Businesses enhance strategic skills thanks to Oxford Brookes Business School

Owen George, one of the participants
Owen George from Grundon Waste Management was one of the participants

Senior managers from businesses in the UK and internationally have been enhancing their ability to execute strategies on a new course at Oxford Brookes Business School.

The first intake of the ‘Executing Strategy’ course took place at Oxford Brookes University’s Headington Campus, sponsored by top Oxfordshire tourist attraction, Blenheim Palace. 

The face-to-face, week-long course draws on the University’s world-class MBA programme to give participants valuable insights and practical knowledge on how to ensure strategy is effectively implemented and executed.

Dr Diana Limburg, Executing Strategy programme lead, and the University’s MBA director, explained the course included a mix of academic insights with case studies, team challenges, guest speakers, and interactive discussions with experienced instructors. 

She said: “We know that many organisations struggle with ensuring strategic plans are realised. We wanted to make a course available to the wider business community to help them achieve better business results.

“This immersive learning experience gives participants the chance to build their knowledge and skills in executing strategy, which they can use to improve the strategic performance of their own organisations.”

 

The first intake of participants represented a wide range of sectors, including financial services, tourism, waste management, telecommunications, and publishing.

One of the participants was Gheorghe Hincu, Consumer Sales Director at Moldcell, the second largest mobile phone provider based in Moldova. He explained his business was looking to build strategic resilience in a rapidly changing market.

He said: “It’s very interesting for us to share experience with other colleagues in the training group and learn from others because we are facing the same challenges, to some extent. It also makes you more aware of what you are doing right, and what you could do better.”

Dominic Hare,​ Chief Executive Officer at Blenheim Palace, added: “Oxford Brookes have been a great partner in both upgrading our individual and organisation-wide skills and in measuring the progress we have made with our long term goals – we are very excited about this new programme which will significantly upgrade our strategic execution skills.”

The next course runs from 22 to 26 May 2023 at the University’s Headington Campus.