent’ along with having leadership skills to engage appropriately within diverse business scopes, cultures, ideas and background and be able to adjust to various business environments has been underpinned by my Aston MBA.”
What would your advice be to other students considering the MBA?
“I would say that it is not an easy feat. You need to have a mindset to take on the challenges. The road is challenging but the end result is definitely going to be beneficial.”
What is your fondest Memory of your time at Aston Business School?
“Experiencing the diverse cultures and building life-long acquaintances with fellow students and academic professionals.”
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WAYS TO HELP! The Aston Business School Alumni Network has a lot to offer current students, recent alumni and established alumni looking to connect with the University. Hear from BBC ‘The Apprentice’ finalist Nick Holzherr and some of our recent alumni as to why they keep in touch with us in our new alumni video on our alumni home page: https://bit.ly/2LdjKfx There are many ways you can help Aston Business School. Here are a few examples of how some of our former students are helping out. SHARE YOUR STUDENT EXPERIENCE
ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD?
Recent graduates are ideally placed to share their experiences of Aston Business School with potential students, as one of our Global Ambassadors at local recruitment events, via social media and direct contact via Linkedin. To join our ambassadors please email abs_alumni@aston.ac.uk We would particularly like to hear from you if you live in Nigeria, China, Thailand, India, Pakistan and Indonesia.
Our students love to hear real-life experiences or hear the latest news from industry. So if you are an engaging presenter with a story to tell or insight to share our academics would love to welcome you back as a guest speaker.
Jinyue Yin (MSc Business and Management, 2018) ‘I am really proud to be an Aston graduate and pleased to share my Aston experiences with potential students in my country. I find it very rewarding.’ HIGHLIGHT YOUR CAREER INSIGHTS Secured your ideal Job? Could you help someone else get on the inside track? Then, you might want to help others succeed too as a Career Champion! Our Career Champions are available to current students looking for guidance from recent graduates who have secured roles in their chosen field. It is a great way to share your experiences of working life and support your organisation to recruit graduates like yourself. Maria Stoyneva (MSc Investment Analysis, 2016) Senior Analyst, Global Investment Solutions COO Operations at Deutsche Bank - My advice to students – ‘attend as many networking and career events as possible; be well prepared and ask questions.’
Here are some of our wonderful alumni that helped us last year, including: Dr Eva Eisenschimmel (BSc Business and French, 1984) Non-Executive Director at Virgin Money, Entrepreneurs; Nick Holzherr (BSc International Business and German, 2009) Founder of Whisk, Nick Coleman (BSc Public Policy & Management/Business Admin, 2004) founder of Snaffling Pig and Max Game (BSc Marketing, 2004) Founder of Bean2Bed. COULD A STUDENT HELP YOUR BUSINESS? Aston Business School is a trailblazer in the world of the integrated 12 month placement year and MBA consultancy projects offer full-time placement opportunities all over the world. If this sounds like an opportunity too good to miss the placement team are now looking for placement roles starting in summer 2019. Please contact abs_alumni@aston.ac.uk so we can put you in touch! Paul Jackson Managing Director, UV Light technology, (MBA 2017) “My MBA consultancy project students were fully committed and worked extremely hard to deliver a product that can be offered and sold to customers, increasing our competitive advantage.” We are also seeking real life case studies or consultancy projects for our current MBA students to work on from January 2019.
WORLD OF SUPPORT
COACH THE NEXT GENERATION As you progress with your career you might want to consider mentoring the next generation. We have a range of mentoring programmes aimed at the different stages of our students’ personal journey, so we need mentors with all experience and skillsets. If you can’t commit to a long period, we also have the option for a student to spend the day with you at your workplace. Tijana Bugarcic Lenoir (Part-time MBA, 2014) ‘The scheme gave me an opportunity to guide someone that was facing similar challenges.’
CONTINUED LEARNING We hold free lectures, update sessions and industry–led events so you can keep up to date with all the latest academic knowhow. Make sure you regularly check our events pages and social media for the most up to date sessions. www.aston.ac.uk/events 40 lucky alumni and Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) members learned about Branding at our workshop session on 24 April 2018 presented by Dr Keith Glanfield and the CIM. Like to learn more? Dr Keith Glanfield’s book ‘Brand Transformation -Transforming Firm Performance by Disruptive, Pragmatic and Achievable Brand Strategy’ is out now! Published by Routledge. To keep in touch and for more information on all these ways to help us please call us on +44 (0)121 204 4785 or email abs_alumni@aston.ac.uk or visit www.aston.ac.uk/abs/alumni
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WHY STOCK MARKETS CRASH – LESSONS FROM RECENT HISTORY WRITTEN BY DR ENRICO ONALI
Things got more complicated when computers were introduced.
