NUBusiness Issue 11

Newcastle University Business School Magazine | www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs

Issue 11: Spring/Summer 2011

To be regionally rooted, nationally influential and globally respected

We Are Evolving In this issue: David Goldman Visiting Professor for Innovation

Engaging with students, alumni and business pg13

Welcoming Tom Maxfield pg 07

Do you remember the time?

A glimpse into the memories and experiences at Newcastle University Business School pg 11

Enough, For All, Forever How Newcastle University Business School is supporting the University’s second societal challenge: sustainability pg 15

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Introduction

From the Director’s Desk

In this issue

Professor Ian Clarke

Welcome to the 11th edition of NUBusiness. As the front page suggests, this issue of the magazine coincides with a critical phase in the Business School’s history.

By the time you read this, we will be days away from the ofďŹ cial handover of our new building. This marks a climactic moment for the Business School, and the University as a whole.

As we move conďŹ dently towards a new era, we understand the challenges ahead of us, are clearer than ever before on our future aspirations, and cannot wait to become permanent residents in our new home.

We have seen great momentum build in a number of areas recently and with each passing day I have witnessed small but signiďŹ cant steps being taken towards our goal of being a world-class institution.

There are, of course, many areas in which our work is innovative, thanks to our brilliant and talented faculty and its research outputs, as well as our alumni and partners who, by association and through collaboration, make us very proud of our shared achievements in both the academic and corporate environment.

2011 promises to be a lively year in the School’s development. Recently, we have recruited a record number of MBA students for the academic year; welcomed a new Director of MBA Programmes, Julie Hodges (page 23); announced the appointment of three faculty Chairs in Economics, Accounting, and Strategy, as well as Tom MaxďŹ eld as this year’s David Goldman Visiting Professor of Innovation & Enterprise (page 7).

You will notice that the news sections in this edition focus heavily on employability and commercial development. We are more aware than ever of the need to promote skills in our students and faculty that make a difference to people’s lives as well as companies’ success.

The Herbert Loebl Export Academy (page 5) is a great example of this work and I am extremely proud of our ability to offer such valuable insights.

To ensure the Business School looks fresh from every angle, and reects fairly to the outside world, we have also embarked on a review of our marketing materials, including our website and associated online activity.

What results will be an updated ‘look and feel’ to everything we do, including NUBusiness which, after 11 editions, is ready for a makeover.

I would like to whole-heartedly thank our Head of International Relations, Sharmishta ChatterjeeBanerjee, who has, until this edition, assumed responsibility for editing NUBusiness, in addition to her other time-consuming work.

We are in the process of recruiting a communications team to bolster our aims as a world-class Business School, and therefore the next edition will be edited by a new Head of Communications.

Finally, a reminder that we are awaiting the outcome of the submission of our plan to The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) which, if accepted, will put the School on track to obtain elite ‘triple-accreditation’ status (AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB) in the near future. Adding this to our record of achievements for 2011, in a year where we are both doing the ‘day job’ and running hard to raise our standing, I am certain that we will look back on the year as a truly momentous one for everyone associated with the Business School.

07

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11

Do you remember the time?

For anyone who has ever studied at university, you will know there is no other experience quite like it

17

Prestigious business course scholarships awarded

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Special thanks to the Editorial Board and our hard working team at SUMO. Image credits: pg05 ncjmedia, pg13 Chris Auld, iStockphotography.com: cover page, pg03, pg08, pg19, pg27

01 NUBUSINESS MAGAZINE Spring/Summer 2011

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Contents

09

10

Groundbreaking study into health and social care

Newcastle University %XVLQHVV 6FKRROҋV vision to become a ZRUOG FODVV LQVWLWXWLRQ

School awarded £2m social care project

Shaping the future

13

15

Engaging with students, alumni and businesses

This year, the University launches the second of its societal challenge themes: sustainability

We are building D ZRUOG FODVV business school

Enough, For All, Forever

21

23

The value of international work experience

Dr Julie Hodges, the %XVLQHVV 6FKRROҋV new Director of MBA Programmes

A round table discussion

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Full contents 03 News 07 Welcoming Tom Maxfield, David Goldman Visiting Professor for Innovation 09 School awarded £2m social care project 10 Shaping the future 11 Do you remember the time?

13 We are building a world-class business school 15 Enough, For All, Forever 17 Prestigious business course scholarships awarded 19 Research focus: quantitative methods of addressing financial and general macroeconomic questions

21 A round table discussion: the value of international work experience 23 Profile: masters of business 25 Book review: Lustrum 26 NUBusiness bites: tips, stats and things to try 27 Alumni: working to achieve a responsible business world with a global perspective 29 Alumni: events 31 Alumni: archive 33 Events: NUBusiness briefings

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News

Knowledge sharing Business School staff are playing their part in leading, shaping and developing successful, regional businesses and their efforts are visible to see.

Executive MBA programme academic director, Joanna Berry has recently returned to work at the Business School after being given a two year break to assume the role of Chief Operating Officer at Newcastle based company, Inkspot.

Career development week The Business School recently held a week-long careers event for undergraduate students.

Career Development Week was launched with the aim of helping students to develop their employability skills in today’s challenging graduate jobs market and to gain an insight into possible career options available to them.

During the week many high profile employers such as IBM, HewlettPackard, L’Oreal, Ernst and Young, Aldi and Price Waterhouse Cooper were on campus to deliver presentations and provide students with useful hints and tips on how to get a graduate job.

In addition, a number of workshops delivered by staff from the Business School and Careers Service took place to help students, covering all aspects of looking for and applying to jobs, including: Entrepreneurship and Starting your own Business, Preparing for Assessment Centres and Placements and the Erasmus Scheme.

The week also included a Professional Qualifications and Postgraduate Study Fair which welcomed 10 professional bodies including the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

The week was a huge success with over 1100 undergraduates in total attending the sessions with fantastic feedback received from both the students and employers taking part.

It is envisaged that this will be the first of many Career Development Weeks to be delivered by the School in the future.

Joanna Berry said, “Taking a two year break from my work at the Business School has given me an amazing opportunity to work with a truly innovative company whilst allowing me to bring back a wealth of knowledge and experience to the University, the School and my students.”

The Business School supports its staff in such endeavours and is supportive of global collaboration which is often necessary for projects to succeed. It seemed appropriate therefore that Joanna Berry share her knowledge with a business, such as Inkspot, which aims to help companies with projects that need collaboration between people around the world.

She continued, “Inkspot has produced a system that allows collaborators to edit the same document from anywhere in the world and keep track of who made changes and when it happened.

This is an amazing platform that helps people develop interesting ideas to either build a reputation or start a business.”

The company was shortlisted for Best Use of Technology at the 11th Annual North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and the future for Inkspot looks global.

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School graduate launches website to land job Business School student Kyle Clarke, BA (Hons) Business Management 2010, has wasted no time since graduating to find employment. By using his initiative and entrepreneurial flair he has come up with a creative way to attract potential employer’s attention – he advertised himself on the internet.

Instead of wading through hundreds of application forms like the rest of the country’s new graduates, Kyle decided to get the companies to come to him and he set up his own website, www.employkyle.com to advertise himself to employers across the globe. The site sets out Kyle’s mission to find a job, provides prospective employers with information about his employment history, skills, hobbies and education and explains the type of role he is looking for.

Having already received a number of offers from major businesses ranging from multi-national corporations to SMEs and individual entrepreneurs (enquiries have even come in from household names including PepsiCo and Next Retail Ltd.) it seems Kyle’s imaginative approach has made the Business Management graduate stand out from the crowd in the current competitive job market.

Kyle explains, “I decided I needed to come up with something that really made me stand out and so the idea to auction myself online grew.

“Unlike a lot of graduates I’ll admit that I’m not 100% sure what career I would like to move into, but by creating the website and generating interest from potential employers I hope to find the perfect role for me.”

The site, which set out information about Kyle’s CV, personality and ideas, quickly snowballed with over 4,000 visitors from 80 countries.

Kyle recently got in touch with the School to let them know that, due to his innovative website, he secured a role as the Digital Marketing Manager for a company called The Knowledge Labs. Not only has he been given a fantastic opportunity to develop his career, his new employment has taken him to New York City.

Tristan Alltimes, Alumni Relations Manager of Newcastle University Business School said, “We are incredibly impressed by Kyle’s innovative approach to tackling the job market. It isn’t an easy time for graduates looking for employment but it just goes to show that with the right mindset, enthusiasm and entrepreneurialism, graduates can make a big impression on the business world.”

As Kyle sets off in his new dream career, many more graduates will be trying to work out how they can build on the trend that Kyle has started. Kyle has posted on his website that he is happy to help people who decide to take a similar path to him.

Kyle was one of three Newcastle University Business School students to represent the UK in the final of the 2010 L’Oreal International Brand Manager competition in June 2010.

Competing against 43 other countries, Kyle and his fellow business school students pitched their ideas in Paris for their marketing campaign and communication strategy for a proposed new product after beating 11 UK finalists to represent the country.

just goes to show that with the “ Itright mindset, enthusiasm and entrepreneurialism, graduates can make a big impression on the business world.

”

ABC and ICE students visit St James’ Park The Business School is proud of its strong links with industry, ‘live’ projects and experienced entrepreneurs. It also counts itself as one of the few top-ranked, worldwide, Business Schools that offer unique and innovative Master’s programmes, such as the MA in Arts, Business and Creativity (ABC) and the MSc in Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE).

As such, the Business School is dedicated to providing its students with the opportunity to listen to practitioners and guest speakers and engage with a wide range of local and regional businesses.

Last month, as part of the ‘Integrated Business Networking Events’ the Business School took students from both these programmes to visit the city’s football stadium, St James’ Park and meet with Miss Kate Bradley, Head of the Newcastle United Foundation.

The Foundation is an independent, registered charity, supported by Newcastle United Football Club, and staff and students from the Business School were given a tour of St James’ Park and a presentation on NUFC’s social corporate responsibility activities.

Dr. Panos G. Piperopoulos, Degree Programme Director for the MA in Arts, Business and Creativity at the Business School said, “This has been a great opportunity for our students to meet with a regional business and hear first hand of their experiences and challenges within industry.”

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News

Herbert Loebl

The Herbert Loebl Export Academy 2011 The Business School is delighted to continue its work with Dr Herbert Loebl to deliver the Herbert Loebl Export Academy. Delivered in partnership with RTC North and UKTI, the Herbert Loebl Export Academy represents an opportunity for businesses that have not exported before to explore the potential for export, develop their export plans and help to grow their business.

The Academy will provide access to a series of participative workshops, case studies and mentoring for a selected cohort from regional businesses. The finale of the Academy will be an event open to all businesses to support exporters in the region.

This event will be developed by the Business School in partnership with the Academy participants and will specifically address the real needs of regional firms, reinforcing the School’s commitment to being ‘regionally rooted’ with impact on an international scale.

Academy participants are encouraged to attend all workshops which began in February. Topics to be covered in the workshops include market selection, choosing a distribution strategy and managing export finance. The Academy will be a small cohort which will allow opportunities for great interaction with the speakers and each other to build an export community.

Herbert Loebl

The mentors involved will give the participants their first hand insights on their own experience of international business and share tricks of the trade to help the Academy participants to realise their business’ export potential.

Professor Ian Clarke, Director of the Business School said, “The Export Academy is a great opportunity for local businesses and is made possible through the donation to the Business School from alumnus Dr Herbert Loebl.

