NUBusiness Version 12

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

Issue 12. Autumn/Winter 2011In this issue

05 Could you be a mentor? Exceptional graduates wanted

07 Open for business The £50m new business School opens it’s doors

13 EmployabilityGiving students the e-factor

A New Perspective Our fresh start to the academic year

01 NUBUSINESS MAGAZINE Autumn/Winter 2011 NUBUSINESS MAGAZINE Autumn/Winter 2011 02

Contents Contents

03

News> Business School hosts tea

party for Ian Gregg

> Brazil trip

> Tea time for Business School graduate

> Last call for alumni global survey responses

> Exceptional graduates wanted for brand new MBA mentoring programme

> Marketing student wins coveted Microsoft award

> Student satisfaction shines through in record ranking year

> Summer internship programme 2011

07

Open for business Years in the planning and months in the building, the £50m new Business School opens its doors

09

Beyond the fear: UK entrepreneurs must embrace failure, not run from itProfessor Dimo Dimov discusses the risky business facing entrepreneurs

27

NUBusiness book review Georgios P. Piperopoulos discusses ‘Alexis Zorbas’, by Nikos Kazantzakis

28

NUBusiness bitesGet a quick comms tune-up

29

Alumni eventsTake a look at where and what we’ve been up to

31

Alumni archiveFind out what past Alumni have been up to since leaving the Business School

33

NUBusiness briefingsConference and events from May – July 2011

11

Sustainability Week leads debate on regional growthA high-profile panel discussed the prospects for private sector growth across the region

13

Employability Giving students the e-factor

15

University strikes hot water in record-breaking energy projectThe borehole project hits global headlines

17

Become a better managerial storytellerPersuading employees through good story telling

19

High-level internships with India’s central bank Global experience project goes to India

21

Back to the Business School for 100s of graduates!Alumni come back to relive their University days

23

Profile: Chris Townsend Olympics commercial director back Business School for glory

25

Profile: Professor Christopher CarterUnderstanding strategy as a cultural, organisational and political phenomenon

NewsFrom the Director

Newcastle University Business School 5 Barrack Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4SE, United Kingdom

Business school reception: +44 (0)191 208 1500Postgraduate office: +44 (0)191 208 1580

Undergraduate office: +44 (0)191 208 1532University switchboard: +44 (0)191 222 6000

Contacts

Special thanksMany thanks to Chris

Townsend, Newcastle University press office,

Richard Dyter and team NUBusiness.

Special thanks to the hard-working design

team at SUMO.

Image creditsiStockphoto.com: pgs

19, 23 and 25, Newcastle University Photo Library,

Newcastle University Press Office, ncjmedia.

@NUBizSchool

Professor Ian Clarke

Welcome to the 12th edition of NUBusiness. I write this to you from my office in our incredible new building, at the summit of the city, overlooking the Tyne Valley and the bustling streets of Newcastle.

As we go to print, the new academic year’s students will be arriving in their droves for induction week. New building, new year, and a whole host of world-class academic talent joining the ranks – it’s fair to say this is probably the most exciting time in our history, and staff at the Business School have worked tirelessly over the summer to ensure that students get an impressive welcome.

The summer has also been a busy time for rankings and surveys, and we have fared extremely well in some areas as both a School and a wider institution. As you may be aware, the University was ranked 12th in the UK by the Sunday Times in September – our highest placement yet – and the School achieved a 90% satisfaction rating in Accounting as part of the National Student Survey (NSS), meeting the target set by the University as part of its Vision 2021.

We cannot, of course, ignore the changes brought about by the recent White Paper, ‘Students at the Heart of the System’, which has given the go-ahead to uncapping AAB student numbers, and the introduction of tuition fees. We are focused now on enhancing our student experience, to ensure we remain globally competitive and distinct in the higher education market. Challenging times lie ahead but we are feeling confident and inspired about the future, having invested in staff, programmes, and wider engagement with industry.

Following a thorough and intensive period of work, our refreshed brand identity, featuring our core proposition, ‘A New Perspective’, has been launched across numerous channels, including NUBusiness and our website. I hope you like our new ‘look and feel’. We’re certainly geared up for a fresh start and a ‘new perspective’ on Business School life.

If you haven’t already, please do look us up on Facebook, Twitter (@NUBizSchool), LinkedIn, YouTube, and Flickr, to keep up with day-to-day news and perhaps even find old friends.


News News

News

@NUBizSchool

Adam Soliman graduated from Newcastle University Business School in 2009 with a BA in accounting and finance. Adam, who previously received great press coverage for his successful deal with Lakeland stores, has now taken his Charbrew brand to the next level with the announcement of a major sales deal with Sainsbury’s.

With the support and guidance from Rise Up, Adam formed Charbrew, a specialist tea brand, in 2009. Adam has gone from one success to another. Having finished runner up at the Enterprise Challenge 2010 and investing his winnings straight back into the business, he received backing from Tyneside Entrepreneur Dr Tony Trapp, an ex-David Goldman Visiting Professor who set up the ABC Fund (Ambition Belief Courage) in order to support new businesses like Charbrew. After only one year of trading, Charbrew then went on to scoop a sales deal supplying Lakeland stores around the UK. Adam then triumphed at the Blueprint Awards, which highlighted his true determination to succeed.

Charbrew is now being stocked in several major retailers including Lakeland, TK MAXX, TJ MAXX in America and more recently Sainsbury’s. His recent deal with Sainsbury’s now means Charbrew products are being stocked in over 400 supermarkets. It is contracts like these which will enable Charbrew to increase brand awareness and we wish Adam all the success with his business.

If you are a graduate of the Business School, like Adam, and would like to tell us your news, please visit our Alumni pages; they are full of information on how to ‘get involved’ and what benefits and services are available to all of the School’s alumni: www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/alumni

To read an interview with Adam Soliman and to keep up to date with Rise Up and other success stories you can sign up for the Rise Up newsletter, which can be found at the following website: www.ncl.ac.uk/careers/riseup

Tea time for Business School graduate

Brazil tripEconomics and business management student Anna Willasey has recently been selected to take part in ‘Top Brazil 2011’ – a fantastic programme offered to Business School students by Santander. Anna will undertake a two-week, all-expenses-paid study and cultural experience to Sao Paulo, Brazil, in October 2011. During her stay, she will be visiting top universities in Brazil, will learn more about the culture and social aspects of Brazillian life, and be given the opportunity to get involved in social projects within the country’s poor communities. We will be following up on all of our students’ progress on our website, Facebook and Twitter (@NUBizSchool) pages, so follow us and keep a look out.

Anna commented on her successful selection:

Anna will be accompanied by Dr Jenny Rodriquez, Lecturer, Human Resource Management.Ian Gregg, retired executive chairman

and managing director of Greggs the bakers, was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree at Newcastle University on Wednesday 13th July.

Ian Gregg is the man associated with one of the North East’s most iconic businesses, and is a fantastic inspiration for future Newcastle University students, as well as those who have graduated and are beginning their careers.

Following the degree ceremony, Mr Gregg was invited to join former colleagues for an exclusive ‘thank-you’ treat in the brand new Business School, where they were served afternoon tea and taken on a tour of the building.

Ian Gregg’s honorary degree attracted a lot of media interest – including an interview on BBC Radio Newcastle, in which Mr Gregg discussed his forthcoming book on the rise of his family’s baking empire.

Business School hosts tea party for Ian Gregg

Last call for alumni global survey responsesThe School is currently encouraging all graduates from its courses over the years, including the three former departments of ‘management’, ‘economics’ and ‘accounting and finance’ (pre 2002) and graduates from Newcastle University Business School (2002 onwards), to complete its first-ever, worldwide alumni survey –reaching out to over 10,000 individuals around the world.

An iPad 2 will be won by one lucky respondent, and two runners up prizes of £25 worth of Amazon vouchers, randomly selected from all surveys completed by the extended closing date of 31st October 2011.

