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Warwick Business School Alumni Association magazine: summer 09

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In my last message I talked about the ways WBS is helping to deliver the University’s 2015 vision of taking us into the top 50 global universities, and how our international strategy is a crucial part of this process. In the current turbulent environment, it is therefore relevant that this issue of nexus focuses on thriving through change.

Recent events in the global economic environment have caused us to think about our strategic objectives and we are making challenging decisions about our investments and our strategic priorities, but through all this we are also ensuring that we remain loyal to our traditions of innovation and entrepreneurialism. WBS is a leader in Europe and a serious contender globally and in order to secure this position we have been concentrating significant efforts into ensuring that WBS continues to improve in the business school rankings. We have been supporting this strategy by enhancing our careers support for students and alumni (see P16/17); working with our faculty to improve both the status of their research and the media coverage of their expertise; and forging partnerships with overseas institutions and global organisations.

Next year I will stand down as Dean of Warwick Business School to become Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University. I am proud to have served for ten years as Dean of WBS and to have worked closely with our alumni and advocates during this time. In partnership with you, we have enhanced the reputation of WBS as a top UK school, we have grown and strengthened its brand overseas and we have experienced significant growth. We now have a student population of nearly 7,000, over 25,000 alumni around the world and a turnover of £45 million, an increase of 300 percent in the past decade. Our

message from the dean

Distance Learning MBA ranks third in the world, our Doctoral programme 12th and our undergraduate programme is consistently rated as one of the best, with our students being most highly valued by employers. We can all take a great deal of pride in these achievements and in the journey we have made together in the past decade but I am also assured by the fact that the strength of the team will take WBS even further in the coming years.

During my tenure as Dean, I have been committed to enhancing the reputation of WBS around the world by my work with bodies such as AACSB, Equis and ABS. I have also made a financial donation as I am convinced that such donations are imperative to the School’s future. During my work with worldwide business schools it has become obvious that the level of corporate sponsorship and alumni donations has a significant impact on their competitiveness and global reputation. Your continuing support in this area will be crucial to the School’s ongoing success.

WBS will go from strength to strength, I am sure of that. I know that the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nigel Thrift, will recruit a new Dean who will lead WBS in its next phase of global competition, addressing the strategic issues regarding the future direction of business schools which will be important to all of us. My thanks to all of you for your support during my very enjoyable and rewarding tenure as Dean of this outstanding business school.

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contents

Development and alumni relationsAlumni boardWBS newsBeyond the recessionSir George CoxBuilding for the futureJulia EvansFirst serviceProfessor Robert JohnstonVentures in ChinaKK MuiThe global crisis: threat or opportunity?Professor Mark TaylorLand of extremesStaffan Mattsonpersonal and career developmentWBS development programmeWarwick Global Conferences: IndiaMentoring pilot progressWebsite launchOverseas & UK event reviewsAlumni news and appointments

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In this edition of nexus we focus on thriving through change

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from the Director, Development and Alumni Relations

contact detailsAlumni AssociationWarwick Business SchoolUniversity of WarwickCoventry CV4 7ALUnited Kingdomt +44 (0)24 7652 2813f +44 (0)24 7652 3719E alumni@wbs.ac.ukW www.wbs.ac.uk/alumni

Pam BarnesAlumni Publications Officert +44 (0)24 7652 4396e pam.barnes@wbs.ac.uk

Alison BondDeputy Director, Development and Alumni RelationsT +44 (0)24 7652 4176E alison.bond@wbs.ac.uk

Kathryn Chedgzoy Development and Alumni Relations Officer (Corporate Affairs)T +44 (0)24 7615 0515E kathryn.chedgzoy@wbs.ac.uk

Development & Alumni Relations AdministrationT +44 (0)24 7652 2813E alumni@wbs.ac.uk

Ann JacksonDevelopment and Alumni Relations Officer (International Affairs)T +44 (0)24 7652 8197E ann.jackson@wbs.ac.uk

Tracy LynchDevelopment and Alumni Relations Officer (Student & Regional Affairs)T +44 (0)24 7652 8487E tracy.lynch@wbs.ac.uk

Ben PlummerDirector of Development and Alumni RelationsT +44(0)24 7652 4188E ben.plummer@wbs.ac.uk

Charlotte WilkesAssociate Director, DevelopmentT +44(0)24 7615 0075E charlotte.wilkes@wbs.ac.uk

Jen YoungDevelopment and Alumni Relations Events and Office Co-ordinatorT +44 (0) 24 7615 0171E jennifer.young@wbs.ac.uk

In–house photography by John Weatherly

nexus is the magazine of the Alumni Association, Warwick Business School T +44 (0)24 7652 4306

The views contained in nexus are those of contributors and not necessarily those of Warwick Business School or the University of Warwick

Design by Morse–Brown Design w www.morsebrowndesign.co.uk

As we look to a change in leadership at WBS, I am reminded that faculty and staff will come and go but we the alumni remain the constant. This is why the School’s relationship with you, our alumni and friends, is so important. Hence, in November 2008, we wrote asking you to comment on our alumni programme and services. We also wanted to consult you in the ways you felt you could best support WBS.

Thank you to all of you for your feedback. We share a desire to see Warwick and WBS advance globally, through recruiting the top faculty, addressing global issues and supporting our alumni through specific career services and relevant business and management learning.

Through listening to you, we believe there is a mutually-beneficial relationship that can be exploited. We aim to help you connect, learn and develop; connecting you geographically, by business and industry, and with those at a similar career level; providing life-long learning opportunities through making our teaching and learning in business management and education relevant, tailored and accessible; and through helping you to develop in your career, through specific careers support and our newly launched mentoring scheme.

The way we make our services accessible to our global alumni

community needs to be advanced utilising new technology (as commented upon through Sir George Cox’s article, P10). This will mean a newly-launched website over the summer, making information easily accessible and valuable, alongside more structured alumni groups with formal alumni representatives, particularly for our overseas chapters. This will be supplemented by high-profile global events, such as our Global Conference Series, which launches in Delhi in November 2009. These draw together senior faculty, business leaders and policy makers to debate current global challenges and to advise our community on how best to exploit the current climate (see P19 for further details).

As inferred by Professor Mark Taylor in his article (P14) to see real improvements we need to think as a whole organisation (or in our case as a community) not just as individuals. This is where real value can be delivered. This means investing in WBS collaboratively. We have responded to your feedback as to where you feel your donations should be directed through establishing three distinct funds as part of the WBS 2015 Development Fund. See where you thought we should be investing on P18.

Thank you for your partnership. We look forward to working with you further, and creating an even better mutually-beneficial relationship.

Ben PlummerDirector of Development and Alumni Relations

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stories elsewhere in this issue are a testament to the power of the Warwick experience, which can last for many years after graduation.

One of the things I treasure most from my time at WBS is the group that I shared my WBS experience with, 120 odd other people who committed a year to a full-time MBA course which began in 1989. I’m still in contact with a significant number of them and 20 years on, have that bond of shared experience which feels quite undiminished. It’s great to receive emails from people on the other side of the world who still appreciate that bond and want to stay connected even if that’s only virtually. From time to time groups of us still get together, and in a sense, when we do, the passage of time seems quite irrelevant.

Whether you are about to graduate or whether you graduated some time ago and already keep in touch with members of your class, we are looking for volunteers to co-ordinate this key activity. Every group had linchpin people who made things happen and brought people together - if you were one of those we’d love to hear from you. Personally I’d like everyone who has graduated from WBS over the last 41 years to be able to find someone that they remember from their time at WBS, a friendly and known face to reconnect with, and, if they are not

alumni board

Keeping in touch with the School and with each other is even more vital in these difficult times. Networks built at WBS are the foundation upon which to share intelligence, news and opportunities to enhance your career and those of others. Help and advice can be readily available from those who have a shared experience and a real understanding of the challenges to be faced.

The recently launched WBS career services form part of that help and advice, and the good news

currently actively involved, to engage more fully with this great community of 25,000 people in 130 countries of the world.

Finally, the Alumni Board, which guides the strategic direction of our Alumni Association, is looking to recruit a number of new members this year. Membership is for an initial period of three years, which is renewable. If you are interested in putting yourself forward, or encouraging a fellow alumnus/alumna, who you think would effectively contribute to the Board, to apply, please contact Alison Bond, Deputy Director, Development and Alumni Relations (see details on P4).

Gill Thewlis (FTMBA 1989–90)Chair of the WBS Alumni Board

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Alumni board members at the Winter graduation

next issueThe summer 09 issue of nexus will focus on Energy. If you work in the energy sector and would like to contribute then please email the editor: E pam.barnes@wbs.ac.uk

If you are interested in advertising in nexus then please contact the editor for more details.

Receiving nexus onlineListening to feedback from our alumni and demonstrating our commitment to sustainability, we will be offering the alternative of receiving nexus electronically in future.

There will be more details in the next issue and on our website.

To view nexus as an eMagazine, go to w www.wbs.ac.uk/alumni/nexus

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WBS staffStaying with Martin Cave, as well as his work in telecoms, his UK government commissioned work on two UK hot topics – social housing and the water industry – resulted in well-deserved recognition – an OBE for public service.

Professor Robin Wensley, who combines part-time professorship at WBS with the post of Director of the prestigious ESRC-funded AIM Research (Advanced Institute

of Management), was announced as Companion of Honour of the Association of Business Schools. The award was given for his successful promotion of business and management education, development and research at national and international levels.

rankingThe Financial Times Executive Education (non-degree customised courses for organisations) ranking appeared in May. WBS achieved a rise of 10 places in the world, coming fifth in the UK. We were among the highest risers in the world and highest of all in the UK. Taking into account the current recession, this was a wonderful performance.

WBS news

WBS news As well as all the ongoing teaching of degree programmes and short courses, topical affairs continue to be addressed by WBS – the current financial crisis and recession, sustainability and CSR, management of resources such as water and telecoms, the growth of Asia and international business.

Professor Colin Crouch’s podcast explains how privatised Keynesianism has led to financial meltdown and considers what changes are needed to resolve weaknesses in the global economy. This audio file is not only on the Press Centre web pages of WBS, but also on Warwick’s website and YouTube, (where Warwick has a number of videos in the top 20). On the same topic, Gerard Lyons, Chief Economist at Standard Chartered Bank, spoke at a WBS Forum on the ‘new world order’ that he sees emerging from the financial meltdown.

Dr Jagdeth Sheth from Emory University in the US, one of the world’s leading business and marketing thought leaders, presented his latest thinking at WBS as part of his UK tour, speaking on how the rise of China and India will impact the world and its implications for marketing, strategy and international business.

