University of Oxford – 800 years of training leaders! by Dr Jimoh Ibrahim on Jun 17, 2014 | 3 comments Posted under: Back Page Comments, columnists, News The 2014 class of the Oxford Advance Management and Leadership programme of the Said Business School of the University of Oxford will be well remembered for its academic excellence and development of man’s dignity in both areas of leadership and business management in line with Oxford University’s tradition of first class intellectual capacity building and enduring leadership. In the last 800 years, it is on record that the University of Oxford has contributed to the development of leaders across the world. The University has produced a very intimidating list of leaders in all sectors of society; from government, community building, business, economy, military, religion, law and justice, medicine to farming and academia. Oxford remains a legend, an inimitable example of a sustainable institution. Leadership is practical! As we took the first dinner at the start of work on Sunday, June 8, for the 2014 class, thirty five student leaders took their food one after the other. It was interesting to note that not only did our teacher take the last seat, he also took his food last. What a great lesson. Before now, I thought that the teacher takes his food first and the student takes what is left. They work as a team here at the Said Business School and unless you ask very well, it will be very difficult to know who is in charge. The team leader introduced his colleagues, without anyone introducing him. He never bothered about himself, just a word or two is sufficient and he is done. How will it look like or work in Nigeria, if a Governor is not introduced in a function or even his wife? What will happen to the Chief Protocol Officer the second day? If a President is asked to introduce his cabinet at a function, is it a breach of protocol? Will the President ever be allowed by the security and the protocol department to introduce himself and those that accompany him? For instance, the last time President Jonathan attempted to greet his brother in his home town, he almost ran into trouble. And the brother who wanted to greet the President got his arm broken for his efforts. Is this part of civilian protocol? The team here is led by Professor Lalit Johri, a graduate of physics with academic breakthrough in emerging markets. He consults with leading businesses and government. He is an advisor to the Royal Thai Government Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives. Johri’s research focused on policy reforms and adopting strategy for enhancing competiveness of the end-to-end-agro-industry value chain. Professor Johri is assisted here by the world’s best brains, who have made significant impact to business and mankind development in no equal measure. They include, for instance, Thomas Powell, Professor of Strategy and a Fellow at St. Hugh’s College. He teaches executive strategy thinking, corporate strategy and competitive advantage. This year’s class is blessed to have one of the very few Professors of Organisational Behaviour, Professor Sue Dopson, and Dean of Green Templeton College. Oxford is not new to Sue as she obtained her BSc, MSc and PhD from Oxford University. She is a great Coach to all of us. Professor Tim Morris, a Professor of Management Science at Oxford University will also be with us to impart on us the new developments in the area of growing and increasing activities of professional service firms. It is interesting to note that they will be assisted by Fellows, who apart from the day to day academic discoveries also have very practical experience of what we are talking about. They include Hugh Crisp, a solicitor of England and Wales, who also holds a Master’s degree in Jurisprudence; Jeremy Palmer a first class degree graduate with 25 years’ experience in financial markets, having worked in JP Morgan, UBS, with his last position as the CEO, UBS Investment Banking Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Karen Glossop, a graduate of Classics of the University of Cambridge. Karen is a copy editor and writer for the Virgin Encyclopaedia of Popular Music. Others are Paul Murray, Sue Henry and Kate Bowes Renna. Leadership is a journey and not a destination. While management principles keep changing, the closer you get, the more it looks farther away. When we think that we have moved to a stage in our management science where we can celebrate top positions or where there is the feeling of self-esteem or actualisation, particularly having served for such a long time, we have only started the voyage. Again, we are told that management is not about bossing but leadership. We do know that building leadership requires enduring commitment and it does appear that the more we put into it, the more it dawns on us that we are less important to the people that we serve. The 2014 class will be long remembered for quality and priceless contributions to knowledge. The class this year is of global representation. Of course the least you can expect is that the admission was very competitive as is usual and characteristic of the University of Oxford. The Advanced Management and Leadership Programme of the Said Business School is a roll call of upcoming and established world leaders in business science and management. The engaging zone to me is coming soon as they take up their leadership position in public and corporate governance and the global economy, like their colleagues in the previous years. Only recently, an alumnus of the School, Dr. Mohd Yakub, made a first world record of keeping hearts beating as he implants a revolutionary medical device. Dr. Yakub conducted the first human implant of a devise designed to treat leaking of the heart’s mitral valve, a condition previously treated only through open heart surgery. The 2014 class is full of inspiring leaders. They include these emerging leaders from different countries: AUSTRIA – Josef Bruckschloeql is a young leader in the making. He is the Chief Executive Officer of a telecommunications company in Austria called KWAK Telecom Ltd. He is very energetic and exerting. With Josef, there is hardly a dull moment. From TURKEY is the strategic planner, Murat Barias of Koton Magazacik Tekstil San. ve TiC. A.S. He brought a lot of strategic thinking to the class. There is also an oil and gas representative, Gul Erol who works at Enerjisa Enerji Hizmetleri AS. She is very proud of the job and her working in a conglomerate is of great advantage to us in the understanding of advanced decision-making science. There is also the retail expert, Alp Ozpamukcu who is CEO of Koctas Yapi Marketleri Tic