Alumni Matters: Recent Episodes
Cranfield Alumni
The Cranfield University alumni podcast channel, Alumni Matters, covers a wide range of topics from Cranfield conferences, prominent alumni and our world-class faculty.
In this episode of Aviation alumni portraits, Maxime Debry interviews fellow Cranfield alumnus Nigel Leishman (MSc Air Transport 1992). Nigel is Executive Vice President & Global Head of Marketing based at LCI’s Singapore representative office, Singapore Commercial Leasing, where he is responsible for developing commercial opportunities in the Asia Pacific region. He joined LCI in April 2008 from aircraft leasing company AWAS where he was Vice President Sales based in Singapore. During his seven years with AWAS he concluded many transactions throughout Asia including China. Prior to joining AWAS, he was Customer Marketing Director for Airbus for six years, based in Toulouse and latterly Sydney. In this role he was instrumental in several new aircraft deals in Europe and Asia-Pacific region.
In the interview, Nigel discusses his career path, his Cranfield experience, the aviation industry's ability to rebounce from crises and difficulties.
In this episode of Aviation alumni portraits, Cranfield alumnus Maxime Debry interviews Arif Ghouse (MSc Air Transport 1990), Airport Director and Seattle Paine Field. Arif shares insights into his own career path – including how he discovered his passion for airport management and what he learned from time spent working in the maritime industry. He also discusses the value of mentoring, the importance of being able to learn from your mistakes and offers his advice to those starting a career in the industry in the midst of the current Covid-19 crisis.
Don’t forget to check out previous episodes in the series for insights from other Cranfield alumni working in a variety of roles across the aviation industry.
In this episode of Aviation alumni portraits, Maxime Debry interviews fellow Cranfield alumna Marie-Pierre Dhers (MSc Air Transport 1990). Marie is CEO and Founder of MP&Partnairs – providing strategic and financial services to entrepreneurs and investors across industries including transportation and technology. Prior to this, she has held several senior executive positions at Air France KLM and has been a member of the advisory board at a US investment banking firm. She is also a strong supporter for women working in the STEM and finance industries and is a member of the International Aviation Women Association.
In the interview she discusses her career path and experiences of dealing with crises; the differences between European and US markets; innovations in electrification, urban air mobility and cross-industry collaboration; and shares her advice to women in the industry.
Cranfield aviation alumnus Maxime Debry interviews Liz Savage (MSc Air Transport 1995). Liz is a Company Director in the travel and tourism industry, currently holding Non-Executive Director roles at organisations including Intrepid Travel, Auckland Airport and North Queensland Airports. In this episode, Liz shares insights into her career experiences - including taking up a role at EasyJet when it was a start-up - and discusses the role of mentors and women in aviation.
Cranfield aviation alumnus Maxime Debry interviews Jochen Schnadt (MSc Air Transport Management 2002), Senior Aviation Executive, discussing his career path, what led him to study for his MSc at Cranfield and providing insights into the aviation industry.
Jenny Robinson interviews Charan Sekhon, Founder and Chair at SEVA Trust UK and local councillor, about his experiences of leadership and the work his charity has done to support Cranfield University students and the local Cranfield community during the Covid-19 crisis.
Cranfield aviation alumni Maxime Debry and Tom Chatfield (Executive MSc Air Transport Management 2004), CEO at Camber Aviation Management, discuss Tom's career path, what makes him passionate about private aviation, the impact of Covid-19 on demand for corporate aviation and future innovations in the sector.
Phil Renshaw interviews Jennifer Cassar about her experiences of leadership in her role as Program Manager at the Canadian Department of National Defence and being a female leader in a male dominated environment.
Aviation alumni Maxime Debry and Nadeem Sultan (MSc Air Transport Management 2002), CEO of Cargo LogicAir UK discuss Nadeem's career path and the impact of Covid-19 on the air cargo industry.
Jenny Robinson talks to Sandra Krisberga about how she uses her leadership skills to build and strengthen client relationships.
Phil Renshaw interviews Gabriel Marty on his experience in dealing with different cultures and nationalities while drawing on his experience as an energy and climate change analyst and working on the Paris Climate Agreement negotiations.
Jenny Robinson interviews Jose Dhooma about his management and leadership style and his experience at complex events, such as the Rio Olympics, when dealing with different cultures and understandings.
Aviation alumni Maxime Debry and Julian Carr (MSc Air Transport Management 2002), Aviation Director, Manchester Airport, discuss Julian's career including his career decisions and ambitions. Julian also shares his advice for people interested in a career in aviation and the impact the coronavirus has had on Manchester Airport.
Phil Renshaw interviews Kim Lafferty about her leadership experience and the difference between leadership and coaching.