The Industrial Relations Research Unit is the UK branch of the European Restructuring Monitor, an EU-funded information resource run by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. IRRU’s findings that job loss announcements in the UK had suddenly and recently dropped sharply were seized on by the Financial Times and other leading financial publications and web news sites as another sign that maybe the economy is on the rise out of recession.

Professor Alyson Warhurst wrote a robust and intriguing paper, published in Business Week and picked up by other influential media outlets, on how the ‘girl effect’ in the developing and third world could help to lift countries’ economies faster than by ongoing aid donations. If young girls were educated and trained (instead of ignored or maltreated), they could find gainful employment, start their own businesses, look after their own and their families’ health better, and pass on these improvements to the next generation, she argued.

In the UK and Europe, Professor Martin Cave’s expertise on the future of broadband and telecommunications means he is a major player in influencing government policy, and his opinions and comments are frequently cited in both mainstream and specialist media.

Martin Cave

Francesca Coles

Still with AIM, Dr Zoe Radnor, promoted to Reader with effect from the new academic year, has been appointed as one of seven AIM Fellows to work on improving management practice.

Many MBA and MSc alumni will remember Francesca Coles. Joining in 1986, she has just retired from WBS and the role of Executive Director of the Warwick MBA. She has a message for all who remember her, ‘I have one regret on retiring – that I couldn’t say a proper goodbye to the thousands of alumni with whom I’ve had contact over the years. I have always taken a great interest in them, and am delighted to hear about their successes and the ways in which their MBA or MSc has contributed. I wish them well and hope they will keep in touch.’

During the past year WBS Dean, Howard Thomas, has taken up formal Chairmanship of both the UK-based ABS and AACSB, and been awarded as Dean of Fellows of the US-based Strategic Management Society. The SMS has over 2,000 members from more than fifty countries, with members including academics, business practitioners, and consultants. Its work focuses on the development and dissemination of insights on the strategic management process, as well as on fostering contacts and interchange around the world.

graduation

Around 200 graduates and their families and friends gathered on campus to enjoy the Winter Graduation ceremonies in January, followed by a buffet lunch at WBS.

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undergraduatesThe Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate Research at Warwick is part of a national HEFCE initiative to create Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs), with the aim of integrating research-based learning into the undergraduate curriculum. WBS undergraduates Chris Porter, Matthew Roberts and Janie Shen won the best presentation award. Their work was the culmination of module Ethical Issues and Social Responsibility in Contemporary Business, led by Alessia Contu, where they reported on CSR activity at the University.

The WBS team of Lars P Myklebust, Don Corea, Usman Adam, AndrewLee, and Eivind Egeland Olsen, all studying for MSc Finance & Economics, won the UK final of the third annual Global Investment Research Challenge, organised by the international and prestigious CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst Institute).

postgraduatesOn our MA degrees, two students achieved external recognition for excellent work. Emma Plant was awarded the annual TUC-Warwick Prize for Outstanding Attainment in Employment Rights for her

dissertation project, examining the development and implementation of disciplinary procedures in dispersed workplaces. Jennifer Green was awarded the annual prize for Outstanding Attainment in Employment Relations by the Engineering Employers Federation for her ambitious dissertation project on the presentation of strike activity in the British and German press. Her work integrated perspectives from the fields of employment relations and media analysis and required comparative fieldwork in the two countries.

Simulation software suppliers The Lanner Group sponsored a prize for the best consulting report of the Conducting Management Projects module. Mateusz Dudarski, Stefan Kisyov, Amit Kukadia and Sadia Zia Awan, taking the newly-launched MSc in Business Analytics & Consulting, collected a prize for their work on winter gritting in Cumbria for the Highways Agency, comparing costs of salting strategies and determining new gritting routes and spread rates.

programmesThe new Global Energy MBA launched successfully in May, with participants from 15 countries covering the UK and Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.

The Learning & Resources Development team continue to provide a cutting edge service, with wbsLive the latest innovation. This is a desktop video conferencing facility available to all WBS staff, students and alumni, offering a virtual classroom environment with audio, video, application sharing and content display to anyone with a computer and an internet connection.

WBS news

Lars P Myklebust, Don Corea, Usman Adam, Andrew Lee, and Eivind Egeland Olsen

Jennifer Green

Undergraduate research rewarded

Lanner Group prizewinners

Emma Plant

Undergraduate consultancy projects are a great benefit to both students and corporate partners. Three groups have been working with consultancy firm 7 Layer, who awarded prizes to the winning group for the best presentation. Team members were Prithvi Vijay, Dipen Shah, Gurminder Randhawa and Shouyu Yan.

A team of MBA students, Phillip Encarnação, Shanjoy Mairembam, Akshay Maheshwari, Kasmira Smarzo and Sarah Zareian received local media interest in their ‘green’ project. They developed a new range of smoothies with ingredients supplied by supermarket Sainsburys, made using only pedal-powered machinery. The idea was to raise awareness of the facilities and activities for the local community on offer from a nearby nature reserve.

Pedal-powered smoothies

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Professor Paul Marginson and Guglielmo Meardi, Industrial Relations Research Unit, have key roles in a major new research project Governance of uncertainty and sustainability – challenges for employment, industrial relations, social and environmental policies in European countries: funded under the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme, and led by Professor Colin Crouch of the Governance and Public Management Group.

Realisation of the three-year project rests on successful collaboration between researchers from 13 institutes in 11 countries. Paul is jointly coordinating the research stream – one of six within the programme – on the changing role of collective bargaining as a mode of, and the emergence of territorial models of, labour market governance. Guglielmo is leading an examination of EU-level migration policies as part of the comparative policy studies stream.

research review

Dr Chris Doyle, Associate of WBS Centre for Management under Regulation, recently completed a short study in which he highlighted concerns regarding pricing proposals made by

the UK electronic communications regulator Ofcom.

In his report he claims that some 800,000 potential new customers to broadband services in the UK over the next few years may be priced out of the market. His analysis was commissioned by Talk Talk, part of the Carphone Warehouse Group, which has been arguing against Ofcom’s pricing proposals for sometime.

The Centre for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, in collaboration with Aston Business School and Birmingham University, has been successful in winning

a contract to work with NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) as part of the Innovation Index project. Originally suggested in the Innovation Nation White Paper, this WBS-led project aims to develop innovation metrics to represent the innovation and value creation process in ten UK sectors and identify related strengths and weaknesses. Led by Professor Stephen Roper, Director of CSME, the project will be completed by September 2009.

Andrew Sentance, Professor of Sustainable Business, was recently awarded ESRC funding for a seminar series, Climate Change – Managing the Policy Challenges. The

series will be organised jointly with Professors Sayantan Ghosal of Economics and John Whalley, University of Western Ontario and Centre for International Governance Innovation, Canada.

The series aims to explore a number of mutually reinforcing policy initiatives needed to establish and develop a more sustainable ‘low-carbon’ economy and society. A coherent international political framework will need to be established which binds the global community into action to tackle climate change. New technologies will need to be developed and promoted if economic growth and development is to be reconciled with a ‘low-carbon’ future. Economic instruments, such as carbon trading or fiscal measures, will have a key role to play in changing the behaviour of firms and individuals. This is part of the Low Carbon Society Initiative, based at Warwick University. w tinyurl.com/o67fcg

Evidence for Management Decision-making (EMD) is a 24 month study funded by the Strategic Delivery Organisation (SDO) of the National

Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The project focuses on the way in which NHS managers use, or fail to use, relevant evidence to commission treatments and services for patients. The project runs from April 2009 – March 2011, and is being conducted by a multidisciplinary team of leading researchers led by Professor Jacky Swan and drawn from the Innovation, Knowledge & Organisational Networks research centre in WBS and Warwick Medical School.

Stephen Roper

Andrew Sentance

Jacky Swan

Deborah Dean, Associate Professor of Industrial Relations, has produced a European Commission-funded report for the International Federation of Actors

(FIA), a non-governmental organisation representing performers’ trade unions, guilds and associations worldwide.

The report analyses findings from a questionnaire developed to survey performers in 21 European countries on the effects of social identities (principally gender and age) on access to work, pay, content of work and career longevity, in film, television, theatre and radio. The questionnaire was available in four languages and the data provide the first Europe-wide picture of the working realities of performers’ lives. Despite significant variation in cultural, institutional and sectoral frameworks nationally, the findings indicate remarkable similarities in the concerns of women and men across the different regions of Europe.w tinyurl.com/pqwsgh

Deborah Dean

Dr Qing Wang, Reader in Marketing and Innovation, together with co-authors David Alexander of St Thomas University and John Lynch of Duke University, has been awarded the

2009 Robert D Buzzell MSI Best Paper Award by the Marketing Science Institute (MSI) in the US for their significant contribution to marketing practice and thought and for the lasting value of their research to marketing executives. Their research on marketing of really new products was funded by MSI and published in the MSI report and subsequently in the Journal of Marketing Research.

Several categories of new technological products, ranging from ‘really new products’ (RNPs) such as Blogs and streaming TV to ‘incrementally new products’ (INPs) such as flat screen TVs and DVD players, were tested on a sample of 2,692 consumers. In four field studies conducted in collaboration with the CBS television network in the US, it is revealed that while novelty may create advertising buzz, when it comes time to parting with their money, consumers prefer the familiar over the really new – especially when using the new product requires a behaviour change. w tinyurl.com/moqudr

Chris DoyleGuglielmo MeardiPaul Marginson Qing Wang

More information about WBS research can be found via the Press Centre in news and features w www.wbs.ac.uk/news

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hot off the press

Flying high in a competitive industry co-authored by Professor Loizos Heracleous, MSM, published by McGraw Hill, provides insights into how Singapore Airlines (SIA) has managed to outperform other flag carriers for decades in

an industry where it is notoriously difficult to succeed consistently. w tinyurl.com/pcesju

Measure Solar System Objects and Their Movements for Yourself by Dr John D Clark (PhD Physics 1977–81, DLMBA 2001–05) published by Springer. Instead of taking somebody’s word about the basic size and distances for the solar system’s objects,

amateur astronomers can learn how to measure these things for themselves. w tinyurl.com/ryuzpr

Images of the Multinational Firm co-authored by Professors Glenn Morgan, IROB, and Simon Collinson, MSM, published by Wiley. This book addresses the debate over the nature of multinational

enterprises (MNEs) and analyses common conceptions and misconceptions about their role. W tinyurl.com/p9ygxd

International Business, 5th edition co-authored by Professor Simon Collinson, MSM, published by FT Prentice Hall. Taking a regional approach, this text challenges some of the underlying assumptions behind globalisation and

focuses on both the dominant economies and the emerging markets in world trade. w tinyurl.com/oghsvc

Strategic Customer Management: Strategising the Sales Organisation by Professor Nigel Piercy and Dr Nikala Lane, MSM, published by Oxford University Press. Focuses on the transformation of the traditional sales

organisation into a strategic force leading the strategic customer management process in companies. w tinyurl.com/qyem7q

Management consultancy: Boundaries and Knowledge in Action co-authored by Professor Andrew Sturdy, IROB, published by Oxford University Press. Draws on and integrates theories of knowledge and social boundaries

to reveal a picture of complex and shifting insider-outsider relationships.w tinyurl.com/o68twt

Reforming the World Bank: Twenty Years of Trial – and Error by David Phillips (MSc Industrial & Business Studies 1968–69) published by Cambridge University Press. From the first major effort to reform the institution to the time of the resignation of Paul

Wolfowitz. W tinyurl.com/pko62j

Strategy: No, thanks! Setting the knowledge-based organisation free by Lars Landberg (DLMBA 1999–05), published by Lulu.com. This novel approach to strategy in knowledge-based organisations describes a strategic framework – the SNT Framework – based on the emergent

view. w www.larslandberg.dk/snt

research review

The sources of management innovation: When firms introduce new management practices co-authored by Dr Michael J Mol, Associate Professor in Strategic Management, WBS, and Julian Birkinshaw, LBS, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Business Research.

