Chandran Sankaran, Founder and CEO of Zyme Solutions, told MBA students that entrepreneurship is about creating self-sustaining businesses and entities. It's about changing the status quo. In his lecture he asked if the core skills underpinning entrepreneurship were learnable and if risk-taking is a birth gift or can it be cultivated.

Entrepreneurship is crafted

Dr Allègre Hadida, University Lecturer in Strategy at Cambridge Judge, talks about the Entertainment Masterclass to be held in Cambridge in January 2014 and what business schools can learn from the entertainment industry.

An interview with Conrad Chua, Head of Marketing and Admissions for the Cambridge MBA.

What can the entertainment industry and business schools learn from each other?

According to Urs Rohner, Chairman of the Credit Suisse Group, problem-solving is the day job in leadership. Although designing the right strategy is an essential element, the execution side of leadership is about solving problems which will arise in every field, at every level and juncture.

He listed six key principles for his Cambridge Leadership Series audience of MBAs. Problem-solving was joined by good communication; listening to opinions; acting quickly if change is necessary; refusing to tolerate disloyalty but reacting to bona fide criticism; and finally, inherently liking people.

Urs Rohner, Credit Suisse Group: Leadership is about solving problems

Neil Stott, Chief Executive of the Keystone Development Trust, talks about the challenges of retaining social and financial returns on investment in wealth creation projects within the community. The Trust was named by the Cabinet Office (March 2014) as one of a number of partners awarded a grant of £900k to support social ventures in the East of England and aims to create a new generation of social ventures and entrepreneurs.

There are approximately 70,000 social enterprises in the UK contributing £18.5 billion to the UK economy (based upon 2012 Small Business Survey, 2013) and employing almost a million people. So, it seems to be a strong sector but what are the driving forces for this growth? Neil talks about the opportunities and challenges facing social ventures and would-be social entrepreneurs.

Appointed as Senior Teaching Faculty in Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School (2014), Neil is also a mentor to students on the Cambridge Judge Business School Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship programme. The most difficult question for the students to answer has been "who are my customers?" and "what is the problem we're trying to solve with the business?". Social entrepreneurs need to understand that they're still operating a business - no matter how great the cause or their passion for the project.

The challenges for social enterprise

Documentary on the Hinkley Nuclear Contract (Part 1)

Documentary on the Hinkley Nuclear Contract (Part 2)

The Hinkley nuclear contract - interview with Tim Yeo

The Hinkley nuclear contract - interview with Tom Burke

The Hinkley nuclear contract - interview with Michael Pollitt

With Angus Johnston, Pippa Rogerson, Oke Odudu and David Howarth

The Hinkley nuclear contract - lawyers' roundtable

The Hinkley nuclear contract - David Howarth and Simon Deakin interview

This second episode looks at business information risks and responsibilities: the threats that arise from different types of information and how companies can prevent or handle them. A potential threat companies face arises from accounting information if this information is mis-represented, as has been the case in numerous accounting fraud cases such as the recent scandals around the German payment processor Wirecard, or the UK bakery chain Patisserie Valerie. Potential threats also arise from disinformation and, in particular, disinformation campaigns that target companies’ reputation or market position.

Episode presented by Dr Sarah Kroechert, Assistant Professor in Accounting at Cambridge Judge Business School.

With guest speaker Alan Jagolinzer, Professor of Financial Accounting at Cambridge Judge Business School, and Cambridge MBA students Kristen Chang, Eli Auerbach, Zach Marks and Calvin Liew.

Episode 2: Business information risks and responsibilities (The MBA Perspective on Accounting)

Richard Baker, one of the youngest chairmen in the FTSE 100 shared his experiences and the challenges he faced in turning round the fortunes of the Boots Group in four years as its CEO. 

Today, Chairman of Whitbread, DFS and Virgin Active, he also chairs the Global Advisory Council of Aimia Group - owners of Nectar Card and is Senior Operating Partner at the private equity firm, Advent International. 

In an interview for Cambridge Judge Business School’s website Richard  Baker said he does not believe that the roles of chairman and CEO can be merged.

“I think it’s generally a bad idea for a chief executive to become the chairman. I think there should be two separate jobs because there are two separate jobs to be done. When a chief executive becomes a chairman they will not allow things to be changed because anything that changes subsequently is by definition is a criticism of what they did previously so it is much better to have an independent chairman and a completely separate chief executive. I think that’s a well-proven model.”

