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ISBN 978-0-9567461-3-9

Views from Business Professionals Crossing the Bridge to AcademiaThe Bridge

Introduction and Programme Description

UK Bridge Programme

This programme is tailored to support corporate leaders and business executives who wish to make a successful transition into business school teaching. It provides participants with the skill set to plan and teach high quality business and management education programmes.

We draw on the expertise of a wide variety of visiting speakers, including professional educators, academics (who themselves have crossed the bridge from business), and experts in specific key aspects of teaching, such as quality, delivery, and assessment.

The Bridge Programme has been designed for individuals with business executive backgrounds who teach, or want to teach, in business schools. All participants who complete the programme join an alumni of senior executives from Ernst & Young, BP, Coca-Cola and other companieswho now teach the next generation of business leaders throughout the world.

This intensive one-week programme was designed to help participants:

• Prepare for the practical reality of teaching, includingtechnology, classroom management and quality assurance

• Create an engaging and motivating learning environment• Develop effective class management techniques• Improve teaching skills to inspire and mentor today’s

students• Network within the business school community• Understand how to plan, organise and deliver quality

programmes

21–26 June 2015City University LondonCass Business SchoolLondon, United Kingdom

Supporting business executives to teach in business schools

The Chartered Association of Business Schools (Chartered ABS) is the voice of the UK’s business and management education sector. We support our members in maintaining world-class standards of teaching and research and help shape policy and opportunities through dialogue with business and government.The UK’s business and management education sector represents 1 in 5 university students and contributes £3.25b to the UK economy. Its management students go on to lead global businesses and its entrepreneurs contribute to our dynamic economy. Its research has an impact across society and helps to turn our capacity for invention into viable businesses. Our 150 members consist of 120 business schools and higher education providers, as well as affiliate stakeholders, corporate members and international partners.

AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business is a global, nonprofit membership organization of educational institutions, businesses, and other entities devoted to the advancement of management education. Established in 1916, AACSB International provides its members with a variety of products and services to assist them with the continuous improvement of their business programs and schools.

As the longest-serving global association dedicated to advancing management education worldwide, AACSB International accredits 746 of the world’s best business schools across 51 countries and territories.

In addition to providing its members with products and services, AACSB International strives to identify challenges and trends that are facing the business education industry through its research and various initiatives. The association also educates students, parents, employers and counselors about accreditation and how to choose a quality business degree program that will fit their needs.

About AACSB and Chartered Association of Business Schools

About Our HostsCass Business School

An integral part of City University London, Cass Business School is among the global elite of business schools that hold the gold standard of ‘triple-crown’ accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). We are consistently ranked amongst the best business schools and programmes in the world which, coupled with an established 40-year reputation for excellence in research and business education, enables us to attract some of the best academics, students and businesses worldwide into our exclusive Cass network.

Cass Business School is committed to innovation and excellence across our educational programmes, research and services to business. We also apply a global approach to everything we do, from operating a dual campus in Dubai to service the Middle East, to delivering modules and study trips around the world and recruiting students and academics from diverse nationalities and backgrounds. Many of our faculty have taught at schools such as Harvard and Wharton, and we have uniquely close and valuable links to the City of London.

Cass Business School is a member of the Chartered Association of Business Schools.

Acknowledgements The Bridge Programme Instructors

Stefano De CesarisFaculty of Finance, Cass Business School, City University London

Angela DoveAngela Dove Consulting

Julie HallDeputy Provost, Academic Development, University of Roehampton

Clive HolthamBridge Programme Academic CoordinatorDirector, Cass Learning Laboratory, Cass Business School, City University London

Dr. Dilly McDermottConsultant, ex convener Return to Teaching Programme, Faculty of Education, Goldsmiths

Dr. Timothy S. MesconAACSB InternationalSenior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa

The programme offers a range of modules facilitated by expert speakers.

