University News Last updated 29 March 2011
Chris Edger, a Professor of Multi-unit Leadership in Birmingham City Business School (BCBS), delivered an inaugural lecture in Central Birmingham on Thursday 17 March. The lecture was attended by over one hundred business leaders, area managers and professional body members.
Professor Edger, a former Executive Director with Mitchells and Butlers Plc, introduced a new model of Multi-Unit leadership based on extensive research into the effectiveness of area managers in the service, retail and leisure sectors. Centred around the central insight that effective Multi-Unit Leaders seek portfolio optimisation through facilitating the exchange of labour, knowledge and capital across their areas, Professor Edger outlined a model that had already resulted in one major client gaining a 536% return on investment through their area managers attending the MSc in Multi-Unit Leadership at BCBS.
During the lecture, Professor Edger also formally introduced the Academy of Multi-unit Leadership, which is becoming the UK’s leading centre for service, retail and leisure multi-unit leadership. The academy is currently working with large organisations including St Gobain, Greene King Plc, Rank Plc and the Spar Group, and offers bespoke Multi-Unit Leadership and Strategy programmes to national and multi-national organisations.
Following the event, Professor Edger commented: “The presentation was very well received, and I hope I gave the various levels of leaders in attendance an idea of the impact that our courses can have on the performance effectiveness of their unit and area managers. Our newly formed Academy of Multi-Unit Leadership has already established excellent partner organisations to work with, which we will extend moving forward”
To contact Professor Chris Edger, please use tel: 0121 331 5221 or email: christian.edger@bcu.ac.uk. Alternatively, for more information on the Academy of Multi-Unit Leadership, please visit www.bcu.ac.uk/mul.