“Herbert’s lasting legacy to small to medium sized enterprises in the region will be to provide them with the lessons he wishes ‘somebody had taught him’ when starting up his own business.”

Herbert learned the hard way, but his company managed to successfully grow by working from under a small railway arch in Newcastle in 1951. Starting with only £200 worth of capital, Dr Loebl became an internationally significant manufacturer of electronic and scientific instruments as well as employing over 400 members of staff.

Dr Herbert Loebl, an alumnus and honorary graduate of Newcastle University, founded the Joyce-Loebl Electronics and Scientific Instrument Group and has played a leading role in developing the economic fortunes of the North East region.

At the 2010 North East Business Executive of the Year Awards ceremony he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Herbert Loebl has been widely decorated at home and abroad for his commitment to industrial development, and to the education of his employees. He was awarded an OBE in 1973 for Services to Exports, the Citizen’s Medal of the city of Bamberg in 1996, the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1997 and the Bavarian Order of Merit in 2001.

Newcastle University Business School is proud to continue working with Dr Herbert Loebl.

For more information please contact Jenny Hasenfuss, Engagement Support Coordinator, Newcastle University Business School T: + 44 (0) 191 243 0833

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Freedom from command and control: a better way to make the work work The Business School, together with co-hosts the North of England Transformation Network (NET2), held an entertaining, controversial but informed talk with John Seddon.

Once described by the Daily Telegraph as a “reluctant management guru”, he has become arguably the leading critic of what he calls ‘command and control’ management. He’s made it his goal to change the thinking behind it, taking on the principles and practices that form the basis of the prevailing style of management; the prison in which most of us work every day.

An outspoken opponent of bureaucratic ‘tick-box’ management, Seddon prescribes in his own eloquent, forceful and often humorous style eliminating many features of the modern organisational landscape, whatever sector you’re in, including: > Scrap benchmarking – “the fastest route to mediocrity” > Scrap managing budgets and people – “because managing costs causes costs” > Scrap all targets – “they become the de facto purpose”

> Scrap inspection – “an expensive way to ensure people do the wrong thing correctly” > Scrap call centre factories and shared back-office services – “costs more and makes service worse” Instead, John believes the alternative is for real management to take a ‘systems view’ to the design and management of work that works better and leads to improved results, faster, saving money and delighting customers and employees at the same time.

Laurence Ferry of the Business School said, “I am delighted that the Business School offered senior executives from across the private, public and third sectors this great opportunity to engage with John Seddon directly. After the event, many people commented that they found his approach to be a thought provoking and innovative alternative to more traditional ideas of management.”

For more information visit: www.thesystemsthinking review.co.uk

John Seddon

2010 Emerald/EFMD outstanding doctoral research awards success Newcastle University Business School’s lecturer in Accounting, Dr Jane Gibbon, has been announced as the highly commended award winner of the 2010 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards in the Interdisciplinary Accounting Research category. This category was sponsored by the Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal.

Emerald Group Publishing Limited, publisher of international business and management journals, and the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) are sponsors of this Annual Award where there were 234 submissions from 46 countries from over 200 Universities.

Dr Gibbon’s research, ‘Enacting social accounting within a community enterprise: actualising hermeneutic conversation’ was completed at the University of St Andrews.

More information on these Awards can be found at the following websites: www.emeraldinsight.com www.efmd.org

Banking on sound financial advice A Business School legal expert has been sharing her expertise with North Africa’s financial sector.

The University continues to improve its status internationally as a fair-trade institution by encouraging volunteer activity from staff that draws on their academic research.

Joanna Gray, Professor of Financial Regulation undertook an overseas assignment in a five-day volunteer placement with the Financial Services Volunteer Corps in Rabat, where she offered advice and guidance to the Moroccan capital markets regulator.

Being invited to contribute to one of these projects is an honour usually reserved for US academics. Joanna’s fellow volunteers were a Harvard MBA and current Director of AIG Savings Bank and a former Head of Risk Management for a major global banking group with many years of both Wall Street and international financial sector experience.

Professor Gray said, “It’s particularly rewarding to do something like this when most people think your field of research doesn’t have a huge influence on the developing world.

In fact, a resilient and trustworthy financial system is crucial for a country’s economic development.

“The UK and the US both have a lot of experience of dealing with problems in the banking industry and it was interesting to be able to show them where we went wrong and how to learn from our mistakes.

“I enjoyed putting a practical application to the area of law I work in. I think it’s important for academics to keep in touch with current issues in their field as things move so quickly that it’s all too easy to get out of touch with what’s happening on the ground.”

Although it was an intensive 12 hour work day during her time in Morocco with the FSVC’s core work concentrating on strengthening commercial banking systems, developing central bank capabilities, and building capital market, Professor Gray did manage to raise the international profile of the Business School and also fit in lunch with the US ambassador and his wife.

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Features

Welcoming Tom MaxďŹ eld, David Goldman Visiting Professor for Innovation 07 NUBUSINESS MAGAZINE Spring/Summer 2011

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Features

like being kept on my toes, which is why I love “ Iworking with young businesses. They may have an absolute gem of an idea, but not really worked out the strategy.

”

Tom Maxfield is one of the North East’s most celebrated entrepreneurs.

Perhaps best known for his defining role in the Sage Group plc, now one of the biggest IT companies in the world, Tom went on to establish a portfolio of the UK’s most acclaimed hotel and spa destinations, including Seaham Hall, the only AA five-star hotel in the North East.

The great news is that Tom has just been announced as the Business School’s David Goldman Visiting Professor of Innovation & Enterprise, a post created, via an endowment from David Goldman’s family made in 2001, to commemorate the life and work of the co-founder of Sage Group plc, and to stimulate entrepreneurial talent from within the region.

Frankly, the role seems made for Tom: not only has he spotted and transformed lucrative business opportunities; he has also brought economic prosperity and recognition to the North East, just as David Goldman did when he founded Sage Group plc, where Tom, of course, played a pivotal role as Sales Director.

While Tom’s current commercial interests today do not add up to a ‘day job’, as he puts it, he still plays a vital part in nurturing entrepreneurial talent in the region, as a founder member and current Chairman of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, a non-executive director of The Amazing Group, and investor and chairman to two Newcastle-based high-tech start-ups.

‘I like being kept on my toes, which is why I love working with young businesses. They may have an absolute gem of an idea, but not really worked out the strategy, their brand, or how to market themselves. That’s where I come in – I ask the questions they maybe haven’t considered, and help them find their niche. I find that very exciting.’

Tom’s business credentials aside, his strong links to the Goldman family make him an even more natural choice for the Professorship in this, the endowment’s 10th anniversary year: ‘I’ve known Andrew and Daniel, David Goldman’s sons, for many years, since they were young boys.

They both live in Israel now but, when Daniel called me up and said that the family would like me to be the next Goldman Visiting Professor, I was extremely flattered. It’s a great legacy.’

Tom talks with laid-back conviction about his love of business, and it is clear from the sheer scope of his career to date that he thrives on the adventure a calculated risk offers.

It is this love of opportunism and risk that, Tom says, cannot necessarily be taught, but should be nurtured within a Business School.

‘A big part of my Goldman role will be encouraging a view of the bigger picture; in fact, one of the segments in Newcastle’s MBA programme is about identifying opportunities – that really appeals to me. It’s what I’m good at and where I believe I can really add value.

‘An MBA should give you all the skills you need to dissect and run a business, and that includes the softer, less quantifiable skills. For example, you might know your way around a balance sheet, but you might be missing the obvious questions, such as “How far can I take this brand?” or “What opportunities are there to grow this business in different directions?”.’

The importance of the next year is not lost on Tom, ‘I’m joining the Business School at a critical moment in its history,’ he enthuses. ‘As well as the outstanding new building, which will certainly boost the School’s profile, there are many challenges in the higher education market that the School can rise to. >

For more information on David Goldman Visiting Professor, please visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/business/goldman/currentvp.htm

> ‘I’m particularly looking forward to helping define some of the unique attributes of the MBA; we need to create a powerful, distinctive brand that people recognise instantly as being part of Newcastle University Business School.’

So, what lessons has Tom learned in his career so far? It’s a trite question, but one you have to ask in the company of someone who has achieved so much in a relatively short space of time.

‘I would say ignore too many calls for caution. Or when people tell you to take your time, don’t take too long, because by the time you’ve explored all the avenues, the opportunity has gone. Hold your vision, don’t compromise too much, and be completely focused.’

In the past Tom has certainly practised what he preaches, in terms of loyalty to a vision, no matter how daunting the challenge ahead.

‘When we bought Seaham Hall, it was completely derelict,’ he explains, ‘But right from the start, we knew we wanted a five star hotel, a Michelin-star restaurant and a world class destination spa. It was that conviction that kept us going, and eventually resulted in us realising our vision.’

Tom also advocates a good worklife balance, though his refreshingly relaxed persona belies a steely determination and incredibly focused mind.

‘Some people are workaholics, they live to work. Of course I enjoy my work, but it has its place. I like dipping in and out, finding the next exciting project, helping out where I can, and then moving on,’ explains Tom, ‘I’ve never been interested in ‘oiling the Swiss watch’, as it were; I’m much more interested in the early-stage stuff, in the buzz of starting up.’

Tom is sure to create a buzz of his own at the annual David Goldman Lecture on Wednesday 9th March, in the University’s Curtis Auditorium.

Tom takes over as the David Goldman Visiting Professor for Innovation & Enterprise from Will Dracup, Chairman of Nonlinear Dynamics and Biosignatures Ltd, and will work closely with Professor James Hayton, the holder of the full-time David Goldman Chair of Innovation and Enterprise.

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Features

School awarded £2m social care project Sarah Cossom

Newcastle University Business School has been selected to lead a groundbreaking study into health and social care provision for the UK’s ageing population.

Led by Professor Feng Li, the £2 million project will investigate how sustainable assisted living technologies and services can help older people remain independent in their own homes for longer.

“Our current health and social care institutions don’t have sufficient resources or capacity to keep up with our growing ageing population,” said Professor Li. “Demand on essential services is rapidly increasing and this is something we really need to be paying attention to.

Unless we make some significant changes in the next decade or so there are going to be serious problems.”

“However, we are fortunate to have a great deal of new digital technology at our fingertips which can create novel ways of dealing with this issue at the same time as reducing pressure on already stretched services.”

The sustainable business models the team are working on are expected to lead to new services that will save millions of pounds a year and also generate new business, by putting into practice what Professor Li refers to as ‘the i-Tunes effect’.

“Before i-Tunes came along the online music market was in a real mess,” he explained. “Very few people were paying for music they downloaded and there was no sustainable business model. It not only reinvented the way online music makes money, but also stopped it from being a fragmented market.

This is the kind of clarity we want to bring to assisted living technologies and services.”

The project follows a successful funding application to the government-backed Technology Strategy Board and the University will spend the next three years working with ten other partners from the private, public and voluntary sectors to come up with workable solutions.

“We have something very special here in the North East, with a broad range of expertise that is not currently joined up,” said Professor Li. “I hope that this project will bring these people together in a coherent manner to find sustainable ways forward.

Professor Li said there was “no single solution” to the problem. “We could just look at how to squeeze more out of the existing health and social care provision but that won’t be enough,” he said. “We need to look at other approaches as well to come up with new sustainable, scalable and workable solutions.”

