Lancaster Appoints 20 New Entrepreneurs in Residence to Boost Support for SMEs
Published 11 September 2012
Lancaster University Management School has appointed 20 new Entrepreneurs in Residence – all owner-managers who work at the sharp end of business or industry.
The entrepreneurs have all participated in one of the school’s flagship programmes and will now be offering their expertise to other developing businesses, mentoring undergraduate and postgraduate students, assisting with research and acting as ambassadors for the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (IEED), the hub of entrepreneurial activity at LUMS.
The 20 new Ambassadors will join Ian Gordon, the school’s founding Ambassador in Residence whose business career includes successfully launching a number of companies in the training, retail and construction sectors.
Ian, who was appointed in 2009, says: “As Entrepreneur in Residence, I have been able to bring a business perspective to the way that Lancaster engages with the SME community and help the University so that the entrepreneurial mindset can be better understood and allowed for in designing programmes.”
All of the new Entrepreneurs in Residence have participated in the Lancaster LEAD® (Leading Enterprise and Development) programme, the institute’s flagship programme where 90% of participants have reported an increase in sales turnover, employment, productivity and profits. On average Lancaster LEAD® participants increase their turnover by £200,000. The programme is franchised by Lancaster to be delivered in Wales and the South West and will be delivered in London for the first time this Autumn.
Many of the new appointees have also participated in the GOLD (Graduate Of LEAD Development) programme which gives participants a structured approach for experimenting with having a Non-Executive Director (NED) in their company and to practice being a NED in someone else's. The institute is also piloting a new programme specifically designed at the request of LEAD and GOLD participant to support the development of ‘Top Teams’ within their businesses.
Among the entrepreneurs is Andy Hooper, MD of Westlakes Engineering. In the four years since joining Lancaster LEAD the company has doubled both staff numbers and turnover.
Michael Hill of Optima Solutions, who attended LEAD with co-director Adrian West, says: LEAD has been a phenomenon. It instills the confidence to push you to the next level.”
Peter McGuinness, MD of DRM Industrial Fabrics, has completed both Lancaster LEAD and GOLD, the programmes helping him to double sales’ turnover and doubled in profitability. Peter has also set up two new companies and bought three others to establish the DRM Group.
“I am always interested in learning. Working with other Entrepreneurs in Residence will bring new opportunities for this. I also expect that I will be able to offer alternatives and learning opportunities to others. This should be fun and profitable for all concerned,” he says.
Magnus George, Head of Strategic Partnerships in the Institute for Entrepreneurship, said:
“These new Entrepreneurs in Residence have all taken part in our programmes, and they know the University well. Over the coming year they will assist us to refine our work with businesses. They will also enhance the experience that our students enjoy, through activities such as mentoring and career guidance, fostering business ideas and contributing across classroom and workshop activities. This initiative reflects our progressive approach to engaging with businesses and our commitment to making entrepreneurship education ever more meaningful for our students.”
Full information on all Entrepreneurs in Residence can be found on our website.