Jenny Robinson interviews Daphne de Jong about what it is like to be a woman and a leader in a tech industry and what she learned about leadership and people from summiting Mount Everest.
Dr Phil Renshaw interviews Dr Sarah Qureshi about how being an entrepreneur affects how you lead, manage and develop your own team, and creating adaptability in the team.
Phil Renshaw interviews Etienne Borg Cardona about his career, how his leadership style has changed due to his time at Cranfield, and his devotion to building trust and accountability to achieve success with his teams.
Kassia Gardner interviews Mahendra Patel on his career, leading organisations and how the Indian philosophy has influenced his leadership style.
Phil Renshaw interviews Mark Hagar about his unusual business and the importance of listening carefully.
Jenny Robinson interviews Sudi Bolourian about her career, knowing how to talk to different people and relate to them, and how believing in yourself and having confidence is so important.
Andy Maguire is HSBC’s Group Chief Operating Officer leading operations, technology and corporate services for the bank. Andy also leads HSBC’s chief operating officers who are responsible for the effectiveness and efficiency of the bank’s operations. In this session, Andy answered questions from conference attendees on the subject of inclusive talent management.
Learning about what works in sustaining proportional representation of women on boards opens conversations about other types of diversity in leadership positions. Last year, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the British Academy of Management produced Delivering Diversity, focusing on BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) representation in the management pipeline, urging business to ‘break the silence’ about ethnicity at work. The Parker Review published its final recommendations in 2017, urging FTSE 100 boards to ‘go beyond one by 2021’ with regards to BAME directors. Dr Adedoyin Atewologun (PhD in the School of Management 2011, MRes Management Research 2008), Monica Chadha (Residential Executive Development Programme 2013), Vice Chair of Queen Mary University of London’s governing body, Ann Francke, CEO of the CMI, and David Tyler, Chair, J Sainsbury Plc and CO-Chair of the Parker Committee discussed if we have sufficiently broken the silence on ethnicity and colour in UK boards and how have Chairs, directors and search firms responded to this?
The hype surrounding the younger generation – or Millennials – is almost overwhelming, with countless reports detailing their characteristics, preferences, and most notably, their differences to previous generations. This session discussed the rhetoric surrounding the younger generation and considered how employers might create a workplace that is attractive and motivating to this group. Professor Emma Parry considered the actual evidence for how, if at all, younger workers differ from older cohorts in the workplace and asked: is generational cohort a valid way to segment the workforce? Then, Alex Goat and Hannah Owens discussed the importance of organisational purpose, diversity and inclusion and how to ready your organisation to reap the rewards of a new generation of change agents.
An ever-increasing skills gap and the need to retain experienced staff means that employers need to take action to support employees with disabilities and working carers. If they don't, then the employees’ physical and mental health can decline, and the pressure to reduce their hours, and quit their jobs increases.
There is a wealth of talent in our organisations waiting to be unlocked with the right support from their employer. In this session Professor David Grayson CBE, Alice Maynard CBE (DBA 2007), Director, Future Inclusion, Geoff McDonald, Former Global VP HR Unilever, International Advocate, Campaigner and Consultant for Mental Health in the Workplace and Co-Founder of Minds@Work, and Madeleine Starr MBE,Director of Business Development and Innovation, Carers UK discussed the benefits for employers in supporting employees with disabilities, mental ill-health and working carers; and how a positive impact can be made by organisations immediately.
There are many ambitious, talented women who do not need ‘fixing’ but who do need organisational change and support in order to realise their contribution and potential. This means that all managers in the organisation - the men and the women - need to be on board with the talent agenda. We need men as allies to change leadership stereotypes, make better conscious decisions in the employment life cycle, and to call out micro-inequities and cultural inequalities. However, to make these come alive we need to find out how senior leaders, who really do want to champion inclusive talent management, actually do these in practice.
Based in the brewing industry, outsiders might think Adnams is not the most obvious company to look for excellence in identifying, developing and promoting female talent to the most senior levels. Yet Adnams have a track record of doing exactly this. Andy Wood (DBA 2007), Chief Executive, Adnams Plc, and Professor Kim Turnbull James explore how Adnams has changed the face of their company.
In this session, Professor Susan Vinnicombe CBE reviewed the progress made by women onto FTSE boards over the past 20 years, marking the time that Cranfield has been involved in this research project. The major issue is the lack of women in the executive pipeline. Cranfield has been working in partnership with the executive of HSBC HOST to address this issue over the past two years. Professor Kim Turnbull James discusses this challenging and innovative project and how it has really underlined the critical importance of embedding women’s leadership programmes in the organisation.