Lecturer, Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship Group Aston Business School
This alone does not explain the extent of the crash. New regulatory restrictions may also have caused a lack of liquidity in the market, pushing down the price of stocks.
Stock markets around the world suffered sudden, heavy losses on February 5 and 6 2018. Following a 4.6% drop in the Dow Jones on the Monday, the Japanese Nikkei index fell by 4.6%, and European markets followed suit, with the FTSE 100 down around 2% in the first hour of trading on Tuesday. There was a rebound on February 7, but things remain turbulent. The phrase “when the US sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold” comes to mind.
Unlike with the 2016 flash crash, the market did not rebound immediately after the Black Monday crash. This suggests that it also reflected the fundamentals at play. Similar to the recent crash, the Black Monday crash was accompanied by expectations of interest rate hikes.
The main culprit seemed to be fears of inflation hikes in the US. If inflation is up, the government may soon start raising interest rates to contain it. And when interest rates increase, this reduces the return investors get on stocks, making them less desirable – hence the sell-off. This means that, historically, when interest rates rise, stock prices tend to decrease.
If stocks keep rising in price, but their fundamental values do not also rise, then they are overvalued and a bubble forms. This could be a result of speculation or technical traders who focus more on the price history of the stock and what the market is doing.
But markets do not only follow economic reasoning. They also follow human emotions and out-of-control algorithms. Here are some of the lessons from recent history’s big crashes. FLASH CRASH, OCTOBER 2016 If a crash is unrelated to the economic fundamentals, it will quickly be corrected. This was the case of the flash crash in October 2016 when the pound plunged by 6% against the dollar in a mere two minutes of trading. This phenomenon can occur because of large sell orders from computer program trading, which may lead to sudden drops in liquidity. A lack of buyers to match the large sell orders pushes the price down, making the market illiquid. In this type of crash, the market mistakenly believes that the sell orders are driven by new information on fundamentals, while it may be due to a wrong algorithm in a computer program. Once the market understands that the sell orders did not originate from genuinely bad news, stock prices should rebound. BLACK MONDAY, OCTOBER 1987 The biggest and most famous stock market crash is known as Black Monday, and took place on October 19, 1987. Stock markets around the world were hit, with the Dow plummeting 22.6% – still its largest one-day percentage decline. The Black Monday crash has been attributed in part to a large number of “stop loss orders” – orders that are in place to sell a security once it falls below a certain limit (to stop your losses). Computer programs, being used for large-scale trading, were relatively new to Wall Street at the time and they began to liquidate stocks as soon as loss targets were hit. A domino effect took place – when many investors submit stop loss orders simultaneously, this drags the price of stocks down, resulting in a crash.
BURSTING BUBBLES
The key here is that while many market participants may agree that stocks are overvalued, they may think that others are unaware of this and they can capitalise on it. But sooner or later there will be a correction, when stock prices fall in line with their fundamental value. This bursting is often preceded by a sharp increase in prices. The sudden drop occurs when the market suddenly realises that they have been mispriced, thanks to some new piece of information – the straw that breaks the camel’s back. There is also the effect of herd behaviour at play. Just as traders can buy stocks because everyone else is, traders can also follow the herd and sell, if they see everybody else doing so. This leads to a race to the bottom. This happened with the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s, which involved stocks of high-tech companies. Optimistic individual investors are thought to have created the bubble, based on unrealistic expectations on the future performance of dot-com stocks. But the bubble burst once large institutional investors started selling off their dot-com stocks, making individual investors quickly change their mind and leading to large sell-offs. When bubbles burst, stock prices will not rise to the previous level until the fundamentals improve again. There will be no immediate rebound, as the drop is a correction of a previous mispricing. The latest tumble in global stock markets does not appear to be a full on crash – yet. Following the volatility of February 5, stocks did rebound, but it is hard to say whether the trouble is over.