Even if you choose not to complete the survey, we would appreciate it if you would provide a current email address so that we can keep you up to date with our alumni programme. Should you have any queries or questions about the current programme, or the benefits and services it offers you, please do contact the School’s alumni relations manager, Tristan Alltimes.

[email protected] or +44 (0) 191 208 1636

Centre: Adam Soliman

Centre: Ian Gregg

‘I’m really looking forward to the trip to Brazil and am grateful to have the opportunity to go. It is a country I have always wanted to visit and feel I will benefit in many ways from this trip.’

Anna WillaseyEconomics and business management student


News News

News

As part of the Business School’s aspirations to have a strong, successful and world class MBA programme, it is currently looking for exceptional graduates to join a brand new MBA mentoring programme in 2011/2012.

Recently, the Business School appointed Dr. Julie Hodges, as the new MBA programme Director (formerly the director of the MBA programme at Durham Business School). Julie is tasked with developing and taking the MBA programme forward in a very exciting phase in the School’s history.

As part of the plans an engaging programme will encapsulate the wealth of experience, knowledge and wisdom that is evident in our alumni community, by matching MBA graduates with current MBA students in an exclusive mentoring programme.

Exceptional graduates wanted for brand new MBA mentoring programme

What is the commitment from me?

The commitment from your side will be to be a point of contact for the student, to help guide and develop their potential based on your own experiences, both from an academic and professional perspective, through email, Skype, telephone and/or personal meetings – you decide.

In terms of a time commitment this will also be decided by you, in consultation with the student, but we can help guide this process along the way.

What is the commitment from the School?

We will match your skills and experience to the students and then facilitate the necessary initial introductions. Naturally we want to ensure you are happy and comfortable with the relationship and so, to that end, will check in with you periodically, to help provide assistance and advice wherever you need it.

We will also formally recognise your help as a ‘Mentor’ by showcasing your involvement through our communications materials that we send out to graduates, students, business contacts and friends of the School, throughout the year.

What is in it for me?

This opportunity provides you with a unique chance to impart your knowledge, wisdom and experience and truly help develop the potential of an MBA student who will be very grateful for your guidance. You will also be helping the Business School improve the student experience and, in turn, helping us to ensure we are delivering a world class MBA programme.

I am interested, what do I need to do?

We are looking for expressions of interest, so if this is an opportunity you are interested in being a part of, please contact: Tristan Alltimes, alumni relations manager, Newcastle University Business School, [email protected]

Please note: You MUST have an MBA or PhD qualification to be a ‘mentor’ but it does NOT have to be from Newcastle University Business School.

@NUBizSchool

Summer internship programme 2011This summer, five students have been developing their work experience as part of the Business School’s summer internship programme.

The scheme, which was open to all undergraduates at the School, required the students to manage a ‘real-life’ project aimed at enhancing the overall student experience.

The projects were each focused on a different area related to the student experience, which this year included:

Career Development Week and employability

The board of students and social programme

Communications about the new building for students

Benchmarking the Business School

Postgraduate pre-arrival and induction communications

What our interns say…

Charlotte Beveridge: ‘I applied for the summer internship scheme because, as an active member of the Business School community, I thought it was an excellent way to get some work experience and contribute to the School. The internship scheme is a fantastic opportunity as it has had us working on issues that directly affect us and our peers.’

Newcastle University has sustained high scores in this year’s National Student Survey (NSS), with students showing appreciation for lecturers’ skills and the overall quality of courses. The Business School reached a record 90% satisfaction for its Accounting degree, meeting the Vice Chancellor’s target set out in ‘Vision 2021’.

Final year Newcastle students have once again given lecturers excellent scores for their enthusiasm for teaching and their ability to explain, and are increasingly satisfied with how accessible and contactable their lecturers are.

91% felt that staff are good at explaining things

87% felt staff are enthusiastic about what they teach

88% are satisfied with being able to contact staff when they needed to

Professor Ella Ritchie, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) said: ‘Overall we are very pleased with the high level of satisfaction from our students… The results are especially rewarding in a time of continuing recession when graduates could be expected to be disheartened by the current situation, yet 16 subject areas representing all three faculties have scored in the 90 per cent+ range.’

Adding to the positive NSS results, the Business School’s own data reveals that, of recent graduates, 97 per cent of students who undertook placements received a 2.1 or above (over half received a first), a fantastic statistic proving that a placement really does benefit students in their final stage studies.

Hot on the heels of the NSS scores came the University’s highest-ever 12th place ranking in the Sunday Times University Rankings.

Welcoming the announcement, Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Brink said: ‘Rising to twelfth highlights the success of our graduates in the job market and reflects positively on the relevant and transferable skills they have gained during their time at Newcastle.’

Student satisfaction shines through in record ranking year

Marketing student wins coveted Microsoft awardCongratulations to marketing undergraduate Mark Holmes, who was awarded ‘One Microsoft Intern of the Year’ during his one-year placement at the company. This is an annual award for a Microsoft intern who has embodied the spirit of ‘One Microsoft’, excelling at engaging other departments within Microsoft in a project that involves multiple business areas.

Mark was nominated for the award by his colleagues who had nothing but positive feedback, praising how, during his internship, he has not only worked hard and adapted extremely well to the working culture at Microsoft, but has had a huge impact on the teams he has worked with. Mark was also previously awarded the ‘Shining Star’ award, a monthly prize for outstanding employees.

Mark is working as a small business server product manager. During his placement he led the team that launched the newest server product into market, presenting the product to many audiences, and helping to shape the direction of campaigns.

Mark’s experience of working for Microsoft has been overwhelmingly positive as well as a bit of an eye-opener. He says, ‘When I first started at Microsoft, I was struck by the culture of friendliness. I guess I had a preconception of a corporate giant filled with ‘ruthless’ individuals. This was most certainly wrong. Whether you are just starting out as an intern or have had an established career, Microsoft is certainly a great environment to be a part of.’

Student interns July 2011


Feature Feature

The new building, designed by Ian Simpson Architects, houses both traditional and contemporary

spaces for learning, teaching, networking, and collaborating. During term time up to 1,200 students a day will flood through the imposing lobby area attending lectures, seminars and meetings. It promises to be a place of transformation, not only for the lives of students, but also for the city and the wider region.

Breaking with traditionStudents for years to come will benefit from the modern business environment inside the new building, which is part of a £100m re-development on the old Scottish and Newcastle Brewery site.

‘Our layout purposefully facilitates networking and group work among students,’ says Professor John Leopold, deputy director at the Business School. ‘Visitors from institutions and industry have been extremely impressed by the opportunities for collaboration built into the design. We often talk of the beneficial challenge derived from top students interacting with each other; it pushes them to achieve even more. We have tried to create a better environment for learning by bringing our students together and making that challenge as immediate as possible.’

Academic staff should also find it easier to work together, sparking new directions in research characterised by ‘excellence with relevance’. Professor Leopold says: ‘In the past we were spread half a mile apart across the city, with staff in Citygate, at the Armstrong Building, and others at Ridley House. But now that teaching staff are concentrated, opportunities for knowledge sharing and research collaboration are infinitely better.’

An iconic landmarkProfessor Leopold has conducted a number of tours around the School’s new ‘home’, including many alumni visitors, who are always made welcome. He says, ‘The most striking thing for visitors is the way that the building feels so light and airy inside. From the top of the building, the floor-to-ceiling windows give fantastic views out over China Town, the exterior of St James’ Park Football Stadium, and the rest of the city. We now have a highly visible landmark in the heart of Newcastle, and can offer our guests a great venue for meeting, networking, and learning.’

Rachel Haugh, principal partner at Ian Simpson Architects, which was also appointed to design the first phase of the Battersea Power Station site in South London, said the building’s design offers ‘Cost effective, high quality space benefitting from generous natural light.’ Coming across the city’s Redheugh Bridge the building cuts a strikingly contemporary figure on the horizon. As Haugh says, ‘Its strength of form, robust materials and crisp detailing contribute significantly to both the local context and the city’s skyline.’

