Sector Focus


Finance


Sponsored by: University of Birmingham


Birmingham Business School to offer courses in Dubai


By Kirsty Smith Marketing Officer, Birmingham Business School


We are delighted to announce that Birmingham Business School will be offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the University of Birmingham’s Dubai campus, which will open this autumn. In launching the campus, the University will become the first global top 100 and Russell Group University to establish a campus in this rapidly developing international education hub. Programmes will include


Business Management BSc, Economics BSc and International Business MSc providing prospective students with the opportunity to study the same world leading courses which are delivered here in the UK, in a global and vibrant cosmopolitan city. Professor Glyn Watson,


Dean of Birmingham Business School commented: “I’m proud that Birmingham


Business School will be playing such an instrumental role in the University’s global expansion. This will provide a launchpad to build on the School’s outstanding international research and education portfolio which includes numerous international accreditations and a longstanding business education programme in Singapore.” The new campus, which will


be located in Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), will also offer opportunities for students to study on a range of other undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including Primary and Secondary Teacher Education, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering with further programmes to be offered subsequently. The first phase of the


campus will open in autumn 2017 and the first undergraduate and post- graduate students will commence their studies in September 2018.


54 CHAMBERLINK July/August 2017 Sector Focus The latest news from the sectors that matter to business


Survey calls for increase in boardroom diversity


As new research shows the number of senior business roles held by women in the UK has fallen over the past 12 months, the Birmingham office of Grant Thornton says more work needs to be done improve boardroom diversity if local companies are to reach their full potential. Grant Thornton’s annual Women in Business


survey found that the percentage of female senior managers in the UK has dropped from 21 per cent in 2016 to 19 per cent in 2017.


‘Diversity is central to shaping a vibrant economy where people and businesses thrive’


This represents just a one per cent increase on the


18 per cent figure when the survey was first conducted in 2004. The research also revealed the percentage of UK businesses without any women in top level management positions has risen from 36 per cent in 2016 to 41 per cent in 2017. Partner Becky Eagle, head of commercial audit at


Grant Thornton in Birmingham, said: “Undoubtedly advancements in gender diversity have been made over the 13 years since our study began. “This is seen at our own firm when two years ago,


Sasha Romanovitch became the first female CEO of Grant Thornton. It’s disappointing to see that in general this progression still isn’t reflected to a high enough level across the board elsewhere. “Diversity is central to shaping a vibrant economy where people and businesses thrive.”


Becky Eagle and Sue Knight: Diversity is vital


Fellow partner Sue Knight, of Grant Thornton’s


entrepreneur and private client team in the city, added: “We need to create an environment that is conducive to all which means a fundamental shift in what leadership looks like. “The traditional model where the individual must


be perfect and the job all-consuming is still extremely prevalent, whilst more collaborative and inclusive forms of leadership are often overlooked. “This is a concern as it suggests too many businesses are wasting the full potential of their people.”


• See page 56 for a report on how women are faring in reaching senior positions in the world of football


Need for supply chain restructure


More than one in seven businesses in the West Midlands plan to restructure their supply chains before 2018, a survey by Moore Stephens has found. The accounting firm’s report,


‘Strength Amidst Uncertainty’, found that owner managed businesses recognise that the supply chain can be a point of vulnerability, particularly in an uncertain economic climate. The report highlighted that 15


per cent of businesses in the West Midlands are planning to restructure their supply chain, compared to 10 per cent nationally. The sectors most concerned are


transport and logistics (16 per cent), retail and wholesale (14 per cent) and manufacturing (14 per cent).


Lee Causer: Brexit is having an impact Lee Causer, restructuring partner


at Moore Stephens in Birmingham, said that while businesses are obviously vulnerable to the loss of major customers, they can also be badly affected by the collapse of a key supplier.


Lee said: “Some companies may


be concerned that their supply chain is too narrow, making them overly dependent on the on-going health of a relatively small number of suppliers. Others have the opposite concern, realising that they have too many suppliers.” He said Brexit continues to have


an impact on supply chains and urged businesses considering reviews to carry out a health check. “Whether conducting a complete


supply chain review, considering entering into business with new suppliers or seeking improved terms with existing suppliers, it’s vital to do a health check on the companies involved. “If your supplier lets you down, you will almost certainly let down your own customers.”


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