Ciaran MurphyDean, Cork University Business School

Dr. Pam ParkerHead of Educational Practice, City University London, Learning & Educational Development

Dr. Simon ParkerAssociate Dean for Quality, Cass Business School, City University London

Debbie PearsonSenior Lecturer, University of Roehampton

Margaret PriceHead of ASKe (Assessment) Centre, Oxford Brookes Business School

Your Authors: The Class of 2015

15 Stories

Julie DaviesChartered Association of Business Schools

Tom GoslingBridge Programme Graduate

Tracy GroomsBridge Programme Graduate

Robyn Hall AACSB International

Clive HolthamBridge Programme Academic Coordinator

Rodney IrwinBridge Programme Graduate

Chris LynchBridge Programme Graduate

Mark RixBridge Programme Graduate

Wayne RobinsonBridge Programme Graduate

Phil RyanBridge Programme Graduate

Joe ValasquezBridge Programme Graduate

Florin VladicaBridge Programme Graduate

Cathryn WarnerBridge Programme Graduate

Rod WhitsonBridge Programme Graduate

Simon WildeBridge Programme Graduate

The Individual Stories

Individual Stories

Vivamus mollis imperdiet augue Vivamus mollis imperdiet augue Vivamus mollis imperdiet augue

Being a good teacher is an important string to the bow of anyone crossing the bridge to academia. The Bridge Programme has given me lots of practical input and ideas. It’s also given me the confidence that many of the skills I have can help me be a good teacher. To be successful I’ll need to work to put the building blocks in place over several years rather than expecting it all to come into place overnight. I see the Bridge Programme as an important component of increasing my credibility and usefulness to business schools. My aim is to be prepared to take the lucky break when it comes along.

The area in the course that really changed my perspective surprises me even now—visual literacy. As someone who is ‘not artistic’ I struggled to make the logical connection between this and teaching. But we were encouraged to experiment and it has changed my perspective. First, I’ve learned that good images and visualisation can emerge through experimentation; creating doesn’t have to be an active linear process. Second, visual literacy can open up use of other parts of the brain and contribute to creativity or a different perspective. Third, I’ve realised that I really need to up my game beyond traditional presentations and learn how to present in a much more visual and multimedia format.

I always assumed I’d be an academic—it was in the family. Halfway through a research fellowship I realised it wasn’t for me at that time. But I had a feeling I’d return. I’ve since enjoyed a 20-year career with PwC working on corporate governance, executive pay, incentives and motivation. In five to 10 years’ time I plan to transition into an academic career. I’m not sure when, how or how quickly, but I know the direction.

It’s not easy to switch directly from business to academia, especially if you want a research component to your role, and if you want to get paid. It takes some time to put the building blocks in place. I’ve been trying a few approaches.

One is to look for opportunities in my current job to do academic-type work. This includes blogs and research-type reports on topical subjects where PwC and our clients have an interest. It has also meant building links with appropriate policy-making bodies, think tanks and so on. Another is using the draw of PwC. Academics love to be associated with major businesses. I’ve used that to develop collaborations that meet a business objective for PwC while benefiting the university or business school. In my case that has meant carrying out joint research into areas of executive pay and motivation that are of interest to our clients but also generate publications for the academic institution. This has opened up the opportunity to give guest lectures on business school courses and has even opened up the opportunity to collaborate on an academic publication.

Reflections on the Bridge Course

Key Lessons

Tom GoslingThe UK Accountant’s Story

My career at Bank of America included many different roles, including Finance, leading Business segments and Compliance. When I decided to retire from Bank of America after a 30-year career, I didn’t have a specific direction that I would pursue as my professional ‘Chapter 2’. Charlotte, North Carolina, is the second-largest financial center in the United States, and I love the financial services industry, so joining the McColl School of Business to teach banking was an unexpected but perfect opportunity to extend my career.

Having begun my journey over the bridge to academia in 2014, this has been an amazing opportunity to pause, reflect and refine my skills as a higher education professional. My focus on the student learning experience will be enhanced by F.I.R.E.

Flexible

Interactive

Relevant

Engaging

Teaching can be a juggling act delivering relevant content in a way that results in deep student learning that meets overall program objectives and is consistent with AACSB standards of impact, innovation and

engagement. In this program, I was able to learn from seasoned pros with a passion for teaching and developing critical thinking.

Key Lessons Reflections on the Bridge Course

Tracy GroomsThe US Versatile Banker Story

My Bridge

The transition from my “old career” to my new career is harder than I thought it would be. Teaching is a craft that develops with time and interaction with students and colleagues. I have returned to Queens Uni-versity of Charlotte and the McColl School of Business with a clearer view of how to provide a strong learning experience for students, both in the classroom and outside the classroom. I better understand how to balance the expectations of students, parents, colleagues and administrators to deliver on our mission and values. Thank you to the AACSB team for providing this opportunity to refine my craft and validate my new career choice. Much like the time-less words of Albert Einstein: When you stop learning, you stop living.


