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Issue No. 2 / August 2010

Titles

In This Issue Chinese Demystified Luxury Brands Today Guiding Stars: Meet the Mentors

Welcome Welcome to the second edition of the EBS London Magazine. We want this magazine to connect the alumni, staff, students and friends of EBS London, to give an insight into the work of the school and celebrate the success of our community. Alumni featured in this magazine show how diverse and vibrant the EBS London community is. More members are joining this exclusive club every year adding to the depth of creativity and talent. This magazine serves to illustrate the significant benefit of being part of this growing network. We hope to inspire you to become more involved in the life of our community and to reconnect you with your alumni network. The chance to play a bigger role could start with dropping in to a comeback session, helping to organise a reunion or becoming an alumni mentor. Contributions to this magazine are welcome so if you would like to get involved or to make suggestions for future issues then please email the Alumni Relations Team at alumni@regents.ac.uk

EBS London Magazine Keeping you in touch with EBS London EBS London Magazine is produced by the Alumni Relations Team. Edited by Andy Harris Sarah Lewis Head of Alumni Relations and Events David Whitaker

Contributors Neri Karra Linda Li Josef Mueller York Zucchi Contact Alumni Relations Alumni Relations and Events Regent’s College, Inner Circle Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4NS T +44 (0)20 7487 7700 E alumni@regents.ac.uk W www.regents.ac.uk

Illustration Allan Deas / Agency Rush Photography Bex Singleton Anna Gordon © EBS London Magazine All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any photograph, text or illustration without permission from the publisher is prohibited. Due care is taken to ensure the content of EBS London Magazine is fully accurate, but the publisher cannot accept liability for ommissions or errors.

This magazine can be made available in larger print or alternative formats for people with visual impairment or dyslexia. Please contact the Alumni Relations Team for fur ther information, on 020 7487 7793 or by e-mail to alumni@regents.ac.uk

Contents Vision Foreword by the Dean of Business and Management

Features Changing the Rules of Luxury The Chinese Language Demystified South Africa: a view from the ground Guiding Stars: Meet the Mentors Ready to launch

6 8 12 20 24

News EBS London News iCES News Alumni News

4 14 32

Alumni in Profile Pia Stanchina Alexis Bonte Tobias Mews Alex Masters Michelle Pinto

18 28 36 38 40

Your News EBS London Reunion Events

42 34 44

EBS London Magazine

Foreword The European Business School continues to grow from strength to strength. We are proud to launch the MA in Luxury Brand Management this September, a full time one-year programme for those students interested in a career in the Luxury Goods and Services market sectors. This unique course breaks new ground in a fast-growing global field of luxury brands. Our strong working relationship with the Luxury Marketing Council of Europe has helped us with the development of the programme. Other successes since the last edition of the EBS London magazine have been the re-validation of the MSc Global Banking and Finance and the MBA International Business. Significant in the success of our MBA was the introduction of a new mentoring scheme, matching up current students with friends and alumni of the college. We’re recruiting new mentors now, so I hope to see many more of you involved soon. The number of students continues to grow on these programmes as they continue to reach out into current practices found in the financial sector and international business. We have been able to build a virtual trading room through the provision of a Thomson-Reuters suite which enables students and staff to access the very same live and historic data on financial markets, corporate news and global economic data in exactly the same format, detail and breadth that is available to current practitioners. In fact the opportunity for EBS London students to gain access to on-line data and other resources has been the focus of significant investment over the last 12 months with a significant expansion in the area of on-line academic journals. Regent’s College has applied in July this year for the right to have our own taught degree awarding powers, since we believe we are an institution which has developed the appropriate quality assurance and enhancement systems that would merit such a status. The process for this application will take a minimum of 12 months to achieve our objective – so watch this space! The benefits of this status will be many – but above all will allow us much greater flexibility in the design of our curriculum. I am very proud of EBS London and what it has achieved. I have no doubt that we shall continue to be a leading provider of International Business Education.

Martin Timbrell Dean of Business and Management

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

EBS London Magazine

EBS London News Robin Hood Tax The Institute of Contemporary European Studies (iCES) hosted a presentation by David Hillman, head of the NGO ‘Stamp out Poverty’, on the possibility of ‘Robin Hood Tax’ being introduced on financial market transactions. The Robin Hood Tax would be levied on banks, hedge funds and other finance institutions such as foreign exchange, derivatives and share deals, at an average of 0.05 per cent, to potentially raise hundreds of billions of pounds every year.

The event, organised and chaired by Alan Sitkin, Pathway Leader for the EBS MA in International Business, was very timely, since the European Parliament had that very afternoon voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution supporting such a levy. David Hillman’s presentation included a short film that he put together with actor Bill Nighy and screenwriter Richard Curtis. The talk coincided with a discussion in the House of Commons on the issue. The evening was interesting and polemic, according to Sitkin, given that the Robin Hood Tax embodies criticisms of the status quo in global banking system, a stance that met with both approval and disapproval of the audience. A follow up event on the issue featuring David Hillman is planned in 2011.

Building a bridge to France Earlier this year a team of International Business students organised an intercultural event for Year 8 and Year 9 students from Deptford Green School, London. The “Bon Voyage” themed event aimed to create an experience for the school children through creative and sporting fundraising interactions. The funds raised contributed to the “Bridge to France” initiative, which aimed to send disadvantaged children from Deptford Green School to France, on a 5 day residential scheme to improve their language and cultural awareness skills. The event had additional beneficial outcomes for the EBS London students, as well as the school children who were involved. The event provided an opportunity for the students to put their management theory into practice and learn how to motivate and inspire both the school children and their peers. The initiative also provided an ideal opportunity for students to gain experience in monitoring and coaching, mentoring the school children and developing their self esteem through the activities. Speaking after the event, a teacher at Deptford Green School said “The children had the fun of the year and really took on responsibility with you guys, thanks so much, you pushed the children a huge step forward and made them feel proud”.

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

Left to right Dr Karem Roitman, Richard Lavers and Linda Cross

UK – Ecuador Relations: A 25 Year Perspective On July 8, Regent’s College had the honour of hosting a talk by her Excellency Linda Cross, UK Ambassador to Ecuador. Ambassador Cross discussed UK and Ecuador relations, in a far-reaching lecture that covered history and politics as well as local colour and current events. Linda Cross has spent 32 years working in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, serving in Rabat, Prague, Washington, Paris, Vienna, New York, Tirana, Baku, Yekaterinburg. She has also served twice in Quito, which has given her great insight into the interplay of culture and politics. She shared these insights with an audience of academics, policy makers, alumni and other individuals interested in diplomacy and Latin America. Several Ecuadorians living in the UK were also in the audience, who

were keen to discuss current events with the Ambassador at the drink reception that followed her talk. The audience particularly enjoyed listening to the exchange between Ambassador Cross and Mr Richard Lavers, former UK ambassador to Ecuador, who could discuss how Ecuador has changed, and how the Foreign Office is adapting to changing times. Ambassador Cross’ talk was jointly organised by Dr Karem Roitman, International Relations Lecturer at Regent’s College, and the AngloEcuadorian Society, which supports several children charities in Ecuador and seeks to strengthen the links between Ecuador and the UK. Regent’s College was proud to host a highly informative event that also supported its ethos of global citizenship, creating international links of scholarship and public support.

London Green500 This summer Regent’s College was awarded a Green500 Award for its environmentally friendly initiatives and green thinking. Regent’s College has worked tirelessly to maximise the efficiency of its listed buildings across the College estate. Creating an extensive programme of work under Green500, the College has put exceptional thought and care into projects, with added extras such as carbon neutral carpets and ionising gas magnets. Green500 is one of a number of London Development Agency initiatives, which aim to reduce the capital’s CO2 emissions. The aim of Green500 is to enlist some of London’s largest and most prestigious organisations, and mentor them through their carbon reduction commitments. “I applaud all our winners for leading the way and for inspiring others of the virtues in doing the same” Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

EBS London Magazine

Changing the Rules of Luxury One of the first questions I was asked in my new role as programme manager for the MA in Luxury Brand Management was simply ‘what is luxury?’ One would think that an answer to such question would be simple, and that the first thing that comes to mind are the traditional luxury brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada and Ferrari. However, such an answer is no longer simple. The definition of luxury has taken a very interesting course – with clear economic and social differences in earlier civilizations, luxury was easy to define. Whatever the elite alone could have was identified as luxury. As we moved into the twentieth century, luxury was no longer available to the elite few, therefore making the definition of luxury much more complex.

There are several researchers who still insist that what defines luxury is the feeling of “belonging to an exclusive club”. On the other hand, Jean-Noel Kapferer takes an existential approach and claims that luxury are those items that provide extra pleasure by flattering all senses at once. Professor Bernard Dubois’s approach is more practical and defines luxury as a specific higher-priced tier of offer in almost any product or service category. While these definitions are varied and subjective in nature, they all point to specific characteristics such as uniqueness, high quality, exclusivity, high price, and rarity. In my opinion such varied definitions, and the fact that there is not yet one agreed definition of luxury, strengthens the complexity and varied nature of what luxury is, and what luxury brands are. In fact, luxury brands seem to move with the changing times – from being available to the elite few, to democratisation, and being available to the masses, and now adapting to the changing economic and social conditions.

