Board of International Advisors

Position and organisation

CEO, Volans

Louise is the CEO of Volans. A successful entrepreneur she has spent her career in innovative businesses, pioneering cradle-to-cradle and circular business models. Louise has reshaped Volans, launching thought leadership initiatives such as Tomorrow's Capitalism Inquiry and Bankers For NetZero initiative. Whilst also working directly with a select group of forward-thinking businesses to help unlock their vision and capabilities to transform to success in a regenerative future.

Highly focused on empowering the next generation of regenerators, Louise is a mentor through Aspire and 1 Million Mentors. In addition to lecturing at a number of universities, she is on the Advisory Board for the University of Exeter Business School. She also sits on the advisory boards of the Global CO2 Initiative, the Sustainable Finance Centre, The UKRI Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Chemical Economy and The Good Growth Company.

Louise moderates the Green Swans book club whose notable authors are all at the forefront of some aspect of systems thinking. Recent participants include Mariana Mazzucato, Dr. Margaret Heffernan, Rebecca Henderson, Professor Tim Jackson as well as James Thornton and Martin Goodman.

About Volans

Founded in 2008, Volans is a think tank and advisory firm operating globally to help business leaders make sense of the emerging future and address global challenges. We work with a select group of clients to unlock the potential of their organisation, create opportunities for market evolution, and design solutions ready to scale.

We are professional and objective, but we are not a neutral advisor. We challenge and question, leaning into – and helping our clients lean into – the future we see through our research work and inquiries. Our work always centres around strategic conversations to catalyse action. The process is bespoke to each engagement. Our client relationships are collaborative, and we choose to work with leadership teams with whom there is mutual chemistry and a shared ambition.

Position and organisation

Non-Executive Director, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

Michael is a Non-Executive Director at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust; a Trustee of the Royal Humane Society; a Trustee at AbilityNet, a charity working with the disabled and those with IT accessibility problems; and a Governor at Downside School.

Michael previously held a number of Marketing Director positions within IBM. His areas of focus are on digital marketing, distribution channels design/marketing and strategic planning.

He has a degree in Experimental Psychology from Oxford University.

Exeter education

Politics

Position and organisation

CEO, ACCA

Helen Brand OBE is chief executive of ACCA, the global body for professional accountants, a post she has held since 2008.

Helen has built her career within professional bodies and has considerable experience and knowledge of the 180 markets in which ACCA currently operates. She has worked closely with IFAC (the International Federation of Accountants) in an advisory capacity over many years, is a London Honorary Advisory Board member of the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) is a founding member of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), and now sits on the IIRC Board.

One of the few women to lead a global professional body, Helen Brand is a passionate advocate for the role ethics and the delivery of public value play in business and society, with ACCA becoming the first international professional body to publish an integrated report on its performance in 2011. She has also driven ACCA’s pioneering work in developing the profession across Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Helen was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in June 2011 for services to accountancy.

Exeter education

Geography, 1985

Position and organisation

Managing Partner and Vice President IBM Consulting 

Jeremy Budd is Managing Partner and Vice President IBM Consulting.  Jeremy recently returned to the UK after a highly successful seven year assignment in Singapore as IBM's Chief Digital Officer in the Asia Pacific geography. 

From 2014, Jeremy led IBM's digital transformation with the creation and delivery of a Digital First strategy across Digital Marketing, digital protduction and solution development, digital client engagement, IBM's online Marketplace, Websites and Ecosystem. 

Prior to moving to Singapore in January 2014, Jeremy led IBM's Digital business in UK & Ireland where his teams pioneered the use of social media and digital technology in a business environment and Jeremy has held a variety of leadership positions in IBM's Services business in European, US and Global roles.

Jeremy is the executive leader for IBM's Graduate and Early Professional Hires programmes and is passionate about student employability and career development. Having graduated from University of Exeter with a BSc Geography, Jeremy helped to initiate Exeter's relationship with IBM in 2008 and has been an active contributor to the University's Alumni Network Group and a number of management boards before joining the Business School's International Advisory Board in 2016.