The multi-disciplinary team will also look at what people want and what assisted living needs to provide for both today’s users and those of the future. For example, a person who has grown up with technology will have very different needs in 30-40 years time than someone approaching old age today.

“We must develop or design products and services people want and that we can afford to provide,” said Professor Li. “If it doesn’t make financial sense then it’s not going to work and if the user hates it then it’s not going to go far. To come up with a new approach we need to understand the user as well as the business.

“In the business world there is one dominant logic – you have to make more money than you spend. But this is far more complicated as you have to account for many different factors – one small thing going wrong can ruin the whole show.”

Funding health and social care is not just a UK issue, but a global problem. Professor Li’s team is hoping to come up with workable solutions that will create extra kudos for the UK on a global platform, alongside generating new job opportunities.

“I’m very excited about this,” said Professor Li. “It’s been about three years in the making and now we’ve been given the opportunity to do something that is likely to make a big impact.

“There’s a real chance that what we do over the next few years will improve the well being and quality of life of older people and those caring for them. It’s not about inventing lots of new technology – the generic technology already exists and can be adapted to fit – we just need to work out how to use this to develop discreet, affordable and sustainable solutions that people want to use.”

The project builds upon the University’s recent success in securing £12.6 million funding from the Research Councils UK to establish a Digital Economy Hub at Newcastle to investigate Social Inclusion through the Digital Economy.

“This new project will significantly extend our focus and enable us to investigate sustainable assisted living technologies and services in a holistic manner,” said Professor Li. Ends 9/2/11

Professor Feng Li

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Features

Shaping the future NUBusiness Team

Newcastle University Business School’s vision to become a worldclass institution is one step closer with the impending move into new £45m facilities at Downing Plaza.

The state-of-the-art, single-site complex, with a striking steel and glass structure, designed by Ian Simpson Architects, will unite the Business School’s world-class research, teaching, enterprise and innovation activities under one roof.

The new School headquarters will be located at the centre of business and commercial development in Newcastle providing a stunning gateway to Science City, the ambitious science, education and commercial hub planned for Newcastle city centre.

Both the building’s central location and unique flagship design will consolidate the School’s first class reputation and provide opportunities to develop and strengthen relationships between staff and students, as well as facilitating collaborative links between the School and the wider business community.

The new building will provide state of the art facilities including:

With all building plans and activities on schedule, and as the date to move site becomes imminent, School Director Ian Clarke said, “In the move to this outstanding new building, we are realising an ambition to provide a world-class destination for our students, staff, and partners.

“In many ways, the new building is symbolic of our outlook, and our ambition as a united team.

It represents a bold new direction – we now have one central, visually striking and contemporarily designed home from which we will move forward in our goal to be a world-class business school, in every sense. “ It is extremely gratifying to see the work being completed to schedule and I, for one, cannot wait to move in.”

Professor Chris Brink, ViceChancellor of the University said, “We are trying to reinvent the notion of a civic university, and place it within the knowledge economy.”

> Four lecture theatres and 21 teaching rooms located throughout building, providing comfortable teaching and group study space > A flexible and dedicated event suite with panoramic views across the city. Including state of the art audio-visual technologies

the move to this outstanding “Innew building, we are realising an ambition to provide a world-class destination for our students, staff, and partners.

”

> A dedicated postgraduate lounge and MBA suite, providing a balanced mix of study space, coupled with relaxed areas for break-out sessions and informal networking > An area designated specifically for our undergraduate students, designed for individual or group study > Wi-Fi enabled connectivity throughout the building, including three computer clusters housing 120 PCs > A spacious modern reception, featuring a coffee shop

NUBS on the move Handover to University 1st March 2011 Staff begin to move in Mid July 2011 Students arrive Late September 2011 Official Opening (provisional) January 2012

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Features

Do you remember the time?

Written by Rachael Morrison and Tristan Alltimes

For anyone who has ever studied at University, you will know there is no other experience quite like it. The mixed feelings of excitement, trepidation, anticipation of the challenge ahead and the development of a lifelong friends’ network are all part of the fascinating journey, in which everyone creates their own path.

Here at Newcastle University, there is a history of such experiences and many students and staff have created some wonderful memories over the years.

It was during the 1940’s and 50’s however that Management began to distinguish itself as an individual discipline where it’s importance as an academic subject was becoming realised.

Many of these have been created throughout our classrooms and lecture theatres in the many special buildings and facilities we have taught in on campus.

This led to the teaching of Management in the Department of Industrial Management, which was a department on the second floor room in the Stephenson building at Newcastle University, opening in the 1960s.

An academic colleague’s name that might have some memories for some graduates was John Bescoby who arguably was one of the first ‘management’ lecturers that the School had. John retired in 1998 and has sadly now passed away.

Citywall, the Business School’s current headquarters

In this edition of NUBusiness we pay homage to our past by speaking to many different staff and graduates to recognise and remember the special memories and places, which have played their part in forming Newcastle University Business School.

Some of you will know the Business School better in its previous three structures (pre 2002) of the Department of Accounting and Finance, the Department of Economics and the Department of Management, perhaps you even recall the departments that existed before this?

We hope to have captured some special moments to help you relive some of your own experiences of your time spent here in the various locations on campus.

The way we were…

The Business School has a long timeline, which starts from as far back as 1893 when bookkeeping was taught at an institution level.

Some years on from the 60s, Professor Colin Gallagher, Alcan Professor and head of the Industrial Management department, established the part-time MBA course, which was a great success, with the very first cohort of 1981 recruiting 24 students.

During this era in the School’s history, the Audio Visual equipment consisted of projectors and flip charts with the occasional Amstrad computer for members of staff.

Beverley Cornwall, initially employed as a Computer Technician and now the Business Schools Computing Officer, set up the Apricot mini computers, which were basically the forerunners for laptops that the students could use.

Due to the success of the part-time MBA course and the increasing numbers of experienced academic staff, the Full-Time MBA was introduced in 1987. The students attended their classes in a three-storey terraced house in Windsor Terrace (now student accommodation). Sue Wilson continues: “It was like a ‘soap opera house’ with narrow, creaky stairs that led to a small teaching room.”

Windsor Terrace

Some lessons at this time were held in newly refurbished teaching rooms in the basement where unfortunately facilities didn’t extend to canteens or vending machines. Sandwiches were often ordered in especially for the students. Around this time there were no more than 10 members of staff within the ‘Department of Industrial Management’ – over a 100 fewer than the number of staff we have in the Business School today.

The quantity of staff has certainly changed over the years but Ailsa Birkett a 1997 graduate explains how some things have stayed the same: “The Armstrong Building, which is still very much a part of the University’s history, is still the same today as it was when my father graduated from Kings College Durham, although it still has that ‘casual’ yet professional atmosphere.”

Dr. Ivan Weir, one of the Schools long serving academic members of staff who joined the University in 1967 as Lecturer in Economics, also reminisced about the university buildings as they used to be: “We had Oxbridge-style, high dining in the impressive university common room facilities on Barras Bridge (formerly Grand Hotel, now Blackwell’s and other establishments) – certainly a favourite location for both formal and very relaxed socialising.”

Sue Wilson, part-time MBA graduate remembers: “When we first joined the MBA programme, we were A photo of Dr. Ivan Weir (back row, second in from left) with students given our own little ‘portable’ from the BA (Hons) Business and Economics programme in 1986 computers that came in their After Professor Colin Gallagher’s retirement the Department own suitcase. These things were ‘big’ and I think a few people in our of Industrial Management moved to the Armstrong class didn’t know how to use them.” Building, being headed up by Paul Miller who, Beverly Cornwall states: ‘tried to introduce French lessons in How technology the department with Fifi, as well as encouraging the advances – shot of the staff in the Department of Industrial Management to ‘portable’ have coffee at 10.30am everyday with the students.’ computers

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Meanwhile, Economics moved from its home in the Percy Building (now lecture theatres and break-out rooms) to join Accounting and Finance at the top of Claremont Tower, which Dr. Ivan Weir said: “Had the best views over the Town Moor and all of Newcastle, even to the coast on a clear day.”

Percy building

During the days in Claremont Tower both staff and students were faced with the challenges posed by the Paternoster lift system, which was a health and safety nightmare on literally, every level.

The Paternoster, in addition to its basic meaning ‘Our Father’, derived its name from the word ‘Rosary’ due to the lifts’ resemblance to rosary beads.

Its continuous, looping chain of open compartments was an unusual sight to behold. Tim Purcell a BA (Hons) Economics 1983 graduate, describes his experience of the lift: “It was quite a thing, I remember ‘going over the top’ on several occasions, it used to take about 30 seconds to go up 8 floors and it was like being in a coffin – most odd!”

A photo of Claremont tower and of an old paternoster lift system

Due to the increasing size and popularity of both the Economics and Accounting and Finance departments, and to cope with demand, they were moved to different buildings.

Economics taking residence in the Ridley Building and Accounting and Finance moving into the Armstrong Building. Around the same time (2002) the 3 branches were unified into Newcastle University Business School.

Dr. Ivan Weir describes the issues that surrounded the move into the Ridley Building, which was inherited by the Psychology department. “We had the chaotic situation at the start of the third term with building work going on around us in both Claremont Tower and Ridley Building. Two professors even squatted in the shell of the old department at the top of Claremont Tower because a rumour apparently initiated by a mischievous psychologist led some colleagues to believe that the buildings were riddled with asbestos. Suffice to say the rumour was largely unsubstantiated.”

Susanne Laidler, a member of staff who joined the Business School in the year of the merge in 2002 and who is a current Postgraduate Programme Secretary, particularly remembers some of the students from this time including the three singing Greek boys who studied Human Resource Management and the moment a group of MBA students saw snow for the first time – excitement was not the word!

The Lindisfarne Room on Kings Road is perhaps another location on campus, which may sound familiar. Currently, it is used for a number of different activities including undergraduate congregations day receptions and postgraduate open days to name but a few.

However, in the past, it used to be the site for the University Ballroom where, according to Bev Cornwall, the MBA students used to have their Annual MBA Dinner: “I particularly recall one event where the Chairman of Durham County Cricket Ground was the guest speaker, and on another occasion Colin Gallagher (by this time, an Emeritus Professor) entertained us with a Northumbrian Pipe recital.”

The Kings Road centre on campus where the Lindisfarne Room is based

Ridley building 1973

Ivan continues: “Ridley building had some of the most unexpected premises – cage like cells and lightexcluding laboratories painted jet black on walls, floors and ceilings.

One even contained an abandoned full drum kit. We considered it an easy conversion to a gothic night club.”

Professor Ian Dobbs, another long standing member of staff at the Business School and current Professor of Business Economics and Finance, remembers some of the more ‘social’ events that the Departments were involved with: “We had an annual cricket match between Management and Accounting and Finance, where Accounting and Finance always won! It was held at Close House’s cricket ground in the beautiful countryside of Northumberland.

The Economics Department also used to play football against the Undergraduates, which was always a very enjoyable occasion.”

When asked about how the School buildings have been improved over the years, June Landless, General Assistant, who has been at the School for over eleven years commented: “Upgrading the Postgraduate coffee lounge in Armstrong building was a big improvement, the old, smaller room offered a more intimate setting but since the refurbishment the larger space allows students to be much more comfortable in a more relaxing environment.”