The recent financial downturn and economic conditions have hit the luxury industry and perhaps altered our perception of what luxury really is. The all-important middle-income earners, who were the driving force behind democratisation of luxury are now forced to consider their spending, while the cash-rich consumers began to question their luxury purchases like never before. It is the present economic climate that is now redefining how we view luxury, and how as business owners, academics and managers could create sustainable and successful luxury brands. The sexy advertisements, celebrity endorsements and clever words no longer work. So, what are the new rules when it comes to luxury brand management?

very good example of a luxury brands that has remained authentic to its values and delivering the very best to their customers, and the reason why a used Hermes bag would sell for only ten per cent less than the original price. Above all, the changing face of luxury now dictates that managers remain agile and flexible, and not be afraid to redesign our business models when needed. It is about remaining open and doing business not only with your mind, but your heart. One size no longer fits all, and it takes constant work, care and nurturing in order to evolve with your customers. There are four key factors that emerge as the new rules of luxury brand management: First, it is about agility. It is truly about delivering the best

The recent financial downturn and economic conditions have hit the luxury industry and perhaps altered our perception of what luxury really is. Having interviewed leading designers and owners of luxury brands and running my own luxury fashion label for the last ten years, I believe the remedy is simple. It is about going back to basics of true luxury – grounding promises in authenticity, uniqueness, and relevance. In other words, instead of being seduced by opportunities to improve margins at the expense of quality, it is now about discovering what makes luxury different and original from the rest, and rediscovering the art of craftsmanship, the exclusivity of human touch and interaction, and the excitement of selling dreams to your customers. For instance, Hermes is a

product and service, while remaining on the same page with the customer. Dolce and Gabbana recently launched a very well designed and managed social marketing strategy by employing young, technology and fashion savvy staff. The aim is to remain plugged in to their customers, their needs, and how they think, what they say, wear, and even how they have fun. Second, it is about creativity – not only when it comes to delivering delight, surprise and dreams to their customers, but remaining creative and innovative when it comes to their business model. Third, integrity and reliability – that the customer will get the most

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

outstanding material honed in the hands of true craftsman. Finally, it is about consistency – those brands that have remained consistent in their message, but also in their service and product, and have done so for centuries are the same brands that keep going for many years to come, and do so in the face of challenges and changing definitions of luxury. Dr Neri Karra Programme Manager MA Luxury Brand Management

Neri Karra Dr. Neri Karra joined Regent’s College in July; she is a successful fashion entrepreneur who manages her own luxury leather products label and is also a leading academic on fashion entrepreneurship. Neri completed her PhD in Management Studies at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. Her research interests include internationalisation of new ventures, family business, and creative ventures. Her research was nominated for the William H Newman Award for best paper from a doctoral thesis and was a finalist for Best Paper in International Management at the Academy of Management. Her book on international expansion in creative ventures was published in 2008.

For your opportunity to have luxury at affordable prices see our special alumni offer on page 33.

EBS London Magazine

The Chinese Language Demystified Over the last ten years, the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language in Europe has moved from a marginal to a more prominent position, fuelled by the rising importance of China economically and, to some extent, politically. Chinese has been taught at EBS London for more than ten years, as part of the BA in International Business.

What do we mean when we say “Chinese”? China is such a big country that there are many dialects and languages. The official spoken language is called Pŭtōnghuà (common speech), a spoken language primarily based upon the Beijing and northern phonetic systems. It is called Mandarin in the West. In the UK, a lot of Chinese people speak Cantonese as they are from Hong Kong, and Cantonese is a dialect spoken by about 65 million people in Hong Kong and the adjacent provinces in mainland China such as Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainai. Other important dialects include the Shanghai dialect and the Fujian dialect (the province facing Taiwan). At Regent’s College, we teach Mandarin. Why is Chinese perceived to be difficult for Western learners? While Chinese is considered a difficult language by most people in the West, fluency can be achieved in a few years. Much of the perceived difficulty of Chinese stems from the fact that its script is very different from western alphabetic languages, rather than the language itself. There are three main areas which are perceived to be difficult for western learners: pronunciation, tone, and characters. As far as pronunciation is concerned, the same or similar sounds can be found in western phonetic systems. There is a system for writing Chinese in romanised characters (pinyin) which is used to teach Mandarin as a second language. This allows spoken Chinese to be broken down into individual sounds represented by alphabetical letters. In this system there are six single vowels, which are relatively easy to pronounce. Among the 21 consonants, 13 are more or less the same as in English; the other 8 are similar to some consonant clusters. Admittedly, for many European speakers the fine distinction between [q] – chee as in ‘cheese’ and [ch] – ch as in ‘church’ and [zh] – dr as in ‘drive’ may seem puzzling at first.

Tone

Mark

Note

mā

High Level

má

Medium to High Level

mǎ

High to Bottom

mà

Low medium to Bottom to High

Neutral - low flat - no stress

Diagram 1

Mandarin is a tonal language, which means that pitch is used to signal difference in meaning between words. Whereas an English word does not change its meaning depending on the pitch or tone with which it is pronounced, whether high or low, rising or falling, Meaning words in Chinese do. As an example, while the sound ma means ‘horse’ if Mum pronounced with a falling and then rising Hemp tone, the same sound pronounced with Horse a rising tone means ‘hemp’, and with a Curse falling tone it means ‘curse’. Altogether Particle there are four such different tones in Chinese, as shown in diagram 1.

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

Titles This is new to most western learners, and may seem daunting at the beginning, but words are always used in context, which means that people will still understand what you mean even though the tone may be wrong.

Pictographs and their evolution

Sun

Mountain

The Chinese script is based on characters. Whereas the letters of the alphabet represent individual sounds, a character usually corresponds to a spoken syllable with a basic meaning. There are about 7000 widely used characters in modern Chinese, but the most frequently used 1,000 characters cover 90% of modern readings; and the most frequently used 2,500 characters even cover 98.0%. Many Chinese characters evolved from pictographs, a visual representation of the object referred to. Starting with the pictographs, learners can make sense of the characters. Chinese characters do not change their form, once a character is learned it will remain the same. Chinese language and Chinese culture Learning Chinese can help you to understand Chinese culture because, as in all languages, they are closely related to each other. The following characters illustrate this relationship: 人 means person in Chinese. When 人 stretches his/her arms, it is大 and it means big. But no matter how big you are, there is something on top of your head.That is 天 which means sky. In Chinese, sky and heaven is one word and it is considered the sovereign in the world. Country and home, 国means country and 家 means home，国家 together they form the word for state or country. There are two meanings indicated in the word: country precedes families and families are the cells of the social fabric of a country.

Linda Li Associate Head of the Depar tment of Languages and Cross-Cultural Studies / Pathway Leader in Chinese and Japanese

EBS London Magazine

The adventure of learning Chinese Growing up in a multicultural family enabled me to travel and encouraged me to understand different cultures

around the world. At the age of 15, by travelling to Hong Kong, I realised the importance of Asia globally, and more specifically China. Although Hong Kong is not quite the same in many respects as mainland China, for a young European like me, it was fascinating to learn about this very different culture. The most captivating aspect during this first trip to Asia was the mystery behind the Chinese characters. Not being able to even guess the meaning of these writings was very intriguing and enhanced my curiosity and interest for the language. I decided to challenge myself to learn Mandarin Chinese. I was very excited to start my first semester of Chinese at EBS London, which was not as difficult as I had expected. Indeed my teacher Gao Laoshi (meaning teacher in Chinese), with all her encouragement, made me enjoy this experience, even the process of learning

the basics which can often be boring. I also started studying the different characters and their current as well as

their ancient meanings. Having a visual memory I discovered it was relatively easy for me to remember them, this was also encouraged by the fact that it was fun to observe our continuous progress. As part of my programme I went to China for a year to study the language more intensively, one semester in Beijing and one semester in Nanjing. My aim before going there was to reach a fairly high level of Chinese. However arriving in Beijing was an awakening, not only did I have to adapt to a new and very different environment, I also realised that I could barely understand anything or make myself understood, which was quite frustrating. My language level was poorer than I had thought. The teachers in Beijing were excellent and the start of the course was like being brainwashed! We kept on repeating the main Chinese syllables over and over again, just phonetically. Although

this was not interesting in itself, it was fundamental to my learning. Indeed one does not realise how important intonation is until you arrive in China and observe that most locals do not understand a word you are saying. Yes, it does hurt your ego but I guess in order to learn Chinese you have to give it up for a while. As a result of this total immersion within the Chinese culture, and having acquired a strong base, I could interactively follow a conversation with locals after only three months. I was lucky enough to be in China during the Olympics and seized the opportunity to work for the French Olympic committee; my language skills were a clear advantage. I realised how important this asset was to me when I was working for this organisation and by observing the strong position of China within the global economy. My second semester was spent in Nanjing, a city which I also came to love. My studies there were harder as I was placed in a much higher level class due to the speaking abilities I had acquired by making Chinese friends, watching Chinese TV and films, and practicing as much as I could with the locals. After a year I had fallen in love with this country and its secrets, and my lovehate relationship with it made it very difficult to leave. I realised that I would always make the effort to practice my Chinese as much as I could, no matter where I would be. When I came back to EBS London from my Study Period Abroad, my level of Chinese was fairly advanced, which enabled my classmates and I to enjoy business Chinese classes by discussing subjects such as philosophy, economics, marketing, finance and international management. Crystelle Desnoyer Final year student BA International Business

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

Yunzhen Liu An Introduction Yunzhen Liu joined Regent’s College in February as a Lecturer in Chinese. She is currently completing a PhD in Educational and Applied Linguistics, focusing on heritage and non-heritage Chinese learners’ perceptions of learning strategy. What are your impressions of Regent’s College after one semester? The most striking feature is the physical environment, with the College being located in the middle of Regent’s Park, which creates a very relaxed atmosphere. I particularly appreciate the small-group teaching that is possible here. Students whose first language is an alphabetical language find Chinese characters difficult – what can you do to make the learning process easier for them?

The most striking feature is the physical environment, with the College being located in the middle of Regent’s Park, which creates a very relaxed atmosphere It is important to teach characters systematically: students need to learn the structure of the characters as some of them are written top to bottom, some from left to right, and some from the outside to the inside. In terms of the sequence of strokes, we use technology and animation to teach students writing skills.

