1. Issue 216 - November 2011
Cranfield research unveiled at No.10 event GSK CEO to give
The Prime Minister welcomed the Cranfield report,
lecture at Cranfield
he said: “Six months on, important steps forward Andrew Witty, Chief
have been made. But there is still a long way to go Executive Officer of
to encourage the best to rise to the top of industry, GlaxoSmithKline will
be the guest speaker
regardless of their background or gender. I want to
at the Pears Business
see more companies setting out their plans for
Schools Partnership
women on boards and driving this forward.”
Lecture at Cranfield on
Professor Vinnicombe commented: “Our review Wednesday 18
reveals that the number of women in board January 2012.
positions is beginning to creep up albeit quite In his lecture Andrew
slowly.” will reflect on the role
Dr Sealy added: “It is so important that our top of business and business
leaders in today’s globally connected market
companies set the standard for achieving better
Professor Susan Vinnicombe OBE and Dr Ruth place and discuss the changing role of business
representation on their boards. A lack of role
in society. He will offer new perspectives on how
Sealy attended a ‘Women in Business’ event models is one of the greatest barriers to women’s
businesses of the future can create long term
hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 career success, because they provide a symbolic
sustainable value.
Downing Street at which the findings of their representation of the meritocracy and support
progress report on the Lord Davies review into within a given organisation and are evidence of the The Pears Business Schools Partnership is a
boardroom equality were revealed. ability to progress.” collaboration between Cranfield School of
Management, London Business School, Saïd
The Cranfield report revealed that six months on The report co-authored by Dr Sealy, Dr Elena Business School and Pears Foundation to
from Lord Davies publishing his recommendations Doldor, Dr Val Singh and Professor Vinnicombe promote sustainable and responsible business in
to increase the number of women on the boards has received significant media interest. Susan is society by engaging and inspiring the next
of listed companies in the UK, only 33 FTSE 100 pictured below at No 10 with the Prime Minister generation of leaders.
companies have heeded his recommendation to and Lord Davies.
set themselves targets for the number of women If you would like to attend please contact Louise
Gardener on louise.gardener@cranfield.ac.uk
they aim to have on their boards.
The progress report also revealed that since the
review, 21 women have been appointed to board
positions out of a possible 93. This represents
22.5% of all new appointments, some way short of Economist ranking
the 33% recommended in the Davies report. The The School’s full-time MBA programme has
number of women now holding FTSE 100 board been ranked 3rd in the UK, 8th in Europe and
directorships is 155 out of a total of 1,092 23rd in the world in the latest global full-time
positions (14.2%). This is up from the 12.5% MBA rankings published by The Economist.
published in the 2010 Cranfield Female FTSE Professor Frank Horwitz, Director of School said:
report. "I am delighted that our MBA continues to be
recognised as one of the top MBA programmes
in the world. Our position in this prestigious
ranking is a strong endorsement of our work.”
International Executive DBA
Cranfield has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with TiasNimbas Business
M&S Sustainable
School of Tilburg University in the Netherlands to
offer a joint dual degree International Executive
Retailing Challenge
Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) Leading sustainable retailer Marks & Spencer
programme that is tailored to the needs of senior and the School’s Doughty Centre for Corporate
managers around the world. Professor Frank Responsibility is delighted to launch details of the
Horwitz said: “We are pleased to formalise our 2012 M&S Sustainable Retailing Challenge.
partnership with TiasNimbas. Successful The competition offers MBA students from
participants of the new programme will be Europe’s leading business schools the chance to
awarded a highly respected international business win £5,000 and the opportunity to present to a
qualification from not one but two world-class prestigious panel of judges which will include
institutions. The programme is at the heart of Marc Bolland, CEO of M&S. Teams will compete
Cranfield’s approach to research, learning and over three stages to determine which MBA
professional development. The fact that it starts teams will reach the London final in April 2012.
with a genuine business issue provides an The deadline for entries is 13:00hrs on
opportunity for experienced managers to learn 15 November 2011.
together, share experiences and make a real
To find out more, visit
difference to their organisations through well Pictured: Ramon O’Callaghan, Dean of TiasNimbas Business
School and Professor Frank Horwitz, Director of Cranfield www.mandssrc.com
crafted research.”