World-class with regional rootsUnusually, this transformative building is not built as a standard rectangle but as a polyhedron. This means that rooms tend not to have walls that are parallel to each other, and the exterior presents shapes and angles that reflect light.

Professor Ian Clarke, director of the Business School, commented, ‘From the inside and out, our new building really does represent the huge strides we are taking as a progressive, international Business School.

‘We’ve seen such significant growth in student numbers as a result of our investment into market-relevant, high-quality teaching, research, and engagement with industry. We’re extremely proud of this success, which reflects our ambition to be a truly world-class institution.’

Open for business

Regular readers of NUBusiness and friends of the Business School will know that our brand-new, £50m building opened its doors to students in September. Years in the planning and months in the building, the Business School’s new headquarters provide the optimum environment for students at all levels – from undergraduates to MBAs.

Vital statistics

18 seminar rooms

16 meeting rooms

4 lecture theatres

Panoramic events space on the 8th floor

MBA Club

State-of-the-art IT clusters

Coffee shop, open to the publicExterior shotWith its irregular angles, reflecting light and morphing its colour and form throughout the day, the new building is a showcase for modern architecture.

IT clustersThe principle of convenient collaboration has been designed into the IT clusters, just as it has been woven throughout the design of the layout.

Conference areaThe top-floor conference area has space for 170 people and boasts state-of-the-art presentation facilities. Floor-to-ceiling views make it an ideal location for city-centre events.

Lecture theatresLectures are now supplemented by the latest audiovisual facilities, available at the click of a few buttons.

@NUBizSchool

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NUBUSINESS MAGAZINE Autumn/Winter 2011 10

Feature Feature

@NUBizSchool

There is no magic crystal ball to help predict the future. It’s one thing to take a retrospective look at other

entrepreneurial projects, but another to anticipate the future, especially when the price of failure can be so high. This fear of failure is nothing new; doubts about the viability of a project may lead some entrepreneurs to abandon the scheme early on. Yet, it is that nagging doubt and ‘what if’ that can cause serious regrets in the long run. Judging the merits of the opportunity is not a one-time exercise, but a continuous process.

In a recent study, I examined what happens to entrepreneurs who set out to pursue their business ideas. The data came from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED), the largest and most representative study of this most elusive part of the entrepreneurial process. The results show, among other findings, that the entrepreneur’s confidence is one of the key factors in the process: where confidence is strong, a viable venture is more likely to emerge; where it is undermined, entrepreneurs are more likely to call it quits.

The culture of entrepreneurship in Europe seems to have been held back to some degree by a fear of failure and the stigma that once an individual has been part of a failed project they are somehow tarred with the ‘failure brush’ forever. Someone once told me that Silicon Valley was built on the failures. Apple founder Steve Jobs is one of the many who have tried and failed at early attempts to make it there. There, history of failure signifies you had the guts, passion and desire to ‘go for it’. You took the risk and stared uncertainty down. This is how progress is made, how great companies are built and how ideas spread.

In its latest annual report, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor said of the climate of fear among entrepreneurs, ‘Sometimes, the downside risk of failure outweighs even the most promising gains imagined in the event of success. In other words, even if the expected returns from entrepreneurship are considerably higher than the next best alternative, the perceived risks of starting a business may nonetheless deter some individuals.’

In the UK, and especially the North East, it is crucial that this mentality is overcome. With a challenging economic landscape, entrepreneurial spirit and enterprise will be vital to reinvigorating the region. Historically, innovation has been driven by new and emerging businesses developing disruptive and radical technologies. Just as the industrial revolution brought about the commercialisation of technologies, the increased importance of environmental responsibility and how it impacts areas such as energy and transport could aid another surge in growth.

Not every entrepreneur can be a success and picking winners at this level is extremely difficult. For success to occur, a lot of things must go right, whereas with failure, only one thing needs to go wrong. This is a mindset that business people in the UK need to be at peace with.

Q&A Do serial entrepreneurs succeed more than first time entrepreneurs?

Yes. According to Harvard researchers, there is performance persistence in entrepreneurship. If at first you don’t succeed...

What is the typical level of investment for entrepreneurial start-ups?

Many fast-growth businesses start with less than £12,000 in initial capital. For example, Amazon.com’s initial capital was the dollar-equivalent of £6,000.

Is entrepreneurial success a skill, or is it luck?

It seems to involve a magic mix of both. Luck, after all, is the label we attach to something that is idyllic or seemingly inconsequential when it happens, but ends up being vital or meaningful. Think about a chance meeting in a Starbucks for a cup of coffee and striking a conversation with someone; the conversation could spur thoughts that ignite or help your next entrepreneurial venture. Luck is just a part of it though, and skill and business acumen are crucial to entrepreneurial success.

Does success breed success?

Entrepreneurs with previous successes can get their hands on more capital and services if suppliers think they are persistent performers.

Where do most entrepreneurs get their ideas from?

From former employers. A recent Harvard paper cites a 2000 study by Bhide that finds ‘a substantial fraction of the Inc. 500 got their idea for their new company while working at their prior employer.’

Beyond the fear: UK entrepreneurs must embrace failure, not run from it

Entrepreneurship is exciting: it makes life dynamic and, when used to harness inventions and new technologies, it can change the quality of human existence and the way in which we live our lives.

Written byDimo DimovProfessor of entrepreneurship at Newcastle University Business School

Feature

09 NUBUSINESS MAGAZINE Autumn/Winter 2011

It is that nagging doubt and ‘what if’ that can cause serious regrets in the long run.

Professor Dimo Dimov Professor of entrepreneurship at Newcastle University Business School

11 NUBUSINESS MAGAZINE Autumn/Winter 2011

Feature

Featuring two of the region’s best known businessmen, Port of Tyne chairman Sir Ian Wrigglesworth and former Sage

chief executive Paul Walker, the event was just one of the highlights in a week aimed at getting businesses to be more sustainable in every sense: from the use of finite resources through to being prepared to respond to a changing regulatory environment.

The week commenced with an event on sustainable design and included a book launch, a breakfast seminar looking at business opportunities from a low carbon economy, an MBA challenge competition, and the Procter & Gamble ‘Business of Sustainability’ lecture.

The week was supported by a three-year £90,000 investment from Santander, which will also be used to promote research on responsible and sustainable enterprise by bringing together expertise from different research groups at the Business School.

Luis Juste, director of Santander Universities UK, said, ‘This initiative highlights the importance of a key issue in today’s business world: how to combine progress and economic growth with an intelligent use of our resources.

‘Newcastle University has always been an example to other UK institutions setting the standards in education and research and this Business of Sustainability Week is a clear example of that spirit. We are proud to have the University as a member of the Santander Universities network.’

Delegates heard Sir Ian Wrigglesworth call for more leadership from businesses during an unsettled period, reminding the audience that Newcastle remains one of the top ten cities in the UK for growing private sector jobs in the past decade. He placed a strong emphasis on the North East’s higher education industry as a catalyst for the growth and development of talented people in the region.

Sir Ian went on to comment that, in the wake of public sector cuts, many local government services would be outsourced to the private sector to reduce pressure on public sector budgets. This, combined with the opportunities presented by the £1.5bn regional growth fund, affords a major opportunity for regional businesses, he argued.

Sustainability Week leads debate on regional growth

During June, the Business School brought together a high-profile panel to discuss the prospects for private sector growth across the region. The ‘Going for Growth’ event provided a fitting conclusion to the ‘Business of Sustainability Week’ and opened an exciting series of events for Newcastle University’s convocation weekend.

Feature

@NUBizSchool

An upbeat Paul Walker, the new chairman of the North East’s Local Enterprise Partnership, agreed that, in many ways, the region has an unmissable opportunity to regenerate its economic circumstances and create longer-term, sustainable jobs in the private sector. He iterated the LEP’s offer to business people to get directly involved in driving and dictating policy, as well as attracting and retaining talented students.

Maintaining a positive outlook on growth prospects, Andrew Hebden, the Journal’s business editor, said that the region was demonstrating good progress, judging by recent announcements from the likes of Nissan and Siemens.