Chinese tones are unusual for western learners – how do you introduce students to this concept? It is good to make learners think of situations they are familiar with: the first tone is flat and high – I ask students to think of a doctor who examines a patient’s throat and asks them to say ‘aah’. The second tone is rising – I ask students to think of the second part of the expression ‘aha?’ used when signalling understanding/surprise in a conversation. The third tone starts from low down and then rises, and could be compared to uttering ‘mhmm’, while the fourth tone goes from high to low and is similar to ‘aah’ – the sound uttered when you finally understand something. What are your research interests? I am interested in the difference in learning strategies between heritage and non-heritage learners of Chinese. Learners with a Chinese cultural

background who grew up in a nonChinese environment have a different approach to learning Chinese; they often have an advantage in listening comprehension and in speaking. I am investigating the specific differences: what affects their selection of strategies, and how strategies affect their Chinese learning achievement. I have also co-conducted a study to investigate the pitch in tone-language speakers, which has found that tone type, age, exposure and musical experience effect how linguistic pitch is perceived and produced, and how pitch representation is affected by bilingual language users. Apart from Second Language Acquisition, my academic and research interests also lie in the areas of Intercultural/Crosscultural Communication.

EBS London Magazine

South Africa: a view from the ground I live and invest in Africa and I am passionate about South Africa but not unrealistic. What is considered known about South Africa is usually based on assumptions and newsmaking information or events. There is substantial confusion between the real and the perceived risks. Perceived risks are often due to cultural differences which if one is aware of, are part of the process of managing the situation. Business in South Africa The infrastructure is in many ways comparable with Europe and the US when it comes to banking, telecoms, roads and healthcare but in my view the opportunities are bigger in part thanks to the strong need for services and products in a market that is far from saturated. In some ways, nothing has really changed in just over a century. Johannesburg still has a mining town mentality with plenty of cowboy capitalists, scam artists, the “I know the President’s cousin, sister, brother in law…” business proposals and those that abuse positions of power. But the truth is more complicated and in my view, far more positive.

The eyes of the world were on South Africa this summer during the FIFA World Cup, York Zucchi (EBS London Alumnus, 1999) shares his experiences of developing business opportunities in South Africa.

Africa is in many ways an inefficient market with a lack of transparency and low accountability. However the infrastructure of South Africa is largely comparable with Europe and the US in many ways. In my view the opportunities in South Africa are bigger, in part thanks to the strong need for services and products in a market that is far from saturated. While it is true that a lot of scandals, nepotism, corruption and peculiar tender awarding processes happen each day, it is not a concern as it is something I would expect from a young economy where everyone is trying

to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;grab the goldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and stake their flag while it lasts. There are already signs that the gold rush is nearing the end. The empowerment initiatives are now being tweaked to become fairer and more representative. From a political perspective, the ruling party is still the ANC (African National Congress) but today it is virtually unrecognisable as representing the original ideals embodied by Nelson Mandela. It is a party umbrella that covers multiple factions of political schools; the uneducated rural person; the old

humour and a charming way of living. With the exception of a couple of hot spots like Zimbabwe and Somalia, Africa is generally in one of the more peaceful periods it has ever been.We are seeing presidents of countries step down voluntarily, which was unheard of only a few years ago. There is mass proliferation of telecommunications infrastructure and cellular coverage and reach is expanding exponentially. With telecommunication comes information and education piggybacking those networks.

In my view the opportunities in South Africa are bigger, in part thanks to the strong need for services and products in a market that is far from saturated. war veterans; new middle class Africans; the current political elite who are fighting to control the country and its economy; and a new, more responsible and well educated generation. Just looking at my network I see young (35-45) people who are educated, intelligent, informed and far less radical and short term opportunistic than their parents. People who want to make a difference to their areas of involvement and their communities. People who want to be rewarded for their achievements and not based on the colour of their skin. Developing Infrastructure Africa is a vast continent of amazing beauty and contrasts that exist side by side; wild and sophisticated; advanced and primitive. In general, the people in Africa have a heartfelt smile, a welcoming attitude, a great sense of

There are still many issues among them pover ty, crime, unemployment and a sophisticated infrastructure that is becoming more superficial than real, showing a penchant for grandiose projects of the political elite. The billions spent on a train line to link Johannesburg and Pretoria to the airpor t for instance could have been more usefully deployed to build a second rail line to link the ports with the main industrial cities, supporting the growth of exports. There are also good signs; the creation of a special tax haven in South Africa for international companies wanting to invest across Africa; a very efficient and relatively simple tax system; and a rule of law that although far from perfect still works efficiently. Security I often get asked if the crime situation is out of control. I believe that crime

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

should not be underestimated as it is a serious issue. However it is often quite localised within certain communities, although random and planned acts of violence do happen and South Africans have learnt to adapt. Those that are probably most affected by crime are the poor urban communities. White collar crime, including corrupt government officials, is quite prevalent and a certain, unfortunate, tolerance exists. However these do not go unreported by the media and many do get exposed; freedom of speech and the press is still a very positive factor in South Africa. In my experience the investment risk in South Africa is no greater than in other countries, provided the sectors and markets are carefully chosen. The opportunities and returns are far more substantial than, for example, in Europe and the US. Africa is waking up and is looking for investors who want to prosper together with the local people under the umbrella of mutual respect.

York Zucchi York was born in Switzerland and raised in Italy and Germany. He graduated from EBS London with a BA in European Business Administration (1999). In 2007 York developed his own company, which he aims to make into one of the leading private investment firms in Africa. His company, based in Switzerland and South Africa, represents European companies that have interests and ambitions in Africa.

EBS London MagazinE

dr Veronica Barassi an introduction After obtaining her PhD in Media and Anthropology, Dr Barassi has joined Regent’s College to complete her doctoral research funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). She is exploring the connection between political imaginations, media technologies and social movements in Britain, by looking at the ethnographic context of international campaigning organisations and the trades unions. ‘The relationship between media and dominant ideologies is a central issue of academic debate, but the role of alternative media in the construction of oppositional political discourses is largely under-investigated. My project analysed this relationship by relying on the theories and methodologies of both anthropology and media studies to provide an original and crossdisciplinary reflection on alternative media and political identity; on digital technologies and new forms of political imaginations; and on the possibilities and challenges people encounter in the everyday construction of mediated political action. My main research interests are concerned with a crucial issue of our times: the complex relationship between digital technologies and the democratic process in Europe. I am particularly interested in the cultural politics of social networking sites, and the way in which social media practices are affecting people’s experience and understandings. My future research plans are to explore the relationship between alternative and social media in cross-cultural perspective by looking at social movements in Britain, Italy and Spain. I am committed to ethnographic methodologies, and in contrast to techno-deterministic assumptions

on the empowering effects of new media, my goal is to highlight the human understandings, beliefs and anxieties involved in the everyday mediation of collective action. This approach, I believe is fundamental, in order to shed some light on the social complexities involved in the socio-technical transformations of the recent years and deconstruct some of ‘the myths of the digital age’. There is a wide assumption in the UK that social media were central in the development of the recent general election campaign, but perhaps this has been over emphasized. In fact as we have seen with the results of the campaign the role of social media was not crucial. Another issue is the illusion of social media; people assume that ‘wiki-economics’ work and that people participate and are willing to contribute and collaborate online but this is not always the case. ‘ Dr Barrassi is working towards enhancing the research profile of iCES, and of Regent’s College. Since her appointment in January, 2010, she has been invited to present papers at seminars held by a number of highly respected universities and became a par ticipant in the AHRC project on the New Configurations of Networks. At present she is working towards the transformation of her papers into ar ticles, and aims to address internationally distinguished and peer-reviewed journals such as New Media and Society and the European Journal of Communication.

dr Veronica Barassi Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the Institute of Contemporary European studies (iCES).

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

iCES News Professor Michael Scriven Retires Professor Michael Scriven, Director of the European Business School London and Director of the Institute of Contemporary European Studies retired in July. Michael has been with the College for more than a decade. He joined EBS London in 2000, having previously been Head of the School of Modern Languages and International Studies at the University of Bath and Dean of the Faculty of Languages and European Studies and Director of the Centre for European Studies at the University of the West of England Bristol. As Professor of European Studies and Director of EBS London he was appointed as a member of the European Studies Panel for the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. In 2001 he successfully led the transformation of the School into an undergraduate and postgraduate institution, with the introduction of the MSc in Global Banking and Finance and the MA in Entrepreneurial Management. Subsequently he was instrumental in the successful validation of the International MBA and the MA Pathways programme.

In 2008 he established the Institute of Contemporar y European Studies (iCES). During the past two years he has developed productive par tnerships between iCES and the European Government Business Relations Council, the Senior European Exper ts, Eurointelligence, the Jean Monnet Association, the Rober t Schuman Foundation, the European Commission Representation in the UK and the European Business Schools International (EBSI) group. His close

It has been a privilege and a pleasure to have had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the European Business School London and the Institute of Contemporary European Studies over the past ten years Professor Michael Scriven

While Academic Director of the College, Michael took responsibility for drafting and successfully overseeing the ratification of a new institutional academic structure including the establishment of a College Senate and Senate Committees.

personal involvement in EBSI has led to the development of a new joint Masters degree between EBS London and EBS Paris. Discussions are also currently on-going to develop a triple site MBA in Global Entrepreneurship between EBS

London, EBS Paris and the University of Nor th Florida. Asked about his time at Regent’s College, Michael said: `I have spent my entire professional career working in Departments of European Studies and International Studies. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to have had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the European Business School London and the Institute of Contemporary European Studies over the past ten years’. Michael has been fully supportive of the College’s strategy and its drive towards degree awarding powers. He has stimulated research activity in the College and has helped Regent’s College forward on its mission. He will be much missed and we hope that he will return often Professor Aldwyn Cooper Principal and CEO