School of Management

2. Equality research
Message from a Director... The International Centre for Women Leaders
has won funding from the Equality & Human
On the full time MBA we have some experienced
Rights Commission (EHRC) to conduct research
hands in new roles. Graham Clark has become the
into the new Code of Conduct on appointments
Academic Director and David Simmons the of corporate board directorships.
Executive Director.
It is great to have such highly motivated and able
managers join Cranfield’s Graduate Programmes
team. In fact, the timing could not be better as we New survey software
are now due to undertake a strategic review of the A new survey tool is now available for staff and
School’s Graduate Programmes portfolio. The students. The ‘feature rich’ Qualtrics software is
review is also timely given the challenges faced by a cloud based web application which allows
British universities due to the economic downturn, users to create high quality and engaging online
questionnaires. The School’s IT department will
a contractionary fiscal policy, visa restrictions and
provide full support for this service and a number
credit tightening in the student loan market.
of demonstrations of the software’s capabilities
Despite these constraints, Cranfield is in a good will take place over the coming weeks.
position to grow its graduate programmes portfolio
For more information please contact Graham
in a manner that enhances the reputation and
Bell or Brenda Roshier.
Over the last few months there has been some financial strength of the School. Cranfield has
new faces in key managerial roles within Graduate always distinguished itself by being at the cutting
Programmes. I would like to welcome Anthea edge of thought leadership and management
Milnes as the new Head of Graduate Programmes practice. I believe that our reputation for effective
Marketing. Anthea joins us from the University of delivery in these domains provides us with an
Global Women's Forum
Oxford where she was Head of Marketing and excellent platform to grow our role in the Professor Susan Vinnicombe spoke at the 2011
managerial development of tomorrow’s leaders. Women's Forum Global Meeting in Deauville,
Communications and played a key role in the
France. The conference brings together leaders
development of the business school’s I very much hope that you will engage actively in
representing business, government, academia
management degree portfolio. I would also like to the strategic review process and would welcome
and culture. Susan participated in a panel
welcome Dr Denyse Julien as Director of the ideas and suggestions. discussion on whether quotas are helpful or
Executive MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain harmful in countering the gender-based
Professor Andrew Burke
Management. stereotyping that can surround female career
Director of Graduate Programmes
advancement.
Etisalat Graduation MSc Finance prize
This year’s winner of the
Annual Worshipful
Company of
International Bankers’
Prize of £300 is Tahiru
Liedong. The prize is
given to the student
with the best thesis on
the MSc Finance &
Management programme. Tahiru now has the
opportunity to apply for the prestigious Lombard
Prize. His thesis was titled ‘The gain to
shareholders of UK acquirers of public and
private targets'.
Etisalat graduates and Group Chief HR Officer, Abdulaziz Al Sawaleh with the Cranfield faculty which included Vice-
Chancellor Sir John O’Reilly, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Lynette Ryals and Director of School Professor Frank Horwitz Staff briefings
The next staff briefing will take place on
Eight high potential managers from the UAE’s largest telecoms company, Etisalat, graduated from their
Thursday 10 November at 1pm in lecture
MSc in Strategic Leadership at a ceremony on 3 October at Cranfield.
room 16 in CMDC.
The customised, Corporate MSc programme has been delivered in Dubai by Cranfield faculty and
Michele Gray will give an update on the School
members of the CCED team. Participants took modules in strategy, change and leadership, customised
initiative to market the portfolio of Executive
to the Etisalat context. The managers have applied their learning immediately in real business projects and
have led significant change initiatives within the organisation. Masters Programmes.