Management innovation is the introduction of management practices new to the firm and intended to enhance firm performance. Building

on the organisational reference group literature, this research shows that management innovation is a consequence of a firm’s internal context and of the external search for new knowledge. It demonstrates a trade-off between context and search, in that there is a negative effect on management innovation associated with their joint occurrence. Finally it shows that management innovation is positively associated with firm performance in the form of subsequent productivity growth.

Michael J Mol

Three WBS faculty members, Paul Stoneman, Glenn Morgan and Simon Collinson, are ‘named researchers’ in an Economics Department-led successful funding application to the ESRC. A grant of GBP3.6m for Warwick was announced to create a new Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE). The new Centre will focus on how markets, institutions and public policies interact to create and sustain competitive advantage in a changing global economy.

Paul Stoneman Glenn Morgan Simon Collinson

Operations and Process Management: Principles and Practice for Strategic Impact, 2nd edition by Professors Nigel Slack and Robert Johnston, and Stuart Chambers, OM, and Alan Betts, published by FT Prentice Hall. Inspires a critical and

applied mastery of the core principles and processes fundamental to managing business operations.W tinyurl.com/r3kdq7

nexus: summer 09 thriving through change10

sectors will recover at different rates. But recovery is coming. And just as companies lagged behind the downturn so many will lag behind the upturn, missing out as a consequence. Like someone who has been wearing a rain-soaked raincoat for too long, they won’t realise when the sun has come out. Bruised and consequently risk averse, they will miss the opportunity to stake out their position in an exciting new era.

And every day that era gets closer. In a highly uncertain future one thing is clear: there will be an abundance of new opportunities. However, these opportunities will only go to the quick witted, the creative and the enterprising. And we are not talking of some far-off golden future. The next generations of Google, eBay, Microsoft and LinkedIn are being formed today. The case-studies we will explore and admire in ten years’ time are being mapped out at this very moment.

Tomorrow’s winners are being shaped now.

beyond the recessionSir George Cox, past Chairman of the Design Council, and Chair of the WBS Advisory Board, shares his thoughts about the new era ahead and the exciting opportunities it will bring.

growth in the consumption of natural resources or fossil-fuel derived energy. That’s not a moral imperative, it’s a physical reality. This in itself will create huge new markets. As will the change in demographics in the industrialised nations, with more and more of our generated wealth being spent on things like healthcare and leisure rather than goods.

Part of the problem of every phase in the economic cycle is that the behaviour of most businesses lags behind the change in conditions. Their response lags behind both the entry into the downturn and the onset of the recovery. But having adapted the business – particularly its cost base – to match the circumstances, the next issue (for the perceptive) is to look at where the short-term opportunities lie. Markets may shrink but they rarely disappear. The challenge is to get more than your fair share of the market that remains. An eye for what the customer really wants under such conditions, coupled with astute pricing and vigorous marketing, can make all the difference. Innovation isn’t something to be shelved awaiting better times, it is now that it comes into its own.

However, the really important thing is to look beyond the present situation, to the world beyond recession. When that comes about is not certain. Moreover, ‘recovery’ will not be a single event. Economic growth, consumer spending, the stock market, employment levels, the availability of credit and house prices are not unrelated but they are not locked in step with one another. Different markets and different

The world may be tough, but it isn’t ending. Having adjusted to the economic downturn, businesses now have to prepare for life thereafter. And it will be life in a very different world. Economic growth has been brutally interrupted but, looked at in the longer term, it hasn’t ended.

It has been widely projected that the world’s economy will double in the first twenty years of the 21st century. Admittedly that was before the current downturn, but even if that projection slips back a year or two, that still represents massive growth, resulting in an increase in global wealth the like of which we’ve never seen. This growth is not planned by governments or fuelled by banks; it is driven by enterprise (at every level) and by technological advance.

These are irresistible forces: the first a fact of human nature, the second a fact of modern life. It will create new markets and new industries. Just a decade ago, few people had started regularly using the internet and Google was a fledgling business. Such dramatic developments aren’t a feature of the past; they will be repeated and indeed surpassed in the coming years.

But economic recovery will not be a matter of simply getting back onto an interrupted development path. As one executive put it, we haven’t just pushed the ‘pause’ button. Many of today’s industries are going to be irrevocably changed by the current circumstances. At the same, time new markets and whole new industries that were already emerging are going to become highly significant. Considerations like sustainable energy sources, efficient transport and pollution are becoming real issues, affecting political decisions, regulation, public attitudes and consumer behaviour.

It’s clear that the projected rate of economic growth cannot be accompanied with a matched

Sir George Cox is the past Chairman of the Design Council and the author of the Cox Review (on creativity in business) for the UK government.

The ‘Cox Review’ produced a number of far-reaching recommendations, and attracted considerable international interest, with requests to speak in several countries around the world and at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Originally trained as an aerospace engineer, Sir George spent most of his career in the IT industry, both as a successful entrepreneur and as head of the European operations of a major global corporation.

Prior to his role with the Design Council, he was Director General of the Institute of Directors: the body that serves and represents the interests of some 55,000 UK business leaders.

Sir George is currently a Board Member of NYSE-Euronext (the group comprising the New York Stock Exchange, the Paris, Amsterdam, Bruxelles and Lisbon Stock Exchanges, and the London Financial Futures and Options Exchange). He is also a Director of Shorts, the aerospace company.

He is a member of the University Council and chairs the Advisory Board of Warwick Business School.

Innovation isn’t something to be shelved awaiting better times, it is now that it comes into its own

the author in minute

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the author in minute

building for the futureJulia Evans (MMBA 1995–2000), Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), discusses the problems currently facing the construction industry and the measures the NFB is taking to ensure its members are fully prepared to meet and overcome them.

Julia has been Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders since January 2006. Prior to this she was a Director of the Strategic Rail Authority.

She has held board level posts in criminal justice (both police and probation) and in the health service where her key responsibilities focussed on human resources. She holds a first degree from the University of Wales, an MPhil from the University of Nottingham and an MBA from WBS.

One of the most exciting aspects of my role is experiencing first hand how the UK construction industry brings together an inspirational blend of craftsmanship and cutting edge innovation. This fusion of traditional skills and high-tech solutions is clearly illustrated in townscapes and skylines across the country; magnificent buildings helping to transform lives and providing the homes, schools, hospitals and workplaces so relevant to all of us.

I also see it reflected in our work at the National Federation of Builders (NFB). As the construction industry’s longest established trade association, with origins in the late 19th century, we are proud of our long history. However, we are also a thoroughly modern business organisation.

but to even pass on the rate cuts intended to help them.

However, this does not mean that smaller companies are destined for failure as changing conditions create winners as well as losers. We are putting all our efforts into ensuring that our members are fully prepared to meet and overcome the challenges they face. We provide advice, guidance and training to ensure they develop and retain the competitive edge necessary to secure the business advantage they need to succeed.

Key among our current campaigns is a drive to ensure that SMEs are not precluded from bidding for public sector contracts. The growing trend towards bundling projects together to create large packages prevents some SMEs from bidding as their turnover is often deemed too low for these mammoth contracts. This prohibits many capable firms from tendering for the work and, as the public sector is construction’s biggest single client, restricts access to a large part of the market. We need to retain a wider range of contract sizes to ensure that the contribution from the SME sector is not undermined.

There are sound social and economic reasons why neglecting the contribution

of SMEs is bad business for UK Plc. The sector provides the heartbeat for the construction industry. It not only delivers a majority of the work but also acts as a key contributor to local and regional economies, including firm commitments to training and apprenticeships and the use of local supply chains which helps reduce the carbon footprint of projects.

Construction is vital to the UK’s economic recovery. A technically advanced, competitive and sustainable industry with a highly skilled workforce will be needed to build for growth. The NFB intends to be at the forefront of that drive.

So how did someone like me get to be doing such an exciting job in such an inspiring industry? I think it is to do with opportunity and preparation and in no small way about the opening up of possibilities created by doing my MBA and more particularly my MBA at Warwick Business School. That course of study was not without its challenges. I had two small children and a full-time job, however the modular structure of the course made it possible. Most stimulating was the exposure to the wide variety of experience demonstrated by colleagues on the course, some of whom have remained in touch and become friends.

The experience taught me the art of the possible and that although I was a public sector person I could travel across boundaries with the only requirement being an open mind. And that’s the benefit of education; turning ideas into opportunity and opportunity into reality, just like the wonderful buildings we see all around us!

At the forefront of an industry which contributes almost 10 percent of GDP we represent 1,500 builders and contractors – small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) – across England and Wales. In addition to providing specialist advice and business services through a network of eight regional offices, we also lobby local, national and European government on a range of issues to sustain positive trading conditions for members.

There is no doubt that the recession is taking its toll on the industry’s SMEs. Problems with late or non-payment and falling order books have been exacerbated by lack of support from banks. Even some robust companies with strong order books are going to the wall because construction is deemed ‘too risky’ by lenders who are not only failing to lend,

Construction is vital to the UK’s economic recovery. A technically advanced, competitive and sustainable industry with a highly skilled workforce will be needed to build for growth. The NFB intends to be at the forefront of that drive

nexus: summer 09 thriving through change12

first serviceRobert Johnston, Professor of Operations Management, explains why a recession is the best time to improve customer service and how it can be turned to your competitive advantage.

Without a doubt recessions cause a lot of pain and suffering. We have already witnessed many organisations folding and hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs and livelihoods. Many large and small organisations: retailers, car manufacturers, local shops, are struggling with shortages of operating capital and customers.