EBS London Magazine

Climate Change is “Dropping of the Agenda”. Does it Really Matter? The 2010 iCES Jean Monnet Memorial Lecture, organised in partnership with the European Commission Representation in the UK, offered an opportunity for four prominent commentators on climate change to present their views on the impact of the recent Copenhagen Conference. The panel consisted of Jonathon Porritt, writer and broadcaster on sustainable development, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, formerly Director of Friends of the Earth (1984-90) and Co-Chair of the Green Party (1980-83); Ian Katz, Deputy Editor of the Guardian, currently overseeing the paper’s ambitious plans on the environment including both on-line and newspaper coverage. Malini Mehra, Founder & CEO of the Centre

The ambition underlying the lecture was to take stock of the revised environmental landscape that has emerged in the aftermath of Copenhagen. for Social Markets (CSM), a non-profit organisation that has pioneered work on sustainability and corporate responsibility in India and the Diaspora; Peter Luff, Chairman of the European Movement UK and Chief Executive Officer of Action for a Global Climate Community. The failure of the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change to live up to expectations has inevitably

led not only to a deep sense of frustration and disappointment but also to a feeling that the whole issue needs to be approached in an entirely different way if practical progress is to be made. The ambition underlying the lecture was to take stock of the revised environmental landscape that has emerged in the aftermath of Copenhagen. Jonathon Porritt was in no doubt that conventional ways of talking about climate change needed to be changed. In his view science alone would not convince the general public, what was required was enthusiastic support for a creative and innovative low-carbon approaches. Future development allied to energetic and vigorous advocacy of the social and economic benefits would, according to Jonathon, accelerate the transition to a low carbon world. In contrast, Ian Katz insisted that the case for climate action in the aftermath of Copenhagen and Climate Gate must be based on solid scientific evidence. He argued for the need to make progress on climate action through incremental and steady progress on the ground rather than through what will probably remain elusive globally negotiated deals. At a time when politicians appear to be disengaged, it falls in his view to civil society ‘to pick up the running, and keep this issue alive’.

Malini Mehra highlighted the real sense of fatigue now surrounding the gatherings of conventional groupings in the climate change field and made the case for moving beyond the traditional actors and creating new ‘coalitions of the willing’ who genuinely believe in a low carbon economic future. She also offered an illuminating analysis of the climate change politics emerging in India and China. Peter Luff focused on the plight of developing countries in Africa and Asia, arguing the need for enhanced cooperation between the developing and developed world in projects based on large scale renewable energy. Specifically, he made the case for the European Union to take a leadership role on this issue. Although sidelined at the Copenhagen conference, the EU should in his view, following the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, assume a more imaginative climate action role that can build trust and confidence with the countries of the developing word. Despite differences of emphasis all four speakers were unanimous in the view that climate change mattered to us all, and that we should all play a part in putting it back on the agenda. A published version of the lecture forms the basis of the forthcoming iCES Occasional Paper 05 and is available online at www.ebslondon.ac.uk/ices

EBS London’s MBA Takes You Further Bored with the simulated role-play approach of traditional MBAs? Enrich your education through real experience. Spend a semester abroad as part of your EBS London MBA. Choose from:      

Solvay Business School, Belgium Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil John Molson School of Business, Canada Copenhagen Business School, Denmark University of Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa Escuela de Caixanova, Spain

PLACES STILL AVAILABLE FOR SEPTEMBER ENTRY. REGENTS.AC.UK/EBSL

European Business School London Regent’s College, Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4NS, UK T +44 (0) 20 7487 7505 F +44 (0) 20 7487 7425 E ebsl@regents.ac.uk W www.regents.ac.uk/ebsl

EBS London MagazinE

alumni Profile Pia Stanchina Why did you choose to study at EBS London? After I graduated from Central St Martins in Fashion Design I received a lot of press for my sustainable luxury womenswear collection and was full of hopes to change the world of fashion, so I set up my own label straight away. It might not have helped that I was pregnant at the time, but I ran into a lot of trouble – I had no idea how to run a business! Once I had had the baby and adapted to my new life, I started looking around for a place to do a Masters in Business. EBS London continuously impressed me. What are your favourite memories of that time? I have a lot of very fond memories, though I have to be honest – I wasn’t there to have fun, it’s impossible not to have fun in classes with Alan Sitkin and Nick Bowen though, they make everything entertaining! The innovative strategic management simulation weekend is something I will never forget – it was an opportunity to grow and learn about ourselves; team work and jumping in the deep end unlike any other I have experienced. And of course we spent countless hours encouraging and distracting each other in the library, and giggling from overtiredness at the end of long hours studying. What ambitions did you have for your career during your time as a student? I wanted to develop a part of my brain and analytical capabilities, which were totally under-stimulated in my time as a fashion student, designer and generally arty person. It was also important for me to understand sustainability more

within the context of economies and business, as I have always been extremely idealistic about it. Now I know how important many politicians, CEOs and other people in power think it is and as importantly, what the longterm benefits in terms of innovation, real jobs and real profits are. Who / what inspires you and why? As a designer anything and ever ything inspires me – especially nature in her endless beauty, versatility and resourcefulness. As a mother I am always inspired by my little girl’s enthusiasm, energy, tenacity and resilience, she will get up again and again no matter how many times she falls, and try again with a big smile on her face! As an entrepreneur, I am inspired by people, especially women, who find or create a gap in the market and fill it boldly, innovatively and intelligently, and who are good employers: Natalie Massenet (founder of luxury fashion website Net-a-Porter) is an idol of mine. What are you doing now? Currently, I am developing a brand extension for the womenswear label Issa London in the form of a baby and children’s’ fashion line. Having studied fashion design and international business management, as well as being a mother, I could not have imagined a better fit: this is definitely my dream job! What have you found to be the main difference between working for a large company and establishing your own business? Same adrenaline rush, less sleepless nights! There’s just much less risk. Communication is slower and there

are more layers to the hierarchy within a large company. It’s much less lonely and the up side to office politics is obviously being able to work with kind, helpful and funny people. How did the international quality of EBS London prepare you for developing your career? Although I have grown up all over the world and have led a very international lifestyle, EBS London takes it to another level! It is baffling to realise you’re standing in the queue in the refectory and not one person is speaking English! It’s fantastic, because my peers were from all over the world and I could actively engage with them and really understand much more what their country. It certainly rid me of a lot of stereotypes – although I probably have some new ones now, along with a lot of new friends. What is your next goal? Where would you like to be in five years time? The designer and owner of Issa / Baby Issa has a very strong vision for the company, which I am extremely excited about and share. We are definitely shooting low while aiming high. In five years I would like to have built up this brand to be globally recognised as an “everyday-luxury brand. I have always been fascinated by the versatility and constant change involved in mergers and acquisitions and would like to continue starting

iSSuE no. 2 / auguST 2010

up and developing companies and eventually work as a consultant How has networking helped you develop your business? In fashion, networking is very powerful. I have been interning and freelancing at Issa since 2005 – I did my first fashion internship there. As an alumna of EBS London, what do you think are the benefits of being part of this dynamic network? I am confident that the friends I have made at EBS London are going places, in their careers and private lives, and I look forward to following their paths in the coming years and hopefully collaborating with them in some form or another in our future careers! It is also wonderful to know that I have mentor figures in my former teachers who I can contact if I need advice. Staff have been incredibly helpful in tackling challenges and always make me feel like a valued member of a very tightly knit family.

Pia Stanchina Pia graduates in 2010 with an MA in International Business Management; since completing her studies Pia has been developing a line of baby and children’s fashion with Issa.

EBS London MagazinE

guiding Stars Meet the Mentors The EBS MBA mentoring programme has significantly enriched the student experience, and therefore has been recently commended by the Open University Validation Service. Networking with experienced professionals is already part of the programmeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career coaching offer, but the mentoring programme has added yet another dimension. The students and their mentors have established firm relationships and an exchange of experience and thought is taking place, which is stimulating for both sides. An excellent way of engaging with our growing community, the mentoring programme is a chance for alumni to give something back and tap into the talent pool represented by our current students. Over the following pages we talk to some of our mentors and mentees to give an insight into their experiences and the real benefit they gained from being part of the programme.

EBS London Magazine

Guiding Stars Meet the Mentors The mentors in the current programme are alumni and friends of Regent’s College who have invested their time in the current generation. The opportunity not only to guide future business leaders but also to learn from the experience was too good to miss. To find out more about their motivation and ambition for their partnership we spoke to some of our dynamic duos. Current MBA student, Adrianna Rayo was mentored by EBS Alumna, Capucine De Vallee, while her fellow student, Alexandra Blanc, was mentored by experienced IT professional, Ray Borella. Why did you want to become a mentor / mentee? Capucine I was mentored in my first job, in a very informal way, and I always remember feeling very grateful for the advice and support and how it accelerated my learning curve. This was my opportunity to give back what I had been given about 20 years ago.

The mentoring programme proved to be a hit with all of our pairings, their initial expectations were met and often exceeded by the experience What were your expectations? Capucine Adrianna took great courage in saying ‘I would like you’. It’s about chemistry. I thought ‘what a champion’ so I had to go with her. I had no expectations and I think for mentors that is a good thing. Adrianna In our first meeting Capucine was the one who gave direction to the mentoring process because I started with a blank. I liked it. When you don’t have expectations you enjoy it more. What were your first impressions of each other? Adrianna I knew from the first moment I saw Capucine that I wanted her to be my mentor. I felt like I identified with her in five minutes. Her being a woman in business I thought she could really help me because of her experience. She has a family and I am at that stage where I am converting myself into a woman in business and I just got married so I’m starting to manage a family. When you talk to her she is very interested not flying away to think about something else.

