Ambassador

Alumnievents

page 15

Developed at Lancaster,used around the worldSoft Systems Methodology – Peter Checkland, page 12

LANCASTER UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT SCHOOL ALUMNI MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2012

Executive compensation

controversy

page 4Equity Pay

Non-Equity Pay

Average TotalCompensation

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LUMS news 1-3

Research 4-7

Management Learning & Leadership profi le 8-9

Alumni interview 10-11

Alumni news 12-15

Careers, Alumni & Employer Relations 16

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The articles printed here, to the best of our knowledge, were correct at the time of going to press.We reserve the right to edit material where necessary. Furthermore, the views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Management School or the Editor.

Front cover image: SSM Learning Cycle diagram over globe.


1

Welcome to the 2012 edition of Ambassador. The past year has been a demanding yet rewarding one for LUMS, as we have met the challenges of the new UK fees structure and the ongoing expansion of our programmes to an increasingly global audience.

Dean’s update

We continue our mission to deliver world-leading research, teaching and business support. Our preparation for the next national research assessment is going very well and we are confi dent of an excellent outcome in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework.

Our outstanding performance in 2012 has been recognised externally and I am delighted to share with you the news that we have been shortlisted for both the Times Higher Education’s Business School of the Year award and the Association of MBAs’ (AMBA) student of the year award. Please do keep an eye open for the results, and join me in wishing Husameldin Elnasri the best of luck at the AMBA ceremony on 17th October.

We place great importance on ensuring that our programmes remain up-to-date and continue to meet the needs of students, employers and business stakeholders. Recent reviews of our Executive MBA and MSc Management programmes have resulted in re-vitalised offerings, building on their existing strengths.

I am sure that alumni of these programmes will welcome our continued investment and I look forward to welcoming the new cohorts of students.

Development of our international strategy has seen the introduction of the Global MBA, which now forms part of our suite of MBA programmes. Participants in Singapore, Jordan and Zambia have the benefi t of the executive version of The Lancaster MBA taught by Lancaster faculty in their own location. The fi rst cohort from Singapore graduated and joined our alumni community in December 2011, with a larger group from Singapore being joined by graduates from Jordan at this year’s December graduation.

In this edition of your alumni magazine you will see examples of the increased investment LUMS is making in support of our graduates’ careers – through direct services and initiatives as well as support for careers-focussed student society events and use of online tools. Through the merging of LUMS’ Careers and Alumni teams last year we hoped to

enhance the provision of professional development opportunities. As the new team’s Head, Louise Briggs explains on page 16, signifi cant progress has already been made, with growing levels of support from our alumni.

We are all aware of the importance of networks and leveraging connections and opportunities in this time of ongoing economic diffi culties. I am very proud to see the many ways in which our alumni are supporting fellow members of the LUMS community, and particularly our students, whether this is through sharing your expertise and experience, being part of our online groups and networking events or in other ways.

Thank you all for your continued interest in, and support for, our work.

All my best wishes,

Professor Sue Cox, OBE

Dean

Professor Sue Cox, OBE

LUMS newsAMBASSADOR | OCTOBER 2012


LUMS’ admissions team celebrate their award

LUMS news

The Director of LUMS’ successful development programme for SME owner-managers was invited to share the secrets of business success with the world’s top Olympic coaches.

Dr Sue Smith, Programme Director

of Lancaster LEAD® (Leading

Enterprise and Development),

delivered three sessions in

London to the sports coaches

from across the globe, illustrating

how management and business

thinking can help achieve their

objectives.

The sessions focussed on how

the technique of refl ective practice

can help people to learn faster.

Refl ective practice encourages participants to constantly and consistently refl ect on actions and outcomes to develop better practice. It is used as a technique on the highly successful Lancaster LEAD® programme where 90% of participants have reported an increase in sales turnover, employment, productivity and profi ts. On average, Lancaster LEAD® participants increase their turnover by £200,000.

2

Lancaster wins ‘Outstanding Student Admissions Team’ award

The European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) has appointed LUMS Dean, Professor Sue Cox, as Vice-President (Academic Network).