Two overarching goals have framed my adult life: 1) live a happy and healthy life to 100 years of age, and 2) be engaged in a fun, fulfilling career until at least the age of 80. The simple math of these goals equates to a working career that spans approximately 60 years.

This framework led to a career objective consisting of two distinct chapters, each about 30 years in duration. Chapter One would focus on a career in the corporate world, building a depth and breadth of real-world business experiences that are both exciting and challenging. Chapter Two would center on a career in academics.

I developed a passion for teaching early in my corporate life. In nearly all of my roles, I developed and taught courses across a range of topics for a variety of audiences—from junior professionals to members of senior management. This passion has only intensified as I’ve progressed in my career. Few things energize me more than sharing information that leads to deeper understanding, better decision-making and ultimately increased motivation and morale.

As I near the time to close out my Chapter One, the AACSB Bridge Programme has been a wonderful catalyst to begin Chapter Two.

It became clear to me that there is no one way to ‘bridge’ from the corporate world to the academic world. Those who have successfully transitioned leveraged their unique backgrounds, interests and skills to chart their individual course. I know I’ll need to do the same.

I embraced Chapter One as a marathon rather than a sprint, building experiences and skills for long-term success.

A career in academia is an exciting outlet for my experiences and interests. While teaching in a collegiate environment is certainly different from a corporate one, I am confident that my passion and success in the business classroom are transferable. In addition, although I have little experience in the field of research, I am keen to develop this skill set to become a well-rounded member of the academic community.

I learned from the Bridge Programme that my approach to Chapter Two can be no different. While my corporate career provided good foundational elements, I am prepared to invest the time and effort to master a whole new set of skills to succeed in academia.

Finally, the Bridge Programme confirmed that the journey itself will be fun and rewarding. The content of the programme was very valuable but was just a small initial step on a long pathway. Just as an amuse-bouche stimulates the palate for a memorable culinary experience in the fine dining world, the Bridge Programme delivered the first satisfying bite for a rewarding next chapter in my professional life.


Chris LynchThe US Financial Services Managing Director’s Story

I never thought I would be in a position where I might consider a future as a teacher. It has taken me 30 years in industry to realise that in fact, I probably always was a teacher.

This has been particularly true in the last 20 years where my career has been predominantly in leadership roles, where knowledge sharing, training and development, assessment and feedback and validation were everyday activities, often unconsciously.

In 2002, after two and a half years’ study at The University of Salford (UK) I completed an MBA which awakened my interest in the possibility of lecturing at a future point in life. This was borne out of my belief that I too could add value to the learning experiences of students studying for business qualifications.

Over the following years, subsequent ‘guest’ lectures and other industry speaking engagements have reinforced my belief that with the correct framework and skills, this could be a new and rewarding future.

As a result of working with my alma mater in the United Arab Emirates, the opportunity presented itself to attend Cass Business School in June 2015 and join the UK’s inaugural AACSB programme.

This appeared to be the perfect course to meet my needs as an aspiring lecturer. Taking my raw experience and providing the tools and skills to deliver quality teaching modules in the context of a modern business school.

Approaching the bridge Key Lessons

Mark Rix The UAE Publisher’s Story

My preconceptions of a modern lecturer have been shattered.

This is a challenging profession, and for one to be effective it requires the practitioner to master a multitude of skills, from creating and delivering relevant lectures in a wide variety of scenarios to accurately assessing students’ work and providing objective feedback.

Add to that the quality demands and expectations of the course content and delivery, together with the commercial pressures facing business schools and universities to achieve required grades and attract and retain students, then my view of life as a lecturer in the world of academia on the far side of the bridge is far removed from the one I first imagined.


The broad scope of modern lecturing has been revealed to me. The learnings have provided a deeper understanding of what will be required if I am to succeed in the role of a business school or university lecturer.

The interactions with my fellow delegates have been priceless and, in most cases, all have far greater experience in academia and teaching than I do. Observing their collective critical evaluation throughout the week has certainly provided a valuable parallel learning experience.