All three panellists agreed that, like many regions of the UK at present, there is some way to go to help small businesses grow into bigger, more sustainable businesses, as well as help them navigate sustainability issues such as green tax regulation set out by government. Judging by the feedback following the event, from delegates and via various blogs and news sites, the debate was a highly constructive and engaging experience for the business community.

Professor Ian Clarke, director of the Business School said, ‘Sustainability is about reducing expenses, and being prepared to deal with challenges from consumer demands and government regulation. It’s also a term synonymous with maximising opportunities to introduce new products and services that contribute to the solutions required in the face of depletion of resources. We staged these events to try and bring together these issues in a compatible and engaging way. I’m delighted we got such a good turn-out and encouraging feedback from delegates.’

NUBUSINESS MAGAZINE Autumn/Winter 2011 12

Sustainability is about reducing expenses, and being prepared to deal with challenges from consumer demands and government regulation.

Paul Walker


Feature Feature

EmployabilityAn average starting salary of £21,266 has been reported in a survey of graduates of first degrees from the Business School in 2010. This figure is a third higher than in 2003, just after the School opened, when the average starting salary was £15,886.

This well-above-inflation rise reflects the high calibre of students who are attracted by the School’s reputation

as a ‘rising star’ among business schools. It also reflects the significant work that has gone into enhancing employability at the School, through teaching and learning practices, relationships with industry, and engagement in market-relevant research.

Professor Ian Clarke, director of the Business School, explains: ‘More than ever, we are working hard to promote skills in our students that make a difference in their lives and in the organisations where they will contribute.’

Throughout the academic year there is a series of initiatives and events that make it easier for Business School students to get that all-important first job in their chosen career. This ranges from Career Development Week to internships, placements and workshops. These pages give an overview of how much is going on in the area of employability.

Career Development WeekA week-long series of employability events provides Business School students with useful advice and help to boost their CVs. One of the events, the Business Placements Fair on 31 October 2011, will include companies such as Ernst & Young, Nestlé and TUI Travel. These companies will be looking to offer placements, work experience and internships.

Last year’s Career Development Week attracted 1,100 undergraduates in total. As well as developing employability skills, it also offered insights into possible career options. Fantastic feedback was received from both the students and employers who took part.

Internship programmeThe Business School’s summer internship programme gives students the opportunity to manage a real-life project aimed at improving the overall student experience. In 2011 there were five separate projects, including working on communications related to the new building.

One of the interns, Andrew Mackay, says: ‘I chose to apply with the obvious aim of gaining some experience of project-based work but also as an opportunity to get involved in the Business School rather than simply turning up for lectures and seminars. It has been eye-opener to see the amount of work that goes into making the Business School function.’

Consultancy projectsStudents on a number of courses have been involved in practical projects where they act as teams of consultants on real-life challenges facing organisations in the North East.

One of the recent projects involved input into marketing the products of Natural Empathy Ltd, a business based in Northumberland. When students presented their ideas a ‘real buzz went around the room’, according to programme director Stuart Challinor. He says: ‘The idea was immediately commercially viable, which was hugely gratifying for everyone involved.’ At the end of the presentation the client said, ‘What are you doing over the next few weeks? We’d like you to help us to take it to market!’

Employability adviceDavid Levinson is the Business School’s careers adviser. He says: ‘There is a core module on undergraduate programmes called ‘personal, professional and key skills development’. During this module I talk about employability and CV writing. Then at later stages I cover topics such as how to make the most of your time at university, how to find work experience, and how to choose your future.’

He continues: ‘We support our students for three years after their graduation. The careers service can also help students who are seeking to develop a business idea and they may access our business start-up resources for an indefinite period following graduation.’

ncl+ncl+ is a service that helps students to develop essential skills that prepare them for life after university. A range of opportunities are offered by ncl+ partners, including Newcastle Work Experience (NWE) placements.

Vanessa Lawrence, who studied BA Hons Marketing & Management, says: ‘I decided to apply for a NWE placement following a particularly daunting lecture about our future plans after graduation. The placement gave me great experience and confidence, and a much more well rounded CV, although it turns out I won’t need it any time soon as I was offered the role of development manager at the charity where I completed the placement. I began working for them shortly after graduating!’

Graduate skills frameworkThe Business School, like the wider University, seeks to develop a clearly defined set of skills and competencies in its students. The ‘graduate skills framework’ includes:

> subject knowledge and understanding;

> cognitive/intellectual skills;

> self-management;

> interaction (communication and team working); and

> application (commercial acumen, ethical and legal awareness, and social and cultural understanding).

Further information on the graduate skills framework is available in full on the University website. http://to.ly/baEy

‘It has been eye-opener to see the amount of work that goes into making the Business School function.’

@NUBizSchool


Feature Feature

@NUBizSchool

At a final depth of 1821m, the borehole represents the deepest direct heat use borehole in the UK and the first

deep excavation in the UK since the 1980s. The project is a major breakthrough in the University’s quest to capture geothermal energy and this month, a team from the Newcastle University Institute for Research on Sustainability (NIReS) will start testing the well for a potential hot water supply for the local area. If plans go ahead, the site would not only heat the surrounding housing developments, but would also supply energy to the new Science City development.

‘We’ve not gone deep enough to harness energy that will produce electricity, but the early indications are it will be good for hot water,’ said Professor Dermot Roddy of NIReS.

Professor Paul Younger added, ‘This hot water could be available 24/7 because it doesn’t depend on the weather. It is as cheap and as low carbon as it comes.’

The drill also went through a coal seam at 660m that nobody knew existed and uncovered fossils thousands of years old, which unbelievably (for anyone familiar with Tyne and Wear’s climate) point to a more tropical past!

Durham University geology student Laura Armstrong has been examining fossils that were discovered in a block of limestone over 1,000 metres below the ground:

‘It is one of the most exciting things we’ve found,’ she said. ‘These shells and corals suggest that Newcastle was once a tropical environment, like an offshore Bahamas.’

The project is funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Newcastle Science City Partnership and the British Geological Survey, and scientific participants include staff of both Newcastle and Durham universities.

Professor Younger was delighted with the global media coverage that ensued following the drill’s discovery of hot water, ‘We were overwhelmed with the press response to our project when we decided to open the site to journalists. We knew there was plenty of interest, of course, after the terrific response to the first press day we held back in February, when the first rig was on site.

‘But partly because we’d had more coverage than we ever dreamt of back then, we really thought there would be limited interest this time – how wrong we were!’

Further testing is scheduled to take place at the site this month, so keep an eye on the University’s website for details, or pay the Business School a visit to get a first-hand view of the project!

University strikes hot water in record-breaking energy project

Early one morning in June a giant drill hit a hot water source almost two thousand metres below the earth’s surface at Newcastle’s Science Central site, just behind the Business School’s new building. As hot water from the geothermal borehole gushed to the surface, the University celebrated a major landmark in its ongoing exploration for geothermal energy.

‘These shells and corals suggest that Newcastle was once a tropical environment, like an offshore Bahamas.’

Professor Paul Younger


Feature Feature

The project’s principal investigator, Dr Stefanie Reissner, says: ‘There has been a widespread

assumption that management can persuade employees as long as they have a ‘good story’. But our findings challenge this. Employee reactions to a managerial story also depend on factors such as their expectations of their career and their previous experiences with management.’

Dr Reissner has been researching a public-private sector partnership founded in 2008 that is proactively ‘telling its story’ to its 400 employees. The aim is to engage them in the unfolding of the story and (hopefully) make it come true. There seems little wrong with the story as it has a message, an explanation, and reassurance that there is sufficient knowledge and expertise to move towards a happy ending.

The organisation is communicating its story to employees through a monthly newsletter as well as round-table meetings in which staff are encouraged to ask senior managers questions and discuss any concerns. In addition there was a one-off event in 2010 where a storyboard was used to highlight milestones.