In her new role, Professor Coxwill serve on two committees:the Membership Review Committee and the Board e-Nominations Committee.

The EFMD announcement follows Professor Cox’s appointment in May to The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Accreditation Quality Committee. Professor Cox’s role on the committee will involve oversight and continuous improvement in accreditation standards.

New roles for LUMS Dean

Lancaster University has won the Outstanding Student Admissions Team award at the annual Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards 2012.

The award was presented to Lancaster’s faculty and central postgraduate admissions team by popular English comedianJulian Clary, during a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. The team winning

the award includes LUMS’ postgraduate faculty admissions team: Karine Rennie-Bloor, Joanne Stott, Pauline Clark, June Jacklin, Kerry Fenton, Alison Kelly, Jacqueline Buchanan, Joe Wilson, Sandra Cirtina and Claire Prior.

If you’re thinking of postgraduate or executive study, take a look at the range of highly ranked programmes on offer at LUMS: www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/masters

Lancaster academic helps Olympic coaches to take the

Dr Sue Smith, Programme Director of Lancaster LEAD


Over 200 Lancaster students attended the City Careers event last October, organised by the Lancaster University Investment and Finance Society (LUIFS). City Careers, which is aimed at providing students with an insight into the many career opportunities in the City and increasing graduate employability skills, has become one of LUMS’ most popular annual student events, taking place in October each year.

14 senior-level professionals from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Barclays Capital and other fi nancial institutions took part in the event, which was chaired by the President of LUIFS, Andrejs Ozolins. Many of these guest speakers were Lancaster alumni, returning to

LUMS to share their experiences and help current students.

Veenit Surana (BA Accounting and Economics, 2004) was one of the alumni who attended. He remarked “It was a pleasure to be invited to the City Careers weekend and interact with the students at Lancaster. There was a large

attendance and it seemed tome everyone made the most ofthe day.”

The day’s events included panel discussions on traditional and alternative funds, capital markets and investment banking, as well as CV, application and interview workshops.

Students gain insights into City careers

Students at the City Careers event

AMBASSADOR | OCTOBER 2012

3

Yoram Bauman

Yoram Bauman, the world’s fi rst and only stand-up economist, stopped off at LUMS during his UK and Europe tour.

An economist and stand-up comedian, Yoram works at the University of Washington, specialising in environmental economics. He regularly performs at colleges, universities, companies and comedy clubs.

Yoram performed his stand-up routine to a packed and appreciative audience of students and staff in the George Fox lecture theatre on 10th May.

Earlier in the day he showed his serious academic side, delivering a seminar on his research interests in environmental economics.

Not much to laugh about in world economics? Stand-up economist proves otherwise


Research

First, executive compensation did

increase rapidly between 1990 and

2000. Prior to that it was rising at

a more modest rate (see Figure 1).

The reason for the pay hike was

the explosion in the use of stock

options by fi rms. Stock options

gave CEOs the right, but not the

obligation, to buy shares in their

fi rms at a future date at a pre-

specifi ed price.

Importantly, stock options align

the interests of shareholders

and senior managers because

increases in share prices increase

the wealth of both parties. Indeed,

many shareholders in the 1990s

were concerned about the lack of

equity compensation and pay-for-

performance for senior managers.

The use of options was a direct

response to this concern. By

tying CEO rewards to stock prices

this provided strong incentives

to motivate CEOs towards value

creation. If asset prices decline

then both shareholders and

managers suffer.

Second, contrary to the claims

of critics, CEO pay is connected

to company performance. This

has been demonstrated in many

academic studies, generally using

advanced statistical methods.

However, it can also be seen

more broadly in the raw data.

The average pay of CEOs at S&P

500 fi rms declined both after the

recession of 2000 and the great

recession of 2008 when stock

market values fell (see Figure 1).

Generally, academics have shown

that CEO pay is connected to

both stock market measures of

performance and accounting-based

measures. Why does the view

persist that CEO pay is not linked

to performance then?