As we move into our brand new facility in September, we do not forget the buildings, which we have occupied and taught our programmes in, but for the large part we say goodbye to the old, traditional university buildings and say hello to a modern, unified, cutting edge business school facility.

“I think it is finally an appropriate facility for a very important School within Newcastle University”.

Sue Wilson One thing is for sure, there is a varied and interesting history to the Business School. There have been many special people who have played a part in its development and we look forward to building on our historical roots and welcoming more students and staff to join with us in building a new phase of history for Newcastle University Business School.

Close House, now a private country house hotel

Armstrong building on campus

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We are building a world-class business school

By Mary Haworth and Katie Harland

Innovative, accountable, performance enhancing, enterprising, transparent, responsible, relevant, challenging, responsive, reective, practical, transformational. These words all describe Newcastle University Business School.

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There is a reason why an increasing number of students, alumni and businesses want to engage with us.

It is our aim to develop extraordinary leaders and innovative and responsible managers for the future.

We need like-minded people to join us in imagining the future and then creating it.

Shared vision Building a world-class school involves creating a brand new state-of-the-art building which is located at the gateway to Newcastle’s Science City.

These surroundings are worthy of our international staff and student body.

They will also offer facilities for our business partners and the wider public. The new building opens its doors in September 2011.

We recognise that this development is taking place in the context of an economic recession, and which presents increasingly challenging times for our students. Nevertheless, we have to remain committed to enabling the best and brightest to receive a world-class education, and to providing them with opportunities to engage with real businesses and the wider community outside the classroom. We need your help to make sure this happens.

You are part of it As well as facilities a world-class school is about people. Our community includes students, academics and our graduates.

Building up support from our alumni is of course not made easy by the fact that Newcastle University Business School only came into being in 2002.

Very few of our Economics or Accounting graduates, for instance, or those who attended Newcastle School of Management before 2002, are aware that they are considered Business School graduates. It is obvious to us from the successes they have achieved and the values they promote that they are products of Newcastle University Business School, and we are keen to reconnect with these graduates and involve them in our vision for the future.

Being an alumnus of the Business School not only gives you access to the benefits we provide, such as invitations to our leadership speaker events, but also the kudos of being associated with a rising star in the world of business schools.

This is not just the opinion of the School’s staff and students, but one held by EQUIS, the world’s leading international accrediting body for business schools, which awarded accreditation to Newcastle University Business School in 2010.

A tradition of practical solutions Since 1893 Newcastle University has offered courses in management and business education and produced practical, relevantly skilled graduates.

The first course was book-keeping and was offered in response to local business needs. This is fundamental to the ethos of Newcastle University Business School: we pride ourselves on being responsive and enhancing performance within organisations.

The first Chair in Economics was established here in 1913, and the first endowed chair was sponsored

by Alcan in 1975. A number of other endowed chairs and scholarships have followed, including the Goldman Chair and PhD studentship in Innovation and Enterprise. The recently founded Benefactors’ Fund for Enterprise and Innovation aims to attract money to support a number of projects which will help spark innovation amongst our staff and students. It is our longer term goal to create a centre for enterprise and entrepreneurship as part of Newcastle University Business School.

The future isn’t written yet; help us write it It is said that International business schools are at the heart of successful cities and their regions. We can increase the rate of economic growth in the North East and improve the quality of life for those living here.

You can help stimulate research into enterprise and innovation, performance management, or managing financial risk and regulation, or support responsible and enterprising leaders of tomorrow.

You never stop being a graduate of Newcastle University Business School; please help us to make a difference.

Over the coming 18 months we will be asking alumni, friends and the business community to get behind our ambition to build a world-class business school, right here in the heart of Newcastle.

What matters most?

We need your help in the following areas: Academic posts: investing in world-class faculty and research Scholarships: supporting nascent talent

Entrepreneurial development: developing programmes to support businesses Research: exchanging expertise

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Events and Publications: enabling excellent engagement

People making a difference Past donations from generous benefactors have included: The Goldman Endowment: a £2 million endowed fund supporting the David Goldman Chair and PhD studentship in Innovation and Enterprise The Alcan Chair: a £600,000 endowment supporting the Alcan Chair in Management The Lomas Scholarship: a £1 million endowment fund supporting Economics studentships Benefactors’ Fund for Enterprise and Innovation: a joint gift from mother and son, Ann and Stuart Bailey, which aims to stimulate entrepreneurial activity

If you would like to know more about how you can help us please visit www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/support/ what/innovation

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Enough, For All, Forever Philippa Morrow

Newcastle University’s vision is to be a civic university with a global reputation for academic excellence. Key to realising that vision has been its focus on “societal challenge themes”, which is to say big challenges which affect our whole society; areas in which the University can make a difference through the provision of academic research that provides real solutions.

This year, the University launches the second of its societal challenge themes: sustainability. The aim of the theme is to not only raise awareness of the University’s established expertise in many aspects of sustainability, but most importantly to use its influence and relationships with industry, academia, students and alumni to achieve positive outcomes for a more sustainable future for all.

Newcastle upon Tyne has been named the most sustainable of the UK’s twenty largest cities for two years in succession (2009 and 2010) by the influential think-tank Forum for the Future. The Launch Year of Sustainability is an opportunity for all members of the Newcastle University community, internally and externally, and the city as a whole, to work together to showcase the area’s sustainability potential, with a view to building upon the city’s existing status, and to work towards becoming an international point of reference for sustainability best practice and solutions.

The sustainability challenge The challenge, however, is huge and the University recognises that only where there is consensus and active participation will positive changes result. The University has adopted a four-word slogan to capture the essence of the sustainability challenge: Enough, For All, Forever. ‘Enough’ implies a material sufficiency (though not wasteful excess); ‘For All’ evokes both social equity and consideration for the non-human inhabitants of shared ecosystems; ‘Forever’ signals respect for natural resource limitations as well as ensuring we preserve our planet for future generations.

The vision of ‘Enough, For All, Forever’ is the raison d’être of the Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability (NIReS) at Newcastle University, which is fostering inter-disciplinary research throughout and beyond the University community to deliver world-class solutions in the development of clean fossil fuels, renewable energy, water management in the face of climate change and the development of more sustainable modes of transport, to name but a few.

The Institute, under the direction of Professor Paul Younger, is leading the campaign.

“The University-wide focus on sustainability provides a boost to our existing efforts to deliver lasting solutions rather than merely analyse problems,” he explained.

“The pursuit of a ‘knowledge economy’ is much talked about in academia and government. We want to go a step further, pursuing a ‘wisdom economy’ in which knowledge is tempered by a principled commitment to ensuring that all beings – human and non-human – have access to sufficient resources in perpetuity.”

The Sustainability societal challenge theme programme for the launch year of 2011 comprises a diverse programme of events bringing together internationally acclaimed academics, business leaders, politicians, artists, and relevant trade bodies and institutions to present, debate and solve the challenges posed by the pursuit of sustainability. More details can be found on the NIReS site at www.ncl.ac.uk/sustainability/about/events.

Professor Younger adds, “While the University’s programme of events lies at the heart of this launch year for the theme, the sustainability challenge will remain a focus for years to come, as an issue around which the University will marshall its people and assets, putting the full force of the institution behind finding solutions to some very real challenges in feeding, watering and sheltering the world without destroying nature in the process”.

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A Principled Approach The Business School has committed to the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRiME), an international concordat that has evolved from the UN Global Compact, and is working towards implementing the six principles of PRiME: 1 Developing capabilities of students as generators of sustainable value; 2 Incorporating global social responsibility principles into our curricula; 3 Creating learning experiences that foster responsible leadership; 4 Engaging in empirical research that helps understand the impact of companies in creating and sustaining social, economic and environmental value; Professor Paul Younger

The campaign aims to deliver a number of measurable outputs. They include: > encouraging policymakers to reform the regulatory framework so that the real costs of carbon, water and other limited resources are priced into goods and services in order to ensure that the power of the market starts driving sustainable solutions.

High-profile campaign

6 Facilitating public debates between key societal stakeholders on issues relating to global social responsibility and sustainability.

> promoting a change in attitudes, encouraging us all to re-assess the impact of how we use and manage resources for the future.

To support the aims of the societal challenge theme, a high-profile PR and public affairs campaign will be delivered. The aim of the campaign, working with key partners such as Newcastle City Council, is to position the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, internationally, as an ‘urban laboratory’ for sustainability, leading the transformation of one of the world’s oldest industrial cities into one of the world’s most sustainable cities.

Campaign launch – Westminster

As the global birthplace of the industrial use of fossil fuels, the very name ‘Newcastle’ was adopted by many other towns and cities around the globe that played instrumental roles in driving their countries’ industrial revolutions.

As part of our commitment to the Sustainability Societal Challenge theme Newcastle University Business School is delighted to be working with Santander Universities and Procter & Gamble on the creation of an ongoing, annual programme of events for a range of audiences, including students, faculty staff, and the wider business community.

This initiative is designed to generate interest in the role of all businesses in sustainability.

All of the world’s old industrial cities face similar challenges if they are to evolve to be more sustainable. Key to the campaign, will be the ability of the University and its partners to engage other ‘Newcastles’ around the world in the campaign, by encouraging them to get involved in the quest to become the most sustainable cities that they can be.

5 Interacting with companies and managers to understand and meet sustainability challenges;

The campaign is being launched in late Spring 2011 at a major event in the House of Lords with leading academics, trade bodies, relevant companies, alumni and representatives from ‘Newcastles’ around the world.

The initiative will have international resonance, beginning with a gathering of civic leaders from other ‘Newcastles’ of the world. This will encourage a sharing of ideas and information, showcasing the efforts of all these ‘Newcastles’ to become leaders in sustainable development.

‘Business of Sustainability’ Week

The Business of Sustainability week will also seek to raise awareness of the role for policy makers in supporting the business community to behave in a sustainable manner.

Professor Ian Clarke, Director of the Business School said, “The need to promote responsible business practices is central to the Business School’s strategy”

Get involved From within the University: Those from within the University who feel that their work could contribute or add value to the campaign (or vice versa) should visit the ‘Enough. For All. Forever’ section of the NIReS website at www.ncl.ac.uk/sustainability/ engagement From within the business community: ‘Enough, For All, Forever,’ hopes to engage with a wide range of local and regional organisations and individuals who share a passion for making Newcastle as sustainable as it can be. Please get in touch and tell us how you are approaching the challenge of sustainability, either from the perspective of your own carbon footprint or as a company that delivers solutions to sustainability challenges. This information will be used to map the city and region in terms of sustainability assets, technology, services and solutions.

For more information on how to get involved, visit www.ncl.ac.uk/ sustainability/about

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Prestigious business course scholarships awarded Recent months have seen the Business School work together with the Journal newspaper and national business support organisation, the CBI, to offer a place on the School’s two-year Executive MBA course.

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sure the next two years will “I’m be challenging but very exciting.

I would like to thank the Journal, the CBI and Newcastle University for this fantastic opportunity.

”

Due to the high calibre of applicants, the School is pleased to announce that they have offered scholarships to two students.

“It’s been a few years since I was at university but I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn in one of top universities in the country.

Newcastle-based executive Ian Dinning and Northumberland-based social entrepreneur and business advisor Maggie Fitch are poised to start studying and take their business skills to a new level.

“The Executive MBA is an academic qualification that has a real business benefit. As you would imagine, the curriculum for the MBA is comprehensive. The great thing about the Executive MBA course is that I can apply my learning to real-life business situations.