Exeter education

MA Investment Finance, 1987

Position and organisation

Chief Executive Officer, Oak Pension Asset Management Limited, Chief Investment Officer, Barclays UK Retirement Fund

Tony Broccardo is the Chief Executive Officer of Oak Pension Asset Management Limited which is the in-house asset manager for the Barclays pension fund; and is the Chief Investment Officer of the Barclays Pension Fund. This circa £25billion (Sterling) Fund is highly diversified and global. Tony’s team is responsible for the asset allocation process, investment management, implementation and risk budgeting of the Fund. The Fund utilizes a significant number of external asset class specialists, with 30% of assets under management invested in Alternatives.

Tony’s previous experience includes being an Executive Director and CIO for F&C Asset Management PLC, and as a Global Partner and Institutional CIO for INVESCO Asset Management Inc. In both roles, over a period of fifteen years, he chaired the Global Asset Allocation Committee.

Tony has an MA in Finance and Investment from Exeter University, where he is a Fellow and lecturer in Investment and a member of the Business School Advisory Board.

Exeter education

Hon LLD, 2015

Position and organisation

Non-Executive Chairman at Land Securities, Member of the Supervisory Board of BASF and Chairman of the BASF Audit Committee

Alison joined Evercore, the international independent corporate advisory firm based in New York, in 2011 after its acquisition of Lexicon, where she had worked as a Senior Advisor since 2005. Prior to that, Alison was a Managing Director of Donaldson Lufkin and Jenrette in the Mergers and Acquisitions Department in New York. She was previously a partner in the Phoenix Partnership, a corporate advisory and private equity business which was acquired by DLJ in 1997. Before joining the Phoenix Partnership in 1993, she was a Director of J. Henry Schroder Wagg & Co Ltd, the Investment Banking subsidiary of Schroders plc, specialising in advisory, merger and defence work for leading UK companies. Alison was past Director of a number of FTSE 100 companies including Man Group, Gallaher, Friends Provident, Barclays and National Power, she was also a past chairman of Vitec Group plc.

Alison is currently a non‐executive Chairman of Land Securities plc, Chairman of the Audit Committee of BASF and an independent Director for Zurich Insurance Group, PACCAR Inc and CICAP Limited (Coller Capital).

In the not for profit sector, Alison is a member of the Advisory Council of the St George’s Society of New York. Alison engages in a number of mentoring assignments both in the UK and overseas. Alison is a graduate and a chartered accountant and has two honorary doctorates.

Position and organisation

Professor of Practice in the Exeter Centre for Leadership and owner of Ciara Eastell Consulting and Coaching

Ciara Eastell OBE is an experienced senior leader working within the cultural and charity sectors. She was the founding Chief Executive of Libraries Unlimited, the charity that runs 54 libraries across Devon and Torbay. She led the successful establishment of the charity in its first 3 years, helping it secure a reputation as a recognised national leader in entrepreneurial and innovative library and cultural services.

Since may 2019, Ciara has been running her own consultancy business and she is currently working with Tate on a large scale transformation and organisational development programme. In addition, she has recently been awarded an Automation Fellowship from the South West Creative Technology Network. As part of the Fellowship, Ciara is exploring the leadership issues associated with ensuring automation (including artificial intelligence and robotics) has positive transformational change with cultural health and third sector organisations.

Ciara is a National Council member of the Arts Council England and sits on the Advisory Council of the British Library. She was President of the Society of Chief Librarians in 2014-16 and was awarded an OBE in 2017 for her services to libraries. Ciara received an honorary doctorate from the University of Sheffield in January 2019, the university where she did her Masters in 1994. She was amongst the first cohort of Fellows to take part in the prestigious Clore Leadership Programme in 2004/5.