The staff who find the story most effective tend to be new recruits. They do not have the ‘baggage’ of having been previously employed by the council-run organisations that preceded the public-private sector partnership. The story also seems to be motivating to staff who have renegotiated their role within the organisation and who are now looking towards a brighter future.

‘Linda and Rose’However there are also staff ‘who do not care about the story’, says Dr Reissner. For example a clerical employee called Linda, in her 30s, shows no reaction to it. She hasn’t enjoyed her job for some time and she has lost interest in anything to do with the organisation, including any opportunities that may open up.

Another employee, Rose, has been on a series of short-term contracts, first with the council-run organisation and now with its private-public successor. With perhaps only three months until her contract ends, and with no guarantee of renewal, she is not receptive to any telling of the longer-term story.

Dr Reissner says: ‘Linda’s and Rose’s experiences challenge the widespread assumption that a good story will indeed persuade the audience. Instead they suggest that personal circumstances are an important factor that can impede the effectiveness of managerial storytelling.’

The disgruntledThere are further employees who are downright cynical about the managerial story. These are people who feel that they have been let down in the past by managers. They have long memories: for example of the time when a contractor was the first to tell them that they would be forced to move offices. They suspect that some managers introduce change simply for the sake of change.

‘Their past experiences act like a cynical lens through which they interpret managerial actions and behaviours,’ says Dr Reissner. Such people can constantly drip-feed discontent to those who sit around them, and it can become contagious.

Managers find it very difficult to overcome such negative and cynical attitudes. Nevertheless Dr Reissner’s research suggests that increasing numbers of staff are being persuaded by the managerial story and they are buying into the organisational story.

Dr Reissner sums up: ‘The research has major implications on the current understanding of managerial storytelling. Rather than use storytelling as an indiscriminate tool, managers must be very sensitive towards their subordinates’ needs in a particular situation and adapt their storytelling accordingly.’

Seminar opportunityOne way for managers to heighten this sensitivity is to attend the seminar at the Business School that Dr Reissner is leading.

‘The purpose of the seminar is to share findings of the research and prompt discussion as to managers’ own experiences within their organisations,” says Dr Reissner. “The evening will be discursive and interactive, offering opportunities for managers to reflect with one another on their own practice.’

The seminar is presented in collaboration with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and there will be a small charge for non-members of the CMI. Further seminars related to managerial storytelling are planned for 2012.

If you would like information on the dissemination of this research, please contact Victoria Pagan: [email protected] www.managerial-storytelling.com

Dr Stefanie Reissner

Dr Stefanie Reissner developed an interest in narrative and storytelling in the context of organisational change and learning during her doctoral studies at the University of Durham (2001–2004). The focus of her research is on the use of narrative and storytelling in managerial practice and the development of employees.

Become a better managerial storyteller

Managers and consultants are invited to a seminar at the Business School that will focus on the use of storytelling to manage change and build culture. Held in autumn 2011, it’s one of the ways that the Business School is promoting the results of a three-year research project into ‘Managerial Storytelling in Practice’.

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‘Their past experiences act like a cynical lens through which they interpret managerial actions and behaviours.’


Feature Feature

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Operating out of the RBI’s sprawling facilities at the College of Agricultural Banking in Pune, one of India’s

fastest growing cities, located about 100 miles south east of Mumbai, the students spent six weeks working on projects within the key functional areas of the bank, which allowed them to gain insights into India’s diverse culture and monetary policy, as well as real-world challenges within a central bank environment.

Student Ben Castillo Bernhaus commented: ‘During the initial period we were welcomed by an official dinner at the headquarters, with spice dialled down a little to help our Western stomachs! We were taken to the Bombay Stock Exchange for a presentation about the financial markets. As part of my research for my project on Currency Management, I also visited the Cash Verification Centre in Belapor where there were piles and piles of bank notes stacked up… a great experience!’

The students were assigned a tutor throughout their stay – a senior bank employee with expertise in the specific area of the project, who encouraged them to think about, deal with, and appreciate cultural and educational knowledge and practices and perspectives different from their own. This included suitable topics of conversation when meeting new contacts ranging from the latest business news, the fortunes of the Bombay Stock Exchange, and cricket (depending of course on who has been winning!).

The intensity of the projects exposed the students to the fast-paced business environment in India, which required good time management and multi-tasking skills to enable them to produce high quality reports, but what they appreciated the most was the support offered by RBI towards the successful completion of these through regional visits to other relevant banks, projects and companies, to ensure that the students had access to appropriate sources of information.

John Sidebottom, whose project involved looking at foreign exchange reserves management in India said: ‘It was an intensive six weeks, involving a lot of hard work, but there were always people there to help and guide me to the ultimate goal. The greatest part of the trip was that the Bank made sure that the focus was not solely on working constantly on the project – they were very keen on arranging many trips to different places so that we could experience India. From visiting businesses such as Infosys, the Indian IT giant, the Serum Institute and various different banks in India, to the Ajanta Caves and local vineyards, it was a wide spectrum!’

Tim Scatchard, who worked in the area of cooperative banking in India felt that, ‘The way the project was prepared with our guides stimulated my enthusiasm for our individual topic area, this was down to the fact that we could focus on an area of interest within the topic itself. The cooperative bank that I visited in Pune helped me understand how these banks help people to learn a skill, such as jewellery making or photography, then provide loans to help set up their own business.’

During their final week the students gave presentations and submitted reports. The students proved themselves, according to bank staff, to be adaptable and possessed with strong analytical skills. Nicola Burnip, placement officer at the Business School commented, ‘The students who have taken part in this amazing opportunity have demonstrated a wide range of employability skills during the internship, and by undertaking a project overseas have shown they are not afraid of a challenge, are confident and independent; skills which are highly valued by an employer.’

Rachel Knox who worked in a project within the area of risk and regulation felt that the opportunity of working with an organisation like the RBI gave her the ‘opportunity to strengthen her CV’, for a career in the financial sector. Sam Simpkin, whose project revolved around inclusive growth and the role of RBI found that, along with learning more about the banking sector, the programme helped him gain the cultural experience that is so vital for the global business environment.

Sharmishta Chatterjee-Banerjee, head of international relations at the Business School commented, ‘At the heart of the global experience program is a learning cycle; our intention is to provide opportunities for our students to develop their ability to solve complex problems across demographics, while realising the important role that culture plays in our understanding of the world. We are very grateful to the RBI for helping us fulfill this by providing such a holistic experience, enabling our students to learn as much from the journey as from the destination.’

For more information on the global experience program, please contact Sharmishta Chatterjee Banerjee: [email protected]

High-level internships with India’s central bank

The Global Experience Programme, an initiative launched by the Business School this summer, gave five undergraduates the unique opportunity to undertake internships with the Reserve Bank of India (the RBI).

‘Our intention is to provide opportunities for our students to develop their ability to solve complex problems across demographics, while realising the important role that culture plays.’


Feature Feature

The weekend of the 17th – 19th June proved to be a busy few days in and around the Newcastle University

campus, with hundreds of alumni coming back to relive their University days.

2011’s Convocation Weekend saw an increase in the number and range of events being held throughout the University. With a total of 33 events and the involvement of 17 Schools from the three faculties, this year’s Convocation Weekend was the busiest yet!

The Business School held two main events over the course of the weekend; the first of which was the ‘Going for Growth’ panel debate, which took place on the 17th June.

The speakers in attendance were Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, one of the North East’s top businessmen and Deputy Chairman of the Government’s Regional Growth Fund Advisory Panel; Paul Walker, Chief Executive of Sage Group plc until October 2010.

If you are a graduate of Newcastle University Business School, please visit the alumni pages of our website for more information: www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/alumni

Back to the Business School for 100s of graduates!Almost 100 guests attended the debate, which focussed on issues affecting the private sector growth amid the national cuts to public spending.

The Business School’s second event, on Saturday 18th June, was a sneaky peek at the new £50m premises that officially opened its doors to students in September.

