The Leading Edge events
The Leading Edge: Ideas shaping a better world.
We are delighted to continue our Leading Edge speaker series and to be welcoming some of the world’s most prestigious thinkers to the University of Exeter Business School as part of our new series of online MBA events, The Leading Edge.
This series of inspirational talks will provide a space for us to discuss some of the most pressing global challenges and consider how we can all play a role in shaping a better and more sustainable world.
If you are an MBA student, faculty or alumni, or a forward-thinking chief executive or business manager, this series will give you the chance to hear and share fresh perspectives on contemporary challenges in business.
If you are keen to explore creative and innovative approaches to tackling social and environmental challenges, this is your opportunity to join with managers from across the world and take part in provocative and thought-provoking conversations stimulated by our prestigious guests.
Upcoming talks
There are no current events to display, but please come back soon for updates.
Previous talks
Dr Fiona NcNae
Join Andrew Miller MBE, disability advocate, broadcaster and cultural consultant, as he shares his story of transforming perceptions and raising the profile of disability throughout his 30 year career. Hear Andrew talk with our host Ciara Eastell OBE about his mission to democratise our creative industries by championing inclusion and representation.
Andrew Miller MBE
Join Andrew Miller MBE, disability advocate, broadcaster and cultural consultant, as he shares his story of transforming perceptions and raising the profile of disability throughout his 30 year career. Hear Andrew talk with our host Ciara Eastell OBE about his mission to democratise our creative industries by championing inclusion and representation.
Melanie Keen
Join Melanie Keen, Director of the Wellcome Collection, a free museum and library in London which aims to challenge how we all think and feel about health, as she talks about her career in the arts and cultural sector. Hear Melanie talk with our host Ciara Eastell OBE about how her leadership style has developed over the past 10 years in the face of an ever changing external environment.
Mary Portas
Join Mary Portas, one of the UK’s most high profile businesswomen, as she shares her thoughts on the importance of building a ‘Kindness Economy’, a new value system relevant to our times that reflects the fundamental role that business plays in the fabric of our lives.
Mary Ann Sieghart
Join journalist and broadcaster Mary Ann Sieghart as she shares ideas from her recent book ‘The Authority Gap’; a body of work containing research and case studies, which show that despite the progress society has made, there are still many ways in which women are prevented from achieving equality.
Dr Darren Henley OBE
Join Dr Darren Henley OBE, CEO of Arts Council England as he shares his thoughts on the importance of culture, creativity and the arts in times of uncertainty. Darren argues that we need a creative response to change, which engages the imagination and allows us harness ADD: the collective energy of humans.
Tonya Nelson
Tonya Nelson, Area Director for the Arts Council in London talks with host Ciara Eastell OBE to share her story of moving from her first career as a barrister and management consultant in her home city of Washington DC to her current role as one of this country’s leading arts figures.
Karime Hassan
Karime Hassan, Chief Executive at Exeter City Council, talks with host Ciara Eastell OBE to share share his experience over a 35 year career within local government.
Megan Butler
Megan Butler, Executive Director for Transformation at the Financial Conduct Authority, talks with host Ciara Eastell OBE to share her story of working at a senior level within the finance sector and her role as a barrister.
Matt Peacock MBE
Matt Peacock MBE, Director of Arts and Homelessness International, talks with host Ciara Eastell OBE, sharing the remarkable story and leadership journey of how he set up two pioneering charities with social justice at their heart.
Margaret Heffernan
Margaret takes an in-depth look at long-term projects developed over generations that could never have been planned the way they have been run. Margaret challenges her audiences to resist the false promises of technology and efficiency and to use our own creativity and humanity to create the future we want.
Henry Timms
New York on New Power with Henry Timms.