(First published on The Conversation)
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IS 2018 THE END OF BITCOIN? DR JOHAN REWILAK Joint MSc Investment Analysis Course Director Aston Business School
It has been a turbulent time for Bitcoin since the turn of the New Year. Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency was once deemed the future of the financial world. Whilst in terms of its volume, it has never even dented the world vehicle currency (US Dollar), but there was optimism about its huge growth potential. The appeal of Bitcoin led to an upward price trajectory and the mysticism behind it further fuelled its growth. Questions lingered about its inventor, and there is still debate on whether the true founder really is Elon Musk even to this day. The ingenuity behind Bitcoin, using its anonymity also led to it powering the shadow economy with those wanting to go unnoticed by the authorities further adding to its demand. This surge in demand led to huge increases in its price. These surges in price have been matched by dramatic falls in its value, and some reductions approaching 20% per day in 2018. The sharp peak in such a short period of time makes you wonder whether Bitcoin will only be remembered in the future as a speculative bubble. Whilst the recent dotcom bubble of the new millennium as well as several housing markets have been the latest to burst, the assets have not matched the multiples in prices that Bitcoin has achieved in such a short space of time. What is more impressive, the bubble has seemed to eclipse that of Tulipmania in the 1600’s. As they say, what goes up, must come down, and it may be the beginning of the end of Bitcoin. Policymakers and Central Banks to a certain extent have left Bitcoin alone where no mass effort was extended to try and control the cryptocurrency. It was as if they were waiting for the problem to cannibalise itself, something that seemed to be the case in early 2018. That being said at the time of writing (April 24) there has been a mini recovery in Bitcoin’s price. The value of Bitcoin has rallied back to $9,000 and the Bitcoin enthusiasts are hoping this bullish run is not just a shortterm phenomenon. With numerous sales merchants in east Asia and other emerging markets accepting Cryptocurrencies as payment the Bitcoin fanatics have reason to cheer. But what is being sold in such markets? The anonymity of the peer-to-peer system, is said to be one of its strengths, but it is also one of its greatest weaknesses. As Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman states, “Cryptocurrencies are useless - unless you are buying/selling drugs or arms.” Krugman strongly believes, for all other transactions the current financial system, which uses a third party (our financial institutions) works perfectly well. Indeed, Lloyds Banking Group prevent their customers from purchasing Cryptocurrencies via their credit cards and many Asian regulators have shut down Cryptocurrency services due to the fears of criminal use as pointed out by Krugman. That leaves us with the question, will 2018 indeed be the end of Bitcoin? The next few months will certainly be interesting but with numerous advocates and opponents pleading their own cases, I think that decision is best left to the speculators.
CROWDFUNDING HELPS STARTUP OFFERING MECHANICS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
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Mechanlink, inspired by a road trip on one eventful summer evening in 2015 by Faruk Ojikutu, current BSc Accounting for Management student, and his brother Fawaz were on their way home from visiting their aunt. Fawaz was driving a used hatchback and had noticed smoke emerging from the bonnet. Immediately they parked on a side road to identify the problem and concluded that professional assistance was needed. After searching for mechanics in the vicinity of their breakdown, the only mechanics on offer were either busy or offering their services at exorbitant prices. The thought of this happening on a day-to-day basis to fellow road users, inspired Faruk’s idea to create a mobile application to connect vehicle owners to mechanics in their local area, offering quick and competitive pricing for mechanical and body work. After success in setting up the Mechanlink app on both Android and IOs Faruk engaged Go our new crowdfunding platform, to look for additional investment to take the app to the next stages and manage the start-up business as a full–time occupation for his accredited Placement Year at Aston Business School. Faruk said, “As a current accounting student I feel I have used all my taught modules to build my business supported by the guidance of BSEEN, I established the tools, connections and techniques to start Mechanlink from my initial idea to first product stage. Starting my own business has not been without its challenges and I have had to be very resilient and determined in my approach to engage mechanics with my free app and as a result it is now ready to go to the second stage of development. I am really excited to see where Mechanlink will go!” We launched our ‘Crowdfunding Platform’ early this year and promoted Mechanlink as one of its first round of funding opportunities at https://go.aston.ac.uk. Faruk has now secured his funding and is looking forward to working with his investors to deliver their rewards alongside completing a very successful placement year working on his own business. Geoff Savage, Head of Individual Giving in the Development and Alumni Relations office said,
We are very pleased with the response to the new crowdfunding platform and delighted that the first two student-led projects have both met their primary targets.”