For those of us lucky enough to be in employment these times can cause apprehension and misery as senior managers talk about uncertainty and the need to cut costs even further. Some senior managers take the ‘equal misery’ approach, lopping five or ten percent off all budgets making everything five or ten percent worse. Others take a more focused approach getting rid totally of activities and operations that don’t fit or add value and, importantly, protecting those that make the better contributions. Many managers are forced to slash budgets,

freeze posts and lose others, cut back on staff training, and freeze pay or even enforce pay cuts. As a result workloads increase and stress and resentment builds.

It doesn’t take much working out to realise what the effect of all this is on customers; reduced service levels, reduced services and staff availability, coupled with the misery of dealing with disaffected staff. So why punish your customers? They are the ones still buying your products or using your services despite the personal pressures they themselves may be under.

Counter intuitively this is the best time to try to improve the service you deliver to your customers. There are two key reasons. Firstly, other organisations are cutting back and their services may be deteriorating so it can

provide you with an immediate competitive advantage. Secondly, and many managers often forget this, the best way to cut costs is not to cut costs but to improve service. While making improvements to your service may require a little investment, it will pay dividends. Better service leads to greater customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty, and word-of-mouth recommendation then brings in yet more customers.

However, it has to be noted, not all organisations want their customers to return and reuse their service, such as fire and rescue services, accident and emergency wards, and for others customers have little or no choice, such as rail operators and water companies. So for these organisations, and indeed all organisations, there are other even more important reasons. Improved services cut waste, reduce complaints and prevent rework, all of which can significantly reduce costs. Furthermore, better service makes staff feel proud of what they do, and makes their working life easier as they have to deal with fewer complaints and problems. This, in turn, can also reduce the costs of sickness, absenteeism and recruitment. Happier staff enjoy their work more which rubs off on the customers which continues the virtuous cycle of customer satisfaction, retention…

Robert Johnston is Deputy Dean (Operations and Finance) and Professor of Operations Management. He formerly held posts including line manager and operations manager with several service organisations. Robert provides advice to a wide range of private and public organisations. He has global experience in executive education with leading companies and has published over 150 books, papers and case studies. He serves on the editorial boards of nine leading journals, is a member of several international advisory boards and a vice president of the Institute of Customer Service.

Research interests: service transformation, service excellence, customer service, service design, service recovery, complaint management, and performance management.

the best way to cut costs [in a recession] is not to cut costs but to improve service. While making improvements to your service may require a little investment, it will pay dividends

the author in minute

So how do you improve service? There are two key ways. First, listen to your customers (rather than talk to your customers) to see what it is they need from you. Many organisations over-deliver, causing unnecessary costs. Others deliver what they think customers need not what customers actually need, thus missing opportunities to improve service and reduce costs. The second, though less obvious, is based on the Internal Service Rule ¹ ‘The level of external customer service will never exceed the level of internal customer service.’ If you deliver poor service to your internal customers there is little hope of your delivering great service to your external customers. If you and your staff have to work hard to overcome the organisation’s culture and circumvent the organisation’s systems and procedures to get things done, and/or your systems and processes are lengthy and wasteful in terms of time, effort and cost, there is something wrong with your systems and processes! The result is disillusioned and frustrated staff and higher than necessary costs. So why punish your staff as well as your customers?

Now is the right time to stop upsetting your customers and frustrating your staff and start improving your services and the processes, systems and procedures that create them. If you do, your costs will go down.

¹ Johnston, Robert and Graham Clark, (2008), Service Operations Management, 3nd ed., FT Prentice Hall, Harlow, England

13nexus: summer 09 thriving through change

ventures in ChinaKK Mui (DLMBA 1987–91) whose roles include Director of Berry Bros. & Rudd Hong Kong, gives an insight into his business ventures in China and the reasons for the upward trend in the fine wine market.

Starting off my career in banking, specialising in business consultancy, project and corporate finance, I have been assisting MNCs in pursuing various business opportunities/ventures in China since the mid-80s, after attending a banking course at the Midland (now HSBC) Bank in London.

While running from city to city project hunting and deal making, I began my studies in late 1987, juggled through and finished every module, down to the final dissertation in 1991 – 3.5 years for my Warwick MBA! It was a challenge but also a bonus to study alongside my daily work. I remember when I was assigned to an MIS project beside my regular banking deals, I could apply the relevant knowledge freshly learned from Warwick and could handle my annual business plan in a more succinct way!

Leveraging my strengths in consultancy and financing, I set up my company in 1995, offering services to MNCs for market entry and set up in China. My first clients included Nortel, Chubb, Select Service Partners and Aer Rianta. The main focus as the work transpired was predominantly airport commercialisation projects involving duty free shops, restaurants and even aircraft parts. In the late 90s, because of new engagements in some private equity deals in the US, I had my first encounter with internet businesses.

The past ten years or so have seen me focusing my efforts on brand building and bringing merchants to target consumers. My venture in China, equipped with a ready mobile-internet infrastructure, converging with conventional advertising and PR services, has been providing tailor made or ‘one-stop solution’ marketing services

In a growing market with opportunities and challenges coming from different directions, we need to be responsive to the shifting landscape and market demands

to domestic enterprises and MNCs such as Honda, McDonald’s, Absolut Volka, Puma and Microsoft.

On the Hong Kong front, I have been co-operating with Berry Bros & Rudd, the oldest and most prestigious wine merchant in the UK, since 1999, right after my duty free endeavours in the 90s. It is a business hinging on fundamentals like brand building, customer loyalty, product knowledge, and proper management of stocks and cash. We distinguish ourselves with our capability to deliver a reliable and well-managed wine investment service.

Hong Kong’s removal of import duties on wine in February 2008 has brought about sweeping changes in the fine wine market, further positioning HK, being the gateway to Asia, as one of the top three fine wine trading hubs in the world after London and New York. It is a good time to be a wine lover/investor in HK as the city is promoting wine as a well-being product and removing wine duties. The UK, on the other hand, is proposing to plaster bottles with health warnings, and is increasing duties to unprecedented levels.

While wine sales are expected to fall in Europe, wine business in Asia is projected to double to US$17 billion by 2012 and increase to US$27 billion by 2017, driven largely by China where economic growth, rising income and lifestyle changes have led to a 360 percent increase in wine imports since 2005. By 2011, the Chinese are expected to be drinking more than 1.1bn bottles of wine or 828m litres of wine a year, double the figure in 2007. People are drinking rather than cellaring wines as investment – a more promising prospect when people could enjoy wines as consumables. Prominent wine merchants and auction houses have been flocking over to grab a slice of vibrance.

Life is an ever-learning process and there is no guarantee of success. In order to survive or thrive, one has to be close to the customers, building not only on conventional infrastructure like temperature-controlled storage facilities for the wine trade and attention to detail, but also a good grasp of technological advancement, cementing an effective bridge between products and consumers, aspiring customers’ desire and loyalty, converting into repeated sales.

In a growing market with opportunities and challenges coming from different directions, we need to be responsive to the shifting landscape and market demands, making sure our offers match customers’ requirements. Survival is contingent upon prudent allocation of limited resources to businesses sustainable on the merits of generating tangible returns. We should not, however, forego Research & Development as innovation can effectively make a competitive differentiation. But R&D must be initiated after proper project assessment, pushed through with disciplined process, and closely monitored on the basis of investment outlays vs monetary return within a prescribed timeframe.

My future lies in the fun and challenge of realising dreams through perseverance and stringent discipline in risk calculation, the skills that I learned from my MBA and real-life experience – from concepts to down-to-earth operation management, supplemented by the right financial discipline, ensuring sustainability in the face of chaos.

nexus: summer 09 thriving through change14

the author in minute

the global crisis: threat or opportunity?Professor Mark Taylor highlights the opportunity for change offered by the current financial crisis.

Mark Taylor is Professor of International Financial Strategy at WBS and a Managing Director of BlackRock Global Investors, where he is the European Leader of the Global Market Strategies Group. Previously the Schroder Fellow at University College, Oxford, Mark has also been Professor of Finance at Cass Business School, at Liverpool University and at Dundee University, and Visiting Professor of International Finance at the Stern School of Business, New York University. He also spent five years as a senior advisor at the International Monetary Fund, Washington DC, worked as a financial economist at the Bank of England and began his career as a foreign exchange trader.

Mark has consulted for various financial firms, including JP Morgan Chase and Putnam Investments, as well as for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Bank of England, the Department for International Development and the European Commission. He was also a part-time Special Adviser to two members of the UK Cabinet and Director of a £5 million research programme for the Economic and Social Research Council.

Research interests: international finance, financial markets, asset pricing, active portfolio management, strategic management.

President John F Kennedy once remarked in a speech that the Chinese word for ‘crisis’ is composed of two words: ‘threat’ and ‘opportunity’. Whenever I run this by Chinese friends and acquaintances, however, they tend to peer at me with a somewhat bemused expression, which suggests that this rather charming ‘factoid’ may not in fact be true at all. Nevertheless, it does strike me as a reasonable strategy to think of a crisis as a decisive turning point and therefore an opportunity for change. If properly managed, change may lead to positive outcomes; if improperly managed, it is likely to be a negative force. This applies at various levels.

At the level of the whole economy, the current financial crisis has revealed the need for some changes in the way financial markets are regulated. This does not mean, however, that we should automatically conclude that capitalism is doomed. When all is said and done, capitalism has served the world remarkably well over the past couple of hundred years in terms of reducing poverty and raising living standards, while experiments with non-capitalist systems have either failed or have been adapted to a modified form of capitalism (as in China). But clearly there are lessons to be learnt. For example, there is a need for increased transparency in the use of financial instruments so that risks can be properly assessed and priced; and it may be sensible to think about ways of dampening asset price bubbles when the economy is booming. But any such regulation must be intelligent and focused.

At the level of an individual organisation, it is crucial to position the organisation strategically, both to withstand current adverse conditions and to be ready for the post-crisis world. This, of course, is easier said than done, but if an organisation is to

change for the better there is possibly no better time to do it than during a crisis. Crisis can be used to create a sense of urgency and common intent within an organisation that can be lacking during easier times. Now is the time to make those difficult decisions that were easier to postpone during the boom. Now is the time to focus on key strengths and targets. Now is the time to ask fundamental questions about institutional identity: who are we and where do we want to go?

Crisis is a form of stress test on an organisation’s culture and structure. In large organisations, this may have the effect of bringing the various business units closer together in an increased spirit of shared purpose. Or it may raise questions about whether the various units hang together properly. Would some business units be better aligned with new owners? Should we use this opportunity to acquire new business units from other organisations?