One reason is that it is always

possible to point to isolated

instances of underperforming CEOs

and assume that this is typical. The

media often highlight such cases,

even if they are atypical. However,

studies based on literally hundreds

of fi rms, over many years, and

from many different countries,

have shown that on average CEO

pay is positively correlated to fi rm

performance.

Executive compensation controversy

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Professor Martin Conyon,Department of Accounting & Finance

Executive compensation is a highly controversial subject, both in the USA and Europe. Critics point to the high levels of pay received by Chief Executive Offi cers (CEOs) at publicly traded fi rms and banks as evidence that boardroom pay is broken. The fi nancial crisis, the Great Recession and taxpayer bailouts have led to public outrage and calls for more regulation. What are the facts about CEO pay?

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Equity Pay

Non-Equity Pay

Average TotalCompensation

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Figure 1: US CEO Compensation S&P500 Firms



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Third, CEO pay has become

more aligned with shareholder

interests over time. In the early

1990s, and before, CEOs were

paid mainly guaranteed fi xed

salaries. There was little pay at risk.

CEOs were paid like bureaucrats:

compensation was tied to the size

of their company, or job position,

rather than for creating value for

owners. This changed. In the early

1990s nearly 40% of the typical

CEO’s total compensation was

comprised of a fi xed salary. The

rest was in the form of bonuses,

stock options, and restricted

shares. In sharp contrast, fi xed

salaries now account for less than

one-fi fth of the typical CEO’s pay

package in a large US fi rm (see

Figure 2). And the other 80%

or so? That is now made up of

performance-based compensation.

If the CEO does not meet annual performance goals, or the fi rm’s stock price declines, then CEO pay is at signifi cant risk. The shift away from fi xed pay towards pay-at-risk in the form of bonuses, stock options and restricted shares is evidence that boards are trying to align the interests of senior management with shareholders.

Fourth, are CEOs overpaid? My research compared American to European CEOs. It found that although US CEOs were paid signifi cantly more than their European counterparts much of this was explained by differences in the size of fi rms and industry structure. Importantly, CEOs in the US were paid differently to Europeans. European CEOs received about 40% of their pay in the form of fi xed salary compared

to about 20% for Americans. American CEOs are more likely to be paid in shares and share options: i.e. pay that is more risky. After controlling for differences in the way that CEOs are paid the levels of pay between American and European (especially British CEOs) was quite similar. The countries with the best link of pay-to-performance included the UK and Germany.

CEO pay is undoubtedly controversial. It is already heavily regulated and so it is not clear that the benefi ts from further regulation outweigh the costs.

CEO pay in the US and UK is among the most transparent in the world. The critical issue is for boards to design compensation packages that reward success and recruit talent.

Further reading

Conyon, M., Fernandes, N., Ferreira, M. A., Pedro, M. & Murphy, K.J. 2012. The executive compensation controversy:A transatlantic analysis. In T. Boeri, C. Lucifora, & K. Murphy (Eds.), Productivity, profi ts and pay, London: Oxford University Press.

Figure 2: CEO Pay Structure S&P 500


Research

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Markets aren’t just “out there” – they need to be made. When trying to explain how their businesses work and grow, managers increasingly talk in terms of business models. My research combines these two ideas, exploring how managers use business models as market-making devices.

The research studied real-time practices, examining four market-making processes, each centred on a particular fi rm’s intent to make a market. I followed managers’ maps of suppliers as they were circulated to enrol and mobilise others. I traced new connections and conversations as managers, the media and policy makers worked together to make an imagined market become real.

One market I became deeply emerged in was the Public Safety market. I engaged with market-makers as they turned the notion of ‘public safety’ from a phenomenon associated with public protection to an information communications technology market.

My research generates important insights into how business models become an important part of the materials and practices of market-makers. It makes fi ve key contributions.

First, I identify the valuation practices developed and adopted by market-makers, where multiple actors contest social values to work out how economic value

might be realised. In the Public Safety market this was sometimes about how we can best protect the public without putting additional demands on the public purse.

These tensions can be a force for good and sometimes generate new and effective market offerings, such as tracking and analyses, coordination and scanning technologies. But it wasn’t always about new technologies, sometimes it was just about new ways of organising and recombining existing technologies to create new solutions.