Exeter education

MA Investment Finance, 1993

Position and organisation

Managing Director, Credit Suisse International

Milan is Managing Director at Credit Suisse Global Market Division and has been responsible for origination and execution of financing transactions in CEEMEA (Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa). His role involved origination and arranging of financings for governments, corporates and banks in these regions. Milan was hired by Credit Suisse in 2008 to build its financing business in the Balkans - this has been a major contributor to the bank’s Emerging Markets Group’s financing business accounting for approximately 30% of the group's revenues. Milan was also responsible for building Credit Suisse’s financing business in Sub Saharan Africa.

Prior to joining Credit Suisse, Milan worked in similar roles at Morgan Stanley and Nomura, focusing on the emerging markets and M&A advisory and financing businesses.

Over the past 20 years Milan has advised government and leading corporates and banks on over £3bn of transactions.

Milan has an MA in Finance and Investment from Exeter University and BSc in Economics from Belgrade University.

Position and organisation

Co-Founder and CEO, Real Ideas Organisation Group

Lindsey Hall is co-founder and CEO of the Real Ideas Organisation group, leading and managing the organisation to run it’s own social enterprise ventures and enable others, particularly young people to set up and run their own socially entrepreneurial activities, solving problems and building skills.

Lindsey's track record in the public and private sectors as a creative social entrepreneur, thinker and leader has seen her set up and develop products and services across the creative, learning and education sectors. Most recently this has included transforming a former market hall building in Devonport, Plymouth into an immersive technology centre with a the largest immersive dome in Europe. From building award-winning programmes in the UK to driving groundbreaking initiatives internationally, Lindsey has the experience and skills at management, board and executive level to steer social business ideas towards success; making money and making a difference at the same time.

Lindsey is a NESTA Cultural Leadership fellow, an INSEAD graduate, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Trustee of Kernow Education Arts Partnership and Plymouth Culture, member of Plymouth Growth Board and one of the WISE100 social enterprise leaders.

Position and organisation

President of Kentaro Office (consultants)

Former Corporate Senior Vice President, Fujitsu Marketing Limited

Kentaro is currently President of Kentaro Office, a consulting office.

Prior to this he was Corporate Executive Advisor at Fujitsu Marketing Limited in Tokyo and before that he was Corporate Senior Vice President.

In March 2016, Kentaro set up his office ‘Kentaro Office’ at Shinagawa, Tokyo which is in charge of HRM and HRD.

Kentaro became a researcher of the Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University from April 2016.

In 1977, Kentaro graduated from the faculty of law at the University of Tokyo and joined Fujitsu Limited. Between 1996 and 1998 he participated in the International Masters Program in Practicing Management (IMPM) at McGill University where he received the degree of Master of Management.

In 1999 Kentaro became General Manager of the HR department at Fujitsu Headquarters and in 2007 went on to become the Managing Director of the Fujitsu Social Science Laboratory. In June 2009 he was promoted to Corporate Senior Vice President of Fujitsu Marketing.

In June 2017 Kentaro became co-director of the Japan Module of IMPM.

From 2018 IMPM will be held at the five leading business schools around the world: Lancaster, McGill, IIMB, YNU (Yokohama National University) and FGV-EBAPE Rio.

Since 2013 Kentaro has been Vice Chairman, Japan Industrial and Commercial Basketball Federation and Chairman, Kanto Industrial and Commercial Basketball Federation (Kanto is the centre area of Japan which includes Tokyo).

Exeter education

Economics, 1990

Position and organisation

Chief Executive, River Island

Will is currently Chief Executive of River Island, the high street fashion chain.

Prior to this Will has been CEO of Wiggle and Chain Reaction (2017-2019), The White Company from 2011-2017, Chief Operating Officer and Group Managing Director of New Look, posts he had held since 2009. Prior to that he was Finance Controller of Burton, Arcadia and British Shoe Retailers. He has supported the Business School through providing a marketing profile, offering advice to fellow alumni through Exepert (mentoring) scheme. He has also provided strategic advice for our MSc Programmes.

Exeter education

Economics & Politics

Position and organisation

Executive Mentor, Merryck & Co

Dennis has been a small company entrepreneur, a business leader in publicly quoted international groups, and is now a mentor, consultant and non-executive director.

