Aston means business

A former Aston University student is running a charity that is successfully ‘talent scouting’ homeless people to get them off the streets and into work. Christy Acton used lessons learned from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme at Aston University to set up Standing Tall. This charity provides employment opportunities to homeless people trying to turn their lives around. Mr Acton,...

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) needs to become “the norm” in organisations to escape “disappointing” government criticism that it is a waste of time. That’s the guidance coming from the latest episode of ‘Aston means business’, a podcast from Aston University presented by journalist Steve Dyson. Prof Shivani Sharma, the new deputy dean of people, culture and inclusion at the university’s...

A former RAF pilot and combat base commander is helping to provide a new generation of supply chain professionals for some of the world’s biggest companies. Richard Atkinson said his military background was very “relevant” to his current role as deputy director of the Supply Chain Leadership programme at Aston University. The former air commodore, who once flew Tornado and Phantom fighter jets and...

A graduate of Aston University’s Executive MBA has explained how the programme helped his journey from selling Pokemon trading cards at primary school to a rising career with a luxury car-maker. Jack Miller, a manager at Warwickshire-based Aston Martin, who also combined an apprenticeship degree as part of his MBA, has already enjoyed one promotion while still on the programme, with another rise u...

Francis Mulleady, a Senior Teaching Fellow in Digital Marketing at Aston University, explains how companies need to embrace social media like LinkedIn and TikTok to drive their businesses forward. The programme director of the university’s MSc Strategic Digital Marketing also explains how his course will produce future leaders in digital marketing.

Frances Glover is co-owner of A Natural Undertaking, a Birmingham firm of funeral directors that recently benefitted from Aston University's 12-week Green Advantage course. Frances explains how electric hearses, cardboard coffins and a new process of 'cremation by water' are all part of a growing move towards environmentally friendly funerals. She says the Aston University course is ‘invaluable’ t...

Jocelyne Fleming, the course director of Aston Business School's MSc in Entrepreneurship, recalls how one student created recyclable bamboo toothbrushes for hotels in a business created as part of his degree. She also explains how Aston University recently won Entrepreneurial University of the Year for its commitment to entrepreneurial activity, and advised that would-be students needed passion an...

Yasmin Ansari, Aston Business School's MBA careers consultant, explains how students benefit from a module called Aston Edge, focusing on career skills and behaviour science. She said MBA students are fully engaged, with “super ambitious and super driven” career aspirations, and that their courses focus on real-life applications and case-based learning.

Dr Jude Preston, a lecturer in the Work and Organisation Department at Aston Business School, explains how the Aston Global Advantage module gives its Masters students a unique head start in landing their dream jobs.

Dr Simon McCabe, a senior lecturer in behavioural science at Aston Business School, discusses how the Healthy Work Research Unit is developing insights and recommendations to industry and the public sector on how to create healthier workplaces.

An automotive firm has experienced a boost in productivity without having to increase staff or buy new machines, thanks to a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Aston Business School. Iain Collis, managing director at Metal Assemblies, and Professor Ben Clegg, of Aston Business School, explain how the project has succeeded.

Tomorrow’s boardroom superstars are emerging from executive leadership apprenticeships at Aston Business School. Discover more about the Masters-level programme from Terry Hodgetts, director of Corporate Client Solutions, and Dr Lloyd Parsons, director of the MBA and Chartered Management Institute programmes.

Sports marketing expert Michael Inpong, a new teaching fellow at Aston Business School, argues that while many huge sports events like the World Cup are sponsored, this form of marketing is ‘very weak’. He says future marketeers need to unleash the power of sport for their businesses – using storytelling to impact on society.

Dr Hayley James, a senior research fellow in the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston Business School and an expert in pensions, discusses her ‘mission’ to improve financial planning for later life. 

Dr Dean Garratt, a senior teaching fellow and expert in economics at Aston University, says a recession is “pretty imminent” for the UK resulting in a “painful” year ahead. But he is optimistic that both inflation and interest rates will fall in the second half of next year.

Prof Kathy Daniels, an expert in employment law and employee relations at Aston University, discusses the recent increase in strike action and considers whether Britain is facing a 1970s-style 'winter of discontent'

Successful business leaders need to rely on the power of trust, rather than just trusting in power. Dr John Blakey, who researched the subject for his doctorate at Aston Business School, explains the nine behavioural habits needed to become a trusted executive in the latest episode of 'Aston means business'.

Simple energy savings by SMEs could close half the UK's power stations, according to Dr Mark Smith, business engagement manager on the Low Carbon SMEs project at Aston University. The latest episode of the 'Aston means business' podcast also interviewed Cassie Kirk-Gould, the owner of Sweetmeats Inc, about how her expanding fudge-making firm is completely plastic-free.

Taking staff wellbeing seriously can help drive business success. That's the message in the latest 'Aston means business' podcast  from Marc Hornby, who co-founded hospitality group Caviar & Chips after taking an MBA at Aston Business School. The business, which survived Covid-19 and has since grown to employ 100 staff, has just won a national wellbeing award.

Rejection should be treated as a stepping stone to success, according to Dr Rushana Khusainova, a lecturer in marketing and sales at Aston Business School. She explains how entrepreneurs and business people should develop positive ‘self-talk’ as a vital mindset for dealing with rejection.

Mafia film and TV dramas can reveal the value of a trusted ‘second in command’ in business and organisations. That's one of the themes in a podcast from Dr Lloyd Parsons, interim director of MBA programmes at Aston Business School, who explains the power of 'shared and distributed leadership’ and underlines the importance of 'trust and delegation'. 

Women in business should consider themselves a strength, not a weakness. That's the message from Professor Helen Higson of Aston Business School, and Daniella Genas, an MBA graduate and successful entrepreneur, in a podcast episode created to celebrate International Women's Day.

Dr Xiaoshuang Lin, an expert in leadership at Aston Business School, explains how Gareth Southgate is a perfect example of 'humble leadership'. She says the England football manager’s humility, empathy and willingness to admit mistakes is what many businesses need, along with 'servant leaders', such as Mother Theresa. However, she warned that businesses will sometimes need tougher leaders as well.

Dr Uwe Napiersky and Dr Elinor Vettraino explain how ‘team leaders are the future’ as they plan the launch of a new course at Aston Business School. Inspirational Team Coaching will be run as a Postgraduate Certificate at the Centre for Innovation in Enterprise Education from this autumn.

Prasanta Dey, professor of operations and information management at Aston Business School, explains how his Low Carbon SMEs project is set to save 6,000 tonnes of  CO2– more than five times its initial target. Lee Cole, managing director of Paint 360, just one of the 165 companies involved, and Jamal Lea, project manager of Low Carbon SMEs, discuss details of the achievements to date.