Finally, the subject and concepts of visual literacy in teaching have been highly stimulating and challenged me to think about both academic and industry applications.

This is a valuable course and I would suggest that is vital for industry leaders wishing to teach formally either full or part time.

Has the course delivered on its promise?


When I was a young college student I was fortunate enough to learn from some excellent professors. Two in particular brought very different experiences to the classroom. One was a long-time researcher and teacher and the other was a business professional who had made the transition to the classroom. The quality they each shared was interest in their students and concern that their students were really understanding the material. Since my college days I have enjoyed more than 35 years in business with 21 years at PwC as a tax partner. I have had the opportunity to teach our young professionals each year in formal classroom education as well as on the job, and I have had the chance to be a guest lecturer at several universities. My career at PwC is coming to a close and I am looking for the next challenge. I need to be intellectually engaged and challenged and I want to share knowledge and experience with young people who have an interest in accounting and taxation.

I have learned that my educational degrees, professional experience, prior teaching experience and the completion of the AACSB Bridge Programme constitute a good base of experience to support and move to a career in education at the university level.I have learned that gaining more insight and understanding into the culture of an institution is important in helping to find a university where I will be a good fit and a good colleague to the existing faculty. In that regard, I should continue to seek out opportunities to maintain and improve my classroom teaching experience and should network with current educators and seek their advice in finding a good teaching position that will fit with my skills.

The Bridge Programme has helped me to gain a better understanding of the accreditation process. More importantly, I have gained insight into the level of preparation required to prepare good content and to present that content in the best way to engage students and enhance the likelihood of their learning and understanding the material and valuing the experience.

While I am not technologically inept, I believe that I need to expand and improve my knowledge of technology so that I am better able to incorporate the use of software and hardware tools to be more effective in the classroom.

Lastly, the insights gained regarding managing the classroom, preparing content, planning for assessment and measurement and the impact of varying the classroom learning approach to engage students were all important learnings from the Bridge Programme.


Wayne RobinsonThe US Accountant’s Story

As an 18-year-old I decided to take a ‘year-out’ before attending university and quickly became too dependent on my £230pm salary to go back to full-time education! Instead, I pursued the professional qualifi-cation route in my chosen career (banking) and ‘topped off’ with an Open University MBA—an exercise in self-validation?

My recruitment to the higher education (HE) industry didn’t happen until 30 years later, and even then it was my business experi-ence rather than my academic capability that got me the post.

Having entered teaching and assessment through the ‘backdoor’ (as an MBA Pro-gramme Director) I joined the first ever UK based cohort of the CABS/AACSB Bridge Programme to fill the inevitable gaps in my knowledge.

It is vital to remember that many of the apparent barriers to success have their origins in highly commendable and infinitely sensible practices, and the key is to learn how to separate these from the ‘Spanish Practises’ which need to be eradicated. I found that, having ‘earned my place at the table’ by listening and understanding my academic colleagues’ issues before jumping in too soon, my business experience eventually came into its own and was highly valued—particularly by the more enlightened deans.

I particularly valued the Bridge Programme sessions on managing the classroom and designing programmes and assessments, noting, as I did, that they pull upon a lot of the same basics that make you successful in business.

Indeed, one of our inspirational guest speakers (a visiting dean) implored us to maintain our strengths of working to deadlines, accepting accountability and always thinking in terms of the bigger picture above all else.

My final ‘take-away’ was the work we did on making the learning environment as technically savvy as modern students demand. Many of us left with an action plan to upgrade our visual literacy, social media presence and software fluency.

One thing is certain. Any graduate of the Bridge Programme goes into academia with their eyes wide open. They not only bring a wealth of business skills and experience—but also have a cultural sensitivity about how best to deploy them.

I am proud to be counted amongst those graduates.


Phil RyanThe UK Retail Banker’s Story

Generically the HE sector has a much slower pace of life than the corporate world, a frustratingly long product development life-cycle and tiers of bureaucracy that can make the transition painful.

However, by finding one or two talented academic mentors (as I have been lucky enough to do), the road becomes more navigable.

Key Lessons

The transition from business to academia is a smoother process when taken one step at a time. Learning about the culture, chal-lenges and the very different (but no less real) problems facing an academic is best done before deciding to make the leap. It is particularly important to check your ego at the door and accept your role as a ‘novice’ in a brand new environment.