Another staff briefing is planned for Thursday
Bill Shedden, Director of CCED, said: “This graduation is an opportunity to celebrate both the outstanding
24 November at 1pm in lecture room 30.
achievements of the participants as well as the long-term partnership between Cranfield and Etisalat.
Both organisations worked extremely hard to ensure success. The support and commitment of senior Director of School Professor Frank Horwitz,
executives from Etisalat was paramount, as was the professionalism of the Cranfield staff and faculty in Helen Perkins and Lorraine Cooper will provide
developing and delivering a new programme in the Middle East”. feedback on the results from the ‘2011 Working
Abdulaziz Al Sawaleh, Group Chief HR Officer at Etisalat said: “These students have put enormous energy Life at Cranfield survey’ and will outline plans for
into both their academic studies and moving the business forward. Many of them have been promoted or future workshops to discuss some of the
have taken up new challenges during the programme. Etisalat is committed to the learning of its outcomes.
employees and these individuals absolutely embody the values Etisalat considers important.”

3. Papers, publications,
conferences, awards
Dr David Butcher and Dr Martin Clarke’s paper
‘Good governance: a role for organizational
politics and organizational democracy in creating
Radio moral communities’ has been accepted for the
Print US journal Organizational Dynamics.
Sunday Telegraph– 2 October
Professor Keith Goffin, Dr David Baxter,
Dr Ruth Sealy is quoted in a feature about fresh BBC Three Counties – 29
Dr Pietro Micheli and Dr Magnus Schoeman’s
concerns from headhunters that the female supply September
Dr Noeleen Doherty took part in paper ‘New contractual models and
of candidates for boardroom positions is limited.
a live discussion about what organisational forms as an enabler of public
The Times (MBA supplement) – 5 October
businesses can do to keep their sector innovation’ has been accepted for
David Simmons is quoted in a feature about how
workforce happy. publication in Public Money & Management.
the economic climate is impacting the number of
Dr Catarina Figueira and Emeritus Professor
MBA applications. Matt Lloyd (MBA 2011) is
David Parker have had a chapter titled
quoted in a different feature about teamwork being BBC Radio 4 – 13 October
Dr Ruth Sealy was interviewed for Woman’s Hour ‘Infrastructure liberalisation: challenges to the new
an integral part of an MBA.
discussing the findings and implications of the six economic paradigm in the context of developing
Financial Times – 8 October month progress report. countries’ published in Edward Elgar’s
Dr Bruce Johnstone is featured BBC Three Counties – 26 October International Handbook of Network Industries.
in the ‘Ask the Experts’ section, John Glen was interviewed about how the UK Professor Patrick Reinmoeller chaired the
giving his advice on tips for economy could be impacted by what is agreed at the conference ‘Resilience for business success:
exporting. EU emergency summit in Brussels. implications for companies in Africa and Japan’ at
the Gordon Institute of Business Science in
Johannesburg. He also presented his paper
London Evening Standard – 11 October Online ‘Succeeding against the odds: a multi-level
Professor Michael Dickmann comments on Channel4.com – 6 October approach to resilience’. He will also present
specialist qualifications: “While there is talk of MBA Professor Donna Ladkin gives ‘Exploring Africa strategies: shadows of the past
student numbers going down, we are seeing the her view on why the late Apple or hallmarks of future success’ at the Strategic
opposite with our masters in international human co-founder Steve Jobs was Management Society's annual conference.
resources management.” successful: “There was such a David Molian participated in a panel session at
The Independent (MBA supplement) – coherence between the way he the Economist High Growth Markets Summit.