Positioning for the post-crisis world is not straightforward and requires careful scenario analysis from a range of different perspectives. Financial and economic commentators on the current crisis have a tendency, in my view, to overlook the wider issues relating to political and sociological factors. Political factors will determine many of the parameters within which the organisation operates: how much regulation,

how much government intervention, how much taxation? And sociological factors, by driving the way we view each other and our relationships within society, may have a crucial bearing on the patterns of demand going forward: who will be buying what – and where, when and why?

In my experience human beings are often improved by hard times and personal crises; it may be that organisations, economies and societies are the same. Within an organisation, crisis can create a sense of urgency and an appetite for constructive change, but the opportunity will be lost unless it is seized.

Effective leadership is about seizing that opportunity by developing a vision of where the organisation could and should go, focusing the organisation and implementing the right strategic changes in order to achieve that vision. It is about perceiving the opportunity and dealing with the threat.

In my experience human beings are often improved by hard times and personal crises; it may be that organi-sations, economies and societies are the same

15nexus: summer 09 thriving through change

should not completely collapse last year. Foreign investors left or were made to leave. The stock market crashed and went down 70 percent between July and December. The RUR depreciated more than 50 percent against the dollar in seven months.

For most banks the immediate negative effect was funding rates increasing from 11 to 25 percent in three months. The booming consumer finance market came to a complete halt and I realised the virtues of long-term strategies and having a strong owner.

To be a foreigner working in Russia is in no way an easy task. I was given advice early that still helps me: ‘get used but never accept’ and I think to a large degree this encompasses what it is like, fascinating and rewarding but always very challenging.

Despite all the doom and gloom, I think that the future looks very encouraging. IKEA, our business partner in Russia has opened 11 stores, some of which are already on the top-5 turnover list globally, and continues to have optimistic expansion plans.

Our aim is to take advantage of the recession and further develop our business. In a fraction of the time it has taken to build similar volumes in Europe, we have the potential of doing the same in Russia. Then again, why wouldn’t we, this is Russia, the land of extremes.

land of extremesStaffan Mattson (DLMBA 1998–2002) CEO of Ikano Finance Russia, recounts his experience of working in Russia and the challenges involved.

Being Swedish and based in Moscow unfortunately meant that I temporarily lost contact with fellow alumni and I am therefore very pleased about the recent establishment of a Warwick alumni group in Moscow. The first meetings have already resulted in interesting contacts and I look forward to building on this very good initiative.

Ikano was originally a part of IKEA, but is now owned by the Kamprad family. The Ikano Group owns and develops competitive and profitable niche companies in the areas of finance, real estate, asset management, insurance and retail. Ikano established the Russian business in 2006 and I moved to Moscow permanently as the first and only employee.

During the first three years of business we have hired more than 200 people, sold more than 150,000 credit cards and we are now already in our second joint venture with an international bank. When I look back, the last three years have probably been quite extreme professionally, but also something I have found very enjoyable and extremely developing.

Russia would not be Russia if after a long period of outstanding growth the economy

In Russia everything is warm or cold, big or small, black or white. It’s either or, you are rich or poor, and there is very little in between. Russia is the biggest country in the world, with an area of 17,075, 200 square kilometres and covers approximately one-sixth of the world’s land area. It is a country with 11 time zones that has the world’s longest domestic flight of 8 hours from Moscow to Vladivostok.

Russia has 144 million inhabitants but a decreasing population. The average life expectancy for women is 72 years but for men only 57. Moscow, the amazing capital, has officially around 12 million inhabitants and more than 4 million cars. To quote Winston Churchill; ‘Russia is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma’.

When I first came to Moscow in 2004 I was completely fascinated by the atmosphere in the city. The capitalism was very evident and for me it was what I expected Klondike once was. Having lived in Moscow for three years now, I am still fascinated by the fantastic opportunities to do business here but also very aware of the challenges Russia as a nation and Russian people face.

I started my studies at WBS in 1998 when I joined the distance learning programme, as I felt I wanted to broaden my knowledge after ten years of working in different management positions. I knew part-time studies in parallel to full time work would be challenging and for me it was very important to invest my time in something that was worth the effort. WBS turned out to be what I was looking for. The MBA programme gave me a business knowledge and business confidence that has been invaluable for my career.

My studies also helped me to build a network that made studying more enjoyable and improved the results. Cooperating with my local study group was very valuable and had it not been for job postings abroad we would probably have realised the entrepreneurial ventures we were planning at the time.

Staffan joined IKANO Finance Russia as CEO in 2006. Prior to that he was Head of Business Development, Sales & Marketing and Controlling, for Ikano BA Finance. His previous roles were in the building & construction, real estate and finance sectors: Deputy Managing Director of Karl Ljungberg & Co AB; CFO of Fastighets AB Briggen; Director, Securum Denmark A/S; and Key Account Manager at Securum Finans AB and Nordbanken. As well as his Warwick MBA, Staffan also has an MSc in Business Administration and Economics International Business programme from Lund University.

Despite all the doom and gloom, I think that the future looks very encouraging

the author in minute

nexus: summer 09 thriving through change16

personal and career developmentOver the past two years the Personal and Career Development (PCD) team at WBS has been growing, developing new services and improving partnerships with employers.

With nine staff members covering everything from career coaching, skills sessions and service development to consultancy project sourcing, employer engagement and employment events, the team is focused on providing career solutions across the WBS community.

Push your career forwardSurviving, let alone thriving in an economic crisis is no mean feat but a new range of pilot career services, accessible from anywhere in the world, aim to give our alumni the skills and support you need to take your career to the next stage.

What are the new services and how would someone use them? Carol Rue, Director of Personal and Career Development, explains:

The pilot services are comprehensive and include career consultations, executive coaching and online interactive modules. We designed them to be flexible so participants can enter at any point and use all the parts or hand-pick the aspects that fit their needs and budget.

One route might be to undertake a free Career Health Check with a member of our team, who would assess your needs, give advice and direct you towards the most appropriate service for you. If you have a specific issue you want advice on such as your CV or you want interview practice a Career Consultation is ideal.

For those who want in-depth learning in a targeted area we have four online modules, Managing Career, Marketing Self, Managing Self and Managing Relationships. As a delegate you would attend three online seminars and undertake self assessment, homework and coaching to maximise your learning and convert it into an action plan.

Our Executive Coaching panel is on hand to provide personalised career support. The panel of professional coaches has experience across a range of industries.

All this is supported by a web site offering career information and access to a range of resources like Executive Grapevine, a database of senior leaders and executive recruiters.

Why were these services developed?We developed the services in response to feedback about our careers provision and the growing need to support alumni as you progress your careers. We carried out a study including surveys, benchmarking and trials of workshops and coaching to find out what our alumni community really wanted. We received some great feedback that we fed into our service development and, after a great deal of hard work and investigation, I strongly believe that the services are best in class and align WBS to other leading global business schools.

Who do you think can gain?From career planning, accessing career tool kits, developing and marketing your personal brand to influencing skills, managing relationships at work and achieving a sustainable career, the services we have developed have something for everyone.

The PCD team (top to bottom) Richard Wilcock

Leon RichardsCara Curran

Carol RueIan Swann

Lucy MeredithLinda Butler

Donna Shannon

To arrange a free Career Health Check or find out more about the services call t +44 (0)24 7657 4862 or e pcd@wbs.ac.uk

To see a price list and access the services visit our online shop w www.wbs.ac.uk/careers/alumni/shop

17nexus: summer 09 thriving through change

SPOTLIGHT – Using WBS talent to thriveIt is an understatement to say that this year has been tough across many industries but organisations in the know are using WBS talent to innovate and thrive.

Leon Richards, Recruiter Relationships Manager at WBS says:‘Given the current economic climate external hiring is down across most industries. This has lead to organisations using MBA internship programmes and consultancy projects as a primary source of recruitment. Astra Zeneca is predicting a 40 per cent reduction in hiring this year. When they recruit, their focus is on quality so they are starting a European MBA internship programme. DHL commented that ‘the majority of external hiring will be done through our internship programme this year’

‘Consultancy Projects and internships are an ideal opportunity to road test the global talent on offer at WBS. It is a testament to this process that, as well as welcoming back recruiters like PepsiCo and DPWN, we have worked with new contacts like Rolls Royce, Diageo and IBM. Recruiting at WBS year after year means that a long term talent pipeline is secured.’

Ben Lamont, Talent Acquisition Manager at PepsiCo comments: ‘Our work with WBS allows us to explore new sources of talent. We know we are assured of finding individuals who offer academic success, a passion for learning and a number of years of experience. We truly value fresh perspectives, diversity of backgrounds and experience and hold the fundamental belief that this is imperative to the continued growth and success of our business.’

To find out what your organisation can gain from working with WBS contact Leon Richards, Recruiter Relationships Manager T +44 (0)78 2454 1021 e leon.richards@wbs.ac.uk

Top tips for job hunting in a recession

• Be prepared – don’t wait until you need your CV or to develop a new skill set before you take action. Emma Ford, Career Coach and Managing Career tutor says ‘Being prepared ensures you can manage your career and future, whatever circumstance you find yourself in. Putting together a new CV after being told you have lost your job is not the best time to convince an employer of your talents.’

• Know yourself – what is important to you? What are your values? What countries would you work in? What level do you want to reach? These are all things you need to consider before you start your search.

• Identify your strengths – what are you good at? What is your unique selling point? What will set you apart? Focusing on what you have to offer will improve your confidence and ensure that approaches you make are tailored.

• Have a plan – job hunting can seem overwhelming so having a plan is important. Visualise where you want to be and think of the steps you need to take to get there.

• Research – you know yourself, your strengths and you have a plan but how much do you know about the companies you are approaching? Use the internet, press, formal and informal networks. Network, speak to friends, other members of the alumni community and join professional interest groups.

• Market yourself – you are a brand in a global marketplace. Your CV, cover letters, emails, appearance and how you interact are extensions of your brand. Consider how others perceive you. Does it match how you want them to perceive you? Close any gaps and maximise brand you!

• Stay focused – job hunting can be difficult and time consuming so focus your efforts according to your plan. Achieving your ultimate goal may involve a number of small steps; don’t discount contract, temporary and voluntary positions that may give you the experience you need.

• Stay positive – you may have to make a number of applications before you get an interview and not every interview will result in a job so be realistic. It is easy to become despondent but look at what you have to offer and remember that you have a qualification from WBS that will stay with you for life.

• Seek advice – need more support? Contact the PCD team to discuss the services on offer to you.

T +44(0)24 7657 4862 E pcd@wbs.ac.uk

WEB RESOURCES FREE

Online resources giving information

on CV writing, interviews, the

global job market and self-assesment.

ONLINE MODULES FROM £295

4 tailored modules, each consisting of 3 online seminars,

self-assesments and coaching sessions to ensure participants gain the most from

the module.