If you have a student-based project that could utilise crowdfunding please do contact Mariya Kauser in the Development and Alumni Relations team for more information on alumniinfo@aston.ac.uk
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ALUMNI NEWS MBA ALUMNUS PAUL BURGESS RECEIVES AN MBE Paul Burgess, CEO of the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN), has been formally appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2017. Paul (MBA, 1987), has been the CEO of the BACN since 2014, and receives the honour for his services to people with disabilities and the community in Birmingham. Paul has spent more than 35 years working in a voluntary capacity in the West Midlands where he has worked with hundreds of community groups.
BIRMINGHAM YOUNG PROFESSIONAL – FINANCE FINALIST
BOLLYWOOD ACTOR LULIA VANTUR LAUNCHES DESIGNER WEDDING STUDIO AZARA FOR ASTON GRADUATE Aditi Kumar, (MSc International Business, 2018) a passionate fashion designer, has recently opened designer wedding studio ‘Azara’ in Lucknow, India, showcasing local craftsmanship and designer branded dresses, sarees, Indo-western dresses and wedding lenghas.
Chris Taylor (BSc Managerial and Administrative Studies, 2005) was recognised as a Birmingham Young Professional of the Year - Finance Category Finalist celebrated in May 2017. Chris is currently Transaction Director at Assays Corporate Finance based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter and Investment Director at Jaspers Private Equity, after starting his career at PWC in 2005. This year, our member of staff Beth Sadler, CED Business Relationship Manager, has been named as a Marketing Category Finalist.
RECENT GRADUATE BOOSTS BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE UNIT AT THE IABM Abirah Aziz, (BSc International Business and Economics, 2017), has recently been appointed to the newly-created position of Assistant Research Analyst by IABM, strengthening their Business Intelligence Unit.
ASTON BUSINESS SCHOOLS’ ENTREPRENEURIAL RENEWABLE ENERGY ALUMNA After coming to study at Aston Business School at eighteen from Kazakhstan, Ainel Segizbayeva (BSc Human Resources Management, 2009), is now a leading renewable energy specialist running her own renewables business in Malta, DASH Technology.
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MAKING GLOBAL CONNECTIONS JOIN US AT OUR EVENTS IN THE CITIES WE TRAVEL TO REGULARLY EACH YEAR. RECEPTION IN BEIJING, SHANGHAI AND HONG KONG
RECEPTION IN SYDNEY IN MARCH
Honorary Graduate Professor Charles Li (PhD Strategic Management and Policy Studies, 1991), Associate Dean International Dr Geoff Parkes and Executive Director of Campaigns Andrew Harris hosted three drinks receptions in China.
Professor Simon Green and Professor Frank Austermuhl visited alumni and shared some reflections on Brexit. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL NETWORK ALUMNI RECEPTION IN SINGAPORE IN MARCH Hosted by QUT and our Associate Dean - International Dr Geoff Parkes gave the alumni from the partner universities an opportunity to get to know each other and grow their local network. ASTON IN JAKARTA IN MAY Pro-Vice-Chancellor International - Saskia Loer Hansen and Associate Dean International Dr Geoff Parkes hosted a reception for alumni, business and partners building positive relationships across the region.
LOOK OUT FOR YOUR EVENTS BULLETIN EACH MONTH (IF YOU AREN’T RECEIVING THESE CONTACT US AT ALUMNIINFO@ASTON.AC.UK TO UPDATE YOUR DETAILS)
CANADA BEIJING BOSTON
NEW DELHI
HONG KONG
BANGKOK HO CHI MINH
MUMBAI
L AGOS NIGERIA
SHANGHAI
SINGAPORE
BANGALORE JAK ARTA
For all our latest alumni events visit www.aston.ac.uk/alumni/events or visit www.aston.ac.uk/events for all our university activity.
SYDNE Y
WE HELPED OUR ASTON BUSINESS SCHOOL POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS TO CELEBRATE THEIR POSTGRADUATE DEGREE CONGREGATIONS AT THE END OF MARCH.
WWW.ASTON.AC.UK/ALUMNI