Starting on February 1, the part-time programme will be delivered in three-day blocks throughout the academic year, and includes a five-day international management consultancy module. This will enable participants to spend a week working inside a global organisation, with previous placements at companies including Walt Disney and Thomson Reuters.

Both winners said they were honoured to have come through the selection process, but are also a little anxious about the prospect of returning to the world of study and exams.

Ian, 41, a sales support manager at Gosforth-based IT firm Technology Support Group, said, “It’s a great honour to have been awarded a scholarship at Newcastle University.

“I’m sure the next two years will be challenging but very exciting. I would like to thank the Journal, the CBI and Newcastle University for this fantastic opportunity.”

Maggie Fitch, 47, has launched a number of businesses and is currently employed as specialist social enterprise consultant at Business & Enterprise UK (formerly Business & Enterprise North East).

She said, “I have been a Prince’s Trust mentor for seven years and believe myself to be a good business coach. I have always completed a high level of continuing personal development throughout my career to keep current with all theory and am delighted to have won the scholarship at Newcastle University Business School to broaden my knowledge even further.”

Ian Dinning and Maggie Fitch

In an uncertain economy, everybody has a responsibility to ensure they update and enhance their skills. The School’s Executive MBA course offers an excellent opportunity for Maggie and Ian to challenge their abilities and learn new skills in a supportive environment. This will be of huge benefit to their employers as top-level management and leadership skills are in critical demand in the region.

Dr Julie Hodges, who has recently taken over as director of the MBA programmes, said, “We are delighted that Ian and Maggie will be joining the programme, particularly at a time when the School is growing and developing in the region, as well as nationally and internationally.

“Maggie and Ian bring a lot of experience to the programme, and their learning will be enhanced by our engagement with the business world as well as our international research.”

If you want to find out more, visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/postgrad/mba

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Research focus

Quantitative methods of addressing financial and general macroeconomic questions Professor Robert Hudson and Dr Robert Anderson

Latest research at the Business School draws together staff from both accounting and economics for collaborative working.

The Quantitative Research in Economics and Finance (QREF) research group draws together staff from both the accounting and economics division of NUBS, who have a common research interest in addressing financial and general macroeconomic questions using quantitative methods. Within the economics group, we bring together econometricians and theorists and have initiated a great deal of collaborative working.

Professor Robert Hudson currently leads the group. Having for many years been a senior practitioner in the financial services industry, Robert brought to Newcastle a wealth of experience and contacts from the industry. He is currently engaged with a number of staff from the QREF group in the analysis of the behaviour of individuals in response to financial data and products such as retail interest rates and credit insurance. The data which the interest rate analysis uses is one of the most complete surveys of UK financial products available, and is used by the financial press to produce the ‘best buy tables’ we all see frequently cited. Little analysis, however, has been done on this data aggregated across time – something the QREF group in collaboration with researchers at Bangor University is seeking to address.

Another member of the group is Dr Robert Anderson who has joined the team looking at retail interest rate data. Robert has a strong background in the analysis of large datasets having uniquely investigated US consumer inflation expectations data for his PhD. Robert says “I’ve learned that being pedantic about your data is a must – failing to understand the limitations and shortcomings of a dataset can seriously undermine any analysis which uses that data”.

One of the biggest tasks Robert has faced was building his dataset of US consumer inflation expectations data. As no-one had fully utilised the individual survey response data before, Robert was forced to combine over 168 individual datasets, each containing over 500 responses.

Robert says “This was a huge task and fraught with challenges. The way responses were coded along with how questions were asked change markedly over time”. His 14 years worth of month-data is the largest such dataset available, and as respondents are re-interviewed, uniquely allowed heterogeneity in consumers learning about inflation to be quantified.

The work was recently taken to an international audience of practitioners when Robert was invited by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to present his work to a special conference they were convening about consumer inflation expectations.

The conference drew experts in the field from across the world, from central banks as far away as Australia and India, from organisations such as the IMF and the RAND Corporation, and also a handful of academics.

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was going to be “ Ipresenting my work Professor Robert Hudson Robert Hudson is the author of a book on stock market investment, over forty refereed articles in leading international journals and a range of other publications and has presented at many universities and international conferences. He has also directed and chaired an international actuarial conference and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and a Chartered Mathematician.

He has extensive business experience in financial services. Before entering the academic world he provided actuarial consulting services to a large number of companies of all sizes and has subsequently directed research projects for a number of ‘Blue Chip’ commercial sponsors.

His main research interests are financial markets, the financial services industry, particularly pensions and insurance, and the financial behaviour of individuals.

Dr Robert Anderson Robert joined Newcastle University Business School in January 2009 having completed his PhD in the area of Applied Econometrics at the University of Manchester.

Robert’s primary research interest concerns the econometric modelling of US consumer inflation expectations as measured by the Survey of Consumer Attitudes and Behavior, administered by Survey Research Centre (SRC) at the University of Michigan.

As a consequence of this analysis, his research interests extend to (economic) learning and robust inference methods for time-series survey data.

More recently, Robert has been involved with joint work on the analysis of UK retail interest rates. As such, his interests now extend to measuring and quantifying performance (over time) of both financial products and institutions, and, more generally, the UK financial market.

to some of the top people in the field, people who are part of decisions which affect us all.

”

Robert says “I really couldn’t believe it when I received the e-mail inviting me.

To think that my work was known to central bankers in the US and that they were interested in inviting me over to one of the largest central banks in the world to discuss it with a group of experts– wow, what an opportunity!

I was going to be presenting my work to some of the top people in the field, people who are part of decisions which affect us all”.

Perhaps the reason for the interest in Robert’s work can be best summed up by the current governor of the Federal Reserve System, the umbrella which brings all the other Federal banks together, which along with the individual Reserve banks fulfils a role similar to that of the Bank of England.

He recently said that “an essential prerequisite to controlling inflation is controlling inflation expectations”.

Robert says “My work certainly helps to do that! It sheds light on expectation formation mechanisms, and shows that these are strongly influenced by both individual characteristics, such as age, gender etc. The work also finds that these characteristics play a significant role in how the forecast is updated, and that these updates generally lead to the forecast becoming more accurate.”

Now back from New York, Robert is buoyed by his experience. He’s currently working along with his co-authors at the University of Manchester towards publication of a number of papers on this theme and is excited to think that having only joined NUBS in 2009, he is already helping to build links with practitioners from across the world. It is exciting to think that Robert might well be helping to shape the way central banks control inflation.

Much of the research undertaken within QREF has important policy implications for governments and central banks, regulators and consumers. For example, the Financial Services Authority, the UK’s financial regulator has recently requested members of the group to give them a presentation about the findings of another research project on the potential exploitation of customers by the providers of retail credit insurance. The aim of the research group is to combine academic rigour with practical relevance. This theme will continue in 2011 when we hope more of our research will receive recognition for its practical significance to the finance and general economics field.

@ For more information visit www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/research/ centres/qref/ or contact Prof Robert Hudson, Professor of Finance robert.hudson@ncl.ac.uk Dr. Robert Anderson, Lecturer in Economics robert.anderson@ncl.ac.uk

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Discussion

A round table discussion: the value of international work experience Team NUBusiness

As competition for students intensifies and graduates struggle to seek employment how does the Business School use international work experience as a way to distinguish its programmes and benefit its graduates?

International work experience needs to be considered from the point of view of the student and how it may, or may not, be of benefit as well as from the point of view of those people and places involved and how the School might facilitate and support it.

John Leopold brings a panel together to discuss the value of international work experience.

Chair: John Leopold Deputy Director of School and Professor of HRM

Participants: Nils Braakmann Lecturer in Economics at the Business School. Current research: ‘The long-term impact of international experiences on objective and subjective career success’

Nicola Burnip Placement Officer at the Business School

Shelagh Cauwood DPD for Business Management and International Business Management at the Business School

Sharmishta Chatterjee Banerjee Head of International Relations

Sara Dews Final year Business Management student

Tonia Cook Institutional Coordinator at the International Office

Chair From the Business School’s point of view what should we be doing with regards to international work experience and do you think it would make the School more appealing?

SC I certainly think that international work experience is something employers would look at very favourably and it is something that would make our students stand out from those who haven’t had the option of studying or working abroad.

NB I think when you study and live abroad it allows you to develop a lot of skills that are valuable to an employer such as independence, confidence and the ability to adapt to different cultures.

SD Before I went away I was petrified of doing presentations.

The Swedish encourage presentations and group work – I did so many and developed these kinds of skills. It wasn’t just about what I was doing and what I was learning, but more about the fact that I could transfer it back to interviews and assessment centres.

JL Do you see a difference between yourself and the people who haven’t done what you have done?

SD Yes, a massive difference.

A lot of them haven’t done any kind of formal presentation over the three years and, at assessment centres, you will have to prepare a presentation and deliver it, or you may have to work in a group. I feel like my skills around this area have developed massively. I’ve been looking at my ERASMUS diary and graduate skills work and I have so much more than I did at the start, I can tick a lot of things off my list that I couldn’t have previously.

NiB I can offer some relevant statistics here which apply to Germany but can give an indication of the value of work experience overseas. Of the individuals that studied the same subjects, achieved the same final grade and secured very similar jobs in terms of entry wages; those that went abroad had an earnings advantage of between 200-700 Euros per month after five years. That’s roughly between six per cent and 23 per cent.

JL Nils, was that statistic maintained over a period of time?

It wasn’t just an initial figure?

NiB No, initially they were equal, worked in the same industry, had roughly the same job, earned the same income, but after five years you see these very big differences. They are also more satisfied, so there is a clear quantitative indicator that implies the value of international experience.

You have to be careful because it is a different country and different type of international experience but it has the same mechanisms.

JL What type of advantage does this have to careers and employers?

NB Because there are so few people that do ERASMUS and placements overseas it would make their CV stand out. I think it can help formulate career objectives, especially if you want to work in a global environment.

You are going out and getting that international experience so it can really help you get the skills you need to go into a global organisation.

JL What other ideas do we have to encourage students to take up the opportunity?

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NB Students respond better to other students, so it’s important to use the profile of students much more. When I do a placement talks I always ask previous placement students to come in and share their experiences. If we have more students with international experience coming to share their experiences it makes it seem more accessible and less scary.

SC Exactly, I can tell students how it SHOULD be but other students will be able to tell them how it WAS which isn’t the same thing.

Chair There is no doubt about the value of international experience.

Sara has the personal experience value and Nils has the research experience value. Are there any other studies other than in Germany about this effect?

TC The House of Lords select committee did one about five years ago, and more recently a study about outgoing students that was part funded by the British Council for the effect on British students. What both those studies show is that employment benefits are greater for those students with international work experience and that they are more likely to get a job within six months of graduating.

JL So, if having that international experience helps you get that good first job it’s going to stay with you for the rest of your career?

NiB

Yes, on average.

SCB That’s how students can differentiate themselves from others and for an interview.

JL Clearly it is the intent of our School to encourage people to take up these opportunities, because we can see the benefits of them.

TC One way of doing this would be to build up a relationship with Erasmus partners, where we would take students from our partners, but the partners would place our students out into work placements. So it might be worthwhile approaching our partners to see if they’ve got any links in industry that could provide so many students a year with a summer placement that we could accredit.

This is something they do in Europe – building a ‘stock exchange’.