Second, I show how chains of representations play a role in valuing markets and can enrol others in making them become real. In the Public Safety market I traced business model representations in the form of pie charts that described market size or players, tables that detailed possible technological combinations and customer solutions, and maps that plotted possible partners and growing business networks, as they were put to work to make the market become real.

Third, I show how market-making actions are coordinated in networks and fourth how this coordinated action leads to new and innovative market offerings. In the Public Safety market I saw sophisticated combining and recombining of

multiple technologies to create

unique customer solutions. Such

combinations were sometimes

proposed by customers, network

members or emerged out of

chance meetings at trade shows

and corporate events.

Market-makers learned how

to create places and spaces

where new connections and

combinations were likely to be

made. Furthermore, they created

the mechanisms to capture and

capitalise on these connections

when they occurred.

Finally, my research generates

insights into the use of video

in management and marketing

research. Video is useful and

easily accessible kit that can help

us frame and focus on market-

making practices that might help

us improve the management and

coordination of the connecting

work we do every day.

This research helps us understand

much more about business models

by showing us that it’s not just

what they are that matters, but

what we do with them, how we

use them and translate them from

and idea into practice. That’s what

really helps us make markets.

Understanding business models as market-making devices

Dr Katy Mason, Department of Marketing


The initial government White Paper Time for Reform contended that the uniform and early closing hour meant “that large numbers of drinkers come out onto the streets late at night at the same time causing disorder.” It also contended that early closing caused a “beat the clock” game that encouraged binge drinking.

The government claimed that deregulated closing times could create a more European cafe culture that spread out the peak dispersal time and resulted in reductions in both binge drinking and in drink-related offences.

Our research looked at one potential unintended consequence of this liberalisation: the effect on workplace absenteeism. Opening hours have the potential to infl uence absenteeism in two ways. First, extending hours brings the time of leisure and working hours closer, and perhaps into more open confl ict. Second, later consumption of alcohol and intoxication may `spill-over’ into working hours.

In this research we examined the issue by looking at how increasing hours in England and Wales infl uenced workplace absenteeism, and we compared this to the recent Spanish experience. In contrast to the UK, Spain, over the last two decades, has witnessed a marked reduction in the hours of opening at bars: typically from 6am to 3am. These

changes were motivated by different social concerns to the reforms in the UK. Specifi cally, they refl ected complaints over inner-city noise pollution and disruption to residents near bars.

These recent legislative changes in England and Wales and Spain were used as a `quasi-experiment’ to identify the effect of opening hours on absence. Examining this, our research demonstrated a causal link between bar opening hours and worker absenteeism: longer opening hours increased absence.

Increased opening hours in England and Wales also caused poorer health in individuals. This was concentrated amongst frequent pub attendees. In addition, people who attended pubs spent more as a result of the liberalisation. Together this suggests that the main way in which liberalised hours increased absenteeism is through greater alcohol consumption at pubs.

The results of our research also suggest that the policy in England and Wales did not have the desired effect of reducing health problems related to drinking.

Extending pub opening hours increasesworker absenteeism


7

In late 2005 new legislation in England and Wales allowed much later serving hours as part of a government push to liberalise drinking regulations. The previous restrictions typically required closing by 11pm and were considered by the government as a source of social problems.

Dr Colin Green and Dr Maria Navarro Paniagua, Department of Economics


Department profi le

The Department was established in 1974 as the Management Teacher Development Unit, with funding from the Foundation for Management Education (FME). It quickly developed a reputation for research into the way managers learn, or fail to learn, in both educational and organisational settings.

This early research was then incorporated into a part-time MA in Management Learning, which was also infl uenced by the principles of action learning. The MAML programme attracted both corporate trainers and

academics in business schools from around the UK. For the fi rst few years there was no competition, but soon similar programmes sprang up in other universities and colleges – usually led by alumni from the original Lancaster programme!

