At the event, which was organised by Kent Business Society, Bruce Carnegie-Brown presented on the need for ethical management and managing larger firms in difficult times, before being interviewed by Professor April McMahon, the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Education.
Mr Carnegie-Brown spoke extensively about his time as the UK head of the world’s largest insurance broker, Marsh & McLennan. Carnegie-Brown oversaw a turbulent period at Marsh, which in 2004 was investigated by New York’s attorney general, Eliot Spitzer over controversial insurance commissions which allegedly favoured the company over its clients. Mr Carnegie-Brown has extensive experience in high-level business management across multi-nationals including Banco Santander. He has also worked for Close Brothers and JP Morgan.
He is President-Elect of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), which has joined forces with Kent Business School to offer the chance for students to gain professional qualifications alongside The Kent MBA, as well as BSc Business and Management with a Year in Industry, BSc International Business and BSc Management. The partnership has a host of benefits to students including access to Management Direct – offering videos, podcasts, insight papers and more. There is also a CMI mentoring scheme.
At the opening of the event Keith Richardson, Head of Higher Education Partnerships at the CMI presented a plaque to Head of School Professor Martin Meyer, to mark the partnership between Kent Business School and the CMI. “CMI were delighted to support the inaugural Kent Business School / CMI Masterclass. The event is part of an ongoing and developing programme between our two institutions. The students who attended gained a real insight into the unexpected challenges a senior leader can face and how to overcome these. Such insights help prepare young people for the challenges of the working world and demonstrate the there is a positive solution to every situation as long as they think through a strategy and drive the resolution. For CMI and our members it provided a great forum to connect with students at the University and discuss their futures. We look forward to continuing to work with Kent Business School Society to help and support their events in the future, including the annual KBS/CMI Masterclass.”
Professor April McMahon then compèred a Q&A session in which the audience put their questions to Carnegie-Brown. “I was delighted to be part of the programme for the visit of such a distinguished guest speaker. This also marks the start of what looks sure to be a warm and positive relationship between KBS and the CMI – two organisations committed to excellent education and training. Our students enjoyed a brilliantly told business story which had us on the edges of our seats, and appreciated being able to ask Bruce Carnegie Brown a whole range of questions, which he answered in a most approachable way. This was a very sociable, entertaining and thought-provoking way of enhancing employability!”
Many questions were centered around business start-ups including a student crowd-sourcing scheme, as well as what it takes to become a successful leader.
Kent Business Society Vice-President, Melissa Neave, said,“The event was a great success. Bruce Carnegie-Brown provided an inspirational talk which students have benefited from. The Q&A session allowed some students to gain invaluable advice and guidance for their own business ventures. Through building our relationship with the CMI we aim to continue to hold additional events for students in order to enhance student experience whilst at the University of Kent.”
Congratulations to the Kent Business Society for organising such a well-attended and advantageous event.