JL I think this is an idea to pursue because it benefits everyone. It allows the students to gain work experience in another country, it doesn’t disrupt their studies and the students are working when they would be working somewhere else anyway. We get the benefit of it in terms of being able to demonstrate that we have people taking up opportunities to go abroad.

TC You mentioned earlier that some of our European partners are willing to offer free summer school places. That could be attached to this as part of the work placement; so you have four weeks of summer school and do a bit of language and culture, then you have eight weeks elsewhere.

JL So we could start to put together our options here, i.e. go in 2nd year, go as an extra year, you can go in summer, you can study, you can work, you can go in combinations; we could put together an attractive package.

SCB Do we offer our students the option of doing project based dissertations, if they were to work for a company on a placement, could they base their dissertation on it. That could be part of this ‘package’ that we offer them. What is the best way to communicate this to our students?

SD I think; reading testimonials of other students.

It’s good to hear the statistics but to get through to other students you need to be able to imagine yourself doing it, so you need someone who is a student to be able to tell others.

JL In continental Europe it’s compulsory, in most institutions, to go abroad. But they have a policy that they only send between two and four students to one place to avoid ‘ghettoisation’ and sticking together. Being in smaller groups forces them to join in more. Our partners abroad must face the same issue, how do they ensure their students speak to people from different places, and get involved with British people etc.

SC

Other partners have a buddy scheme.

TC We’ve looked at that and different options around that, but it’s getting resources and staffing. We offer a buddy scheme through Erasmus society.

SC I wonder if that’s something we could look at, for our students that don’t go abroad, if they had the exposure to an international student coming in as a buddy.

JL That would be a step in the right direction and definitely something else to look at. We obviously have the international partner scheme at undergraduate level for international students – the peer mentoring scheme.

SD We were put into mentor groups in Sweden which I felt really helped. They hadn’t been abroad themselves, but just wanted to get involved. You weren’t put with friends and there were no more than two people from each country.

JL It’s a good idea to get the British students to get involved in some way with the international students.

SCB It helps with internationalising their experience as well; who knows, they may develop an interest in going to that country.

JL So overall we’re agreed that international work experience is valuable and contributes to life experience and employability. We’ve discussed ways in improving the take up of such experiences and maybe the first step for the School is to employ the buddy scheme we just mentioned or to bring employers in to explain why they find work experience so valuable.

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Profile

Masters of Business

The Business School’s new Director of MBA programmes outlines the goals and challenges facing the School as it prepares to appear in the rankings and establish a reputation as a high-quality MBA provider.

When Dr Julie Hodges was offered a career-changing promotion while working with RBS, where she previously worked as a senior consultant, she didn’t hesitate to turn it down in favour of a career in academia.

‘Teaching was something I had thought about doing for while, so when I was offered the promotion, I knew deep-down it was time to make the change and, to be honest, it wasn’t a difficult decision at all,’ reflects Julie, who joined the Business School in January this year as the new Director of MBA programmes, and is clearly passionate about teaching and research.

After more than 20 years working as senior consultant for the likes of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the British Council, and RBS Julie joined Durham University’s Business School. Over a period of four years, Julie led the growth and development of Durham’s MBA programme, which is now ranked number 55 by the Financial Times in the top 100 international MBAs. ‘When I first joined Durham, it was outside the Top 100 and needed an overhaul of its MBA programmes and marketing activity to get into the rankings and establish a reputation as a high-quality MBA provider,’ explains Julie, who is positively brimming with ideas for enhancing the MBA experience at Newcastle University’s Business School.

Julie talks enthusiastically about developing a strategy to improve recruitment, developing closer links with corporates as potential employers and programme contributors, and refining the programme experience by working closely with alumni and existing students.

‘Our ultimate challenge is to differentiate NUBS in the MBA marketplace, to be clear about what we offer versus other business schools, and to understand what motivates our students and corporate partners to join us.

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‘I’m also looking forward to getting more involved with the School’s brand development, as I believe our overall brand reputation cannot be under-estimated, in terms of its influence over decisions.’

Julie’s corporate expertise is balanced by a strong commitment to learning, teaching and research.

A specialist in organisational change – the subject she pursued for a part-time PhD while working at the British Council – Julie’s current research is centred on the changing perception of women in business, and she is also writing a book entitled ‘Sustaining Change in Organisations’.

Having worked extensively overseas, most notably as East Asia development consultant for the British Council, Julie is passionate about diversifying the student experience and creating a truly multinational, multi-cultural reputation for the Business School’s MBA programmes.

‘Our international vision is absolutely vital. MBA programmes have got to link into other elements of the school and the wider University in that respect, not least the world-class research we produce here.

‘I’d like to see us attract more MBA students from the UK, Europe, North America, South America and across Asia. This is a big priority for the MBA team and an area that will require a boost in marketing activities, both as a team, and in collaboration with the rest of the School.’

believe our overall brand reputation “Icannot be under-estimated, in terms of its influence over our audiences’ decisions.

”

Working with, and recruiting students through employers, is also key, says Julie, to sustaining blue-chip relationships and pushing the all-important employability message to students and businesses alike.

‘I would like us to do more collective recruiting through our corporate partners. For example, we already have good on-the-ground relationships with regional partners, but we need to extend these, particularly for our Executive MBA students.

‘For example, we’re set to giving MBA students the opportunity to work in the community via our third sector employer initiative, and I’d also like to look at how we can get involved with the wider University’s sustainability theme via corporate partners and post-programme internships.

‘We are also actively looking at extending business involvement in our programmes by involving leaders from across all sectors in the programme.’

So, what factors attracted Julie to make the move to NUBS? ‘I am so excited about the future for our School. It’s the potential here, more than anything else, that attracted me to this role. We’ve just attracted the largest cohort of MBA students to the Business School, which is a great achievement in such a tough climate. However, the challenge is to build on this and increase student numbers further.

We can make even further improvements to our quality market share, through strategic planning, and coordinated marketing activities.

We have an un-missable opportunity to stand out in the MBA market, and grow all our programmes in line with corporate strategy. It’s a nervous times for academic institutions, but already we’re making headway with the MBA intake, and as a School we have an iconic building to move into, in a city with lots of potential.’

‘The future is challenging but holds lots of potential for the NUBS MBA.’

If you want to find out more, visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/postgrad/mba

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Book review

Lustrum

by Robert Harris 2009, UK, Hutchinson (ISBN 0-09-180100-1), Pub date 8 October 2009, hardback (First edition)

Tom Maxfield, David Goldman Visiting Professor for Innovation

It is the sequel to ‘Imperium’ and the middle volume of a trilogy about the life of Cicero. The book continues with the format of the first novel, with the story told in the first-person from the point of view of Cicero’s secretary Tiro. It follows on immediately from Imperium; as it starts with the beginning of his consulship and ends with his exile due to Clodius.

Set in Rome, 63 BC, Lustrum is a taut thriller that overflows with intrigue, conspiracy, betrayal, vaunting ambition, crime and lust.

Narrated by Tiro, his master’s confidential secretary, the story brilliantly captures the mood of Rome on the edge of political chaos and Cicero’s vain attempts to hold the republic together.

narrative is compelling, “The absorbing and brilliantly evokes the sights, sounds and smells of ancient Rome.

”

Author: Robert Harris Country: United Kingdom Language: English Genre: Historical Novel Publisher: Hutchinson Publication Date: 8th October 2009 Media Type: Print (Hardback) Pages: 464 pages (first edition, hardback) ISBN: ISBN 0-09-180100-1 Preceded By: Imperium For its release in the US in 2010, it was retitled Conspirata

Elected consul for one year, Cicero battles in the senate to uphold the principles of the constitution against the personal ambitions of Pompey and Caesar. Cicero, the lawyer, a consummate orator whose only weapons are his words takes on the might of Pompey, the Warden of Land and Sea, freshly returned to Rome from his military triumphs and the naked, political cunning of Caesar who can be second to no man either in politics or on the field of battle.

The narrative is compelling, absorbing and brilliantly evokes the sights, sounds and smells of ancient Rome.

The Forum, the Senate, the Capitoline Hill and the Field of Mars are all brought to life as the story unfolds.

Harris depicts an age of corruption, excess, bribery and lies and fills it with toga clad personalities, brilliantly capturing the power of debate and oratory.

The allure of power pervades from the outset and the plot moves seamlessly from conspiracy to betrayal and the dangers of adopting a principled stand against oppression and political machinations. Cicero’s great speeches are punctuated by vivid scenes on the steps of the Senate as the arguments weigh back and forth and the cheers of the opposition can be heard as the mob massed outside is encouraged to voice support for populist bills.

Behind the scenes alliances with unlikely bedfellows, murder, incest, conspiracy and betrayal are all drawn with such skill that the characters

become real, the dialogue utterly believable and the plot full of surprising twists. The stench of the ancient city, the brothels and the taverns, the thieves lying in wait and the revellers fornicating in the alleyways are so well depicted that it is impossible not to feel part of it.

The unchallenged power of the ruling class, the patricians, and the absolute protection of the laws that maintain the status quo provides the backdrop to the constant bending of ancient principles as Caesar seeks to further his ambition and Cicero is determined to defend the constitution against a wily and cunning opponent.

Cicero has that quality so rare in ancient Rome, integrity, while Caesar is seen to be a Machiavellian figure who at first seduces others with promises of enrichment and over time takes centre stage as he seeks to change the laws of the state to further his own ambitions.

However, even Cicero is not exempt from accepting bribes or rigging elections whilst publicly basking in the glory of the title bestowed upon him by the masses, Father of the Nation.

His character is faithfully observed by his scribe, Tiro, as we see Cicero, having saved the republic from being overthrown and lauded by all for his mastery of the moment, succumbing to such self pride that he preens himself and orders poets to write his biography. Mercilessly, this period is brief and we see Cicero emerge as the accomplished orator as he relentlessly challenges the political intrigue that threatens to destroy everything that Rome represents.

Change is in the air and Cicero is ultimately outwitted by the cunning of Caesar and finds that promises count for nothing and betrayal becomes his fate. At the end we are left with the feeling that against an unstoppable force even honest men are powerless.

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NUBusiness bites

Tips, stats and things to try

Steve Erdal

Get a quick comms tune-up.

The grey pound As the University’s campaign on Changing Age comes to an end, we look at the neglected Over-50s market.

In our youth-venerating, twitalyzing, Skins-watching society, where the average Advertising Executive is nearly two decades younger than the average adult, we often act like the youth demographic is the only one that matters. It’s easy to forget one of the most common adages in marketing: Follow the money.

These stats, from the over-50s marketing specialists JDA, demonstrate a massive gap in companies that are pitching to this age group, given its financial clout. Could your organisation be capitalising?

Market budget spent

Wealth 30%

10%

70% Under 50

Sites We Like

90%

Carsten Staehr CEO, Cintra HR

£

What was the main thing you learned at School?

I learned that “gut feeling” is not something that you can learn.

£

Tips for marketing to the over-50s.

Segment This is a big group.

Try splitting into lifestyle stages (those with grandchildren, empty nesters, living alone etc).

Engage emotionally

Don’t ignore the web

Studies have shown that older consumers recall emotional narrative in stories more so than rational facts.

The rise of the silver surfer is continuing.

Check out 50connect.co.uk or saga.co.uk

Newcastle University is campaigning for a change in the negative perceptions that surround ageing. Find out more about what we’re doing at bit.ly/nubs-age

Over 50 Innovative flash presentation site.