However, once the surface differences are reconciled, there are far more similarities than you might imagine in the two worlds.


Starting my career as an industrial engineer with a Master of Business Administration, I’ve progressed though varied industries, levels and roles. The roles were in Fortune 100 companies engaged in missile engineering, aerospace, consumer products, financial services and now consulting. Position titles include Director of Engineering, Chief Quality Officer, Chief Procurement Officer, Senior Vice President of quality and productivity to name a few. The one common element is my dedication to various forms of industrial engineering. Over the years, industrial engineering has been rebranded as total quality management, six sigma, lean, transformation engineering and now operational risk. I’ve been lucky enough to stay educated relevant through these transitions. As an aspiration, the next phase in my career will be as an adjunct university professor teaching what I’ve learned through my varied career.

Over the past few years, I’ve been a guest speaker working under the tutelage of Dr Don Addison, an instructor at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

Industry and businesses are complicated. Changing from industry to industry or business to business is very difficult, and academia is no different. There are complicated skill sets that need to be developed and nurtured to achieve success.

Don has opened the door and has been my inspiration to develop my teaching skills and credentials. During this initial phase of skills development, I’ve built the foundation of classroom etiquette. As if viewing a bridge from beneath it, I have learned but one aspect of university academic engagement. I’ve a keen desire to learn the key elements of success for a university-level instructor. Thus my interest and participation in the AACSB/CABS Bridge Programme.

‘I hear and I forget, I see and I remember. I do and I understand’. —Chinese Proverb. The Bridge Programme has opened a door of academic understanding. The programme leaders provided a skillfully crafted curriculum that is designed as an interactive experience.

Students are encouraged to actively participate through case studies, presentations, simulations and the use of technology. There was a massive volume of learning from the professors and the guest speakers. The topics ranged from real-world experience as a teacher, curriculum design, grading, presentation skills and conflict management. As an example, students role played interactions with difficult students in difficult situations. The learning from doing and witnessing my fellow classmates going through the simulations was invaluable. Additionally, the many guest speakers provided varied insights and perspectives on the world of academia. I now have a glimpse of the big picture.

Now it’s time for me to use what I’ve learned. I’m applying these learnings in two ways. With Queens University, I am proposing a unique certification program titled Business Transformation. The program, which provides either undergraduate or graduate credit, provides an overview of business-relevant skills in business process improvement, project management and change management. Secondly, I’ve set up a drone company named DroneScape for the purpose of drone training. I plan on using all of the tools that I’ve gained—wish me luck!

The Bridge

Key Lessons


Joe ValasquezThe American Engineer’s Story

Years later I returned to a classroom, but it was a different experience. The classroom was not the same anymore; it didn’t look like the one from high school and university days. Most important, my role was different. This time, I was standing, presenting, lecturing and teaching. Again, it felt good that first day in the classroom, when I had to share own experience and expertise. I liked the change; I still do. I am fully enjoying classroom experiences in corporate head offices downtown, in an industrial plant somewhere in a desert, in a five-star hotel in a wonderful seaside resort, or in a quiet, mountain retreat and picturesque chalet.

I am now spending a lot of time in university classrooms, among business students. The attraction is still formidable! It doesn’t matter if the classroom is noisy and full of students or empty and quiet. A full classroom is restless, there is agitation, anxiety; there is diversity in form, shape and spirit. Full classrooms are also sometimes quiet, with lots of eyes up or down, with lots of pencils and sheets of paper. An empty and quiet classroom in a spring afternoon is also irresistibly welcoming! One day I just I didn’t care about my office anymore, so I stayed in this classroom, took off my shoes, opened the windows, turned on my laptop and had the best of time, marking dissertations (!). Marking is certainly not that kind of job that instructors are going crazy about, doing it during a sunny, spring afternoon!

As a matter of fact, an empty classroom in a nice campus is a formidable temptation, a promise, a welcoming invitation to join, to get in the mood, sit down, read, think, write and learn!