13 October was and what the company was Emeritus Professor Malcolm McDonald
Professor Frank Horwitz is about; between his message, delivered a keynote address on financial risk
quoted in a feature that which was all about aesthetics - or the value of 'look' assessment at the CIMA Global Conference.
compares the traditional MBA and 'feel' - and being on the edge, and the way that Bill Wilson from CCED chaired the European
with sector-led MBAs. he was personally.” Talent Management Summit and ran a roundtable
Michelle Boland (Executive Guardian.co.uk – 18 October session on ‘Implementing performance
MBA 2010) is quoted in the Dr Richard Kwiatkowski comments on new management and feedback processes to improve
same article saying that she research by the Texas Tech University which employee development’.
considered a specialist MBA “for about five concluded that tall people are better suited for Fadi Hashem’s (PhD) paper ‘Examination of the
seconds” before applying to Cranfield and hasn’t leadership. dynamic relationship between authoritarianism
looked back. FT.com – 19 October and benevolence’ was presented at ECMLG.
Financial Times – 14 October Professor Andy Neely is quoted in an article about Dr Ruth Sealy was a keynote speaker at a
Emeritus Professor David Myddelton had a letter business executives and information technology thought leadership seminar on Women on Boards
published titled ‘Hypotheticals, intangibles and experts finding it hard to understand and empathise hosted by Catalyst in Toronto.
imprudent accounting’. with each other’s challenges and aspirations. Professor Joe Peppard presented ‘Why IT
FT Weekend – 16 October innovation matters in times of crisis’ at the Annual
Tom Ashworth (BGP 2008) co-owner of Yapp IT Directors Forum and gave the keynote address
Media coverage of Cranfield’s progress ‘How different companies in different sectors are
Brothers was quoted in an article about the boost
report commissioned by Lord Davies leveraging IT to drive strategy and the lessons for
in sales for his family-owned luxury wine retailer
after a customer mentioned on Twitter that they had There were over fifty pieces of coverage in the legal sector’ at the Legal IT Forum. He also
supplied the champagne for Sir Paul McCartney’s publications spanning national print, broadcast delivered a public lecture on ‘Business innovation
wedding. and online industry specific titles during the with information technology’ at the University of
The Times – 24 October week of the report’s launch. Southern Queensland, Australia.
Andy Bond (MBA 1993) is interviewed about what Professor Keith Goffin and Dr Ursula Koners
he plans to do following his 17 year career at Asda, Highlights included: have had their book Identifying hidden needs:
Britain’s second-biggest supermarket chain. He 9 October – Sunday Times creating breakthrough products published by the
wishes to devote his energy to nurturing small 10 October – City AM, Skynews.com German publisher Schaeffer and Poeschel.
businesses. 11 October – Daily Mail, Financial Times Professor Clare Kelliher's new book, New ways
12 October – BBC.co.uk, Bloomberg, City of organising work: developments, perspectives
AM, Financial Times, Press Association, The and experiences, has been published by
Television Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, Routledge. The book includes chapters on
The Independent, The Times, globally distributed teams, teleworking and the
ITV – Anglia Tonight – 12 Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 use of blackberries.
October 13 October – City AM, Daily Express, Daily Professor Donna Ladkin's book, Rethinking
John Glen commented on the Mail, Irish Times, London Evening Standard, leadership: a new look at old leadership
economic implications of the UK Management Today, Press Association, The questions, has been awarded the Integral
unemployment figures published Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Leadership Review's 'Book of 2010' award.
by the Office for National Independent, Thisismoney.co.uk, Woman’s Elena Doldor (supervised by
Statistics. Hour on BBC Radio 4 Dr Deirdre Anderson and
15 October – The Guardian, The Independent. Professor Susan Vinnicombe)
successfully defended her
PhD thesis titled ‘Examining
Details of all School of Management media mentions can be found at: political will, political skills and
http://webapps2.cranfield.ac.uk/presscuttings/ their maturation among male
and female managers’.

4. Staff & Student News
Welcome to... MBA students celebrate Diwali
Gary Dewar – Print Room Assistant
The Indian community along with their
many friends, celebrated Diwali – known
Farewell to… as the Festival of Lights last month.