Turns your seven bullets on financing into deleted scenes from Avatar.

www.prezi.com

50 Mistakes every new manager makes With Kevin James, Director of the North Leadership Centre

#2 “I’ve found my management style.”

Are you coercive? Democratic?

Coaching? A snarling demagogue?

Well, apart from the demagogue one, the truth is that you have to be all of them. “If you find yourself frustrated by a member of staff, it might be because you have different ways of seeing the world”,

says Kevin. “As a manager, your job is not to make them do it your way, but to get to understand their mindset so that you can get the best out of their particular style. The best way to do that is to think carefully about the people you work with, and to have a variety of management styles at your fingertips”

For more mistakes and how to avoid them, go to www.northleadershipcentre.co.uk

“Microsoft makes software to sell. Apple makes software as a means to sell hardware.

Google makes software as a means to sell its user.” @asmyco

Who was your first boss?

My best friend’s father who produced industrial vacuum cleaners in Denmark.

Who was your most influential colleague? What did they teach you?

I am inspired by most people in general – you never stop learning. But my first boss in England had a big influence on my outlook. He maintained that everybody was different and you should avoid treating everyone the same way.

I have always found it frustrating that many managers try to box people in under the umbrella of best practice and equality instead of concentrating on getting the best out of individuals.

If you went back in time and visited your 20 year old self what advice would you give?

Believe in yourself and make sure that whatever direction you take, it is driven by interest and passion. Also, don’t grow up too quickly.

What was your biggest mistake?

What did you learn?

Mobile phones have been an irritation to me for years – I always manage to buy the wrong product on the wrong contract. My philosophy has always been that mistakes are fine as long as you learn from them. It is part of growing up. Unfortunately, this never seems to be the case with regard to mobile phones!

What was the first book you read that had a profound effect on you?

It was Exodus by Leon Uris. I think I was 10 years old. It coloured my view on the whole conflict in the Middle East for years and in hindsight it is frightening how naive and easily taken in you are at that age. Now, of course, you know that most cases have two viewpoints.

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Alumni

Working to achieve a responsible business world with a global perspective Tristan Alltimes

Newcastle University Business School graduate Tim Purcell, BA (Hons) Economics, 1983, set up a company called CO3 to advise multinationals on corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Tim’s personal story is one of real diversity. Tristan Alltimes, Alumni Relations Manager, talks to him about his lead up to the establishment of CO3 and how its aims and objectives closely match the Business School’s mission, which aims to encourage a global perspective and the responsible and ethical shaping of society.

Tim left Newcastle in 1983 to embark on a varied personal life and career that eventually led him to set up CO3 in 2002. He’s had some fun on the way too. His path has included: winning a competition to tour America with Australian rock band INXS; sorting out royalty payments to fund Pavarotti’s next Italian villa; being part of the production team on Channel 4’s hugely popular ‘The Big Breakfast’ and working in radio broadcasting with 80s pop singer-turned-DJ, Boy George

Origins and ethos of CO3 Tim on tour in America with INXS, May 1993 – taken backstage at the Theatre of the Living Arts in Philadelphia.

Tim is front left in the beret.

CO3 lives in the fashionable surroundings of Shoreditch, just outside the City of London, sharing offices with a well-known design company. The organisation from the outset aimed to support businesses in conducting their activities in a responsible manner. Its original focus, on CSR reporting, has widened considerably over time. In 2011 the company’s services include CSR strategy and policy development and a wide range of stakeholder communications services (including related investor relations activities).

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When the company was founded it gave a lot of consideration to the way the business was going to be organised and its own principles.

“We thought hard about the best way to set up CO3. We wanted to constitute it in a manner which reflected what we thought we should be about and what we were trying to achieve”, observes Tim. “For instance, I had spent a lot of time working in a professional services environment.

One aspect I found quite frustrating was the difficulty in decision making and being able to support clients on a personal level. A lot of internal red tape, hierarchy and politics always seemed to get in the way with the result that the client didn’t necessarily receive an optimal service.” This led to CO3 being formed as a co-operative and for it to strive hard to conduct its own activities as responsibly as possible.

Day to day life in the CO3 office

This approach wasn’t always understood by potential clients and their other advisers in the early days of the business and, in rare instances, can still cause the company issues today. “Looking back on it now some of the situations we found ourselves in a few years ago were quite amusing.

It wasn’t that unusual for people to assume that we were actually a bunch of noisy political ‘lefties’ with some sort of axe to grind against big business.

Or they thought we were there so that we could advise on where the next charitable donation should be directed. They often got a big surprise when we got into a room with them and they discovered that we were actually a management consultancy that was trying to help them be more successful in achieving their business aims.”

Future prospects

After a gradual start the business has expanded its experience in a number of different areas that encompass a diverse range of business cultures.

“We’ve worked with a variety of companies, some of which are based overseas in countries such as India, that often operate in heavy industrial sectors such as mining, oil and gas or construction” says Tim. “We have also been able to observe how the understanding of the importance of responsible business has developed over time within our client base. Now there is a much greater appreciation of how these business concepts impact on shareholder value generation, investor relations, top line earnings and even licenses to operate.”

CO3 works closely with its clients and their advisors and often gets involved in day-to-day aspects of the operations of their business. In practice this means that Tim and the CO3 team can arrive in the office without much of an idea about what the day will bring. “As well as our more strategic advisory services that are aimed at helping clients enhance what they do, we can and do get involved in sudden situations where things go wrong,” says Tim. “For instance, sometimes we end up advising our clients at very short notice on how to communicate with organisations that are campaigning about certain aspects of their activities.

We have on a number of occasions represented them in meetings with NGOs and found that the experience varies widely according to the people we’re dealing with. Often the people we meet are receptive and appreciate that we are trying to improve dialogue and understanding.

We have, however, encountered outright hostility on at least one occasion where unfortunately the campaigning group was much more interested in creating headlines and fuss. Consequently an attempt to improve communication and discussion was most unwelcome and they turned on us as well as our client.”

The near future holds some interesting prospective developments for the company including the possibility of more overseas travel. “We have been affected by the number of mining and natural resources companies that have been seeking a listing in London recently,” explains Tim. “The investment community has realised that an important element of assessing the future growth and risk attached to these businesses is their approach to CSR and whether they are managing the related risks and opportunities in an effective way. Consequently many of these companies are being advised that they should be clear and coherent about this aspect of their activities in their policies, reporting and communications.” CO3 is in dialogue with one such organisation that has operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “That’s a part of the world I’ve never been to before and one we will have to visit if we are going to be required to advise this company effectively,” said Tim.

The benefits of a diversified career Since graduation, Tim’s career has taken some unusual twists and turns prior to the formation of CO3. He has found that the diversity of his previous employment has proved invaluable when delivering client support and advice.

An initial stint of accountancy training with what was then Price Waterhouse led to four years as a Finance Controller within the fashion industry in London. An unexpected opportunity led to a career in broadcasting in radio and television before joining the consultancy world, firstly at PwC and then in the City as an investor relations advisor.

“I think the lesson from my experience so far is don’t be frightened of doing a bit of chopping and changing”, observes Tim. “One of CO3’s unique selling points, despite the fact that we are a small “boutique” service, is our ability to cope with the range of things we are asked to deal with.

We would not be able to do this without having this range of experience under our roof.”

Tim’s CV 1983 - 1988 Audit Assistant/Senior/Assistant Manager at Price Waterhouse in Leeds and Jersey 1989 Financial Accountant at Decca Records in London 1990 - 1994 Finance Controller at Pamplemousse in London (leading fashion wholesaler and design house) 1994 Co-editor of Cassell’s Pink Directory (the first ever published guide to lesbian and gay friendly venues, services and community organisations in the UK and Ireland) 1994 - 1999 Freelance broadcaster – Radio; BBC GLR in London (Producer), Freedom Radio in London – the UK’s first ever gay radio station (Programme Director, Producer and Presenter), Liberty Radio in London (Presenter), LBC in London (Producer). TV; Planet 24 Television/The Big Breakfast in London (Production staff) 1999 - 2000 Researcher and Management Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in London 2001 Investor Relations Advisor at Finsbury (leading City of London financial public relations agency) 2002 to present Co-founder and CEO of CO3 Limited in London

If you want to find out more, visit: www.co3.coop

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Alumni

Events Tristan Alltimes

There have been a variety of worldwide alumni events since our last edition of NUBusiness in September.

Take a look at where we have been and what we have been offering for our alumni based across the globe.

Canada

Newcastle

Greece

UK alumni events

International alumni events

North East Alumni Branch Events, Newcastle

Leadership Series and Ethics Forum Events, Newcastle

Two social networking events at As You Like It, Jesmond, Newcastle; an engaging and fascinating interactive workshop about Time Management, delivered by one of Russia’s leading time management experts Gleb Arhangelsky; and the annual favourite, ‘Wine Tasting’ event, topped off a hugely successful year for the North East Alumni Branch of the Business School, who continue to offer professional development and networking opportunities for North East UK based alumni.

Peter Shaw’s ‘Seizing the Future’ and Dr. Anthony Greenfields ‘5 forces of change’ presentations highlighted the quality of the Schools Leadership Series in November 2010 and January 2011 respectively, during two leadership events held on campus in Newcastle. Sir Michael Darrington, Former Group Managing Director of Greggs plc (1984-2008) also spoke at a highly stimulating discussion around ethics in business at the latest Ethics Forum event on campus here in Newcastle.

Canada Professor Ella Ritchie, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning hosted alumni receptions in Vancouver and Toronto in November and December, offering the opportunity for all graduates based in Canada to get together and hear about the recent developments at the University.

China Four separate events held in various venues in Shanghai and Beijing over October and December, hosted by Dr Lucy Lu, Academic Director MBA from the Business School and Mrs Dawn Barber, HASS Faculty Office, Newcastle University, gave an opportunity for Business School and Newcastle University graduates to informally meet up for drinks and nibbles to share fond memories and network with other graduates.

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China

Malaysia Singapore Indonesia

Forthcoming events Australia

Greece Graduates came together for a relaxing evening of networking and entertainment in Athens in November, which provided an excellent opportunity for graduates to meet old friends and enjoy the ambience provided by the Alumni Association.

Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia Graduates and friends of Newcastle University were offered an opportunity to reunite, meet the Vice-Chancellor and hear about recent developments at the University throughout October and November at various locations across these amazing countries, including: Hotel Borobudur - Indonesia, Raffles - Singapore, The Mandarin Oriental – Malaysia, and Monash Conference Centre – Melbourne, Australia.

And finally… annual postgraduate awards ceremony In December 2010 the Business School said farewell to the latest cohort of postgraduate students at a glitzy graduation awards ceremony held at the Great North Museum, Newcastle. The second event of its kind for the School, the ceremony provided a delightful afternoon recognising the achievements of our postgraduate students including awards given to exceptional students for ‘best student’ and ‘best dissertation’ sponsored by some leading business names.

We will be hosting alumni events throughout the year both in the UK and Internationally. To find out more or to organise your own alumni event, including perhaps a reunion for your class, please contact: nubsalumni@ncl.ac.uk In 2011 you can meet us for more of the same worldwide alumni events in: China / HK / India / UK / US *Plus we will be visiting some more European and International destinations, so watch this space!