EXECUTIVE COACHINGFROM £175

Work with a qualified Executive coach from

our panel to assist you in reaching your career goals. Sessions last 90 minutes and

you can buy 1, 3 or 6 sessions.

RESOURCES AND SERVICES

START YOUR CAREER JOURNEYCAREER CONSULTATION – £50

A one-to-one session with a qualified Career Coach.

Ideal for dealing with specific issues such as reviewing and advising on CVs, interview

advice and practice and looking at your career options. You

will be advised on next steps and signposted to relevant

resources.

CAREER HEALTH CHECK FREEFree session where you can

discuss your background, aims and options with a member of the team. You will signposted to the most relevant services

and resources for you.

Invest in your future by investing in Warwick Business School

Gift AidIf you have paid UK income tax or capital gains tax on the money you have donated, the University of Warwick can claim Gift Aid on your donations. This will allow WBS to receive an extra 28p (at time of printing) in tax from the HM Revenue & Customs for every £1 you donate, at no additional cost to you.

If you pay a higher rate of tax you can claim higher rate relief on your donation by entering the donation in the gift aid box on your self assessment tax return.

The Higher Education Matched Funding SchemeIn August 2008 the Government launched the UK’s first Matched Funding scheme for Higher Education. The purpose of the scheme is to encourage philanthropic giving to universities and colleges. It is hoped that the scheme will help bring a durable change of greater public giving to higher education.

Both donations received from individuals or organisations who have not previously contributed to the University and increased donations from existing donors will qualify for matched funding. The University can claim £1 for every £3 donated plus a percentage of eligible Gift Aid.

‘I didn’t have to think twice about donating to WBS. Throughout my career I’ve worked in roles that bring academics and business together and have seen the benefits from this time and time again. Having studied the Warwick MBA, I also know first hand the value of a world class business education. By supporting WBS I am helping to assist talented people achieve their dreams and bring their skills back into business as I have done – we all should – look what can happen!’

Dr Frank CraigMBA (Warwick)Chief Executive OfficerLife Sciences Consultancy Ltd WBS Donor

WBS development programme

18

‘Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.’ Marian Wright Edelman

Supporting the development of WBS is an investment in your future and in the future of your organisation. You may have already experienced the benefits of an investment in a WBS education; investing in WBS now will enable the School to continue to bring value to you and your future beyond your individual achievements, not to mention future students regardless of background. Furthermore, by helping WBS create the next generation of business leaders you will be changing lives by providing world-class education to the brightest minds.

Your contribution, of any size, will support WBS to:

• Compete with the worlds’ best business schools • Ensure our long-term future • Challenge minds and change lives.

To achieve this, and in response to feedback from alumni and friends, we have launched the Vision 2015 WBS Development Fund. The fund has three key areas critical to success in becoming a leading global business school by 2015.

The Faculty FundInvesting in developing WBS faculty, recruiting the best academics from around the world to enhance our thought leadership and influence global policy and decision making.

The Talent FundInvesting in the brightest young minds through scholarships to provide tomorrow’s workforce, business leaders, and WBS advocates.

The Community FundInvesting in a physical environment where the space and facilities are readily available to support effective collaboration, thought leadership, and the development of new ideas in teaching and learning.

How to giveFurther details can be found in the How to donate brochure within nexus, which also includes a donation form.

You can also give online via the links on our website to give a gift instantly via debit or credit card to the University of Warwick in support of WBS.

Further information is available via this link, but the WBS Development & Alumni Relations team would also love to speak to you whether you would like to make a suggestion, find out more about getting involved with WBS or have any questions about making your donation.

w www.wbs.ac.uk/about/development T + 44 (0)24 7652 2813 E development@wbs.ac.uk

RESPONDING TO CHANGETHE INDIA HABITAT CENTRE, NEW DELHI, INDIA SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2009, 9.30AMwww.wbs.ac.uk/go/wgc

WARWICK GLOBAL CONFERENCES

INDIA

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITYLearn from business leaders and policy makers in India and globally

Debate critical issues affecting society and the global economy

Challenge current global business methodologies and ideologies and their impact on our social and economic environment

Interact with influential peers in academia, business, and Government

SPEAKERS INCLUDESarthak Behuria Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation President, World LPGas Association

Dr Ramesh Mashelkar President, IChemE President, Global Research Alliance

Chris Oberoi Managing Director, Goldman Sachs, India

Dr Rajendra Pachauri Director General, TERI & Chairman, IPCC

D. Shivakumar Managing Director & Vice President for Nokia India

Professor Mark Taylor Professor of International Finance, WBS

Professor Nigel Thrift Vice Chancellor, University of Warwick

TAKE YOUR PLACEAll WBS Alumni are invited to attend this prestigious event at a special discounted rate. Places are limited so book now to avoid disappointment.

For further information or to find out about sponsorship opportunities, please visit the conference website

www.wbs.ac.uk/go/wgc

The Warwick Global Conference series provides an opportunity for global business leaders, policy makers, and academics to examine some of the most critical issues affecting business, economic and social growth through the lens of the host nation

delhi conference ad [2281].indd 1 03/07/2009 15:40

2020

The Warwick Business School Society (WBSS) has been the leading society throughout the University of Warwick for the past decade. We have recently redefined ourselves from being a commercialised society to one of ‘corporate elegance.’ Both our corporate and social events far exceed the expectation of our partners and would continue to provide our members with a solid ground for networking opportunities coupled with a dynamic environment for entertainment and a sense of professionalism.

Who ever said university students can’t be entrepreneurial without actually being entrepreneurs?

WBSS is proud to boast that our Forum, which was held on May 1st, was a great success. Speakers ranged from leading mortgage practitioners to successful entrepreneurs and famous BBC TV Dragon’s Den winners like Levi Roots. Our members were given the opportunity to interact with all our speakers and learn very valuable lessons on how to protect themselves or their business from macro-economic shocks such as the one we are faced with today. If you weren’t there, you should have been!

WBSS would like to give you a heads up for the future. Whether you are a competitor or a member, brace yourselves for the academic year

WBS successfully launched its mentoring programme on 26 January. 58 alumni and students are currently supported by 33 mentors spread over 16 countries worldwide, using face to face, email and telephone media to maintain regular contact.

A live online conferencing system, first used by WBS in 2007 to deliver programme content for the distance learning MBA programme, is also being trialed as a potential means of communication for this pilot. Currently it is part of the package available to MBA students used to promote online delivery of teaching and learning, primarily aimed at group or ‘classroom’ discussions. This system was made available for the pilot on a trial basis and used for online delivery to applicants unable to attend the induction on campus in January.Demand for the pilot programme was high and this led to the School extending its pilot intake to encompass a further 18 applicants and 15 mentors who were inducted on 26 June.

The steering committee, led by alumnus Peter Summerfield, has met regularly since the January induction to discuss and monitor progress. This group has also formed a support network to offer guidance to all mentors, in particular assisting more recent graduate mentors and those mentoring at a distance.

mentoring pilot update

undergrad updateof 2009/10; it holds many surprises! We encourage you to become part of the loop, explore your potential and open your eyes to the business opportunities available.

Join WBSS at w www.wbss.co.uk ...‘the sky’s the limit’

Oliver Sabga, WBSS President 2009/102nd year BSc Management Sciences

WBSS forum panel: Tim Powell, Minerva; Pratik Dattani, Deloitte; Margi Levy, WBS; and Stephen Archer, Spring Partnerships

All participants will be surveyed for formal feedback at the beginning of September to give both groups the opportunity to determine the benefits, aims, practicalities and objectives achieved in their relationship.

Tuan Nguyen, a current distance learning MBA student embarking on his second year at WBS, tells of his experience of the programme so far.

Since embarking on the Distance Learning MBA in 2008, I have been actively searching for a mentor in the area of Operations Management. Based in Vietnam and taking the Distance Learning module, I see the importance of the constant connection with the other side of the world in terms of mind thinking. Peter Summerfield and I have been connected through the WBS mentoring program and I was surprised how quickly it had happened.

So how does it work? As a mentor, Peter challenges my thinking. When I have an idea, he always has many opinions on different aspects of it. This keeps the ideas being exchanged back and forth and through that I find my own answers, be it relevant to daily professional work, management issues, or leadership skills.

I feel our mentor – mentee relationship reached the turning point when I came to WBS for a seminar and we met face to face for the first time. Fortunately, it did not take long for us to find common points and it appeared that our personal interests quite match. Peter took me to a church where Winston Churchill was buried and delivered a leadership lesson right on the spot. Now that was memorable!

Tuan works for Nortel Networks Asia, based in Vietnam, being responsible for Logistics Operations for Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines market.Tuan Nguyen

Peter Summerfield

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In response to the recent alumni survey, and building upon the desire to be a world-class business school and alumni association, we are pleased to announce the launch of our new WBS alumni website this summer.

The WBS Development and Alumni Relations team wishes to express to you our alumni, friends and students, the mutually beneficial relationship you have embarked upon. This relationship will be

new alumni website coming soon

Some of the new features• Individual profile page linked to the online directory,

allowing alumni and students to easily update their details and use their profile to network within their chosen network groups.

• Online media library allowing easier access to a multitude of archived podcasts, mp3’s, presentations and other media items

• Increased access to research and other exclusive services to alumni and students

• Interactive areas for regional, international and special interest groups

• Greater ability to volunteer for activities, sign up for events and support the school

communicated through the new website, making available to you not only our services and opportunities but also the areas in which you can become involved and give something back to the School.

The changes to the website do not stand alone but complement other developments and improvements of our offering to alumni and students. These developments are in a number of areas, including our international activity, access to research, the opportunities we provide to volunteer and our newly launched mentoring programme.

Look out for the new website in the summer and let us know what you think. w www.wbs.ac.uk/alumni

Saturday 12 September 2009 Academic Update Seminar 2009, WBS Teaching Centre, Radcliffe

Given the challenging economic backdrop and the uncertain times many businesses are facing, the Autumn 2009 Academic Update is entitled Managing risk for strategic gain. Three leading WBS academics will share their latest research, giving delegates an insight into how risk can be managed and used for competitive advantage in business.

Throughout the day there will be the opportunity to:

LEARN from some of the School’s leading academicsDEBATE current issues facing business in uncertain timesCHALLENGE fellow alumni and academics about methodologies and ideologiesNETWORK with fellow alumni and faculty

For more information and to book your place visit: w www.wbs.ac.uk/go/acupdate

Professor Howard Thomas, Dean of WBS Managing strategic risk: a holistic view

Professor Loizos Heracleous, Professor of Strategy Quantum strategies and organisational resilience

Professor Anthony Neuberger, Professor of Finance Using markets to manage risks

professional interest groups

Alumni, students and guests gathered on 23 February to hear presentations from Henry Hallward, a partner of Mirada Partnership and Andrew Waterfall, Founder and Former CEO of Improvision, both active Business Angels.