Nevhis Gardner – Exec Dev Director, CCED
The proceedings kicked off with traditional
Promotions… worship called Pooja, a key part of a ritual
Isabella Barnard – Secretary in PSP that marks the vanquishing of demons
Marie Creasey – Business Systems Specialist and the triumph of benevolence, wisdom
and kindness. The evening progressed
Jessica Morgan – Online Marketing Manager
with a procession of ladies in sarees and a
Madeleine Fleure – Sales & Project Officer in
dance troupe led by Henry Chow, before
Praxis
concluding with a display of firecrackers
that illuminated the night sky.
Retirement…
Séan Rickard – Director of the “It’s great that we can stay in touch with traditions from home while here,” said Amitabh Sharma and
full-time MBA programme and Rajesh Chawan who organised the event. “It’s even better that we have the chance to introduce a little
bit of India to our friends from across the world too.”
senior lecturer in Economics.
Faculty and staff wish Séan a
happy retirement and all the
best for the future. Trafalgar Night
Dress down Four weeks into their course, 60 full time MBA students, together with their partners and several
Thank you to all who contributed members of the School’s faculty and staff, enjoyed the ‘unique’ experience of a formal Naval dinner for
Trafalgar Night. On 20 October, the night before the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death
to last month’s dress down which
of Viscount Lord Nelson, the Cranfield Social Club was transformed into a Naval war room, complete
raised £85 for the Jeans for
with white ensign, naval memorabilia and ‘Mess Silver’. There was Plymouth Gin and a special victory
Genes charity.
ale to welcome guests who
enjoyed a traditional menu of
roast beef. A series of speeches
followed dinner explaining the
Congratulations etiquette, recounting the battle
and drawing some leadership
Professor Kelliher lessons from the life of Nelson
Congratulations to Dr Clare that could be applied by
Kelliher who has been promoted Cranfield MBAs The festivities
to Professor of Work and concluded with a rousing
rendition of some famous ‘sea
Organisation.
shanties’ as the port decanters
were steadily drained. A great
night was enjoyed by all.
Grand Reunion
Alumni from the classes of 1966, 1971, 1976,
1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006 came
together in October for the 2011 Alumni Grand
ISEC Too busy to go to
Reunion. Emin Can Turan
and Thomas
the Oxfam shop?
Renwick from the
You can now bring your donations into work and
MSc in Strategic
Oxfam will collect them for you. To make your
Marketing programme along with Ales
donations 25% more valuable to Oxfam, visit
Danko from the MSc in Logistics and
www.oxfam.org.uk/collects/atwork and sign up for
Supply Chain Management programme
Gift Aid. Once you have done this, you will receive
and Nicola Morgan, from Cranfield
labels in the post bearing your own personal donor
School of Health have launched ISEC
number. Please stick a label to each bag that you wish
The 2012 Alumni Grand Reunion will be for (International Student Events
to donate and drop it at the School’s reception. The
alumni from the classes of 1967, 1972, 1977, Committee).
School will make arrangements for all donations to be
1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007.
ISEC is an independent student run collected regularly by one of the volunteers from the
Watch this space for more details.
social committee, set up by students Oxfam Bedford Branch.
from the School of Management for the
benefit of all Cranfield students across
the University.
Wear it Pink day
The group plans to run a calendar of
Forum is produced by the Media Relations Office
social events and trips throughout the
and covers news and events from across the
year for students to enjoy along side
school. Contributions from staff and students are
their studies.
welcome. Please email stories, event news, ideas
and photographs (with captions or full details) to If you would like to find out more or are
forum@cranfield.ac.uk interested in getting involved with ISEC
The deadline for the next issue is: 21 November contact:
emincan.turan@cranfield.ac.uk
Printed on paper from a sustainable source by Thank you to all staff who contributed to ‘Wear it Pink’
the School of Management print room.
which raised £126 for the breast cancer campaign.