By 1984 we had over 50 postgraduate registrations (MA, MPhil and PhD) and this was recognised by the award of departmental status as the Department of Management Learning. In 1987 we introduced a full-time MA in Management Learning and in 1992 started undergraduate teaching with core modules for the newly-established BBA and BSc degree programmes. In 2005 the name changed to Department of Management Learning and Leadership which followed further FME funding of a Chair in leadership.

At the present time, the Department is enjoying a further renaissance. From the start of the 2012/13 academic year we expect to have approximately 800 undergraduates registered on the modules that we teach, 30

participants on the full-time MA

(now in HRD and Consulting), up

to 30 students on the two cohorts

of MAMLL, and an ongoing ‘stock’

of about 45 PhD students. In order

to cover the increased workload,

we have already made two

academic appointments this year

and hope to make a third in the

autumn, which will bring us to 15

full-time academic staff.

Meanwhile, the support of a

growing band of full-time PhD

students (GTAs) is becoming

increasingly important in

meeting our undergraduate

teaching obligations. In return,

the Department provides an

intensive development programme

for GTAs including structured

workshops, one-to-one mentoring

and regular weekly meetings to

review and plan.

This commitment was singled out

for praise by the Periodic Quality

Review (May 2012) panel which

gave us an overall verdict of Full

Confi dence, commending the

collegial spirit and the integration

of GTAs within teaching teams

across the Department.

Management Learning & Leadership

8

Management Learning & Leadership alumni facts1984

Professor Mark Easterby-Smith,Head of Department, 2010 – 2012 www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/departments/dml

Nationalities represented

Year of fi rst graduating MA cohort

Alumni of Management Learning & Leadership programmes 946

64


At the end of May, more than 65 alumni and staff came together for a special two-day event to mark 30 years of the pioneering MA in Management Learning and Leadership (MAMLL), one of Europe’s leading programmes for management learning, leadership and training professionals.

The two-day celebration provided an opportunity to explore the work of Management Learning and Leadership through the experiences of alumni and staff who had been involved with the MAMLL programme since its launch in 1982.

The theme chosen for the event was ‘Art and Innovation in Management Learning Practice’.

Participants explored and discussed how theory and practice could be visualised and represented using different forms of media, including drama, music and art.

Professor Vivien Hodgson, MAMLL Director, said she was delighted with the event. “It was a great opportunity for participants to network and to discuss various aspects of their practice.

What was really positive was the range of creative work that alumni presented and the way they talked about how MAMLL had infl uenced the way they operate in their daily work.”

MAMLL alumni and staff celebrate 30 years

Alumni participating at the MAMLL event


9

Alumni give consulting hand to current studentsA number of Lancaster alumni have been contributing to the undergraduate Management and Consulting module this year, making podcasts on consulting topics and providing exciting opportunities for real consulting projects.

Justin Ablett (BSc Business Studies, 2001), Paul Peck (Masters in Physics, 2007) and Laura Thomas (BBA, 2009), all from IBM, have each provided podcasts on consulting topics and approaches.

The podcasts proved very popular with students, who often cited the alumni podcasts in essays.

Justin Ablett


Alumni interview

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What do you enjoy most about your work?

I enjoy meeting new people every day. I enjoy that it’s unpredictable and the fact that I can decide what I do each day. I really enjoy one to one coaching, delivering coaching and leadership programmes and seeing individuals’ perspectives change and their goals achieved, knowing that I had a small hand in that. I also enjoy the work I do for the Cherie Blair Foundation, mentoring women in developing countries, which is really satisfying.

I love that the only limits aremy imagination.

I suppose all of this boils down to knowing that I am making a positive difference to the livesof others.

What path has yourcareer taken?

At school I wanted to be a fashion designer. After studying for my A-Levels in Art and English

Literature more study wasn’t a luxury my family could afford, so I had to get a job. I worked in retail but realised that it wasn’t for me, unless I was perhaps styling the window display. I then took on admin roles and studied in the evening for a business degree.

It was at this point that I developed a real interest in marketing; it combined my creativity with my organisational skills. It was much later, when in a senior marketing role, that a colleague suggested that I train people to become marketers. At the time this didn’t appeal to me. My colleague said that she had recognised in me the skills of a coach: helping others come up with their own answers, helping them stay motivated, providing a thinking space. It often takes someone else to recognise our best and unique qualities.