The building tours welcomed over 30 guests into the state-of-the-art facilities; including four lecture theatres, 21 teaching rooms,

a conference room located on the 8th floor with panoramic views of the city and a spacious, modern reception area, which will be the new home to a Central Bean coffee shop.

The whole weekend was a huge success and it no doubt conjured up some brilliant memories among the visiting graduates.

The photos for both events can be found at our Flickr site, please see the links below: http://to.ly/baFa

‘It was an absolute pleasure for me to come back to the Business School and see the impressive new facility as part of the annual convocation weekend. I am proud to say I am a Newcastle University Business School graduate and what a brilliant new facility in which to teach, learn and inspire the graduates of tomorrow!’ Tom Scott, EMBA 1991

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Olympics director backs Business School for glory

To say that Chris Townsend, Newcastle University graduate and commercial director of the London Organising Committee for the Olympics and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), is having a busy year would be a big understatement. In an exclusive interview with NUBusiness, Chris gives us insight into one of the most demanding commercial jobs in the world, and tells us why he’s excited about the Business School’s growth and development.

‘First of all, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to work for the Olympics. Secondly, the professional challenge really appealed to me and, thirdly, I love sport.’

Chris is extremely positive about the development of Newcastle University Business School: ‘I think it is a significant opportunity for the University, which has a great academic reputation, so it’s very exciting to see that reputation being developed into a world-class Business School. I look forward to being associated with the Business School in the near future.’ Chris is particularly impressed by the ‘unbelievable location’ of the new building and looking forward to his first visit later this year.

So, what advice would Chris give to a Business School student or alumnus hoping for an exciting and varied career like his?

‘My advice is very simple. Take advantage of every opportunity to develop your skills, and improve your personal best at every stage in your career. During my time at London 2012 I have come to understand and admire the single minded focus athletes have on improving their personal best everyday throughout their career. During training and during competitions, it is all about delivering that personal best when it counts.’

And from Chris’s offices on the 23rd floor of Barclay’s headquarters in Canary Wharf, with a sensational view over the Olympic village, it’s clear that Chris has lived and been rewarded by this advice.

Chris left south east England for Newcastle University in 1974, to study a BSc in maths and

geography. The experience helped prepare him for a life in business, ‘Newcastle University was very good from both an educational and social perspective’.

The skills learned at Newcastle were invaluable in Chris’s first job as a graduate trainee at EMI, where he spent three years in the sales and marketing team, selling and marketing some of the biggest artists in the world at the time, from new acts such as Queen through to the back catalogue of the Stones and the Beatles.

It’s fair to say Chris has been involved with some of the country’s largest organisations at their most defining moments. After leaving EMI, Chris’s career included six years at Sky television before moving on to Telewest and, between 2003 and 2006, leading on the launch of the Oyster card for Transport for London. At Sky, he explains,

‘We changed the face of television in the UK, firstly by selling subscription TV packages on the analogue satellite platforms, and then by launching multi-channel digital TV. In 1999 I joined Telewest in a similar business development role developing and launching cable digital TV and broadband services.’ Chris then joined Transport for London where he delivered, among many initiatives, the now-ubiquitous Oyster card. ‘I led a small team that developed and launched the marketing and sales strategy achieving 5m users within 3 years, which was great fun.’ So, does he thrive under pressure? ‘I enjoy challenging roles with significant responsibilities. I like developing and leading teams to deliver large scale projects and achieve new objectives.’

In such a varied career, it is difficult to pinpoint a unifying theme, but Chris sums up the common factor concisely, ‘I like developing new ideas and concepts particularly including innovative technology or new business opportunities..’ This theme carried him through to the Olympics team. He explains, ‘We are taking the Olympic business model to the next stage, aiming to raise over £2 billion by July 2012.’

The role of commercial director for London 2012 appealed to Chris on several levels: ‘First of all, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to work for the Olympics. Secondly, the professional challenge really appealed to me and, thirdly, I love sport.’ Furthermore, it gave him the opportunity to put something back into the UK, ‘London 2012 is going to showcase Britain at its best. We’ll have five billion people watching these games around the world.’ Chris will be one of those five billion, and, as a keen cyclist, he is particularly looking forward to watching the events in the velodrome, which looks set to be one of the fastest tracks in the world.

Aside from the ticketing, Chris and his team’s responsibilities include sponsorship and merchandising. He explains, ‘The business plan for the £2 billion is broken down into clearly defined revenue streams and each has their own detailed business plan. For the sponsorship programme, for example, we have now contracted 44 domestic sponsors. We identified each of the market sectors we could approach, quantified revenue opportunities, and then looked at which were the leading brands in each of those categories.’


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Books and recent researchProfessor Carter is the co-author of ‘Strategy: Theory and Practice’, published in 2011. A reviewer from Alberta Business School comments: ‘It demonstrates an awareness that firms compete not only in the material world for hard resources but also in the political world for power.’

He is also the co-author of ‘A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Studying Strategy’. The book lives up to its title insofar as it is certainly short and interesting. Paperback versions are available at the price of £13.99 from Amazon (perhaps ‘reasonably cheap’ compared to the £36.99 for his more recent book!).

Trends in the accountancy professionThe rise of user review websites like TripAdvisor is intriguing to Professor Carter, who sees it as providing glimpses of the future for the accountancy profession. Given the spate of audit failures he argues that user review sites offered a fascinating vista into new forms of accountability. While it is clear what audit looked like in the 20th Century, it is very much in a state of reformulation in the 21st. In the future, the clients of accountants may feel they can ‘get the truth’ through user reviews of companies on the web. This will make them less willing to pay a premium for expert labour, which could force major changes in the accountancy profession.

A further research project concerns the globalisation of the Big Four accounting firms with specific reference to the process of becoming a partner and what being a partner entails.

Strategy, organisations and societyProfessor Carter has written about the ‘fallacies of strategic planning’ which include: the gap between managerial fantasy and organisational capabilities; the gap between planning and implementing; and the gap between clearly-stated goals and unpredictable futures. More generally, he views strategy as more than a set of neutral techniques and regards them as centrally concerned with issues of power and politics. With this in mind he is currently researching the strategic changes that took place in the BBC in the 1990s during the John Birt years.

Other important research interests include studying campaigns and in particular how some groups get issues on to the media agenda. Professor Carter believes that strategy is one of the dominant themes of modern times and a strategy academic’s job is to try and understand its formation and its consequences. He believes strongly that strategy research should be engaging with the major issues faced by humanity such as the financial crisis, climate change and global poverty.

One of the hard lessons that need to be drawn from the financial crisis is there needs to be much more critical interrogation of strategy by organisations and civil society alike, says Professor Carter. Perhaps such scrutiny would have saved some of the banks from the hubris and failure that followed. More generally, civil society needs to be equipped to debate, question and comment on the strategies followed by organisations.

Professor Christopher Carter

One of the hard lessons that need to be drawn from the financial crisis is there needs to be much more critical interrogation of strategy by organisations and civil society alike.

Professor Carter holds the chair in strategy at the Business School, having joined in September 2011 from the University of St Andrews. He is committed to understanding strategy as a cultural, organisational and political phenomenon.

Q&AHow will you be engaging with aspiring business leaders to help them gain an understanding of the language and practice of strategy?

We have a series of events planned at the Business School that will bring ‘academic strategy’ to interested stakeholders and, equally, their experiences to us. In the Business School we need both. Engagement with the public about strategy will be central to the study and research of academic strategy in Newcastle.

Within days of taking up my chair, I will be addressing the conference of the British Academy of Management on a ‘Strategy, History, and Politics’ topic, together with Professor Alan McKinlay. This is part of a broader project where we will be engaging with the BBC to tell the story of the changes they have been through in the last three decades. I welcome opportunities like these to engage with the broader business community.

You have written that a strategy of ‘do as before, but more’ can be fatal. In what ways do you think that the Business School is breaking new ground?