He is currently a partner at Merryck & Co, the world’s foremost business leader mentoring company working with senior executives at major corporates including Rolls-Royce, ISS, GSK, Lloyds Bank, Whitbread, Syngenta, and Telefonica. He is also a non-executive Director of Infomedia, a mobile payments business, Humley, an artificial intelligence business, and is non-executive Chairman of ConnectiD, a tech start-up.

Educated at Whitgift School and University of Exeter (BA Hons in Economics and Politics 1979) he started his career at Beecham Group, then spent 9 years building his start-up business which he sold to Incepta plc. He has since held MD, CEO and Chairman positions in Omnicom, Havas and, most recently, Publicis, where he had international client responsibilities across more than 40 international markets.

Dennis is a qualified executive coach (The School of Coaching – EMCC/ICF accredited).

Exeter education

MBA Business, 1991

Position and organisation

Managing Partner, Livingbridge

Wol is Managing Partner at Livingbridge.

Wol has an engineering degree from King's College London, as well as an MBA from the University of Exeter Business School. He started his career with Barclays in 1990 and after a short period in various head office roles, he joined a predecessor firm of Livingbridge in 1993.

Wol has a deep interest in healthcare and education, and sits on the boards of a number of schools and universities. He is chairman of the Guys and St Thomas' Charity. He also sits on the boards of NHS Improvement as a non-executive director, working to help the NHS to meet its short-term challenges and secure its future. He sits on the advisory council of Level20, a not for profit organisation working to improve gender diversity in the private equity industry. In 2019 he was appointed as trustee of Somerset House.

Exeter education

Economics & Politics, 1982

Position and organisation

Partner, Financial Services, EY

Mike is a Financial Services partner for Ernst and Young in Asia Pacific. A proven leader in Financial Services with over 25 years of client engagement/delivery including transformational change,  integration programmes and business/IT strategy. Mike has been a financial markets trader and also has managed the wholesale banking technology one of the largest global banks. He has specific expertise and experience in Capital Markets, Asset Management and Securities Services

He has worked across US, UK, Europe and Asia supporting multi-national financial services clients for over 25 years.

Mike lives and works in Hong Kong, where he is a member of the Innovation and Technology committee of the British Chamber of Commerce

• University of Exeter - BA (Hons) – Economics and Politics
• City, London University: MSc – Business Systems Analysis and Design

Exeter education

Accountancy Studies, 1989

Position and organisation

Managing Director of UK Investment Banking, Jefferies

Ed is currently a Managing Director of UK Investment Banking at Jefferies, the leading US investment bank specialising in servicing in mid-cap Corporates. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in 1993 he has spent the last 27 years in the Investment Banking industry in senior managerial roles in top tier global banks including Credit Suisse, Citigroup, Lehman Brothers and Nomura. His roles have included UK Coverage, (Corporate Broking, Advisory and Equity Capital Markets) as well as leading the successful European Retail Investment Banking division at Nomura for 7 years. He has advised leading UK listed companies across a broad range of sectors assisting them in conducting mergers and acquisitions as well as raising finance.

He studied Accountancy Studies at Exeter (1986 - 1989) as well as being Captain of Golf for his last two years.

Position and organisation

Co-Founder, Larks Live

A native of Ireland, Clodagh started her career in San Francisco before moving to the UK in 2003. Over the last 25 years she has led both large and small business transformation in the digital and IT sectors. Clodagh lives in Exeter and works with a number of organisations, including the Exeter Chamber of Commerce in support of economic growth and prosperity of the region.

Position and organisation

Corporate Social Psychologist, Leadership Strategist and Executive Coach

Elicia is a corporate social psychologist, leadership strategist and executive coach specialising in creating seamless progress towards change – be it at the personal, interpersonal or team level. Her approach stems from an affinity for recognising the psychodynamic factors that frame mindsets and experience. She blends social cognitive science, motivational insight with interventional dialogue, to help clients capitalise on their strengths and unique opportunities to chart a clear path from where they are to where they want to go.