You studied the MA Management Learning & Leadership whilst working full time – how did you overcome the challenges this posed?

The biggest challenge was time. Being a working mum and feeling guilty about not being at the playground gates to pick up my daughter from school, and studying at the weekends was hard at times. I love learning and my work, so I wanted to do what would make me happy. I decided that it was about quality rather than quantity, I chose to be really present when I was having family time and they appreciated it.

The MA made me question everything. It opened my eyes to the fact that there was so much more to learn and increased my confi dence in my facilitation style.

Rocking Your Role –LUMS alumna challenges one of the last taboosMA Management Learning & Leadership (2009) graduate Jenny Garrett is a successful coach and director of her own consultancy, Refl exion Associates Ltd. She is the author of a new book Rocking Your Role – a ‘how to’ guide to success for female breadwinners, who constitute an increasing proportion of main earners in today’s society (around one in fi ve women in the UK are the breadwinner).

In this interview, Jenny shares her own route to success and insights from her work which inspired the book.Jenny Garrett



11

What motivated you to write Rocking Your Role?

I read an article by Rebecca Meisenbach (2010) and realised that I was a female breadwinner and so were many of my coaching clients. I became curious as to why it seemed to be taboo and was only discussed in the confi dentiality of coaching sessions. I wanted to bring the subject out into the open so that women who are struggling can be supported and women who are successfully navigating their life as breadwinner can celebrate it.

What practical tips forsuccess can you share with Ambassador readers?

Value what you do. If you don’t others won’t – and that means promoting yourself and being willing to change.

Be comfortable in your skin and embrace your uniqueness. Don’t try and fi t in, be proud to stand out – you’ll be more memorable.

Don’t try and do it all, get help and support. You need to create mental and physical space to grow and develop, you can’t do that if you’re doing it all.

Look after yourself. You can’t perform at your best when running on empty – it’s a selfi sh act not to look after yourself, everyone around you will suffer if you don’t.

Keep learning. Never think that you know it all, there is always more.

What support can you recommend to female breadwinners, in addition to reading your book of course!

Seek out a coach or mentor.

Confi de in trusted friends, family, colleagues or a spiritual guide.

Join women’s groups that can support you or create your own.

Engage in an accredited self leadership programme designed especially for female breadwinners.

How do you see the status of the female breadwinner developing in the future?

Women now account for a greater proportion of graduates and this trend looks set to continue. More women are working than ever before, equating to almost 50% of the workforce, though unfortunately we don’t yet have a high enough volume of women at the top to infl uence things just yet. Women make up 16.7% of the boards on the FTSE 100. There is also a growing female entrepreneur movement, these women are designing the businesses of the future.

So there are signs that things are gathering momentum for change.

Ultimately the more the subject of female breadwinners is discussed out in the open the better, in order for families to shape how they want to make their corner of the world work, whether that be stay at home dads or mums, co-working couples or breadwinners without stigma.

Jeny Garrett and fellow students at the MAMLL Graduation, 2009

Jenny Garrett is the author of this new book


Alumni news

Professor Peter Checkland is guest of honour at systems colloquium

12

Over 80 Lancaster students, alumni and invited guests came together on 20th April to honour esteemed LUMS colleague Professor Peter Checkland and to celebrate the 30-year programme of action research which Peter has led at Lancaster.

That work, and the fi ve books which describe it, is internationally recognised as a major contribution to research in Management Science, having attracted many external honours. These include, among others, four Honorary Doctorates, the Beale Medal of the Operational Research Society, the Gold Medal of the UK Systems Society and the Pioneer Award of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE).

Welcoming guests to the event, Professor Sue Cox, LUMS Dean, applauded Professor Checkland’s

work and thanked him for the

impact he has had on LUMS and

the lives of those he has worked

with. Professor Cox summarised

the current position of LUMS as

a leading global business school

and recognised the invaluable

contributions to this success

made by our students, colleagues

and alumni.

