More than 120 Lancaster MBA students, alumni, corporate partners and guests attended the programme's 2023 London dinner event on 15^th June.

The event was held in the stunning 1901 Ballroom at the Andaz London Liverpool Street hotel; a welcomingly cool venue on a hot London evening!

Following a networking drinks reception, attendees were welcomed by MBA Programme Director Dr Robyn Remke.

Robyn spoke about the strength of the Lancaster MBA network and thanked the many alumni and programme partners for their invaluable support. She also introduced attendees to the latest offering in the Lancaster MBA programmes suite: the Cyber Security Executive MBA.

The highlight of the evening was an engaging and inspiring address by guest speaker Andy Rubin, Deputy Chair of Pentland Group.

Andy shared insights into some of the developments, successes and challenges experienced by Pentland, a successful family business in its fourth generation of owners and behind well-known brands such as Speedo, Canterbury, Berghaus and Ellesse.

Business success aside, Andy's focus on professional and personal wellbeing struck a chord with the audience. He shared his top ten tips, captured below by current Lancaster MBA student, Prasad Waragade:

• Embrace Change: "What got you here won't get you there." The world is constantly changing, so you need to be able to adapt and grow.
• Discover Your Purpose: What are you passionate about? What do you want to achieve in your life? Once you know your purpose, you can start to make decisions that align with it.
• Leadership is Evolving: Learn and grow as a leader. Be open to feedback and be willing to change.
• Foster a high-performance team by creating a psychologically safe environment: People feel comfortable taking risks and being themselves.
• Cultivate Your Personal Brand: Define your values and identify the non-negotiables. What do you stand for? What are you willing to fight for?
• Control the Controllable: Focus on what you can control and learn how to communicate effectively.
• Nurture a Growth Mindset: Believe that you can learn and grow. Be bold and take on new challenges.
• Remember Yourself: Find your way to live a happy and long life.
• Build Deep and Meaningful Relationships: Surround yourself with people who support you and from whom you can learn. Find the purpose of the second half of your life.
• Take Time to Think About Your Funeral: Write a speech, and work backwards. Think about what you want your legacy to be. What do you want people to say about you after you're gone?

Pentland Group has strong connections with Lancaster University. They support the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business, bringing together diverse expertise to tackle the challenges of climate change and inequality.