Lessons in leadership

According to Peter Harris, co-founder of Hotel Chocolat, even after 25 years his company is probably just beginning its journey. From its birth as a mint marketing operation it has matured into an award winning business with an annual turnover reaching £70m.

Operating 75 shops in the UK, it now employs over 1,000 people and has invested millions in a state-of-the-art chocolate factory in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. 

In an interview for Cambridge Judge Business School's website Peter Harris, formerly Finance Director and now focused on the chocolatier's growth and development at home and abroad, talked about the company's 'brand soul' of originality, authenticity and ethics. He also addressed the future.

"Hotel Chocolat has probably only just begun. It is successful in the UK but overseas I can see us growing successfully and becoming an international brand."

Listening to customers

In this podcast Raghavendra Rau, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Professor of Finance, Cambridge Judge Business School and Sriram Natarajan, Contributor discuss The Just Transition. 

The Green Finance programme is a comprehensive 3-day journey designed to demystify the complicated landscape of sustainable finance. It’s tailored for investment managers, corporate leaders, banking executives, and operational financial personnel who are keen on aligning green financial strategies with sustainability goals.

Learn more > https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/executive-education/finance/green-finance-strategies-for-sustainable-investment/

Green Finance: Strategies for Sustainable Investment - The Just Transition

As the battle for global music streaming between Spotify, Apple and YouTube hots up, we have an interview with Khalid Bajwa, one of the founders of Patari. Patari aims to be the Spotify of Pakistani music, but is this possible in an age when even "radio" stations such as Apple's Beats1 try to reach global audiences?

An interview with Conrad Chua, Head of MBA Admissions & Marketing at Cambridge Judge Business School.

The Spotify of Pakistan - re-energising local music

In this two-part podcast series, Professor Simon Deakin and Dr Boya Wang first debate the recent stock market crash in China, and in part two, they look in more depth at the historical development of China's business economy, the strength of the rule of law in China today, and how its institutions, business leaders, judiciary and regions interpret those rulings. 

Recent stock market turmoil in China

Julian Metherell recently presented to the Cambridge MBA class as part of the Leadership in Action speaker series.

Metherell's high profile career spans roles including Chief Financial Officer, Genel Energy and Partner at Goldman Sachs and CEO of their UK investment banking division.

Here, current Cambridge MBAs Cassiano Gomes Peres and Bevan Alvarez interview Metherell on leadership and why individuals should be accountable to prevent crisis.

Leadership in Conversation: Julian Metherell

Dr Ramesh Mashelkar (produced by Boni Sones OBE)
Dr Ramesh Mashelkar is helping to lead the 'inclusive technology' revolution in India, with 28 honorary doctorates to his name, he told the Centre for India & Global Business how science was a changing landscape.

Cambridge Judge Business School

Where there's a will there's a way

It was billed as the Cambridge Chapter launch of '85 Broads', a global network of trailblazing, visionary women who aspire to use their talent and leadership savvy to affect change for all women globally. The speakers at the day-long conference offered advice on how to overcome adversity, how to make the recession an advantage, why it's good not to fear failure and how to find the resources to keep digging deep. It clearly 'inspired', 'connected' and 'transformed' the many women who attended it.

Women in leadership: clarion call to action for women (part 2)  (85 Broads Launch)

Janet Hanson, Founder of 85 Broads and Milestone Capital and former Goldman Sachs partner

Mentors, Janet says, have played an important role in her success, and most of those colleagues have been men!

Never stop learning

Lena Henry, Associate Principal, McKinsey & Company

As a recruiter for McKinsey at a European level, Lena offers positive advice to those concerned about entering the current job market. "You're lucky. You're challenged to think about what you really want," she says.

See the glass half full

Christina Dodwell, Author, Explorer and Founder of the Dodwell Trust

So what is it that makes exploring so essential to the development of your personality? Christina says it is all down to overcoming fear, adversity and failure.

Challenge on the wild side

Professor Alain Verbeke, Haskayne School of Business, and Professor Peter Buckley, Director of CIBUL

Not everything you read in management thinking is true in fact guru advice needs an overhaul says Professor Alain Verbeke in his new book, and Professor Peter Buckley agrees it's time to rethink.

Not all you read is true

Professor Franklin Allen, Nippon Life Professor of Finance & Economics, The Wharton School

Franklin Allen, Nippon Life Professor of Finance and Economics at The Wharton School, says economics has to move away from asset-led bubbles and create more prudent egalitarian systems for sharing wealth.