AS. BOSNIA is represented by an astute banker, Amer Bukvic, the Chief Executive Officer of Bosnia Bank International (BBI). GHANA has three nationals in the class. There is a female banking leader in the person of Ophelia Attobrah, an executive director of business development with Energy Bank. There is also the upcoming financial leader in the Oil and Gas sector, Theophilus Djan of Palmers Green International. He has the advantage of youth and has gained vital insight through meeting very experienced leaders. He combines knowledge with the great morals of Ghana. The youthful Evelyn Obeng, a General Manager at Polymers Ltd is perhaps the youngest in this year’s class. Her high display of sound moral ethics is incredible. AUSTRALIA has a growing trusted leader, Michael Casey, Private Secretary to Cardinal Pell of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. His discussion reflects greatly the ethics of Sydney. His work ethics and way of life reminds me of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is also an emerging leader in the public sector, David Spouse who is First Assistant Secretary, Financial Services of the Department of Defence. BRITAN is represented by one of the industry leaders in pharmaceuticals. Neil Chandler is currently vice president of Commercial Excellence. His experience of corporate management is key to fundamental discussions in corporate science. There is also Joe Lister of the famous Unite Group of Britain. Other British representatives are Stephen Gould, Managing Director of Everards Brewery Limited and the upcoming academic leader, Brian Hunt, Assistant Dean (QA), College of Management, Mahidol University. Stephen has very rich experience that helps in the understanding or managing of trusted institutions and his knowledge and experience of management of organisations in a recession is invaluable. From the United States of America comes the financial leader, JR Klein, President/CEO of Finance Fund and an oil producing expert. Klein’s occasional contribution to class debates sets the class thinking. So also does the management consultant, Mahesh Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of Vulcan Management. CANADA has the emerging leader, Doris Kuok, Global Management Partner of Mcann Worldgroup and Ian Robertson who is Vice President and a portfolio manager and financial adviser with Odlum Brown Limited. CHINA’s Danny Lau of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office and Chaucer Leung, an Assistant Director from the Office of the Communications Authority make up the Chinese complement. INDIA is represented by an emerging leader in supply and chain distribution, Biju George Mathew a General Manager with Enhance. Biju’s leadership in our team work here is very significant. There is also Manish Puri, who is in charge of one of the country’s tourism and hospitality companies called Six Senses Resorts and Spas and Shrinath Rao, the Head, International Infrastructure (Middle East) of Larsen and Toubro Engineering Construction. The owner, manager and founder of many businesses Manjeet Bilochpura also comes from India. He has a military background His story of the journey so far is very inspirational with lot of spiritual advice. He has been a delight to everyone here as he has many stories to tell about his exciting life. He is greatly worried about his children’s criticisms of his actions and often calls for help. He will need more help to come out of such criticism as the daughter joins Oxford in the next month. From SWITZERLAND is Oliver Oexl the head of legal and compliance of Schroder and Co Bank AG. SINGAPORE is represented by a medical leader, Yung Seng Lee from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of Singapore. FIJI is represented by Neil Underhill who is Managing Partner Neil Underhill and Associates, a professional services provider. NIGERIA has Queenette Okehie, an astute banker, investment analyst and emerging industry leader, who is the managing director of Energy Investment Limited, Ghana. The upcoming banking leader and widely travelled Ehizojie Ohiowele, Head, Communication and Infrastructure of Eco Bank International is also in the class. He has brought meaningful contribution to class, particularly in respect of issues of breach of trust. NIGERIA is also represented by the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive of the conglomerate, Energy Group, Jimoh Ibrahim. His experience of a substantial owner-managed business is generating interest in the 2014 class, particularly the early discussion on democratic management decision. So also are his views on the management of personal goal, especially when it conflicts with corporate goal, which generated some level of discussion in the class on the first day. His Harvard case study experience is of interest in discussions on corporate diversity. FRANCE has an emerging leader in the person of the Regional Director of LAC INGO, Francoise Chacin. MALAYSIA is represented by the family owner and manager of a service provider in the oil and gas industry, Fuzz Sufian. Fuzz told the very interesting story of an exciting family visit to Spain. THE NETHERLANDS is represented by Erik Gelderloos who is an oil and gas expert and human resources director in Linde Gas Region South West Europe and Northern Africa. He brings very rich experience in the area of diversity of human resources management to the class. Lalit Johri has set issues for the Great Debate on June 23, and the class is preparing to discuss a lot of the issues. Not only are those issues of great importance, a winning prize is attached with a formal award presentation. It appears from the first day of studies that every student is interested in winning. The Great Debate for this year would be like the previous years. It includes, for instance, the debate for or against the topic: ‘This house would put shareholder sovereignty before serving public interest’ and ‘This house believes that the socially responsible corporation is a myth.’ Everyone is looking forward to the great debate and coming out with definite rules of engagement. Members of the 2014 Class of the Oxford Advanced Management and Leadership Course have promised to keep in touch, monitor our progress, add value to this great institution that produced us, reflect on the dignity of man, return to Oxford with great news, and make Lalit Johri and his Faculty proud and happy as we demonstrate commitment to the rebuilding of the failed trust. nationalmirroronline.net/new/university-of-oxford-800-years-of-training-leaders/
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 12:23:10 +0000
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