Juergen Maier, CEO of Siemens UK, is hosting a masterclass for manufacturing and engineering SMEs in the North West on 20th September 2017 at the globally-renowned Lancaster University’s Management School, focusing on the importance of leadership to a company's productivity. 

The event will be delivered as part of the region's ‘Productivity through People’ (PtP) - a support programme created in response to the low levels of productivity seen across the UK since the 2008 economic crash. It sees leading academics from Lancaster University Management School join forces with experts from industrial partners Siemens, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce to support leaders of small and medium sized businesses by providing access to some of the latest techniques and research. The aim is for this to translate into practical guidance to help create high performing businesses, each with a fully engaged workforce.

The programme’s pilot, which was launched in January 2017, has successfully delivered productivity gains for participating companies and the programme is now being replicated in other parts of the UK.

Juergen Maier is a member of the Productivity Leadership Group which comprises of figureheads from some of the best performing, internationally recognised businesses. He said: “It is the essence of a good leader to inspire and energise. Unlocking your leadership qualities drives not just your own behaviour but makes others around you more productive and impacts the bottom line.”

Professor Andrew Atherton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University, said: “In a true collaboration with industry, this programme provides entrepreneurial and ambitious small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with access to the latest thinking, frameworks and practical help to enable them to be more efficient and bring about meaningful change. Businesses participating in the programme say that they quickly translated the learning into tangible results.  PtP will not only enhance their own success, but also positively impact on our regional and national economies.”

Aimed at manufacturing and engineering SMEs in the North West, the Productivity through People programme is currently recruiting 24 key decision makers for a 5^th December 2017 start. Due to investment from the industrial partners, Lancaster University and the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership; the cost of the programme is heavily subsidised and SMEs are only required to pay a nominal fee of £2,500 per delegate.

Juergen Maier’s free talk, entitled 'Strong leadership as the key to driving productivity' will take place between 5.30pm and 7.30pm at Lancaster University Management School on 20^th September. To attend the session, or to find out more about Productivity through People, call 01524 510728, email ptp@lancaster.ac.uk or visit Lancaster.ac.uk/lums/ptp