Traditionally business schools have organised themselves along purely functional lines – as if they were mimicking a 1960s multi-divisional American corporation. Of course, at one time that seemed to make sense. Now it does not. What is refreshing about the Business School is its willingness to challenge orthodoxy and the established way of doing things. It offers fresh perspectives on organisational problems – ranging from innovation and entrepreneurship through to human resources and corporate social responsibility. The Business School is the perfect platform for building an exciting group.

#5: ‘I gave her a raise, so she’s bound to be motivated...’

Well, no. That’s not how motivation works. When it comes to getting discretionary effort (making people go the extra mile), low wages can demotivate people, but that doesn’t mean that higher wages will equal better performance. The same goes for working conditions. If there’s rising damp and a cockroach infestation, people’s motivation will plummet. But once conditions go above a reasonable level, all the mahogany desks and scatter cushions in the world won’t get you that extra effort.

So how do you get people to go above and beyond? Giving them a challenge is important, but the key thing is recognition. ‘Don’t wait until the performance review,’ says Kevin. ‘Give recognition whenever it is warranted.’

50 mistakes every new manager makes With Kevin James, director of the North Leadership Centre


Book Review Bites

Book review Bites

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I am, perhaps, somewhat abusing the kind invitation to present a book in NUBusiness by deciding to take the more mature readers down memory lane and entice the younger ones, if they haven’t already, to read the book ‘Alexis Zorbas’, or see the film ‘Zorba the Greek’.

I hope my decision will meet the approval of the millions of Britons who have been to Crete and elsewhere in Greece and have tried to dance ‘syrtaki’ during one of the commercialised ‘Greek nights’.

I read the book, authored by the late Cretan Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis’ in 1961 while a sophomore studying sociology and psychology at the City College of New York. It challenged some of my youthful perceptions about lifestyles and values, and forced me to ponder the age-old contradictory dichotomy between spirit and flesh, brain and heart, reason and emotion.

Four years later while a teaching fellow at the University of Massachusetts I saw in a Boston movie theatre the film ‘Zorba the Greek’ by Michael Cacoyannis, a Cypriot Greek, who studied law in Britain but never practiced, preferring to become an actor-director.

The two main characters of the book, later protagonists in the film, are Basil and Alexis. Basil (Nikos), played by Alan Bates, is an Englishman of Greek descent, an intellectual detached from mundane reality, unable to relate emotionally to others, and who goes through everyday life following a ritualistic mode of a ‘make belief’ existence.

Alexis, portrayed as Zorba by Anthony Quinn, is the vivacious, emotional, exuberant, enjoying-every-moment-of-his life Greek worker who befriends Basil and, as the story progresses, teaches the detached middle class ‘bookworm’ to learn how to enjoy life, its daily ups and downs, and, finally, how to dance ‘syrtaki’. Zorba finally manages to help Basil, who came to Crete having inherited a small non-functional coal mine, to liberate himself.

Zorba became a symbol of Greeks and helped boost Greek tourism for decades. Unfortunately it simultaneously projected Greeks as a people with a knack for living for the moment, which exacerbates our current national economic woes, providing an unfounded etiological basis for our debt crisis. Kazantzakis lost the Nobel Prize in 1957 (he died that year) to Albert Camus, who publicly stated the Greek was worth a hundred times more to him than the Prize.

Through an incisive – though elementary – sociological, psychological anthropological analysis, Kazantzakis brings forth Greek small-town culture, with its idiosyncrasies and prejudices, and celebrates the human joy of love, and mourns our ephemeral nature in the violent death of the village widow and of the aged courtesan, Madame Hortense (Lila Kedrova won the supporting actress Oscar for her performance in this role).

My suggestion: read the book; see the DVD; or even better, do both…

By Georgios P. Piperopoulos Retired Professor Dept of business administrationUniversity of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece

Alexis Zorbas Author: Nikos Kazantzakis

Country: UK

Language: English

Genre: European fiction

Publisher: Touchstone; 3rd edition (December 20, 1996)

Pages: 320

It challenged some of my youthful perceptions about lifestyles and values, and forced me to ponder the age-old contradictory dichotomy between spirit and flesh, brain and heart, reason and emotion

There will never be a better office communication system than the coffee break. @caffeinestories

www.mailchimp.comSiteswe like

Easy and effective email campaign manager. Mailchimp is the coolest primate since Rafiki in the Lion King.

The rise of the entrepreneuseAs one of the top Business Schools in the country for creativity and enterprise, and the originators of the ‘Innovating Women’ series of events, the Business School is tickled pink about the latest statistics on female entrepreneurs. By which we don’t mean the whole ‘Women now make up 40 per cent of the pantomime villains on Dragons Den’ thing.

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the number of women either running their own business or in the process of setting one up, has climbed every year since 2007. 8.5 per cent of women aged 18-64 are now in this category.

But men are still well in the majority for this area, and GEM also noted that women are far more likely to think ‘I would start a business but I fear failure’ than their male counterparts. Eradicating this fear is one of the things that an education in entrepreneurship can do.

What was the main thing you learned at School?

Things you are interested in are much easier to learn than the things you are not interested in.

Who was your first boss?

Petrus Venter, partner in South African law firm Venter, Gresse en du Plessis, Krugersdorp.

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

My MD at British Sky Broadcasting. He taught me that the client is ALWAYS right – give them what they want and you can’t go far wrong.

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

Don’t get that dreadful haircut. Learn to say no. Never drink Pernod. Learn from your mistakes. Stay in touch with friends.

What was your biggest mistake? What did you learn?

Taking on our accountants in a research and development tax credits case. We lost. It cost £865,000. The lesson? Choose your battles wisely.

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

Douglas Hofstadter’s ‘Gödel, Escher, Bach – an Eternal Golden Braid’. Creativity and science all in one book, brilliantly told by Achilles and the Tortoise. Opened my mind to all number of possibilities and I revisit it regularly.

Dr Joanna Berry Director of engagement

Get a quick comms tune-up Written by

Steve Erdal


Alumni Alumni

Alumni Events

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There have been a variety of worldwide alumni events since the last edition of NUBusiness in April 2011. Take a look at where we have been and what we have been offering our alumni across the globe.

UK alumni eventsSo far, 2011 has seen an abundance of successful alumni events. Our North East alumni branch committee organised three enjoyable social events to kick-start the year at As You Like It, Newcastle. An impressive number of alumni attended all three socials and it was great to see new faces joining in.

In May, Dragons’ Den star and entrepreneur Ling Valentine made a lasting impression on the capacity crowd when she talked about her and her company Ling’s Cars. BBC TV crews were there to record the event which was held at John Lewis, Newcastle. This was the first of the bi-annual main events, the second of which will be held in November 2011.

London alumni branchFollowing the successful establishment of the North East alumni branch, offering numerous annual opportunities for Business School graduates to network with each other, we are now looking to establish a new London alumni branch.

If you are a Business School graduate based in London and want to be part of an exciting new alumni events organising committee please contact: [email protected]

International alumni eventsThe Business School visited New York in May for an exclusive drinks reception on the rooftop bar of the Indigo Hotel. Director of the School, Professor Ian Clarke, and deputy director, Professor John Leopold were joined by a number of Business School alumni, including Chris Parsons, vice president international at the National Football League in the US.

The University also made a trip to Switzerland in May 2011. Jane Clubley, Director of Development and Alumni Relations paid a visit to Zurich, Zug and Lausanne. It was unanimously agreed by alumni that an event in Zurich 2013 would be much appreciated… Watch this space!

Undergraduate congregations ceremonyIn July the School said congratulations and farewell to all of its graduating students. The weather brightened up to allow proud parents, friends, and family to share the special day with all of the graduating students. They were rewarded for their hard work with a special ceremony with a champagne and canapés reception. We now look forward to welcoming these students at future alumni events.