Capucine There was a confidence in her even though her English is a lot stronger now than it was back then. She was trying to find the words but there was an inner confidence and I could tell that she really wanted to be mentored by me. My impression was that she could be a saleswoman, she could do business development, she can stand up for herself and go and get what she wants. Those are great qualities to have. What sort of things did you talk about in your meetings? Adrianna In the beginning it was just my CV, she helped me to polish it in an amazing way. She also helped me with my dissertation. She gave me good advice when I was preparing for interviews or going to networking events. She also gave me life advice, trying to make me understand what the most important thing in my life is at that moment and just to focus on that. I think it is the best advice I could have been given. Capucine ‘How can I help you and what could we do?’ that is how we started every session; taking advantage of the network that they already have but don’t realise they have and how to best use it; giving her some contacts and guidelines for her dissertation and job search. That is probably a key expectation What is the most important thing you have got out of the experience? Capucine A friend. Adrianna When people ask me about my mentor I say the experience is amazing because I feel like she could be my boss, she could be my family, she could be my teacher but in all these cases there is a certain role you have to play. There is always a power relationship. With her I felt free to talk about everything with no pressure. Capucine It gives Adrianna an opportunity to voice her thoughts. Even if I don’t give any advice it gives her place to come to where she can go through her ideas. Even if at the end of the discussion she decides to do something completely different it has given her the chance to think it through with someone else.

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

The mentoring programme proved to be a hit with all of our pairings, their initial expectations were met and often exceeded by the experience; Ray Borella commented ‘I expected the students at Regent’s College to be from all parts of the world, bringing their own cultures and customs to the relationship. This was the case and it added a further dimension to the exchanges’. The mentoring programme provided an opportunity for students to gain valuable insights into the business world, Alexandra Blanc explains that she would recommend the experience to other mentees, ‘students should take this opportunity but they have to consider it as a relationship established for the long term and based on exchange’. Reflecting on his experience of mentoring Alex, Ray also offered this insight on the process for potential mentors, ‘If you think you would enjoy helping others as a result of your experiences, I would suggest you should give it a go, as it can be personally very rewarding’.

Get Involved If you are interested in becoming a mentor to EBS London students, please contact us at mentors@regents.ac.uk Above Capucine De Vallee and Adrianna Rayo Above, Right Ray Borella and Alexandra Blanc

EBS London Magazine

Ready to launch

It will come as no surprise to anyone associated with EBS London that many students launch new businesses with their fellow alumni when they graduate. Numerous successful start-ups can trace their origins back to the corridors of Regentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College. Is there something special about the atmosphere of the college that promotes this strong entrepreneurial spirit? We talked to the graduates behind three new business ventures to find out.

Above, Left to Right Peter Lip, Jerome Ahye & Lars Berg

Ice Cool Entrepreneurs After many years of professional experience it was meeting on the MBA programme at EBS London that really lit the creative spark between Peter Lip, Lars Berg and Jerome Ahye. The ideas they developed during their entrepreneurship module proved to be strong enough to form the core of their new venture. Together they have set up an experiential group and leadership development company, Arctic InterAction, utilising Larsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ex-Navy training and his family farm where he grew up in northern Norway. The farm is more than 400 km above the Arctic Circle and offers two thousand hectares of land to run expeditions from. Having identified that many other companies run outdoor team building training they have set themselves apart from the competition by combining rigorous tools in organisational psychology, applying them in an outdoor activity

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

Having entrepreneurship taken so seriously is very rare and was one of the reasons why I think we chose to come here. The international nature of the student cohort does mean that you get all kind of ideas and all sort of different backgrounds so that must have some sort of contribution to the amount of businesses coming out of the college. They weren’t the only members of their cohort who formed their own business when they graduated and Jerome feels this isn’t a coincidence. based training setting. Although the original inspiration came from Lars, he feels he found the perfect environment to pursue it. ‘This is why I came to EBS London in the first place and is one of the things I had in mind that I wanted to do after the programme. Luckily enough I got to study with these two guys and we worked very well together, developed this fur ther through the module of entrepreneurship - where we had a lot of good suppor t from our tutors - and were inspired to kick this off.’ Jerome adds: ‘I always had an ambition to have my own business but I didn’t envisage it happening this soon. I was interested in marketing, new marketing techniques and digital media so that was my original focus but then as we worked on the idea we knew it was good one.’

‘Having entrepreneurship taken so seriously is very rare and was one of the reasons why I think we chose to come here. The international nature of the student cohort does mean that you get all kind of ideas and all sort of different backgrounds so that must have some sor t of contribution to the amount of businesses coming out of the college. ‘ It was the entrepreneurial course module taught by Ed Gonsalves that provided a welcome opportunity to test their business ideas and learn how to apply then. This was a real advantage for the whole group as Peter explains. ‘Other modules were very structured and you knew everything and the whole point of the entrepreneurship module was that you knew nothing. It really taught you to learn to stand on your own feet and just figure it out. I think the cohort that we had, the people; I think that’s what made us so good. I think we

were quite a big class but we got along really well and had a lot of fun and I think that sort of helped too.’ Starting out on their own has put a greater focus on their ability to network successfully. The skills they developed during their MBA have proved to be useful for more than just establishing a connection. Peter comments; ‘It gives you confidence to approach people and teaches you how to communicate your ideas effectively. Having understood your idea they may buy in to it or make a network around that idea. The initial contacts might not be interested whatsoever but they might know someone else and that’s very valuable I think.’ Jerome adds: ‘So much of it is a collaborative process; you get out of it what you put into it. If you go into it trying to get contacts and create opportunities for yourself you can only get so far. It has to be a two-way process and you need to show how you can help other people and if you come across like you are genuine in doing that you will reap the reward. ‘ The first expeditions will be setting out from the Arctic Inter-Action base in Norway early next year.

EBS London Magazine

Ready to launch

Above Alina Gutkina & Rebecca Masri Opposite Claudia Nanau & Ajay Matharu

Little Empire Many people would question the wisdom of starting a business in the luxury goods market during an economic downturn but a group of EBS London graduates have set about proving that it can work. Little Emperors & Co is a luxury discount club set up by business par tners and EBS London alumnae Rebecca Masri and Elizabeth Sieff. The EBS London connection doesn’t end there as classmates, Navid Mir torabi and Nathaniel Glas are silent par tners and in May 2009 Alina Gutkina joined the team. The idea for the company came after they identified that many small, high value firms don’t get corporate discounts in hotels and top end restaurants because they are unable to offer the volume of business. As Rebecca notes it wasn’t only corporate clients that were interested in their services. ‘There is also another trend for bigger firms in the UK who have curbed their travel programmes quite dramatically because they didn’t want the perception or association with luxury in a bad market. We could offer them a discrete way of retaining a level of privilege for key executives.’ Their members are entitled to extensive concessions and discounts across the travel, dining and lifestyle sectors and will receive invitations to exclusive events. The membership has proved popular and as Alina explains, they are already developing their expansion plans. ‘We are planning a soft launch with our partners in Dubai followed by the official launch later this year and are slowly expanding into the Russian and Asian markets, however our central base will always be in here in London’.

Their personal inspiration for taking this career path comes from many sources, including strong family ties with leading fashion designers such as Tom Ford formally of Gucci and other successful woman in business.

In keeping with most EBS London alumni they have managed to take their network with them, adding numerous professional contacts along the way. ‘I find inspiration in Natalie Massenet who set up Neta-Porter (the fashion website that has become a global phenomenon). I think she is a fantastic referral point, coming from the city as well’ comments Rebecca. In keeping with most EBS London alumni they have managed to take their network with them, adding numerous professional contacts along the way. Rebecca acknowledges that this was an important asset that has aided her career. ‘From a personal perspective I think that the power of networking cannot be underestimated. When I joined Goldman Sachs the MD of my floor turned out to also be from EBS London [alumna] which instantly gave us some common ground to work off and made the initial challenge of starting a new role much easier’. Little Emperors & Co. are offering all alumni a discounted membership rate. For full details see page 33.

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

‘We started the company in March, so I was in the middle of my second semester. It was quite tough to start a company while studying and have the dissertation, plus I had one semester abroad during that time. I had to switch over to Copenhagen which was much closer, so that way I could be in contact very easily or I could come here for meetings if necessary. ‘ This level of commitment requires a great deal of drive and dedication. Support came from a number of sources but for Ajay the biggest inspiration is his father.

Higher Ground Our final entrepreneurial pair are recent graduates Ajay Matharu and Claudia Nanau. They have set out to offer businesses a high quality alternative to coffee vending machines with their innovative Aromatique Coffee Systems. They are aiming to carve a niche for themselves by using the quality and flexibility of their coffee machines to target small and medium sized image conscious businesses. Although the speed of development has been rapid, starting a new business was always the priority for Ajay.

‘He is the person who has done everything himself. My dad grew up in Kenya, his family went to the UK when he was sixteen years old and my Dad was left alone to look after himself. He’s done everything, he’s educated himself and now he is a very well regarded cardiologist. He told me about his struggles and I think these times really inspire me. I guess that is my biggest inspiration, so if I’m down I always compare myself to what he’s been through and I always pick myself up.’ As business partners Ajay and Claudia are responsible for all aspects of the business and are reliant on hard work, applying all of the skills they have developed. As Claudia outlines, this includes taking their networking skills to a higher level.

People want to have a relationship not just a transaction ‘I’ve always been driven to be an entrepreneur. My biggest ambition was always to be my own boss and to start something that is secure and that I can grow with as well. I wanted to be at a point where I would be so independent that I wouldn’t need to work for somebody else. ‘ Ajay graduated a year before Claudia and they only met through friends at EBS London. The combination of their professional experience – Ajay in finance and Claudia in Food & Beverage industry – with a mutual desire to make it on their own led them to launch in the business in the UK. This did initially lead to problems for Claudia.

‘People want to have a relationship not just a transaction. Networking is not just expanding your network or getting business opportunities but also about meeting other people and see how they think and how you can use other people’s ideas or visions to in your daily life and to find ways of doing things better.’ This year will prove to be crucial for the fledgling business but signs are that the hard working and dedication of this alumni team are going to lead to a last success.