Through a PhD at Cambridge exploring the crux of ‘buy-in’, Elicia has developed strategies that effectively limit the negative experiences of change by focusing on the creation of meaningful continuity - expertise that facilitates personal leadership, team relations and culture alignment. With incisive observational awareness and refined communication skills, Elicia’s strategic advice has helped clients across diverse professional environments from defence and aerospace to finance and digital tech.

Elicia is a chartered and associate fellow of the British Psychological Society as well as a certified principal business psychologist and strategic advisor to The Association for Business Psychology. She is also licensed to use the world’s most trusted psychometric assessments including the Hogan suite (HPI, HDS, MVPI), NEO, FIRO, EQ-i, Wave and Saville Assessments. She is also an accredited Prosci change management practitioner and ‘SAFe Agilist’ qualified to support agile project development using Scaled Agile Framework principles and practices.

Exeter education

Economic History & Geography, 1978

Position and organisation

Non-Executive Director, British Airways

Alison Reed is a non executive director and Deputy Chairman of British Airways plc. She is also a non executive director and Chairman of the audit committee at Darty plc, DRS Data and Research Services plc, Whizz-kidz and a private equity backed financial services business.

Alison spent 21 years with Marks and Spencer plc rising to Chief Financial Officer. Her experience included a wide range of financial and commercial roles across all areas of the business. She played a key role in the successful high profile corporate defence in 2004.

After Marks & Spencer, Alison joined the Standard Life Assurance Company to prepare the Mutual for listing on the London Stock Exchange. She delivered a highly successful IPO to the original timetable, with the sale of £2bn of stock to investors.

Alison was previously a non executive director of HSBC Bank plc and a trustee of BBC Children in Need.

Alison is a Chartered Accountant and qualified with Touche Ross & Co in London, after graduating from Exeter University.

Exeter education

Engineering Science (Civil), 1974

Position and organisation

Non-executive director Northumbrian Water Group plc, The Met Office and the Sustainable Development Commission

Paul Rew graduated with a degree in Engineering Science from Exeter University and joined PricewaterhouseCoopers (Price Waterhouse at the time) in 1974, becoming a partner in 1987. During his 36 year career with PwC, Paul provided assurance and advisory services to a large number of UK and international companies and organisations in a wide range of industries with a broad geographical spread including two years in South Africa and major projects in the USA and Europe. He was also seconded to the DTI for two years where he provided commercial advice to ministers and officials.

In 2001 Paul became the firm’s leader in the UK for the Energy, Utilities and Mining sectors, responsible for assurance and listings work and the provision of all other services and in 2008 he was appointed leader of the Sustainability and Climate Change Assurance business and helped develop the broader PwC Sustainability business. He retired from PwC on 31st March 2010 to fulfil his plan further to expand his portfolio career.

Paul is now a non-executive director of Northumbrian Water Group plc, the Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Care Quality Commission as well as a member of Exeter University Business School Advisory Board. He is a former non-executive of the Met Office and the Sustainable Development Commission.

Exeter education

Engineering Science, 1983

Position and organisation

Consultant, ALR International

Andrew has spent the bulk of his career in Asia. A graduate of Exeter University's Engineering Science Department, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in London before going to work in the Corporate Finance team in Barclays de Zoete Wedd in Tokyo in 1990. Andrew had various roles in an investment banking career that included time in India, Japan, Greater China (Hong Kong/Taiwan/Mainland China) and Korea. Andrew held a number of senior positions including Managing Director of Goldman Sachs in Asia and CEO of NM Rothschild & Sons Asia.

In 2011, in a move away from investment banking, Andrew became CEO of Singapore listed Yoma Strategic Holdings, one of the pioneers of investing in and running multiple businesses in Myanmar during a period of rapid growth in this frontier market.

Andrew is currently Chairman of Diginex Asia. Diginex is a digital asset financial services and advisory company that aims to be a market leader in setting a new standard in blockchain financial services and solutions. He is also Chairman of Bloom Association Hong Kong, a charity dedicated to education and affirmative action concerning the sustainability of marine life.