The colloquium was chaired by

the Head of LUMS’ Management

Science Department, Professor

Mike Pidd, and included

contributions from seven

guest speakers as well as an

introduction and responses from

Professor Checkland.

From its origins in the 1960s, in the

early days of Lancaster University,

the programme of action research

led by Professor Checkland

grew to encompass over 300

projects and to generate the

approach known as Soft Systems

Attendees at the colloquium

Colloquium speakers


Methodology (SSM): a learning system for tackling the ‘wicked’ problems which managers face. SSM is now taught and used around the world.

The colloquium speakers each paid tribute to Professor Checkland and his work, and illustrated the value and sense of the SSM approach by sharing their own experiences of how it had impacted on their educational development and professional lives.

We were especially pleased to welcome to the event 42 Lancaster alumni, from graduation years 1971 through to 2010, many of whom had travelled long distances to attend. Alumni of the various Systems degrees from the 1970s and 1980s were particularly well represented.

Our thanks go to the following

guest speakers:

Mr Mike Haynes (MSc Information

Management, 1989), Professor

Jim Scholes (PhD Systems, 1987),

Dr Jaap Leemhuis, Mr John Poulter,

Ms Lois Willis, Professor John

Naughton and Professor Bob Galliers

(MA Systems in Management, 1978).


13

Professor Peter Checkland

Typing ‘Soft Systems Methodology’ into Google produces about 3 million hits, so we have every reason to suppose that SSM is in use all around the world.

A new SSM website and forum has been launched by LUMS’ Management Science Department. The new site provides a forum for practitioners to write about their own experience of using SSM to solve real-world problems. It also provides the opportunity to learn from others, to understand the benefi ts and to discuss problems that you’ve faced.

Alumni are invited tojoin the forum and useit to help build an onlineSSM community:wp.lancs.ac.uk/ssm

SSM and itsworldwide impact

A series of videos are available to view online, capturingthe presentations made atthe colloquium.

www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/media/mansci/checkland-colloquium


Alumni news

London is the location of the largest number of LUMS alumni, with over 1,500 graduates either living or working in the city.

A new group for alumni in London was launched earlier this year by a team of recent graduates – Ke Yang (MSc Finance, 2011), Natalia Gallo (MSc Money, Banking & Finance, 2010), Sanjana Chandrakant (MSc Project Management, 2011), Vasiliki Papou (MSc Accounting & Financial

Management, 2010) and Chris Wilson (BSc Accounting, Auditing and Finance, 2009) – with support from the Lancaster and LUMS Alumni teams.

The group aims to provide a forum for Lancaster alumni in London to connect, network and socialise as members support each other through shared experiences of living and working in London. As well as a number of informal social

events, the group is focused on a series of careers support and networking events which will be coordinated with LUMS’ Careers Connect speaker events.

If you are interested in connecting with other Lancaster alumni in London visit the group’s facebook page: facebook.com/groups/LancasterUniversityAlumniLondon

LUMS’ Postgraduate Careers Adviser, Ajaz Hussain and International Programmes Director, Dr Radka Newton travelled to China in March to visit and build relationships with key employers. The aim

was to learn more about the China graduate labour market and to therefore enhance the career development services offered by LUMS for students and alumni interested in launching a career in China.

Over the past few years the number of Chinese students at LUMS has nearly trebled and LUMS’ Careers team have recognised the need to globalise their provision and develop bespoke careers intelligence. The visit provided a platform for acquiring knowledge of the trends in the China labour market and identifying opportunities for our graduates to access jobs in a variety of sectors.

A key element of the visit was a series of meetings with Lancaster alumni who have achieved very successful careers and who have been very positive in assisting new graduates with their career aspirations. The visit was concluded with a reunion event in Guangzhou, attended by over 100 alumni and current students of The Lancaster MBA.

Building employer partnerships in China

14

Lancaster University Alumni@London

Ajaz Hussain and Radka Newton (3rd and 4th from left) with alumni in Beijing



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It may be a career success story, the announcement of a new book publication, professional appointment or outstanding achievement award – shareyour news with fellow members of LUMS’ alumni community through our website, LinkedIn group and quarterly e-newsletters.