Either way, empty or full, in a desert or in the city, at the top of the mountain or close to the beach, I have been privileged and enjoyed lively classroom experiences in London, Portsmouth, Dubai, Amman, Toronto, Kuwait, Zagreb, Muscat, Belgrade, Doha, Toronto, Sofia, Saint John, Vancouver, Bogota, Yanbu, Jubail, Barcelona, Lisbon, Beijing, Salzburg, Abu Dhabi, Skoplje, Sulaymaniyah and Ljubljana. I am looking forward to more, as classrooms are the core of what I do now, and what I shall do in the future. Classrooms are at the core of the decision where to go next, at the core of the transition to and from academia. Classrooms are also, for my colleagues in this AACSB programme, at the core of their bridging experience. A classroom is the place where they are considering now key decisions for their personal and professional path. It appears to me that we are attracted to this place and, perhaps, we want to take learning in a classroom at a different level; aren’t we?

Florin VladicaThe Romanian Sales Executive’s Story

In this book we are talking about our transition to academic life and the AACSB Bridge Programme we completed in the summer of 2015 in London. I shall write about classrooms, the place where I learn. We begin learning during our early years in life. One way or another, sooner or later throughout life, we go back into a classroom. Classroom experiences transform us and change the course of our lives. Classrooms can put us on some kind of pathway through life. Classrooms are at the core of my decision to teach, and part of my transition to academia.

Many years back I learned that is OK to ask a lot of questions, as there are no silly questions, and, most important, I learned that is OK to make mistakes. I was in my undergraduate days, during an engineering lab. I also learned that day that school will teach me to ask questions and where to look for the answers, but then the rest would up to me, what to do with the answers. Take, for example, the computer lab on the campus; there is so much you can ask, read, do and learn. All one needs to do is to turn on the computer—that is it! I still remember the day before my first day in class, in the MBA program. I spent the entire day in an empty computer lab, reading all kinds of things until night came, until the security guy asked me to leave as they were shutting down.

Classrooms


An exciting and rewarding career was launched when the director of my master’s in accounting program encouraged me to pursue my dream. I remember well the conversations I had with her and how she advised me to take the challenge. Since then, I have worked for and with small and large organisations, helping them develop and implement business plans and strategies. My work has always been in the financial services industry. I have executed complex deals and managed large-scale transformation projects, as well as been responsible for routine financial reporting tasks.

I recently read a book that has shaped my thinking about wanting to teach. Jacob Soll’s ‘The Reckoning: Financial Accountability and the Rise and Fall of Nations’ provides a sweeping history of accounting, complete with colourful examples of how societies have ignored basic good accounting at their peril. The book made me realise that complexity is not new but getting the basics right is more important now than ever.

I came to the AACSB Bridge Programme imagining that being an instructor was like what it was when I was in school. I thought I would need to practice giving a lecture and leading a case study, that much time would be spent grading papers and exams, and I hoped that I would have career discussions with students.

What I realised is that there is much more opportunity, in fact a demand, for interactive and learner-centreed teaching approaches—even for the basic accounting courses which I hope to teach. What a pleasant surprise.

A key takeaway was how technology is part of the learning approach and not just a means to display content. I left the course motivated to embrace technology in my teaching.

I have recently returned to the US after living and working in the UK and Europe for 13 years. I hope to bring my experience to the classroom and remember how important career conversations can be. My bridge is both real and symbolic.

The course did what it said it would and so much more. The presenters, some of whom had crossed the bridge themselves, delivered a framework to plan and teach high-quality courses and also shared their personal journeys. The director of the course practiced what he preached and we as students were thrust into visual literacy, flipped classrooms, role play exercises, an emotive case study, Twitter and of course, the Moodle. The closing day included an opportunity to practice a pitch to the entire class as well as some career counselling.

My bridge

Key Lessons


Cathryn WarnerThe Global Accountant’s Story

I’ve always been on a lifelong journey of learning, but I didn’t realise it until much later in life. Even more importantly, at the core of my being, I’m a teacher, but this wasn’t so obvious at first either. There were signs along the way that I missed. In high school, I was the kid who helped other students understand chemistry. I tutored my college friends in economics and statistics, and I developed a bit of a following. I taught undergraduate finance while I was pursuing my Master’s of Business Administration at Oklahoma State University. The dean of the Spears School of Business even tried to talk me into getting a PhD and pursing an academic career. Later, I taught at the University of California, San Diego. But it never really all added up until I went through the Bridge Programme.