Why "Too big to fail" is wrong!

Ken Warwick, Director of Analysis at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, believes the prospects are good as long as we rebalance the economy.

Is the UK economy on the road to recovery?

Change is on the cards as government moves towards a more open society and hands power digitally to the people, says Lord Wilson of Dinton.

Power to the people

Michelle Tuveson, Executive Director, Centre for Risk Studies

Michelle Tuveson says decision-making in risk management relies on cultural perceptions of how we perceive those 'threats'. However she warns that risk must not be observed from a parochial point of view; it must be seen from a global view point.

The bigger picture

Professor Ed Bullmore, Cambridge Department of Psychiatry, and Director of the Behavioural & Clinical Neuroscience Institute

Professor Ed Bullmore says there exist useful analogies between the world of neuroscience and the world of business and risk. You can build a better business model through understanding the brain, he argues.

The brain as a business model

Cristiana Pearson, WPP's Millward Brown Optimor, and Mr Eduardo Tomiya, Managing Director of BrandAnalytics

Cristiana Pearson and Eduardo Tomiya give their verdict on the growth of Brazil and its climb up the world's rankings.

Brazil's blue skies

Professor Noreena Hertz, Fellow, Cambridge Judge Business School

Professor Noreena Hertz says Brazil's growth could be a 'bubble' fuelled by favourable commodity prices, but China, India and Brazil are three 'good bets' for the near term. However, China's growing domestic markets will give it the lead. Meanwhile, the decoupling of Russia's future success from rising commodity prices will make Russia's trajectory unclear.

China rising

Dr Gabriel Palma, University Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge

Dr Gabriel Palma says Brazil will grow at a steady rate of three to four per cent a year, comparing well with Europe, Japan and the US, but not rivalling the double digit growth of India or China.

Steady as she goes

Nic Marks, Founder, The Centre for Well-Being

High and low scoring countries on the 'Well-Being' index tell us much about our own lifestyles and what makes us happy says Nic Marks, Founder of the Centre for Well-Being. Costa Rica does well.

Our disconnected lives

Stephen King, Group Chief Economist at HSBC, and Michael Calvey, Managing Partner at Baring Vostock Capital Partners discuss the race to the top for those BRIC economies, scarce resources and why Russia's 'bottom up' story is so strong.

Transforming economies

What is effective leadership in business and politics, and how can leadership be inclusive rather than divisive?

In this episode, joining podcast host Michael Kitson, University Senior Lecturer in International Macroeconomics at Cambridge Judge Business School, are Simon Learmount, Lecturer in Corporate Governance at Cambridge Judge, and Thomas Roulet, University Senior Lecturer in Organisation Theory & Information Systems.

This is the 14th in a series of "Cambridge Judge Business Debate" podcasts featuring faculty and others associated with Cambridge Judge Business School and the broader Cambridge community.

This latest podcast focuses on leadership – what it is, can it be taught, and how to be a leader for everyone without carving divisions.

Leadership

In this episode, joining podcast host Michael Kitson, University Senior Lecturer in International Macroeconomics at Cambridge Judge Business School, are Cambridge Judge colleagues Philip Stiles, University Senior Lecturer in Corporate Governance; Mark de Rond, Professor of Organisational Ethnography; and Simon Stockley, Senior Faculty in Management Practice.

This is the 16th in a series of "Cambridge Judge Business Debate" podcasts featuring faculty and others associated with Cambridge Judge Business School and the broader Cambridge community.

This latest podcast focuses on office politics – the good and the bad – and ways to make office politics contribute to organisational performance rather than cause disruption.

Office politics

They were once the global leaders in consumer electronics but over the past few years, top Japanese manufacturers have posted record losses. Cambridge MBA Masato Omori discusses whether there is any hope for Japanese manufacturing.

An interview with Conrad Chua, Head of Marketing and Admissions for the Cambridge MBA.

Cambridge MBA Masato Omori discusses whether there is any hope for Japanese manufacturing

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can significantly increase national competitiveness and there is even greater benefit for those countries with a low innovation record, research by Dr Christos Pitelis and Dr Ioanna Boulouta has shown.

Countries with low records of creativity, when compared with high innovators, stand to benefit more by implementing nationwide CSR-based positioning strategies.

CSR boosts national competitiveness

A great business school at the heart of the University of Cambridge, advancing knowledge and leadership through people who leave a mark on the world.

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