EBS London Magazine

Alexis Bonte Alumni Profile

Why did you choose to study at EBS London? I came from the French system where I was studying like mad and not having much fun. I heard through some friends at EBS London that it had a credit based system that allowed you to concentrate on your strong points. I joined one of the classes as a guest and found it gave me a strong sense that this was an environment where I could blossom. The international element, focus on work experience and beautiful campus closed it for me. What are your favourite memories of that time? Doing a play in the creative management course and getting a pretty average grade in my thesis from Dominic Laffy (whom I respect tremendously and whose course was one of my favourites) with a comment that went more or less like this “we are a long way off from personal financial services moving fully online” I barely got a pass... 12 years later I rest my case! What ambitions did you have for your career during your time as a student? Other than that I wanted to do well it was a little unclear for me. The work experience I took really helped me to find out what I did not want to do - be a number in a big office, doing a job that made little difference.

Who / what inspires you and why? The humility of the truly great because only great minds can afford to be humble. I recently had the fortune to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu, it is simply amazing what the combination of humility, kindness, a good sense of humour and never giving up can achieve. What have you been up to since you graduated? I got married and now have two children. I have started up or helped to start up about a dozen businesses, with three or four of them failing. One of them was difficult but eventually a major hit (lastminute.com) and for the others the jury is still out. What are you doing now? I’m building up eRepublik Labs one of the top 25 European start ups according to TechCrunch that is transforming the way strategy games are created, distributed and played by leveraging the power of communities and the internet. I started it with George Lemnaru about three years ago, it’s still a small company, with about 50 people, but I think it has great potential. I also just had a son, Antonio, at the start of the year.

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

Alexis Bonte Alexis graduated in 1999 with a BA in International Business Studies; he is now a successful entrepreneur and CEO of eRepublik.

What have you found to be the main difference between working for a large company and establishing your own business? The luckiest break I ever got was getting turned down by every bank, consultancy or oil company that I applied to after graduating. It was probably linked to the fact that before each interview I felt like I was entering a jail. However, all of my friends from EBS London who applied to the same companies did get jobs, so my failure to do so certainly had nothing to do with the course! Lastminute.com became a large company in the end, with around 2500 employees after six years.To be honest that is a period that I enjoyed much less as all I was doing was managing people and actually doing or creating less and less. How did the international quality of EBS London prepare you for developing your career? Speaking five languages and having lived and worked in Portugal, Spain, the UK and Argentina before I graduated was key for me in terms of thinking of the world as my market rather than a specific country. Most of the companies I have been involved in since then would probably have failed or been much smaller if I and my colleagues did not have that international background.

EBS London is great at making you think on a global scale from day one and not to be afraid of moving when you have to. Since graduation I have worked or been based in London, Milan, Paris, Bucharest and Madrid. What is your next goal? Where would you like to be in five years time? My next goal is to build up the companies that I’m involved in, with a particular emphasis on eRepublik. As long as I learn as much as I’m learning now, have fun, and create something that gives purpose and satisfaction to those who work or help me, it doesn’t matter where I end up in 5 years. How has networking helped you develop your business? It’s been key. Networking and presentation skills are key things that EBS London is particularly good at preparing you for. More important than advanced maths if you want to be an entrepreneur! As an alumnus of EBS London, what do you think are the benefits of being part of this dynamic network? I’ve kept a lot of friends from my days at EBS London and I’ve also met other alumni professionally and there are many that I still see regularly. EBS London alumni are usually quite easy to spot, they have that international thing and openness about them that makes you feel they could do well just about anywhere in the world.

EBS London Magazine

Sport throughout. Unfortunately the Regents ‘A’ team were finally beaten to the trophy by St Andrews but still ensured a very creditable second place. Despite not being in the wining team the ‘Most Valuable Player’ award went to Regent’s Constantijn Huynen for his all round contribution. After seeing what the ‘A’ team could achieve the Regent’s ‘B’ team set out to go one better. In a large beginners section they were competing against a far higher standard of opposition than the section title would suggest as the quality of this field has been rising steadily over the past few years. The team didn’t let this stop them as they secured first place in their section with an emphatic victory in the final. In 2010 the Regent’s Lions have established themselves as a regular fixture on the polo field and once again entered the National Polo Competition. Sadly they couldn’t match the success of their debut but the ‘A’ team still managed to battle their way into 2nd place in their section.

Regent’s Lions Although many universities can boast of their sporting success this is usually because they are able to call on the resources of a large student body and extensive facilities. Even though Regent’s College is a small institution, without a long sporting history, a group of current students have set out to make their own mark by forming the Regent’s College Polo team.

The 2010 Team Intermediate team George Shelton (Team Captain) Constantijn Huynen Christian Huynen Nicholas Motz

The team made an impressive debut in February 2009 by reaching the semi finals at the National Polo Competition before being beaten on penalties. After setting such a high standard in their first outing they gained in confidence and approached the next tournament without fear. Four months later, the team returned to competition with two teams entering the National Championship Final in the upper intermediate and beginner categories. The championship is officially the largest Arena Polo Tournament in the world,

Novice Team Matthias Mühlbacher Nicholas Motz Hubertus Halmburger attracting teams from schools and universities all over the UK. The ‘A’ team found themselves in a very tight section ensuring that the champions had to earn their victory

The team hope to recruit a new generation of players to continue to build on their achievements for years to come.

They think it’s all over... Whilst looking through the alumni archive we found a copy of the EBS London yearbook from 1987-88. The book is packed with stories from an eventful year at EBS London but the ar ticle that caught our eye was the repor t from a football match between EBS London students and those from London Business School. The game seems to have been an old fashioned ‘blood and guts’ local derby that would have put the Old Firm to shame. By the time the final whistle was blown, EBS London had triumphed by a close 3-2 score line but this only tells par t of the story. To give us a better view of proceedings we have turned to the match referee that day to tell us what he remembers of the game. Despite the obvious conflict of interests, the official in question was our very own Frank Siegmund: ‘I do still recall the intensity and apprehension most players displayed prior to the match which resulted in a passionate and committed performance by the EBS team, led by the then Director of the School, Peter Coen. Peter who as a teenager had a trial with Manchester United, was adamant that this was more than just another game. Although blood was drawn on a couple of occasions the match never deteriorated into an ugly or dirty affair. I also recall that

refereeing the game became near impossible as lines had disappeared and the playing surface resembled a ploughed field. I also vividly remember the outburst of Peter towards the end of the match after LBS had scored their second goal. The words were not those that you would hear Peter use in every day conversation. The main recipient was Dany Jeger, a very relaxed and laid-back chap who was clearly surprised maybe even shocked by the choice words coming his way. It seemed to do the trick as the team hung on for a famous victory. I wonder if Simon Earl still has a copy of the video.’

The Team Dany Jeger Peter Heathcote Ronald Poelman Simon Griggs Jonathan Lowth Dirk Sanne Maarten Witteveen Vincent Boyer Carlos Daurigmac Tobias Brodtkorb Diederick Beels Hector Hayat Peter Coen

Did you play in that game? Where you a spectator? Have you another sporting memory from your time at EBS London? If the answer to any of those questions is yes then we want to hear from you. Email the Alumni Team now at alumni@regents.ac.uk

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

Top row (Left to right) Renee Fontaine, Sarah Mengler, Andrew Kirby, Steve Phillips. Bottom Row (Left to right) Peter Eyre, Paul Pritchard

Luxury Cricket Earlier this year Regent’s College were invited to enter a team in ‘The Luxury Cricket Cup’ as part of the ongoing relationship with the Luxury Brand Council. This special event was held in bright sunshine at the John Paul Getty ground in Wormsley. Aided by former Essex captain, Paul Prichard, our team gave a good account of themselves on the field. The afternoon finished with players and spectators enjoying a glass of champagne in the pavilion.

Frank Siegmund, Sarah Mengler

EBS London Magazine

New in town

The newest addition to the Alumni Team is Senior Alumni Relations Officer, Andy Harris, who joined Regent’s College in March 2010. With ten years’ experience in higher education, publishing and not-for-profit sectors, Andy will be working with the team to increase the variety of services, events and opportunities for all graduates of the college. Andy leads on opportunities for alumni to become more involved in areas such as mentoring, student recruitment and other volunteer opportunities. He also manages our dedicated alumni communications including Inner Circle and EBS London magazines and the Regent’s College Alumni e-bulletin. As part of this role he will be seeking new contributors from within our alumni community.

Andy brings a love of sport to the team and will be looking out for alumni who share his passions. Although his playing days are behind him, he is still an avid rugby fan. He is a keen runner and cyclist who enjoys taking part in off road events for which he is always trying to recruit new participants. One of his goals for the next year is to set up alumni versus current student sporting events. If you would like to contribute to any of our publications, find out more about one of the numerous ways you can get involved with our community or would like to run 10 miles through a bog, you can contact Andy at andy.harris@regents.ac.uk

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

Alumni News

Above A group of alumni at the July Comeback Session

The Comeback Sessions The Comeback Sessions are taking a summer break; the next session will take place on Thursday 2 September. Regulars to the Comeback Sessions will note that we have decided to move the session to a Thursday; you have told us that this day suits you better and so, as of September, the Comeback Sessions will take place on the first Thursday of each month.

The Comeback Sessions take place in the Brasserie and give you the chance to come by and catch up with old friends and tutors at Regent’s College. The emphasis is on socialising so why not drop us a line in advance if you’re planning to come and we’d be happy to track down your old College friends and let them know you are planning to attend.

Don’t miss your chance to come back meet alumni and staff, and have a free drink on us. There is no need to rsvp, just come along anytime between 6.30pm and 8.30pm and stay until late. Please contact Alumni Relations alumni@regents.ac.uk for more information.

Alumni Offer The founders of Little Emperors & Co, Elizabeth Sieff and Rebecca Masri are delighted to extend a special founding members rate to all former and current EBS London students. Little Emperors & Co is a luxury discount club and was launched by the two EBS London graduates last November in response to the economic downturn and dwindling spend in the luxury goods market. As a member you will be entitled to extensive concessions and discounts across the travel, dining and lifestyle sectors and will receive invitations to exclusive events, including preview sales with Little Emperors’ designer brand partners, launch parties and high profile sporting occasions. In addition, Little Emperors members have access to a complimentary personal concierge service where assistance with all requests from party planning or ticket booking with any of our 800+ partners can be facilitated.