There were three key takeaways from this programme. First, business education has changed a great deal. The stereotypical view that it’s out of touch with reality and too theoretical is just not true. It’s practical, hands on and based on today’s business realities. Educators are very aware of the issues in business and they have adjusted the educational experience to match. For example, the ‘sage on the stage’ approach is mostly gone. In its place, a facilitator gets students to collaborate to solve problems as a working team.

Knowledge is important, but it’s more important to learn how to produce results working with a group. The knowledge might fade, but the ability to work productively with a group will last an entire career.

Next, there are a number of techniques that work in the classroom and plenty of people who are more than willing to help the newly minted educator be successful. Everyone involved in the Bridge Programme offered a helping hand. One gets the sense that once you are part of the learning community, people will bring whatever resources they have to bear to help. At the session in London, there were more great ideas, best practices and lessons learned from the trenches than one could write down. Our notebooks doubled in size that week.

Lastly, there are many more paths to and through academia than one can imagine. In fact, everybody who shared their journey described a completely different experience, which brings me back to my path. The experience at the Bridge Programme made me delve deeply into the question of what’s next. As I considered a transition into academia, I realised that there are a few more things I want to accomplish in business before I make the shift.

Primarily, I want to hone my leadership, communication and business execution skills and take them all to the next level. Coupling these skills with all I learned at the Bridge Programme will make me an even better full-time educator in the future.

Rod WhitsonThe US Banker’s Story


A two-decade career in investment banking—and seeing the effects of the global financial crisis on my employer, clients and society at large—had left me asking questions. Questions that the hectic lifestyle of a front-line M&A managing director gave me little time to ponder.

But the seed had been planted and in 2011, and I enrolled in an evening MSc programme at LSE. The academic ethos of unfettered questioning and openness was both exciting and refreshing. I had seen the other side, but how to get across?

One major decision I made was to undertake a PhD, opening up a ‘traditional’ academic career. Two years in, I am still happy with this approach, laying the foundation for an ambitious second career.

But what of my hard-won business experience? The default setting appeared to be for this to count for nothing. Teaching assistant roles I was offered bore no relation to my banking skill set, and programme directors seemed disinterested in my background. My fear was, could I be competitive starting so far behind my peers? This felt counter-intuitive given student demand for ‘real-world’ detail.

Serendipitously the solution to this obstacle appeared as a bridge in the distance—the CABS/AACSB Bridge Programme to be precise. A programme that celebrated my experience rather than ignored it. Even better, it offered the chance to blend the best of academic and practitioner worlds into something great for business school students (and—dare I say it?—customers).

This sums up the programme for me—how to create exceptional student experience, giving them a flavour of the real world along with deep academic rigor and insights.

Putting the student at the centre of what we do remains my key takeaway. Perhaps it should not have been a surprise, as every successful business I’ve worked with puts its customers first, looks at the world from their perspective and adapts to their needs. However that wasn’t always my experience as a student/consumer nor perhaps the mindset of (all) my new academic colleagues. The programme’s thoughtful content on course design, classroom management and providing feedback very much redressed this balance, giving me tools that I am already using to plan future teaching.

And let’s be clear, there is no room for complacency. Richard Lyons at UCLA Haas famously predicted half of today’s schools would be out of business by 2024 (quoted in Clark 2014). Our sessions on technology and MOOCs only reinforced the risks and opportunities, echoing Sir John Daniel’s argument that ‘an important process is underway that will chart new paths’ (2012). However business school EdTech plays out, it will undoubtedly have a major effect and will reward those who deliver and adapt, whilst punishing those who don’t. This ‘adapt or fail’ message also applies to us as neophyte academics. Charles Handy has long argued for flexible careers and lifelong learning. And Handy sums up my sense of excitement from the programme when he argues, ‘If we change our attitudes, our habits, and the ways of some of our institutions, it can be an age of new discovery, new enlightenment, and new freedoms—an age of true learning’ (Age of Unreason 1989, p. 9).

ReferencesClark, P. (2014) ‘Online Programs Could Erase Half of U.S. Business Schools by 2020’. Bloomberg Business, http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-03-14/online-programs-could-erase-half-of-u-dot-s-dot-business-schools-by-2020.Daniel, H. (2012) ‘Making Sense of MOOCs: Musings in a Maze of Myth, Paradox and Possibility’. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/2012-18.Handy, C. (1989) Age of Unreason. Harvard Business School Press, Cambridge, MA.