According to Depak Lal (MMBA 1995–2000), Associate Partner, Eclipse Energy Group AS: ‘I have been to a number of events at WBS before and this one has really hit the nail on the head. Both presentations were spot on and I am going away having learnt something.’ The speakers presented both sides of the investor/investee coin as confirmed by Graham Mackay, Global Account Director, Verizon Business and current MMBA student, ‘It was good to get the two perspectives and both speakers were very interesting.’

The opportunity for networking afterwards was considered equally valuable; with potential investors mingling with budding entrepreneurs and established business owners.

To join the Entrepreneurship Network and to view the presentations and photosw www.wbs-en.com

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UK events review

entrepreneurship network

WBS alumni and guests from the Minerva group and Warwick Science Park were treated to a full-sized prototype of a Scubacraft as one of a number of potential investment displays during the WBS and Minerva Business Angels Seminar on 14 March. With enthusiastic support from Advantage West Midlands (the regional development agency), Minerva and WBS were able to offer the event to their registered investors, guests and Warwick alumni, free of charge. The day was packed with a line-up of high quality speakers, culminating in a presentation entitled Corporate animal to entrepreneur. The enterprises presenting were; Key Forensic Services Ltd, MDTi, PolyComm, Novolytics and Scubacraft. To view the presentations, see the link below.

Another successful Business Angels Seminar was held in June. If you are an entrepreneur, looking for investment or looking to invest, why not join WBS-EN to network with other like-minded alumni, students and friends. w www.wbs-en.com

telecoms

Members of the Telecoms professional interest group enjoyed an engaging presentation and discussion in April on the Outlook for telecoms in the downturn. A copy of the presentation can be found on the telecoms LinkedIn group. New members are always welcome. Please register via the LinkedIn group page. w www.wbs.ac.uk/alumni/linked-in.cfm

For information on other professional interest groups, please visit the alumni website w www.wbs.ac.uk/alumni/sigs.cfm

business angels

WBS/Detica series

March saw another successful WBS/ Detica series seminar with a difference. This time Colin Gautrey (DLMBA 1999–2007), author of Political dilemmas at work, delivered an interactive workshop style event rather than the traditional presentation format. The evening focused on the current issue of Navigating Workplace Politics in the Credit Crunch and feedback from delegates indicated it was an extremely interesting and useful session.

Our thanks to Simon Finnie (MMBA 1999–2003) of Detica for hosting this event and to Colin for delivering the workshop.

Colin Gautrey

Opened by Her Majesty the Queen in December 2008, the Curve is a state of the art theatre, developed on the old Haymarket site, and Ruth shared her

experience of taking a large cultural organisation through a major redevelopment programme. It was a fascinating insight into a re-branding and re-energising process taken by Leicester City Council and we wish them every success. A behind-the-scenes tour of the theatre facilities is promised for our next visit.

regional groups

London first friday

Hosts Antonios Kastanas (MSEF 1999–2001) and Tracy Lynch from WBS, were delighted to welcome an overseas guest from one of our partner institutions, to their get-together at the 1802 Bar in Canary Wharf in February.

Sanja Stevic-Fleckenstein, Alumni Relations Manager, Mannheim Business School, Germany commented: ‘It was a real pleasure to accept the invitation to join WBS alumni and the alumni team. The evening was a great success and I was pleasantly surprised to see such a diverse group coming together for a great networking evening to share the opportunity to catch up

with old class colleagues and meet some new faces. I had the opportunity to talk to some alumni mainly about the current economic climate and the majority felt positive and confident about the future, especially since WBS is very good at offering great networking opportunities for their alumni and there are certainly many ways in which one could leverage this benefit to mutual advantage.‘

In April, host Miltos Drandakis (MSEF 1997–98) was joined by alumni and current students who came together in the heart of the London banking community at the Counting House, an interesting and lively City venue. We also welcomed a potential student looking for guidance on joining the MBA programme.

Olivia Brook, a new member of the WBS Personal and Career Development Team, responsible for managing external project leads for all Masters students, gave an update on current project opportunities. Please contact Olivia if you have not previously registered as a contact for student projects and your organisation is interested. E olivia.brook@wbs.ac.uk

Thames Valley

Fiona Williams (FTMBA 2006–7) and Patrick Luk (DLMBA 1999–2004) welcomed a small group to the Somerset modern cuisine and cocktail lounge in Oxford in February. A cross-section of graduates gathered to reminisce about old times and Patrick was delighted to re-establish contact with an old classmate. Three full-time WBS students also joined the group.

Midlands

James Rock (EMBA 1988–92), Regional Committee member, decided it was time for a change and thus the location and focus for the April event was an informative talk from Ruth Eastwood, Chief Executive of The Curve in Leicester.

UK events review

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WBS fora series 2008/09

This year saw another excellent line-up of presentations during the WBS Fora lecture series.

The series culminated in a passionate presentation when Señor José Juan Ruiz Gómez, Director of Analysis & Strategy, Santander Group, spoke on the current global economic crisis, its consequences, impact and the road

to recovery in Latin America during a presentation entitled, No paradise without banks.

Alumni and students were also privileged to hear from: Jeff Patmore, Head of Strategic University Research, BT, speaking on Enterprise 2.0 – will it really deliver?

Shaun Carter (MMBA 1996–2002) Director of Government Services, Carillion Plc, who presented on Change management in a turnaround environment

Dr Gerard Lyons (MA Economics 1982–83), Chief Economist of Standard Chartered Plc, gave a fascinating presentation entitled The new world order: economic and financial implications.

Short podcasts of interviews between the speakers and academic chairs are available online at w www.wbs.ac.uk/news/podcasts And with a full-line up of speakers already confirmed for 2009/10; don’t miss out on the opportunity this year. Details available online.

José Juan Ruiz Gómez

Sanja Stevic-Fleckenstein

Midlands group members at The Curve

Keep up to date with forthcoming events by visiting the WBS calendar w www.wbs.ac.uk/alumni/forthcoming.cfm

CyprusLoius Louzou and Michalis Yiannikouris hosted drinks and dinner on 25 February at the Aigeon restaurant, Nicosia, Cyprus. The event was well attended and it was agreed that an alumni network would be set up in Cyprus. More details about future events will be circulated soon.

overseas events reviews

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Moscow

On 27 March all Russia-based Warwick alumni and students were invited to a buffet reception in Moscow. The event was hosted by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nigel Thrift who was accompanied by James Kennedy, Director of the International Office, Alison Bond, Deputy Director for Development and Alumni Relations and Nadia Golenischeva, Warwick representative in Russia.

Oksana Loginova (DLMBA 1999–07) reports: ‘The ambience of the evening was very special. The event was attended by over forty Russia-based alumni and students and was held at the Savoy Hotel located in the heart of the city of Moscow. The Vice-Chancellor spoke to us about recent developments and plans at Warwick. He also emphasised the University’s commitment to support the development of Warwick alumni networks and communities, both worldwide and in Russia. Such support is greatly appreciated by all of us, particularly at this time as we are actively engaged in developing plans for the Russia alumni network. This work has been progressing well, and the discussions at the event have further contributed to the momentum. The reception also provided a fantastic opportunity for everyone to meet old and make new friends and partnerships, all in a very informal, relaxed and pleasant setting.’

Graduates and current students are forming the Warwick Russian-speaking alumni network, which will include alumni from all Russian-speaking countries (including those who do not speak Russian). We will hold our next big events in Moscow and London in October-November 2009. If you want to participate in the organisation of the network, have some interesting ideas or want to be a guest speaker at future activities, please contact Maxim Lobov E os08ml@mail.wbs.ac.uk

Kuala LumpurOn 25 April WBS alumnus Dato’ Sri Idris Jala (MAIR 1985–86), Managing Director and CEO, Malaysia Airlines presented to alumni on The 6 Principles of Transformation Leadership at the Renaissance Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. In a presentation described as truly inspirational, Dato’ Sri Idris talked about his own experiences whilst working for the Shell organisation, and in his current role at Malaysia Airlines. After the presentation alumni enjoyed networking over drinks.

Prior to the seminar a group of alumni met with Ann Jackson to discuss setting up an alumni network in Malaysia. We are pleased to report that, with the help of alumni Vernon Wong and Chi Chang Teh, a formal network is being set up. Do watch your inbox for more details.

Ann Jackson thanks Dato’ Sri Idris Jala for his presentation

Dubai Sue Beech, DLMBA Programme Manager, hosted an evening event on 2 April at a stunning terrace bar venue on the 24th floor of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

Muhammad Qureshi (DLMBA 1998–03) reports: ‘WBS alumni and current students got together to celebrate the beginning of the WBS alumni network in Dubai. Sue Beech welcomed the very international body of current and past students to a very

Moscow alumni at the VC’s reception

Singapore On 21 April a group of WBS alumni met with Ann Jackson, Development & Alumni Relations Officer (International Affairs), at the Traders Hotel to discuss the setting up of a formal network in Singapore. We are delighted to report that there is a great deal of interest and a further meeting of alumni was held in May at the University of Warwick office in Singapore. Alumnus Timothy Lui (DLMBA 1998–05) is coordinating the network with the help of the University representative Mavis Ow. Further details will be sent by email.

A Warwick seminar was held on 23 April at the Earshot Café-Bar at the Arts House. Professor Bob Johnston, Deputy Dean, presented on Improving Service: finding and removing the barriers to great service, and Andrew Hardwick, Senior Teaching Fellow, on What do we mean by world-class? After the presentations alumni took the opportunity to mingle and network.

delegates at the Singapore seminar

eventful evening. Many attendees welcomed the formation of a formal network and work is now underway to organise a meeting of interested volunteers and move things forward. Dubai is a very transient city filled with expatriates, who make up 80 percent of the population. Many are here for a fixed period of time before taking the next step in their careers. Stay tuned for the next update from the alumni network in Dubai.’

alumni meet up in Dubai

MaltaOn 12 March, alumni and graduands joined Dr Tanya Sammut Bonnici from WBS at the Westin Dragonra for the first meeting of the Malta WBS Alumni network. The evening began with the introduction of the new members. Alumni in Malta come from companies as diverse as Unilever, KPMG, Booze Allen Hamilton, Price Waterhouse and several leading local companies. The group is expanding to include the wider University of Warwick alumni population in Malta and a second meeting was held in June.

BangaloreThe Bangalore alumni network initially met with Alison Bond in February and has now moved on a stage. Jacob Joseph (MSc Engineering & Business Management 2006–07) reports on progress: ‘We already have additional members and potential candidates outside Bangalore willing to join the network. Our second meeting took place on 7 March at UB City Italian restaurant, where some members and their families got together for an informal event. We discussed future plans for the network, including holding regular meetings at different venues, and marketing.’