Take Advantage To take advantage of the special £575 annual founding members rate please contact info@littleemperors.com or call +44 (0)203 178 4984 and quote EBS (standard annual membership fee is £1600)

EBS London MagazinE

EBS London: 1984-1994 Reunion

On Saturday 20 November 2010 we’re celebrating with the first ten years of EBS London alumni. If you graduated between 1984 and 1994, don’t miss the first of our major EBS London Reunions. Come back to Regent’s College and celebrate in style with the pioneering first generation of EBS London graduates. We’ve got a very special evening planned, with a full programme starting at 5.00pm. Join us for a champagne reception, dinner and much more.

Tickets £35 (guests welcome) Book now at www.ebslondon.ac.uk/reunion It’s not too late to get involved, be a class champion:    

Track down our missing alumni Volunteer to organise activities on the day Send us your old photos and anecdotes Send a call out to your year group

For more information visit the website or email alumni@regents.ac.uk

Perhaps if I live long enough I can have a reunion by myself but in the meantime if Guy and I can make it from Cape Town for the 20th November you need a good excuse not to be there. Being in prison is good enough but anything else is lame. Jason Drew (EBS London 1988)

Really looking forward to meeting you again, and catching up on how your lives have changed since the good old days of EBS. I thought a bit of economics revision would be useful too so bring your textbooks!! Gerald Shaw Former lecturer

We all know that time is really an illusion, lets meet together on November 20th and prove it for ourselves!” Victoria Thompson Former lecturer

IF YOU HAVEN’T RECEIVED YOUR INVITATION THEN CALL US NOW 020 7487 7599

iSSuE no. 2 / auguST 2010

Coming Soon Feel like you’re missing out? Don’t worry, over the next 12 months we’re inviting all our EBS London alumni back to College. 2011 starts with a special reunion for 1995-2005 graduates: EBS London: The Next Generation on Saturday 26 February 2011. You can book now by going to www.regents.ac.uk/alumni/alumni_events.aspx

EBS London Magazine

Tobias Mews Alumni Profile Why did you choose to study at EBS London? I completed my first degree at the University of Poitiers in France and as I finished young (aged 20), I wanted to continue studying but in my home country - the UK. I was looking for an international university that taught business, languages and IT. EBS London fitted that bill. For me, I was surrounded by international students, could continue to speak French, learn a new language, but equally be able go home. What are your favourite memories of that time? There are too many. It was a very happy period of my life. I remember the parties, making friends with people who came from all parts of the globe, producing a play (creative management), my study periods abroad in Madrid and Vina del Mar (Chile), walking through Regents’ Park to and from college.

What ambitions did you have for your career during your time as a student? I had planned on following a career in international private banking. Who / what inspires you and why? I’m not inspired by glory or wealth things that I wouldn’t have said no to earlier in my life. Now it’s all about personal aspiration. I’m inspired by people who create something out of nothing, who despite obstacles and difficulties still succeed. I’m particularly inspired by explorers and adventurers.

What have you been up to since you graduated? On graduation I joined the British Army. I went through Sandhurst, commissioning into the Royal Regiment of Artillery. My first posting was to a field artillery regiment in North Yorkshire, where I became a Troop Commander of 45 soldiers, managing their careers, training and welfare. I deployed to Cyprus and Iraq. On promotion to Captain, I became a Forward Observation Officer with 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (based in Germany) and deployed to Iraq for a second time in this role. I was responsible for coordinating the artillery and fast air in support of ground operations. I worked in the Divisional HQ and on the ground, calling in artillery to counter incoming rocket attacks. I left the Army after five and a half years in September 2008 to become a TV journalist.

What are you doing now? I now work as the New Media Officer at the Central Office of Information. My main role is as a video journalist, creating films and news packages for Government Departmental PR campaigns. I also work in social media, specialising in web TV and in my spare time I work as a freelance multi-media journalist. I am also developing my career as an adventure sports journalist and filmmaker. In my spare time I am an ultra endurance athlete. This summer I’m competing in Ironman UK and the Gore-Tex TransAlpine run (a 296km race). Next year I’m competing in the Marathon des Sables, with the aim of a top 10 finish.

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

How did the international quality of EBS London prepare you for developing your career? EBS London has given me the confidence to interact in any environment, country, language or social situation. It instilled in me an entrepreneurial desire to build my own business.

How has networking helped you develop your business? I was once told that contacts and ideas are the currency of life. If you don’t network, no one will know you exist. I go to as many networking events as my work, training and social life permit. Always have a business card to hand.

What is your next goal? Where would you like to be in five years time? I would like to establish my own production company, making films specialising in sport. My short term goal is to continue to develop my skills as a multi-media journalist. I want to have had a book published; a film broadcast on national television and developed an online website for athletes.

As an alumnus of EBS London, what do you think are the benefits of being part of this dynamic network? EBS London is a club - once in, you’re part of a very exclusive network of international achievers, opinion formers who can make a difference. I haven’t tapped into it yet, but I should!

I also aim to be one of the top ultraendurance athletes in the world, compete in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii and represent Great Britain in Triathlon.

Tobias Mews Tobias graduated in 2003 with a BA in International Business Studies; he is now a multi-media journalist and an endurance athlete, living in London

EBS London MagazinE

alexander Walton Masters alumni Profile What are your favourite memories of your time at EBS London? It is difficult to pinpoint a single favourite memory, but I remember that it felt good to be an EBS London student. I enjoyed the classes and being taught by motivated teachers. The quality of students and our extracurricular activities in London were exceptional. Friends for life were made. In fact, since graduating in 2002, five of my closest friends from EBS London and I meet every September to re-live our student memories. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fixed event in our calendars that cannot be moved. What ambitions did you have for your career during your time as a student? At the time, my career ambition was to go into investment banking. With internships at Deutsche Bank and Citibank, the next logical step was

to get a job in the city. However, the dot-com crash in 2001 put an abrupt halt to this career ambition. Massive layoffs in the financial sector meant that getting a graduate position in the city was near impossible. So I had to find a different solution and I decided to do a Masters degree at the London School of Economics. What have you been up to since you graduated? I joined GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) on a fast-track graduate programme in London. I started at the bottom and over the years progressed through the ranks of Key Account Manager for WalMart UK, Brand Manager for Sensodyne and Marketing Manager for Lucozade. In my last year at the company, I was selected to join the Management Consulting Team for Europe.

Despite my rapid career progression and being on the way to becoming one of GSKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youngest senior management team members, I could never identify myself with the corporate culture. During this time, a tragic death in my family put life into a different perspective. More than ever I realised that life can be over at any moment and there is no time to waste. The decision was clear. I had to quit my London job to create a life built on passion and principles I could actually believe in. What are you doing now? My passion has always been motorbikes and cars and last year I established Columbus International, based in Cannes. Columbus International focuses on exclusive motorbikes in the setting of the south of France; it operates three businesses; Motorbike rental; Motorbike tours; and Columbus Club.

What have you found to be the main difference between working for a large company and establishing your own business? The difference between working in a global corporation and establishing your own company comes down to one thing: size. Big companies have big departments, big budgets and do business on a big scale. The advantages of running a small company revolve around speed. Quick decision processes, rapid implementation and the constant need for speed to outrun the competition. However, it also involves taking big risks and committing yourself a hundred percent. There is nothing glamorous about being an entrepreneur. You realise that pretty quickly once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve invested all of your money and there is no guarantee of a regular paycheque at the end of the month.

How did the international quality of EBS London prepare you for developing a business in France? Thanks to the excellent French courses and a study period abroad in Paris, EBS London gave me a solid grounding to enter the French business arena. However, nothing can prepare you for the intricacies of establishing a business!

As an alumnus of EBS London, what do you think are the benefits of being part of this dynamic network? I am in close contact with my friends from EBS London. I believe the network can be helpful for current students to get their feet on the career ladder or take advantage of the alumni network for mentoring purposes.

What is your next goal? Where would you like to be in five years time? My immediate priority is for the business to grow. Step by step, Columbus will have to build muscle to expand in France and at a later stage across Europe. However, there is still a lot of work to be done before Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in a position to make this vision come true.

alexander Walton Masters Alexander graduated in 2002 with a BA in International Business & Management; he established his own company in the south of France and currently lives in Cannes.

EBS London Magazine

Michelle Pinto Alumni Profile Michelle Pinto Michelle graduated in 2009 with a MA in Management; she is now based in Boston where she works as a retail merchandiser.

Why did you choose to study at EBS London? I wanted to study abroad for my masters. I had gone to London on vacation and fell in love with the city. After looking into various programmes, I loved what EBS London had to offer. What are your favourite memories of that time? I met so many amazing people and made so many great friends that I am sure to keep for a long time. I learned so much about other cultures and the way the world appears and works to others. My horizons were broadened in so many ways and I am so grateful for that. What ambitions did you have for your career during your time as a student? I knew that I wanted to do something big. I wanted to work in corporate retail, in the merchandising and advertising sector. Who / what inspires you and why? Anyone who encourages me to work harder, push myself further and prove myself not just to everyone else but to me. Anyone who has worked their way up and gone from nothing to everything inspires me and makes me want to be a better and harder working person. Pretty much any success story inspires me.

What have you been up to since you graduated? I now work for a womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothing company called Francescaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Collections. I run and merchandise all of the stores in the greater Boston area. I also set up new stores along the east coast of the USA. How did the international quality of EBS London prepare you for developing your career? It has given me a level of tolerance and understanding that I would not have had otherwise. It also has inspired me to someday work in an international company. What is your next goal? Where would you like to be in five years time? I would like to move up in the company I am in, to work in the head office as the main visual merchandiser for the company, creating all visual and marketing standards and guidelines. As an alumna of EBS London, what do you think are the benefits of being part of this dynamic network? I think being a part of the EBS London network has given me a great edge in the corporate world. The network spans across generations from all over the world. I think that if I needed assistance finding a job or getting a recommendation I could reach out and would receive help without hesitation. Those qualities are what set EBS London apart from any other school.