Simon WildeThe UK Investment Banker’s Story

The UK AACSB Bridge Programme has been two years from conception to execution. I participated in the AACSB Programme at George Washington University in June 2014 just after completing my doctorate at Warwick Business School. At Cass, we’ve just pioneered the very first iteration outside the US. In helping executives move from the boardroom to the classroom, I’m following the same trajectory: I start my first full-time senior lecturer position on Monday.

For the past nine years, I’ve been immersed in debates about the legitimacy and impact of business schools, about industry engagement and the student experience. I have learned about the importance of the student experience, publications and real-world cases, and I’ve visited many business schools worldwide. I’ve also taught for the Open University for almost two decades, and I’ve enjoyed teaching at Birkbeck.

Transitions are tricky but necessary. Handy talks about S-curvers who must constantly reinvent themselves. The Bridge Programme has helped me gain confidence about what I need to work on: gaining rapport with students, being clear about expectations (especially assessment), ensuring interactions and using social media and classroom technology—as well as visual literacies and continuous improvement and innovation. The oscillating heartbeat symbol is an enduring reminder of the need to pace energy levels throughout a session. I have a great set of contacts and a passion for learning. I believe that business school teaching and research will sustain me for the next stretch of my career, and working with digital natives will keep me current. It’s been fun role-playing, debating and dining with highly experienced business people and budding instructional practitioners and working with Clive and Robyn, bridging academia and practice.


Julie DaviesThe Deputy CEO’s Story

The UK Bridge Programme has been two years and five months in the making. The concept of this programme was introduced to me upon my return from maternity leave. The original Bridge Program has been in existence since 2006 and, over the years, I’ve become less connected to the day-to-day planning of it; however, my desire has stayed strong to bring this programme internationally as I’ve witnessed first-hand the immense change it has had on our programme graduates as well as the students and schools they continue to impact. I have been approached to guest-lecture and, up to this point, have said no because I want to ensure I can be the best at whatever I do, need the time to devote to it adequately, and because I am a little hesitant/nervous!

Students around the world are all the same yet different, and faculty around the world are also the same yet different. For the past 10 years, I have been immersed in the world of Business Education, and the deeper I involve myself the more I understand how individuals really can and do make a difference. I have been able to be a part of this global community engagement initiative and want more of it, more face-to-face and virtual global connectedness, more of helping schools globally improve and innovate and more encouragement of students of all types to embrace life-long learning

This class has forever forged the path for future Bridge Programmes as being the first in the UK. I am honoured to represent AACSB International and to have worked with Clive and Julie and the wonderful organizations they represent. I look forward to using this inaugural UK programme as a springboard to run more bridge programmes globally. I am inspired by being a part of each of your individual journeys on bridging between corporate life and academia. There is a real need for practitioners to cross that bridge.

Key Lessons


Robyn HallThe US Assistant Vice President’s Story

After taking a Master’s degree in management, Clive trained as an accountant and was Young Accountant of the Year in 1976. Following six years as a Director of Finance and IT, he moved to Cass Business School in 1988. His research interests include management learning and the strategic exploitation of information systems. He has been an adviser to the European Parliament on educational technology and led a major EU project on intangibles. In 2002 he was named as one of the top three e-tutors in the UK, and in 2003 was awarded a UK National Teaching Fellowship. In 2014 Clive was awarded the Cass Business School prize for Innovation in Teaching and Learning.

Clive is Director of the Cass Learning Laboratory, founded in 2003, which continues to carry out research and development into innovative teaching and learning methods, both digital and analogue. From 2008, he was a founder and board member of knowhownonprofit.org, exploiting the web as a vehicle for informal management learning; he particularly was involved in creation of the world’s first online management soap opera. Clive is currently focused on high-engagement learning, including the use of online role play simulations, working in collaboration with other schools across City University.

Clive is author of a large number of publications, and he lectures, broadcasts and consults in the UK and internationally. He was a founding member of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, the City of London’s 100th livery company.

Clive HolthamThe UK Academic’s Story

For more information, contact the AACSB Bridge Programme at: [email protected] or +1 813 367 5215

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