If you wish to join the Bangalore network, please contact Aditya Jairaj /Jacob Joseph e akumar@me.com E prem_17@hotmail.com

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overseas events reviews

Starting up an international alumni network in your city/country

We are delighted to report that WBS/Warwick has set up several new global alumni networks since January 2009. We now have networks in:

Cyprus, Dubai, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Malta, Singapore, Russia and the US

If you wish to get in touch with any of the above networks please email e alumni@wbs.ac.uk and put the name of the country in the title.

We are also launching our new online toolkit to help you get started. Do take a few minutes to have a look at our new website, particularly if you want to set up a network.

On-line directoryPlease update your details in the online directory to enable us to contact you about future events in your city/country.

Mumbai

Professor Nigel Thrift, the Vice-Chancellor of Warwick, visited Mumbai during his India visit, to provide support and encouragement to the Warwick Alumni – Mumbai (WAM) group. A wine and dinner gathering was organised for alumni on 20 February.

Janak Sheth (BSc ManSci 1982–85) reports: About 45 alumni from different departments attended and WAM was enthused by the commitment displayed. The VC outlined his vision of Warwick for 2015 and members of the WAM core group shared their ideas on how WAM could benefit the alumni members as well as the University. There followed a lively discussion about the university, its plans and WAM.

All the alumni felt proud to have graduated from Warwick and were happy to see the plans for its continual increase in size and stature. They were also happy to learn about the plans of Warwick Alumni – Mumbai as it addressed a gap in their networking opportunities. This event provided an opportunity for people to meet and connect with new persons from differing fields and vocations.

The Vice-Chancellor’s presentation in Mumbai

Delhi

In March 2009, for the first time, the Delhi alumni got a chance to meet and interact informally with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nigel Thrift, in their home city. The VC was accompanied by his wife Lynda, and Alison Bond, Deputy Director, Development and Alumni Relations. Shuchika Rajpal (BEng CSE 1998–01) reports: ‘The excitement could be felt with the extended question and answer session which followed an informative presentation by the VC outlining his vision for the University.

The older alumni got a chance to see the new developments at Warwick and were pleased to see the increased commitment of the University towards its international students and graduates especially with the forthcoming global conference to be held in Delhi in November 2009. The Warwick India office, headed by Kanika Marwaha and her committed team, made this event a memorable one.’

Delhi alumni at the VC’s reception

San Francisco

An enthusiastic group of alumni and MBA students met together for drinks and networking at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco in June, joining Kathryn Chedgzoy from the WBS Development and Alumni Relations team. The comfortable ambience aided the easy conversation which flowed on into the late evening.

The plan is to form a network in the Bay area, coordinated by a committee of alumni and students and supported by the WBS Alumni Association. If you live or work in the Bay area and are keen to get involved, please get in touch with Ann Jackson e ann.jackson@wbs.ac.uk for more information.

Kathryn Chedgzoy meets alumni in San Francisco

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alumni news

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nobel choice?Dr Frank F Craig (DLMBA 1999–2002), CEO Life Sciences Consultancy Ltd, reflects on how an unexpected offer led to his involvement in the work of Nobel Prize winner Roger Tsien.

Frank’s role as a co-Founder of Aurora Biosciences, based in San Diego, was initially business planning and

helping raise Venture Capital. Once the financing was completed, he reverted back to science (eg product development of Roger’s new technology – Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)) and helping to sell the company’s products and services. Aurora Biosciences soon became the most successful in its sector, with a market capitalisation of $3billion. In October 2008, Roger Tsien was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his discovery of and research on GFP.

Read Frank’s article on the Alumni news pagesw www.wbs.ac.uk/alumni/news

MBA doubleIvan Soh (DLMBA 1992–96), Vice-President – Sales (Asia) of Mind Resources PTE Ltd, based in Singapore, welcomed a fellow Warwick MBA graduate to the company recently when Bruce Cheung (DLMBA 1994–2000) joined Mind Resources as Country Manager for Hong Kong, Macau and South China, based in Hong Kong. Commenting on Bruce’s appointment, Ivan said: ‘The Warwick MBA programme has provided him with the critical thinking skills and qualities needed to implement changes and turning around a 2-decade with implementing new strategic initiatives.’

Cape Town moveProfessor Walter Baets (PhD Industrial & Business Studies 1989–94), formerly based at leading French business school Euromed Management Marseille, has been appointed director of The University of Cape

Town Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB). Walter was Professor of Complexity, Knowledge and Innovation, Associate Dean for Innovation and Social Responsibility at Euromed and took over at the UCT GSB on 1 July.

He has held academic positions in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Spain; held visiting teaching positions and consulted academically across Europe, the Middle East, and in India. Prior to academia, he had an extensive career in the areas of strategic planning, decision support and information systems.

successful networkWhen Beth Cauldwell (PG Dipl HRM 1996–98) and David Sneesby (DLMBA 1987–91) met at a WBS alumni networking event, little did they realise that three years later they would be heading one of the UK’s fastest growing and most enterprising executive search businesses in the midst of the deepest recession since the 1930s.

Beth and David recognised synergies in their skill sets and backgrounds and in July 2008 Snowdon Tate Ltd was formed. David said: ‘Meeting Beth at WBS

was a life-changing moment, allowing us to take our business to a new level.’ Beth added: ‘We are very grateful to WBS for bringing us all together to form an exciting and fast developing business.’ w www.snowdontate.com

rapide successNigel Shanahan (DLMBA 1991–2000) formed Rapide Communication Ltd on graduating and has seen his client list grow into a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of top British companies. In 2008 Rapide picked up awards for: Best Innovative Service and Best Overall Champion – ICT Excellence Awards; Innovation through Technology – Chamber of Commerce regional and national winners

Nigel strongly believes it is important to continue working with the University and regularly employs graduates and students. Development Manager, Ian Hurst (BSc Computer Science 1999–2003) joined the company after graduating and has contributed to its success. Rapide’s latest recruit is WBS graduate Dongnan Zheng (MSc Information Systems & Management 2007–08). w www.rapide.co.uk

new serviceColin Hay (FTMBA 1997–98) has launched a new online service that puts people with items to send somewhere in touch with people who plan to be driving there anyway. And the site won’t just benefit drivers and senders; Stuff2Send helps the environment too; fewer unnecessary journeys mean fewer exhaust emissions.

‘As the recession started to bite and post offices closed, the benefits became increasingly clear,’ said Colin. ‘Those delivering can make money from journeys they already do; while those sending will be able to do so with the click of a mouse from home or office.’w www.stuff2send.com

forum memberDr Otto C Frommelt (FTMBA 1993–94), Managing Director of Volvo Austria GmbH, has been invited to become a Forum member for Freightvision – a European Union (EU) funded project to develop a long-term vision and an adaptive activity plan for 2050, both for transport and technology policy for sustainable long-distance freight transport.

The EU faces major challenges in the freight sector; to ensure and increase economic growth, and to deal with an increase in freight transport demand. At the same time, environmental issues such as CO2 emissions, dependency on fossil energy, and congestion, need to be reduced. Freightvision has been established to bring together experts and decision makers from research, industry, policy making and society.

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alumni news

in profileSunday Times Online recently profiled Chrissie Twigg (FTMBA 1986–87), founder of Healthier Weight. The feature charted the highs and lows of running her own company which she launched in 2003 with £30,000 of savings.

Her initial programme combined weight loss, a low-calorie diet, physical activity and behavioural therapy. Faced with starting again after a joint-venture partnership proved a mistake, she found new investors, attracted more clients and opened new centres. In 2005 the company started to offer a range of obesity surgery and the business really started to take off. Turnover this year is expected to be £3.5m. w www.healthierweight.co.uk

For more news of WBS alumni visit w www.wbs.ac.uk/alumni/news

appointmentsMark Allington (MMBA 2000–04) joined ICF International as Vice President and Managing Director for European operations.

Krister Almström (DLMBA 1999–2006) is the new President of Brazil’s Lapp Group, cabling technology specialists.

Per Brandtzag (FTMBA 1994–95) joined the board of First London plc as an Executive Director. He is also a director of Burel, a specialist consultancy group based in the Middle East.

Patrik Andersson (DLMBA 2000–06) becomes Business Coordinator at Ideon Innovation in Lund, Sweden.

Yogev Gavri (FTMBA 2000–01) promoted to CEO of Paz Solar, a subsidiary of the Paz Oil Company, Israel’s largest energy corporation.

Per Johanson (DLMBA 1996–2000) appointed Executive Vice President of Tieto Financial Services, based in Sweden.

Duncan Pell (DLMBA 1990–93) appointed Commercial Director of Interpipe, based in Ukraine.

Leonardo Pereira (DLMBA 1988–93) appointed Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A, Brazil’s low-cost airline.

John Ryan (DLMBA 1989–94) appointed Managing Director of UV disinfection specialist Hanovia Limited.

Mark Whitley (FTMBA 1999–2000) takes on the role of Proposal Team Manager Telco & Wireless for Arqiva.

Kenny Willems (MMBA 1999–2003) appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of The Interdisciplinary Institute for Broadband Technology (IBBT), based in Gent, Belgium.

Leo Yip (DLMBA 1987–91) appointed Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) in July 2009. He will continue with his appointment as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Manpower.

EU fellowshipDr Paul Timmers (DLMBA 1992–98), head of unit ICT for inclusion at the European Commission, has been completing an EU Fellowship at the European Center of Excellence and the Institute on Aging of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in the USA.

His research addressed the interplay between legislation and information technology-related innovation, in particular in the fields of aging, health and disability, where citizen interests play a strong role. Some of his findings and their relevance for business strategy and public policy will be presented at the September 2009 Conference of the European Sociological Association in Lisbon. His EU Fellowship blog can be found at w paultimmers.wordpress.com E paul.timmers@ec.europa.eu

Delhi 2010Chris Jenkins (DLMBA 1989–93) is Director of Team Wales, who will be competing in the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games. Team Wales will be 250 strong, including about 150 athletes. Chris is seeking support from members of our alumni community in India to identify volunteers to provide local knowledge and assist in the planning.

All roles are voluntary, whether as part of Delhi 2010 or Team Wales. You get to work with athletes, there is a real team spirit and there may also be opportunities to go to the venues and watch some of the Games. Anyone interested should contact Chris and arrange to meet him when he visits Delhi in October. Thanks to those who have already responded. E chris.jenkins@teamwales2010.co.uk

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Find out more and get involved w www.wbs.ac.uk/alumnit +44 (0)24 7652 2813 e alumni@wbs.ac.ukF +44 (0)24 7652 3719

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