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

Second Generation Although Regent’s College is still relatively young it has always benefited from younger siblings joining their older brothers and sisters to study here. These family ties have been extended further by a number of the children of former students joining the College to form a second generation of alumni. One of these original graduates, Michael Clemm, comes from one of the early cohorts in 1983. His motivation for coming to EBS London at that time was simple as in his words ‘it was almost the one and only international business school in Europe’. Many more recent graduates would not recognise his experience in the early years before EBS London arrived in Regent’s Park. Michael explains; ‘We started near Angel with four rooms on the top floor of a really old industrial building; not a charming surrounding but at least the heating worked. The environment EBS London students face nowadays we only experienced in the last two years. I think for my daughter everything has changed since my good old days.’ Despite following in her father’s academic footsteps, Victoria Clemm has set out do things differently. Michael feels his parents had a great deal of influence over his choice of where to apply but as Victoria explains this wasn’t the case for her. ‘Before deciding to study at EBS London my father showed me the campus and we talked to some of his former teachers, however the decision to study here was mine. My parents did not have a great influence when it came to choosing the College.’ Victoria now has her own happy memories from her time studying here especially during her year in Japan. ‘I started learning Japanese at EBS London three years ago. Now, after returning from Japan, I am fluent and will definitely use this skill as my USP when applying to companies in the future’.

Another alumnus adding to the ranks of the second generation is 1980s graduate, Toby Brodtkorb. Although he introduced his daughter Charlotte to the college, he always left her to make her own way. Charlotte explains; ‘I would not have applied if my father had not taken me to the Open Day, but my parents did not put pressure on me in any way. Ultimately, it was my own decision to apply’. Charlotte has not regretted this decision as she feels that ‘so much has happened in the first two semesters that it is difficult to choose the most memorable moment’. She also feels that the College has developed and advanced in the last 25 years. ‘My father studied at EBS London in the 1980s, and a lot has changed since then. Technological progress and increased globalisation have changed the way in which we study and interact socially. Yet I believe that the “College feeling” is essentially the same as it was 25 years ago, as we have to face similar challenges and experience similar situations to the students who graduated in the 80s’. Charlotte will take a number of skills with her when she graduates but highlights being able to ‘adapt to different cultures and lifestyles’ as a major strength. In common with many EBS London Alumni she also ‘hopes to graduate with a strong entrepreneurial spirit’. We wish all our second generation of alumni good fortune for the future and look forward to welcoming their ambitious offspring through the doors of EBS London. Are your children a part of this second generation of graduates? Have other members of your family studied at EBS London? Tell us your stories now by emailing alumni@regents.ac.uk

EBS London Magazine

Your News 1994

2002

Samy Dwek I am currently the Head of Emerging Europe at J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank. I joined J.P. Morgan in 2000 as a Senior Portfolio Manager for Italy and in 2002 I was a banker for the Turkey, Israel and Greece region before becoming responsible for the Turkey-Israel region in 2005. I became the Head of Emerging Europe in 2007.

Ilaria Filippi I qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales in October 2009 and I’m now an Associate in the Antitrust & Competition practice in the London office of Mayer Brown International LLP. I advise on the application of EU and UK competition law in a wide variety of sectors.

1998 Peer Rosenberg Since 2005 I have been Director of IKB Fund Management in London, this involves asset management for five loan funds (CLOs of leveraged finance / LBO finance). I am responsible for investment sourcing of continental European LBO transactions, investor and rating agency relations and analytics. After the hellish years of 2008 and 2009 it is good to have landed in 2010 and still in a job and light at the end of the tunnel! Barbara Kühne (née Pickel) I am currently working at McCann Erickson in Dusseldorf, as International Client Service Director.

2000 Jens Harpoth At the end of 2008 I relocated with UBS from Zurich to Moscow. My job as Senior Project Manager is both challenging and rewarding, and so is life in Moscow! I am married and we now have 3 children. And just to make sure I am being kept busy enough, I ran my very first marathon this year (3hr 46mins!). 2001 Johann Christoph Pfeiffer I am currently a manager within the Transaction Advisory Services at Deloitte & Touche Gmb.

2003 Michael Krav You’ll be very surprised to hear that I no longer work in commercial real estate, I’ve made a complete u-turn and I am now a Business Correspondent for Russia Today TV (rt. com). I have been working there for 8 months, writing about business news pertaining to Russia and Russian companies. Michael Georg Schmitt Anne Hofmann (2004 alumna) and I have established a fashion accessories label together ; Gretchen has developed many celebrity followers including Paris Hilton, Natalie Portman and Nicole Kidman. We have also recently launched a website which offers independent accessory designer and artists (painter, sculptors etc.) a platform to present and sell their work.

2006 Carolin Thomsen Since last year, I have been responsible for the marketing and communication affairs of an energy company in Hamburg, Germany. It is called EHA Energie-Handels-Gesellschaft and is a joint-venture of Vattenfall Europe and REWE Group. We supply companies with green energy. 2007 Javier Barragán Magaña After being the President of the Student Council for EBS London, and working as Global Transactional Finance Analyst for BBVA (Madrid), I decided to return to Guadalajara, Mexico to become involved in the economic stage of Latin America’s development. I was recognised by the government of the Jalisco State, Mexico, as one of the Top 100 Young Entrepreneurs, and was listed on the country’s official directory. In January 2010 I was invited to act as the head of Research and Development for The Mexican Institute of Financial Executives (IMEF) on its young executives division. It is an elite group that participates actively in the Mexican economic and financial life, news, directions, decisions and policies. I am also founder and CEO of Capitalia, an investment and business company that provides special investment services and consultancy for developing markets, risk management in currencies, commodities, international trade, stocks and investment funds. Arthur Izakowicz I am currently studying for a Masters in Cinematography in Poland, at the Poland National Film School (PWSFTviT). On completion I will be a qualified Director of Photography. Imke Schuller I have just been promoted to Research Consultant and continue working for the UK and German offices of a mid-sized consumer insights and innovation agency, based in London. Managing projects mainly for major international fast moving consumer goods players, I have developed comprehensive expertise in insight development and creative consumer co-creation. I am also training for a half marathon next spring.

Issue No. 2 / August 2010

2008 Jonatan Gonn Since May 2009 I have been working as a Fixed income Sales/ Trader at Wallich & Matthes B.V. Behrouz Behzadan After my graduation I joined University College London as a visiting researcher on the subject of ‘Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship’. After 8 months I joined Brunel Business School (BBS) to start a PhD in ‘Management Studies’ with a focus on Corporate Venture Capital. In March 2010 I won the “Best Year One Paper” and was awarded a cash prize at the BBS Doctoral Symposium. I have a long way to go with my doctoral research and hope this achievement opens other opportunities and greater future! 2009 Matthew Nolan I am currently on an international operations graduate trainee program with Avery Dennison; a Fortune 500 company which makes a wide variety of products from pressure sensitive materials to office products. I am on a two year rotation scheme and am currently based in France for the next 9 months. Overseas Alumni Groups As EBS London is such an international school it is no surprise that our alumni are scattered all over the world. Not all of you are able to come back to Regent’s College for events or meet with your fellow alumni on a regular basis. To keep you connected no matter where you live we are bringing the alumni association to you by creating a Regent’s College Network of overseas groups. To help us with this we are looking for volunteers to become alumni co-ordinators for an overseas group. If you would like to help organise a group in your area then email the Alumni Relations Team at alumni@regents.ac.uk

EBS London Magazine

Events Comeback Sessions First Thursday of each month

Alumni v Student football match 25 September 2010

International Speakers Seminar Series Autumn 2010 Speakers include former BBC News Correspondent, Kate Adie

Dragon’s Den Comeback Session 6 October 2010

EBS London: 1984 – 1994 Reunion 20 November 2010

EBS Graduation Ball 27 November 2010

Festive Season Comeback Session 2 December 2010

EBS London: 1995 – 2005 Reunion 26 February 2011

Banking and Finance Conference

Regent’s College Events Forum The Regent’s College Events Forum brings together UK and international event management students, professionals, industry associations and media representatives for a wide variety of educational and networking opportunities. The three-day conference, organised by the BA International Events Management team and held in the College between 16 -18 September, offers a range of presentations and workshops from key industry speakers including: • Zanine Adams, Head of UK Sales and Event Solutions at Visit London • Nicolo di San Germano, Operations Director for the International Power Boat Association • Deborah McCoy, President of the American Academy of Wedding Professionals • Ziad Nassar, an international luxury event organiser from the Middle East The programme also contains a selection of site visits and exclusive event management talks at some of London’s most prestigious event spaces including Craven Cottage home of Fulham Football Club, the London Eye, the Natural History Museum, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Westfield Shopping Centre.

March 2011

Alumni Golf Tournament April 2011

Further Details www. regents.ac.uk

Further information on the 2010 Events Forum can be found online at www.rceventsforum.com or by contacting the team at info@rceventsforum.com

Missing Us Already? We offer a wide range of British and American postgraduate qualifications. From Marketing to Media Communications, through to Luxury Brand Management and Writing for Screen & Stage, you might find just the course you’re looking for. Contact us for more information. We’d love to hear from you again to discuss your plans. PLACES STILL AVAILABLE FOR SEPTEMBER ENTRY. REGENTS.AC.UK

Regent’s College Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4NS, UK T +44 (0) 20 7487 7505 F +44 (0) 20 7487 7425 E info@regents.ac.uk W www.regents.ac.uk

EBS London is a club - once in, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re part of a very exclusive network of international achievers, opinion formers who can make a difference. Tobias Mews EBS London Alumni, Class of 2003