University News Last updated 03 December 2010
One of Birmingham City University's newest senior appointments, Professor Chris Edger, has scooped a top prize in the Personnel Today Awards.
Professor Edger and his team were nominated for the 'HR Impact of the Year' Award prior to his joining the University. Previously he was the Group HR, Service and Productivity director at Mitchells & Butler, which has 42,000 employees and brands such as Harvester, Toby, All bar One and Browns.
Included in the award submission was the impact of training and development schemes at line management and retail staff level which have contributed to higher levels of stability, productivity, service and performance. Over the past year M&B has developed in conjunction with the University ground breaking programmes such as the Post-Graduate Certificate, diploma and masters in Multi-Unit Leadership aimed at increasing line management capabilities.
M&B beat other short-listed candidates Boots, Santander, McDonalds and 3M to the prize which was presented on Tuesday 30 November at the Mayfair Hilton.
Professor Edger joined the University's Birmingham City Business School (BCBS) in July as Professor of Multi-Unit Leadership and is attached to the University’s Centre for Leadership and Management. He is the first of two 'Professors of Practice' who are helping to develop and shape BCBS as a leading practice-based business school.
On learning of the success Professor Edger said: "This is a wonderful way to mark my first six months at BCBS.
"Currently M&B has six cohorts at the Business School, totalling over 100 unit and area managers, taking either the Certificate or the Diploma in Multi-Unit Leadership. New clients from the leisure and retail sectors will be starting on the programme next year: further announcements will follow shortly!"