Visit www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/news/alumni for recent stories and email your news [email protected]

Your news

Lancaster alumni events range from informal get-togethers and class reunions to guest speaker lectures and careers information and networking sessions. We run events around the world and offer support to alumni wishing to arrange their own reunions and events.

To view details of forthcoming events, visit our webpages at www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/events/alumni

Invitations to alumni events are emailed on the basis of location and occupation/ profession where applicable. Make sure that your details are updated to receive invitations relevant to you! You can do this via the alumni website www.lancs.ac.uk/alumni

Photos from recent alumni events can be viewed on our new fl ickr site: www.fl ickr.com/photos/lums-caer/sets

LUMS graduates are offered free access to the alumni edition of the EBSCO database Business Source®; which includes publications in nearly every area of business and full text sources ranging from general periodicals to trade publications and top management journals.

For access details, email [email protected]

Access business information online...for free!

Alumni events

1. Michael Chin, BA Accounting & Finance, 19802. Linda Hewitt, MA Hospice Leadership, 20103. Ronke Lawal, BSc International Business, 20024. Dr Nigel Peyton, PhD Management Learning and Leadership, 2009

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Careers, Alumni & Employer Relations

Natalie Redfern, Employability, Careers & Events Administrator

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Louise Briggs, Head of Careers, Alumni & Employer Relations

Last summer saw the exciting development of merging LUMS’ Careers and Alumni teams and relocating them to new offi ces more easily accessible by students.

The newly named Careers, Alumni

& Employer Relations (CAER) team

is already realising the benefi ts

of closer collaboration. This has

included the establishment of the

Lancaster University Alumni@

London group, hosting career

progression events for alumni

and more alumni interaction

with current students, our new Career Contacts scheme and visits to a range of employers in China and Thailand made possible by alumni introductions.

We value the input of all our alumni and have been delighted with the positive response to our new initiatives.

The team are confi dent that through working together we will continue to grow the service we offer to our students and alumni. We look forward to meeting you at one of our forthcoming events.

Maggie Willan, Alumni & Development Manager

Libby Packham, Alumni Offi cer

Lisa Gerraty, Alumni Co-ordinator

Ajaz Hussain,Postgraduate Careers Adviser

Rory Daly, Placement, Internship & Projects Offi cer

Meet the team

E: [email protected] T: +44 (0) 1524 510749


LUMS Career Contacts

Why help in this way?Insights gained from an approachable contact within an organisation can make a real difference to our students when it comes to getting work experience, exploring their career choices or making the best impression at interviews.

It is also an opportunity for you to engage with fresh talent and with your Management School.

What does it involve?As a Career Contact you will be forwarded queries from LUMS students related to your job and the organisation you work for: from the application process to company culture and the responsibilities of your particular role.

Student queries will be emailed to appropriate alumni by LUMS’ Careers, Alumni & Employer Relations team. We ask that you respond to a student query when you feel able to help by sharing your experiences and offering advice.

How do I become a Career Contact?Register by completing the Career Contacts form, providing your current work and contact details: tinyurl.com/CareerContacts

Any questions?Email us at [email protected]

For other ways to get involved see our website lums.lancs.ac.uk/alumni/helplums

Speaking to an alumnus, who has either been on placement with the company that you are applying to or is currently working there, can be a brilliant advantage. I feel it played a fundamental role in helping me to secure my placement at Rolls-Royce.

Theo Lorentzos, BA Business Economics Industrial Placement Student, Rolls-Royce

It’s always a pleasure talking to Lancaster students. Not only is it good for Rolls-Royce in helping us to secure the best graduate talent but having helped three Lancaster students obtain places on the internship and graduate programmes it’s nice to know that I’ve contributed towards them achieving their goal.

Chris Houston, BBA Management, 2010 Regional Purchasing Manager, Rolls-Royce

Did you know that you can make a real difference to LUMS students’ career prospects by answering an email query about your work? Join our new Career Contacts network and provide invaluable advice about your professional role, the recruitment process you went through and the organisation you work for.


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Ambassador

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