Forthcoming eventsWe will be hosting alumni events throughout the year, both in the UK and internationally. To find out more, or to organise your own alumni event, including perhaps a reunion for your class, please contact: [email protected]

In 2011/12 you can meet us on the worldwide alumni events tour, which includes:

> China

> Hong Kong

> India

> UK

> US

Check out all the photos from our alumni events by searching for us on Flickr, and visit our Business School alumni website.

www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/alumni

www.flickr.com/photos/40191535@N05

ncl flickr

Convocation weekend 2011Newcastle University hosted its largest annual alumni event in June by welcoming over 300 graduates and guests back to campus. The Business School played its part and offered an exclusive tour of the new building, as well as holding an informal debate entitled ‘Going for Growth’. With the School’s fantastic new facilities up and running, Convocation Weekend 2012 promises to be an exciting date for the diary.


Contents Contents Alumni Alumni

Alumni Archive

Julia Taylor BSc Marketing, 2009

What are you doing now?

I’m currently on an 18 month secondment to the Department for Culture Media and Sport in the London 2012 Government Olympic Executive. The GOE is the section within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which oversees the London 2012 project on behalf of the Government, ensuring that it is delivered on time, within budget, represents value for public money and benefits the whole of the UK. This is done across the project by identifying and solving problems, delivering the public sector effort and being accountable to Parliament and the public.

There’s so much excitement around the Olympic and Paralympic Games and I’m very lucky to have a chance to be a part of it. It’s invaluable experience for a career in the civil service or for a marketing communications career in the private sector.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

I’ve always wanted to start my own business, maybe an agency where I can work with private and public sector clients on their communications and try and get the best results for them. I quite like a challenge and hate doing the same thing day in and day out! It’s definitely on my radar.

Your most memorable experience of NCL?

Graduation when everyone was relieved all their hard work had paid off.

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

I held the Olympic torch the day after Seb Coe!


Working as the chief financial officer for a TV production company in Los Angeles that’s part of a global media business.

This is a very interesting position especially as the company is preparing to float within the next few years.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

Probably somewhere similar, though I’d like to be CEO of a company by that time.


I really enjoyed my whole time there, but I especially enjoyed ‘Monetary Economics’ for some reason. I think that was the bit that made sense of everything else for me.

On the social side I liked living next to St James’ Park and was there when Kevin Keegan retired as a player which I think was 1984. What a long time ago...


I own about 30 guitars and am a frustrated bedroom guitarist. I’d like to join a band again but the arrival of my daughter has put pay to that until I’m at retirement age...


Responsible for the J/P Haiti Relief Organization (HRO) finance team in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

We are a support function to the programme departments connected to the activities in Haiti – mainly running an Internally Displaced Person(s) (IDP) camp which started with over 50.000 inhabitants, and including a field hospital, medical clinics and a primary school and rubble clearance and rebuilding of homes in the area from which most camp residents came after the earthquake, and relocation for those who were also homeless pre-quake.


Retired


The discussions across faculty and subject ‘divisions’.


The privilege of using my professional skills (qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Norway in 1977) in the service of others.


I am currently working in Panama City in Latin America for HSBC the bank. I am a manager of the trade department whereby companies and individuals use our services to import products or components into Panama or similarly export to many other foreign countries.


In ten years time I see myself as an overweight senior manager of the bank reporting directly to the CEO of a country. Either that or banking will not have worked out for me and I will have started my own business several years earlier.


The most memorable part of my time at university would have to be the entire final year. We had a lot more work but that somehow made the social side even better. Most of my course knew each other and with the frequent assistance of Osborne Road, the social life really made it for me.


I would say that looking for careers with a flexible mindset and not just the standard careers that your degree would lead to is important. I never wanted to work for a bank nor did I study Finance but I still looked into it and found a specific career scheme that allows me to travel the world which was a goal of mine.

Andy Lennon BA Economics 1986

Jill Almvang BA Economic Studies, 1970

Harry Clapham BA Marketing and Management, 2010


I am currently owner/managing director of Meldrum Construction Services Ltd. With a turnover in the region of £12 million a year, we have a team of 80 – including civil engineers and architects, time served carpenters, bricklayers, ground workers, plant operators, electricians and plumbers. We provide an holistic ‘One Stop Shop’ for construction projects between £0.2 and £3.5m in value. We offer Feasibility, Design Development, Building Design, Building Construction and Maintenance.


Retired!!! But more seriously, I hope to still be doing what I am doing, in a back seat capacity. Allowing the next generation to take over.


The knowledge I gained was a key factor in me starting my own business. That grounding has allowed me to continue to develop my business and expand.


I am a keen sailor and golfer. Although, I do not get much of a chance to do either at the moment. I have enjoyed many a brilliant night on a boat with a glass of whiskey on the west coast of Scotland.

David Meldrum MBA 1991

It is always interesting to see where your old classmates have gone and what they have been doing since you last saw them. We got in touch with some Business School alumni to find out where they have been, what they have been up to and what they remember from their time at Newcastle.

@NUBizSchool

Compiled byTristan AlltimesAlumni Relations [email protected]

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Digital Marketing: ‘Getting it Wrong, Before Getting it Right’


Briefings Briefings

Briefings

Conferences and events May – July 2011

The Business School, in association with Mobious, delivered the latest event in the Digital Marketing Debate series on Tuesday 3rd May 2011.

Introduced by Dr Savvas Papagiannidis, senior lecturer / DPD MSc E-Business and Information Systems, with the main presentation by Pascal Fintoni, chief executive, The Centre for ebusiness, the event, called ‘Getting it Wrong, Before Getting it Right’ focused on the fact that social media is here and it’s here to stay,

but how can businesses use these channels to deliver real value? The debate demystified the social media landscape, showing how to evaluate and embark on a social media strategy, and provided real hands-on advice on how the make the best use of social media channels.

Iain Gibbons from Mobiuos kept the debate going in the lively question and answer session.

You can join in the debate on twitter at: www.twitter.com/digitaldebates

Tuesday 10 May 2011

‘Leading Bold Change: Succeeding in a Turbulent World’, with Craig Smith, Managing Director – Flint Consulting

The Business School hosted Craig Smith in May as part of the Leadership series of events. The session on ‘Leading Bold Change’ is a programme that develops change leadership capabilities within organisations and is the only programme authorised by John Kotter a (Leadership Professor at Harvard University) on whose work it is based.

The proceedings turned quite competitive when brand new interactive devices were used for the first time – the IML Connector units enable the audience to ask questions during the presentation via a keypad, interact with presentations and provide instant feedback during the event.

Craig is the founder and managing director of Flint Consulting, a company of change consultants specialising in training and change consultancy to organisations, implementing transformational change and capability building projects.

As the summer break approached, the Business School held a networking event for colleagues who have worked with us throughout the year, to say thank you for supporting the Business School.

Strawberries and Cream was the theme, which were enjoyed, while looking at the magnificent view from the conference room.

The move into the new building brings with it a new venue for events and a range of different events are planned for the coming year.

Among the offerings will be the Ethics Forums and a revamped Digital Debate series. We are in the process of organising a brand new series which will be unveiled soon, showcasing our academic experts.

To find out more please visit the website for the latest information www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/about/events or contact Ruth Warwick: [email protected] to be added to the event database, to be the first to know about any upcoming events.

To view photos from our events please visit us on flickr: search for ‘NUBizSchool’

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

Summer networking reception European Regions for Innovative ProductivityOn the 23 and 24 November, Newcastle University Business School’s top floor conference room is the chosen venue for the European Regions for Innovative Productivity (ERIP) final conference.

The Business School is the Lead Beneficiary of the project and is delighted to invite partners, exemplars, SMEs and policy makers from across the North Sea region to attend the final conference in its prestigious new Business School building.

If you have an interest in operations management and the application of lean and agile production techniques, please contact the project manager, Kate Morris: [email protected]

@NUBizSchool

Pascal Fintoni, Chief Executive, The Centre for ebusiness

Craig Smith

Expand your mind and career horizons Become part of an international community and take control of your future with an MBA or Executive MBA at Newcastle University Business School.

For more information on our MBA programmes please visit www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs or contact our full-time MBA programme director Tyrone Pitsis at [email protected]

Documents

NUBusiness Version 12