Check out all the photos from our alumni events on our new Flickr page and visit our Business School alumni website: www.flickr.com/photos/ 40191535@N05/collections www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/alumni

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Alumni

Archive Tristan Alltimes

It is always interesting to see where your old classmates have gone and what they have been doing since you last saw them.

We got in touch with some Business School alumni to find out where they have been, what they have been up to and what they remember from their time at Newcastle!

Alexis Gouffe International Human Resource Management (IHRM), 2010 What are you doing now?

Scott Huang MBA 1999 Your most memorable I am currently the Financial Controller experience of NC L? What are you doing now?

of UBS Taiwan. I sit as a member of the Executive Committee and act as an expert in the area of financial analysis and business strategy.

I also contribute to the achievement of financial results for UBS in Taiwan.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

In the next 10 years I expect to fully leverage my comprehensive experience in the worldwide banking sector in order that I help UBS develop their business within the Greater China region. I would also like to lead the bank forward; progressing through the next stage of growth in Taiwan’s Banking Industry, as well as help to improve the bank’s reputation within the marketplace.

Academic, Ian Dobb’s guidance and coaching towards completing my dissertation, which was focused on financial modeling and banking.

His professionalism in Economics, and patience with me, and other students, means I regard him as one of the best teachers I have ever met.

Tell us something that other alumni may be interested to hear about you I was the only student studying the MBA during 98-99 from the Asia Pacific region. I was so impressed by the diversity in student origination and culture in the classroom and the strong willingness to help each other through our studies. I truly believe that this is one of the main reasons the Newcastle MBA program maintains a distinct advantage over other MBA programmes worldwide.

I am currently working for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Copenhagen, Denmark. I work in Human Resources (HR) mainly focusing on recruitment activities for the various agencies of the UNDP. Alongside my job I am finalising my dissertation as I started my position just after Semester 2 exams, so my time management skills are being tested!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

I think I will be working in the private sector and definitely still in HR. I am keen to explore the various functions of HR and at some point I would like to have people management responsibilities as well.

Your most memorable experience of NC L? I remember the first session we had with the Degree Programme Director during induction week very clearly. We were all newcomers to HR and he gave us an excellent introduction to the subject and it felt like I was starting something very special.

Tell us something that other alumni may be interested to hear about you Prior to completing my MA in International Human Resource Management, I was working as a financial analyst in the private sector and I realised I wanted a career change. I took the decision to quit my job and go back to uni to pursue a different path in HR. It was not an easy decision, but it is possible to change paths if you realise you are in the wrong environment.

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Dean Harris BA (Hons) Economics, 1990

Susanna Patton BA (Hons) Accountancy and Law, 2002

Barry Blamire BA (Hons) Business Management, 1996

What are you doing now?

What are you doing now?

What are you doing now?

I am an Associate Partner at KPMG, the global professional services firm specialising in Corporate Tax and based in our Newcastle office in the UK.

Living and working in Manchester, UK, running my own supply chain consultancy company and generally enjoying life!

When I left University I joined the John Lewis Graduate Training scheme, which involved being located in various parts of the UK over a period of time. I am now the Managing Director of John Lewis back in Newcastle.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

As Partner at KPMG, running a successful and happy team of business advisers and working with the region’s top businesses whilst celebrating Ipswich Town’s rise to glory in the Champions League and Premier League (ok maybe just the first bit).

Your most memorable experience of NC L? So many to narrow down but I guess it must be the great times as part of the University Football team with the away trips in the old UAU competition, the Christmas fancy dress parties (messy) and Level 2 discos on a Friday night. Not much silverware to mention though.

Tell us something that other alumni may be interested to hear about you

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

More of the same. My business gives me variety and control of my own destiny, which is exactly what I’ve always wanted.

Your most memorable experience of NC L? Too many to choose from, but music has always been a passion so gigging in some of the pubs in Newcastle is definitely up there.

Tell us something that other alumni may be interested to hear about you As a supply chain specialist I’m working with two clients to introduce a collaborative inventory management system to speed up cycle time and improve the carbon footprint (we think it’s the first of its kind in the UK) – it works in theory and now we’re trying to make it work for real.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

Still working for the John Lewis Partnership, either in Waitrose or John Lewis.

Your most memorable experience of NC L? I was chair of the Accounting and Management Society as well as the Curry Society. We organised a Ball at Lumley Castle, which was a great event along with the annual ‘Curry Crawl’!

Tell us something that other alumni may be interested to hear about you I married Ruth, my girlfriend at University, and we have 2 girls aged 9 and 7. We are currently living in Hexham, Northumberland, UK.

I loved my time at Newcastle so much I jumped at the first chance I got after graduating to come back and have lived here now for over 18 years and have two proper “Geordie” daughters.

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Events

NUBusiness briefings Ruth Warwick

The Business School briefing and networking events enable business leaders and managers from a variety of organisations in the North East to learn from leading speakers and academics.

Tuesday 1st February 2011

‘Formula 1 in Schools’ event The Business School’s Small Enterprise Research Unit (SERU) hosted the ‘Formula One (F1) in Schools’ North East Regional Final Challenge 2010-2011 at Kings Road Centre, Newcastle University.

Over the past three years, Professor Pooran Wynarczyk, Director of SERU has been working in close collaboration with the F1 in Schools team. She is a judge of the North East Regional and National Finals and has carried out major research on the impact of the F1 in Schools Challenge on the supply of future skilled workforce in the North East of England. F1 in Schools Challenge is a popular initiative whereby young people use CAD/CAM software to collaborate, design, analyse, manufacture, test, and then race miniature gas powered balsa wood F1 cars.

This event brings to life the Newcastle University mission to play a leading role in the economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England.

The programme aims to arm young people with the essential skills needed to work in the business community and within industry.

Skills for Life - Employability: The programme encourages independent thinking, team working and communication skills and develops problem solving skills and entrepreneurial thinking.

Corporate connections: The Formula 1 programme helps young people to develop an informed view about careers in engineering, Formula One, science, marketing and technology.

Teams compete regionally, nationally and internationally for the Bernie Ecclestone F1 in Schools World Championship trophy. The programme has many links with all of the Formula 1 businesses and some young people have gone on to take up careers with the motor industry.

Tuesday 8th March 2011

Tuesday 8th February 2011

Innovating Women: Illuminating Achievement and Success

Digital Marketing Debate: Making Sense of Social Media

The Business School’s Small Enterprise Research Unit (SERU) held a one day event on International Women’s Day, as part of the Newcastle University’s Diversity Session 2011, to illuminate the contribution of women to technological advancement and scientific breakthroughs and promote a greater participation in innovation, invention, patent, technology transfer and spin out activities, particularly amongst women.

Held at the Research Beehive, speakers included, Professor Nick Wright, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (Newcastle University), Professor Colette Henry, FRSA (The Royal Veterinary College, University of London), Deborah Jaffé (the author of ‘Ingenious Women’), Professor Pooran Wynarczyk, FRSA ( Newcastle University), Professor Susan Marlow, FRSA (De Montfort University), Dr Douglas Robertson (Newcastle University) , and Professor Sudipta Roy (Newcastle University).

Professor Pooran Wynarczyk, FRSA Director, SERU said, ‘This collaborative event was a unique opportunity to illuminate the contribution of women to technological advancement in celebration of 100 year anniversary of International Women’s Day’.

The Business School, in association with Mobious, held the next event in the Digital Marketing Debate series – a series of seminars and events focused on demonstrating how brands are using digital marketing channels.

Microsoft recently forecast that by 2013 the Web would replace TV as the main communication and entertainment medium in the household. The full capacity event looked at how the latest innovations are being used in today’s working environment to enhance business needs and stay ahead of the game.

This digital debate demystified the social media landscape, with advice on how to evaluate and embark on a social media strategy as well as providing advice about making the best use of social media channels.

The event was introduced by Dr Savvas Papagiannidis, Senior Lecturer /DPD MSc E-Business and Information Systems with special guest speakers: Iain Gibbons and Martin Corlett-Moss, joint Managing Directors from Mobious and Stuart Anderson, Development Manager, Blumilk.

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20th January 2011

Leadership event – The 5 Forces of Change Engagement with key stakeholders is high on the agenda for the Business School as it continues to build new opportunities and change. The Leadership Series, held three times a year, provides a distinguished flagship panel discussion series for business partners, alumni and students.

The latest event in the Leadership Series was delivered by Dr. Anthony Greenfield who has spent 20 years helping organisations in a range of industries to transform operational performance. He is also a specialist in the successful management of change.

succeeds “Change when we work with the grain of human nature.

This was the first seminar of 2011 in the Leadership Series and participants saw the very idea of change turned on its head. Instead of learning about overcoming resistance, attendees found out how to harmonise change with human nature. They learned the importance of ensuring that people remain certain, purposeful, in control, connected and successful during times of change.

As a result, people work positively with change rather than suffering through it. He also told the audience that powerful forces are unleashed by change and success belongs to those who harness them.

Anthony said, “Too often, organisations fail to achieve a return on investment in change; there’s too much pain and not enough gain. At the heart of the matter is the effect of change on people’s motivations; the very things that drive people to excel at work are deeply threatened. No wonder people oppose or avoid change.”

The good news is that by understanding what makes people tick the situation can be reversed.

Anthony has trained hundreds of By working with the grain of human consultants, managers and executives nature and channelling people’s in leading successful change and energy and ingenuity in pursuing has a wealth of experience, which change rather than in opposing it he shared during the event with the can lead to far greater success than audience. His book, The 5 Forces might have been imagined. of Change, on engaging people positively in change was published in 2008.

”

Annual David Goldman Lecture Tom Maxfield, David Goldman Visiting Professor of Innovation and Enterprise The Business School is pleased to host the Annual David Goldman Lecture given by Tom Maxfield, the 2011 David Goldman Visiting Professor of Innovation and Enterprise, in the Curtis Auditorium on the main campus of Newcastle University.

The annual lecture is part of Tom’s new role and he will work with the School to provide leadership and mentoring to students and faculty and, as an experienced entrepreneur, he can provide a valuable portal between the two worlds of business and academia.

He takes on the mantle of David Goldman Visiting Professor from Will Dracup, Chairman of Nonlinear Dynamics and Biosignatures Ltd and will continue the great work of all previous holders of the Professorship to stimulate enterprise and foster innovation within the North East of England.

Tom was Sales Director for Sage Group from 1984 until 1997. He was one of the team of four responsible for Sage’s explosive growth. Following his retirement from Sage in September 1997, Tom created Tom’s Companies, a portfolio of up-market properties in the North of England including The Samling, Seaham Hall Hotel, The Serenity Spa, The Fisherman’s Lodge, and Treacle Moon. This portfolio was sold to Von Essen Hotels in March 2008.

Tom is a founder member and current Chairman of The Entrepreneurs’ Forum, Vice President of Sunderland Football Club and a non executive director for a number of technology companies.

Find out more about the: David Goldman Endowment visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/business/goldman

For more information on events at the Business school, please visit www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/about/events

Previous David Goldman Visiting Professors visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/business/ goldman/pastvp.htm

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Building a World Class Business School There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding which MBA is for you.

Do you prioritise academic excellence or the chance for real-life experience? Are colleagues from a wide range of backgrounds more important than an exciting city to live in?

At Newcastle, you don’t have to compromise. A double-accredited Business School. Management Consultancy with a major company as part of the programme. An international mix of students. All in the best University city in the UK (MSN). All that’s missing is you.

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